Hi guys, I've crossed over and i'm batting for an overseas manufacturer. I've just purchased a 1973 Corona Sedan yesterday (7.12.13) for those interested in the story read on, for those interested in the car skip to the photos! The inspiration struck one Friday night (22.11.13) when dad and i were sitting around and he asked me if i'd seen the shannons auction listing. essentially there was a datsun 1200 wagon for sale. i started thinking and went and looked and even made a bid on the 2nd of dec. i didn't win and was a bit dissapointed / all riled up to own a japanese classic. Through the week i was sitting in a hotel room in Ballarat after leaving a business card on a 70's Crown i'd just seen when i started scanning Gumtree and Ebay for anything pre-80's japanese RWD. I stumbled across an add for "1973 Toyota Corona Sedan $3,000.00 Model SE. Immaculate all original car, has been stored unregistered in garage for 23 years. 22,000 miles!" it was close to home and a nice pastel green colour which is nicer than the cream / mustard combo datsun I'd been looking at. the next morning (6.12.13) i rang at 8am and set a time to be there on Saturday (7.12.13) at 9am for a look. I took Selo from this forum with me and a jack, some basic tools and a piece of cardboard to lay around on the ground with. after an hour an a half of scanning the car very thoroughly I'd shaken hands on a price and was off to find a car trailer. I got her home by 3pm that arvo paid for! Now at this point its: Driveline: 4cyl 1600cc Auto column shift Int: brown seats black dash ext: pastel green Miles: 22,159 mods: Holden horn mudflaps awesome factory stuff: steering wheel toolkit radio! The story about the KM is the vehicle was urchased new by an older woman in Wandon VIC. she lived on a fam and the car was shedded unless it was church or the shops. in 1989 she became chronically ill and soon passed away. the vehicle was last registered in 1990 with the registration sticker still on the window. late 2011 / early 2012 the man I purchased the car from was lopping down some trees at the farmhouse readying the property for sale when the husband asked if he also did clear-ups. they negotiated a price but it wa too high so 2 EK holdens and the toyota were bargained into the deal. It was driven home in Jan 2012 to Avonsleigh VIC (I have a unregistered vehicle permit with that date) and was then shedded again until the seller advertised it in November for sale and I came along. The old man fitted a holden horn to the car for his wife as it was louder. It's incredibly loud and I'd guess it came off of the EK. Unbelievably it also seems to have Nasco EK mudflaps fitted to it. heres some pics documenting the "before" exterior - (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0014.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0016.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0016.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0019.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0042.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0033.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0032.jpg.html) eng bay - (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0022.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0025.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0029.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0074.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0073.jpg.html) Interior (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0059.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0057.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0052.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0051.jpg.html) Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

I'd say it's really 122,000mls judging by its condition

yeah it seems legit for sure. the paint has been done quite obviosuly but it was owned by a little old lady and it appears to have accident damage hidden away. more pics of the transformation from gem in the rough to how it should look coming! I've been busting guts rust converting tools and scrubbing boots, scrubbing rims, degreasing engine bays, claybarring the paint etc etc etc. i hand washed all of the hubcaps and dress rings in the laundry sink when none else was home to see me do it!

What's the plans for it ? Turbo 2.7litre Hilux motor ( 2rz/3rz I think they're called ) ?

yeah what r plans mitch?

i scored it for a reasonable price so plans are 5g budget. get running smooth and reliable lower, replace perishables and invest in rims / sports steering wheel and maybe some extractors / carbs / exhaust then just enjoy for a while. the VL hasn't got a lot left to do to be where i want it so its good to have something to detail and clean and generally tidy up. I'm hoping if i get it all back in order and really well presented and running i can remove all the aftermarket parts, return the originals and sell it without losing any coin once i finish having my fun with it. I'm thinking - engine bay - wire tuck engine bay body colour rocker cover and new red breather (keep originals with original patina in storage) extractors / air breather / exhaust iterior - nardi black centre steering wheel mahogany woodgrain outer cd player in glovebox and spekers in parcel shelf (standard parcel shelf retained. make a new MDF one to cut) clark rubber foam tucked inside seats where they are saggy (the whole back seat for instance is an empty wire frame so its begging to be filled in. plush as!) exterior - polish polish polish. 70's / 80's japanese rims of some sort with white line tyres LOW LOW LOW (I've done the measurements and theres only abot 1.5" room of lowering to stay legal but i can either go bigger rim or just dump it anyway.) thats about it. It'll be a tidy cheap reliable cruiser which i'm hoping not to lose money on the initial investment and parts. obviously you'll never get back the time or cost of parts such as fluids etc but if i can sell it for hat i paid plus a tad more i'm doing well and i think fixed up its definately worth more than i paid.

