Bangkok Shite: Toyota Corona Liftback

[Conan]

It's going to be a massively costly experience with long lasting effect that may or may not go away.

I went and take a look at this 1979 Toyota Corona Liftback on 30th March. Sat on it for 2 days and decided I got to have it. I've always wanted a 1970's experience after having a couple of 90's and 80's cars. This fits the bill and it's affordable. It's also Barney-colour. How can I say no?

This particular model of Toyota Corona was assembled here in Samrong, Samutprakarn from 1978-1983 during the period of early localisation. A lot of parts still had to come from Japan but many bits are made locally. It's general model code is xT130. This particular one is TT132.

The T means it comes with 1,770cc 3T 4-cylinder engine, overhead Valve, hemispherical head. According to the brochure it produces something like 108hp. It certainly moves way better compared to the 1,587cc F6 OHC of the Mazda 626 with something like 77hp. This engine runs great and I've driven it quite a bit now. Pretty good engine I'd say.

Although I have to say, it's clearly a 70's design with a lot of rear end tramlining due to solid axle which isn't helped by fucked rear shock absorber which I've already ordered a pair. The steering is boat like. The whole car is boat like. I like it a lot. It's everything I expected from that era Toyota. The Mazda feels like race car in comparison.

And yes, the Mazda is staying for now. I have no reason to get rid of it yet. Although I can confirm that the Corona will eventually effectively replaces it.

Anything wrong with it? Well the clock says it's done 260,000 miles and it certainly shows. It will need bodywork, suspension bits, engine stuff and a whole host of other things. It's a well used high mileage car. But it's been somewhat maintained and used regularly so it doesn't have odd running issues like the Mazda when I first took it home. The Mazda only done 90 odd thou miles but it wasn't maintained at all.

So I've already done a simple service, oil change, coolant change. Things that wouldn't hurt a car like this. Gear oil, diff oil, brake and clutch fluid will come next.

It's noisy from many places, the air con compressor quits compressing on me today and just locked up in the middle of a u-turn. It's rusty in places and the paint is peeling off everywhere. Yes I am complaining, why isn't a 43 year old car completely perfect from the get go? Maybe I should get a refund etc.etc. (I'm joking in case somebody didn't notice).

 

Also replaced the fuel hoses as that's deteriorated. Stamped 2013. So at least it's been replaced before. It will not be run on E10 just like the Mazda.

I've also went and got a set of somewhat period correct original Toyota steel wheels. Two center caps are missing but I will find a set eventually, they aren't that rare.

What's the plan then? Well I hope I'll get everything working correctly in a few months. Bodywork maybe next year? It's a pain in the arse buying an old needy car just before a 9 days long holiday because all the shops are closed but I can just park it until then. I haven't even been able to transfer the ownership and insured it yet. It'll stay as original as possible (it even comes with non functioning 8-track ffs) definitely no barried shenanigans.

Yes @hairnet, you will get a go in it.

I paid £1,100. Barg.

There will be many updates.

[D.E]

Breathtaking!

[ProgRocker]

Fantastic!  I think these were sold in the UK but didn't sell well. This Corona has very pleasing styling in my eyes with the notchback styling and quad headlamps. Especially for the late 1970s.

[Madman Of The People]

With the gigantic rubber bumpers, sealed beam headlights and front amber side markers, one could almost assume this was a US-market Corona.  Until you notice it's right hand drive.

The T130 Corona was sold here from 1979-83.  They were fairly popular here, especially as the 1979 fuel crisis accelerated the tidal wave of American families abandoning their petrol-guzzling Detroit Dinosaurs in favour of more efficient and reliable Japanese alternatives.  However, like all Japanese cars from this era, you could watch it dissolve away with rust right before your very eyes!  In North America, Toyota replaced the Corona with the new front-drive Camry for 1984.

Yours looks to be a particularly clean and original example.  Almost museum quality, I'd say!  It's been decades since I've seen one that wasn't completely rotten due to the aforementioned rust.

[junkyarddog]

Love this era of Toyota.

That's an absolute bargain!

Beautiful car,well bought. 

[hairnet]

thats ace - for a minute i thought it was the one i was looking at last summer but that was a saloon - same colour - although 3-4 years newer (looks like honda accord of early 80s)

didnt know they did them as hatch ive only ever seen saloons

 

[Conan]

2 hours ago, Madman Of The People said:

With the gigantic rubber bumpers, sealed beam headlights and front amber side markers, one could almost assume this was a US-market Corona.  Until you notice it's right hand drive.

The T130 Corona was sold here from 1979-83.  They were fairly popular here, especially as the 1979 fuel crisis accelerated the tidal wave of American families abandoning their petrol-guzzling Detroit Dinosaurs in favour of more efficient and reliable Japanese alternatives.  However, like all Japanese cars from this era, you could watch it dissolve away with rust right before your very eyes!  In North America, Toyota replaced the Corona with the new front-drive Camry for 1984.

Yours looks to be a particularly clean and original example.  Almost museum quality, I'd say!  It's been decades since I've seen one that wasn't completely rotten due to the aforementioned rust.

I wish it's that good! The pictures really are flattering. There's quite a few rot spot especially on the doors but that's to be expected. Nothing that can't be remedied with sparking stick though!

Interestingly, the high end Japanese spec are also fitted with thicc rubber bumpers and these Corona always have sealed beams until 1980 facelift. USDM was in vogue back then.

[sutty2006]

Cooler than a penguins pecker. 

