Woot, my first post here!
Daox, nice build thread. I used to have a 96 Corolla (AE101) with the 4A-FE. Got 33mpg all day in that with my lead foot, possibly touched 40s a few times.
Anyway, back to the Paseo! I noticed an A/C drier in one of your pictures. With regard to your overheating problems, if you delete the A/C system, you can eliminate the evaporator which should help with the rad situation. Also, maybe people set on grill blocking should look into aftermarket ALUMINUM rads. Us tuning folk (yes, I'm one of
those 
) use them to good effect to reduce weight, improve cooling efficiency and sometimes even capacity.
Did the previous owner make those mods, or was that you in a different life?
haha. If it was you, did you get any discernable benefit from lowering? Something I've thought about long before I got thinking of fuel economy mods.
Lastly, if you have any good reads on tumble/swirl for intake manifolds, please share! I've got the engine out of my 240SX and I blew through 12+ cans of carb cleaner getting it cleaned up... Was also going to go a port match on it, but I wonder if it'd be better to leave them as is to promote tumble. Your thoughts please.