so the first batch of photos is the as is pile. here are a few spotlighting some of the cool details on her. original plates in great condition (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0064.jpg.html) rust like this in both front doors. also water leaks onto carpet (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0062.jpg.html) original radiator cap (still available new thankyou ebay!) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0065.jpg.html) oil cap detail (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0066.jpg.html) 12R engine apparently a cut down holden red. It was used up until the 80's in toyota commercials such as the Hiace and Hilux. (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0067.jpg.html) SE is the higher spec level of coronas ADM (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0079.jpg.html) Odd blue light in my high beams. these are a sealed unit any idea wtf this is about? (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0083.jpg.html) disgusting boot (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0087.jpg.html) i nearly lost my breakfst when i caught a wiff of what had been growing on this tool pack. the owner had never opened the bot and one side had been exposed to water. (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0090.jpg.html) its all marked made in japan and toyota motors except the jack. (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0094.jpg.html) getting her clean first! (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0097.jpg.html) this is after a degrease soap and claybar. note the dirt on the floor around it (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0121.jpg.html) first thing on the purchae list was tyres. my friends at beaurepairs recon what was there was late 70's at the aearliest. the whitewall was thought to be an original tyre. (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0130.jpg.html) check out the orange peel :/ the car shows signs of overspray and thin layers of bog here and there. it seems to have had a complete taxi spray original colour during its life. (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0143.jpg.html) shopping list (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0134.jpg.html) Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Such a cool purchase. how many cars do you own now Mitch?

scrubbing the boot - (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0012.jpg.html) rust converted the next morning - (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0038.jpg.html) putting all the good bits back in! (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0066-1.jpg.html) degreasing :/ (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0033-1.jpg.html) refitted the air cleaner and degreased engine bay second time! (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0064-1.jpg.html) this went from rust to this in 24 hours. if you have rust go find rainex at bunnings next to the metal paint its the bomb. (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0063.jpg.html) pulled apart the grille and headlight setup. it was dirty and leting the car down now that I'd cleaned up the outside. check the before and after (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0043.jpg.html) also compare this to the above before! 5 brand new tyres $350 bargain. (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0039.jpg.html) started draining the radiator but couldn't drain the water in the engine even when it was warm. couldnt figure out why! the owner told me he'd removed the thermo fan as it was clogged. it seems that after he removed it the idiot put it back in completely gunked up. as if he didn't even have access to a scouring pad and some soap! (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0074-1.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0071-1.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0081-1.jpg.html) 4 flushes and still coming out brown. I also ordered a tonne of replacement parts today. leads plugs dissy points rotor oil cartridge diff seal rad hoses thermostat rad cap auto trans service kit lots of oils! K&N air filter for standard breather. a lot of it's gotta come from various stores and warehouses but the ETA is this week so looks like a very busy holiday season! ---------- Post added 11-12-13 at 23:13 ---------- Quote: Originally Posted by VLWAGONIT [View Post] Such a cool purchase. how many cars do you own now Mitch? waaay to many mate! dad's HK an HT wagon 2 HR's (and another HR in boxes of parts and cut into sections in the farm scrap metal pile) the VL wagon the corona the daily VY so currently 7. only the HK and the vl and the dly are registered but the VL/HK are on club plates so the cost is managable. ---------- Post added 12-12-13 at 11:03 ---------- (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/_571.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/_573.jpg.html) $220 inc. delivery from the U.S. bargain. also comes with the original Nardi Bosskit for an MX5 which should be resellable. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

It's fairly clean mate, good luck with the build. This would be pretty cool to bring back to life.

so getting there. I've done the following - engine oil flush and new filter radiator flush new hoses and thermo new fan belt transmission pan driopped cleaned and new filter and fluid installed diff casing removed and cleaned. new seal and fluid new tyres replaced headlight which had discoloured replaced / restored ignition system pressure washed and inspected undercarriage (no concerning rust) purchased a nana hat and a blanket for the rear seat! (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0003.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0004-1.jpg.html) mdf fibreglass and sickaflex. I'm making a new glovebox lining I can cut up for a CD player. (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/DSC_0007.jpg.html) I've never undertaken such a complex MDF / fibreglass task before so should be interesting. I've also discovered that you can now buy CD players without CD players in them! it's like a "media receiver" for your car so its all andoid and apple compatable but no CD. the upside is they take up less room. I'm looking at buying one of these. new rims for the car coming from QLD - 14x7" et+11 14x6.5" et+2 they will fit with enough room but will fill the guards nicely. (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/1477687_10151837897667683_1157192803_n.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/1479594_10151837897662683_247722117_n.jpg.html) (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/SIroller/media/Corona/967435_10151837897657683_237028339_n.jpg.html) they also come with all 4 caps which is ridiculously rare and awesome. 9463302176 Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Yeah I spun out the first time I seen a media player for a car. Apparently all the new Jeeps from 2014 will have media players and CD players as a option! Because most people would rather stream from there phones thes days apparently....

people sacrifice quality for ease of useand if you can carry around the equivalent of a few peoples music collection on your phone i can see why. most of those eople have never owned a really nice audio setup that benefits from a good quality recording though. tried to drive the car on a permit from melb to shepparton yesterday so it can get checked over for club reg. what a flop. got into shep at 2am after having to tow the car home to melb and leave it on the stret. very dissapointed. but its better to jhave discovered the flaw now rather than later.

This is is boss, love the mods. Granny daily/sleeper.

cheers Jako, so I spent about 4 hours yesterday playing with the car and i kept getting it to run for a few mins or seconds then it'd conk and not want to start again. I checked fuel pump, filter, lines for blockages and to see they were working. no go so i started on the plugs cleaning and gapping (number 1 and 4 were dark and wet 3 was dark and dry and 2 was normal) remember theyre brand new so shouldn't have any buildup on them yet. so i cleaned and tried again, gapped and tried again then had to clean and gap and try a third time. finally satisfied it wasn't them i started playing with idle controls and linkages for the throttle as as soon as it as put in gear idle dropped off about 800rpm and it'd want to stall. where I'm at is it has an automatic choke on it. it's controlled by a spring which expands as it heats up pushing the choke open. it says something like "cimatic control" on it and is tunable with tighter being more "lean" i'm thinking what may be happening is it's choking on too much fuel once it warms up causing it to conk out then not start because its being flooded. seems logical but again i'm learning as I go here. theres also a linkage between the throttle linkages and the gearbox which is very loose. i'm thinking if i remove the slack from that i might reduce the ridiculous loss of idle rpm when gears are engaged. apart from that i'm too busy clening up after my goddamn new housemates. spent 3 hours cleaning my shed of his crap so i could actually work. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Keep the pics coming man

it's been sitting a few weeks as i've been overseas. just returned though. shes not running and won't be until i can find and purchase a car trailer. but parts are arriving and theres still lots and lots of cleaning and detailing to get into. plus my wheels arrived and they look even better up close.

so this weekend I've had a chance to pickup parts fro the post office and start bolting stuff back together. I fitted a new ignition coil and replaced the rocker cover with a spare one i purchased from QLD. also replaced the split indicator lense which is a rwc hold back. also with this week in melbourne i've been able to drop the car off at a local datsun specialist. the guys knowledgable regarding older jap carby cars and should be able to get it running. I'll let everyone know how we go with it but hoping i'll be able to pick her up running later this week. PHOTOS! this is the inside of the factory rocker cover. looks grubby on the outside but goddamn ive never seen anything so clean inside. the signs point further toward it being a genuine KM car. inside the head. vl wrinkle red Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

positive updates! vehicle has been inspected for club plates and signed off. i just have to get to Vicroads now and arrange registration. In other news this hapened. purchased a car trailer. it's ex speedway and its pretty mental. the whole foor tips up. im not sure if anyone can see thisbut ill post a video link. (https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQA9gH3CztFGjMRV&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-vthumb-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhvthumb-ak-prn2%2Ft15%2Fp280x280%2F1921771_10152236756323620_10152236755858620_33248_332_b.jpg&jq=100) makes everything sooo much easier. Shannons quoted up insurace at just under $130 for 5g agreed value salvage rights $200 excess. so pretty happy with that number. Hopefully ill be registering tomorrow and driving to work Friday! Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

so now shes registered insured and driving (and in melbourne) I've had a day to spend on it. just a little detail, a bit more cash (Grrgh :/ ) and lots of polishing. shes running sweet, but heat is sitting a bit high. ive been recommended higher thickness oil but in the meantime i've ben puhing through lots of radiator flush. It seems the entire car has been sitting since 1990 with water (no additives) in the car so thank god its not completely blocked. Pics! steering wheel is the prfect colour. decent fitment 14x7 with a 185 / 65 same tyre 6.5" rim dash cover back passenger footwell Holla! bolted the seatbelts through this so it stays in place. thats a 1993 Melways. absolutely Mickey condition. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.