[Macscrooge]

Fabulous!  I like the styling - and indeed the wheels. 

[Asimo]

Marvellous!

[HMC]

Sorry to hear you have Corona. To help I would be willing to accept if it was exported. I’d do that for you.

But seriously - sensational purchase!

[dozeydustman]

 

what a splendid old Hector that is!

[Soundwave]

Lovely. I remember one of my neighbours had one of these back in the late 80s/early 90s, on a W plate. A rare sight in the UK even back then, I remember it caught my eye because it looked like nothing else on the street. I also remember it was absolutely fucked in terms of rot, all four arches made of gaffer tape, door bottoms like swiss cheese and no rear valance by the time it finally went to the crusher in the early 2000s.

Here's hoping the prevailing Thai climate has been much kinder to this one!

[Conan]

First Pez after 4 days. There was 3/4 tank of E10 when I bought it. Still half a tank left today. Another tank full of E0 surely would make it run like race car.

I've decided that I don't like Auto-choke. I'd rather have cable.

Can't stop looking at it. The styling I'd describe as kitsch as hell for the late 70's. But now it stands out a mile in the sea of boring moderns.

[Datsuncog]

That's phenomenal. I love everything about this car!

[hairnet]

hubnut thai style needed

in thai

[Conan]

Today I put the somewhat OEM wheels on with near new 165SR13 tyres. It looks very correct and this makes me very hapi. I reckon it's more handsome this way so the Enkei Minilite that were on it will be going very soon.

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

What a lovely thing. Huge fan of the 626 too. Late 70s/early 80s Mazdas have all but gone here in the UK. 

As for your Corona, the back end reminded me a little of the smaller cousin - the Corolla Liftback. A neighbour owned one around thirty years ago - it was quite an unusual sight even then. 

One thing though- rethink sacking off those Enkeis - they're lovely! (unlike the BM8s on the Liftback above, which look waaay too big).

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 minute ago, Dick Longbridge said:

As for your Corona, the back end reminded me a little of the smaller cousin - the Corolla Liftback. A neighbour owned one around thirty years ago - it was quite an unusual sight even then. 

My Granny had one in bright yellow, used to drive it like a psychopath. 😂

[Conan]

24 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

What a lovely thing. Huge fan of the 626 too. Late 70s/early 80s Mazdas have all but gone here in the UK. 

As for your Corona, the back end reminded me a little of the smaller cousin - the Corolla Liftback. A neighbour owned one around thirty years ago - it was quite an unusual sight even then. 

One thing though- rethink sacking off those Enkeis - they're lovely! (unlike the BM8s on the Liftback above, which look waaay too big).

Back then each model of Toyota had so many body variation it's a wonder they can turn any profit! I really get the appeal of these liftback though, they're quite practical and absolutely stylish.

Sadly I don't have the space or the need to keep these Enkei Compe. I'm sure someone with something similarly retro will find a use for it.

[Conan]

Fookin hell that took way longer than expected.

Finally got the car back with superb air-conditioning system. New compressor, new heat exchanger, new tubing, pressure switch install, and a whole bunch of relays and new wiring so it's safe to use. It was expensive but important stuff. £350 to sort it out.

The timing is pretty correct as the air-con on the Lolvo decided to not conditioned about 2 weeks ago. Feels like dying from dehydration just driving it 15 miles to the shop today. So I just left it there and drove the 'rona back.

After I got the car back I changed the gear knob for period correct Celica knob. Did the lace steering cover too because the wheel is fucked and nothing else will do. Also did the window winder which was easy.

Now I have to sort the V5. Also I'd probably remove the window tint.

I still don't have any regrets buying it. A lovely car to drive.

[hairnet]

git

 

[Conan]

So I washed the car today and saw one corner of window tint is peeling. I then start to peel it further and found it's much easier than I'd thought. Be gone tint.

Suddenly the car feels much more friendly and the inside much more airy. I put some period JDM stickers on it too. Because I'm a weeb like that.

[hairnet]

What's the heap in the background

Some kinda honda?

 

[Conan]

2 minutes ago, hairnet said:

What's the heap in the background

Some kinda honda?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_City#Fifth_generation_(GM2/3;_2008)

[Spottedlaurel]

I missed this one, it's wonderful! I like what you're doing to it.

As others have said it was never very common here, only sold as the 5-door hatchback and with a high-ish spec including A/C (unusual back then).

We got skinnier chrome bumpers however:

Always thought they were an attractive car, but I don't remember seeing many. Even at the Japanese shows back in the '90s/'00s there may only have been one or two and the last one I remember for definite was in a Norfolk scrapyard. It was available, I was interested but I believe it ended up going for export.

[Conan]

Same reason many other big liftback cars are unsuccessful I believe. If people were to buy a big car back then they'd want a booted version. Even with nearly no luxurious pretention.

In the UK these would've been replaced by the Carina II with liftback body available. As it happen, it's not just the Corolla that they kept both FWD and RWD platform in the same period. In Asia and Oceania we got the Carina II as Corona FF, while the RWD Corona becomes the T140 which wasn't available as a liftback. The FWD caters to people who wants modern, while the RWD caters to people who wants the same as before thank you. T140 was pretty much the same as the T130 while the T150 FWD was all new.

It's telling how well Toyota was doing back in the 80's when they could just make 2 completely different cars on 2 of their most popular line of cars. Most other would just switch over.

Would the saloon be hen's teeth rare as well? They do rust like pretty much all Japanese cars back then. The only reason mine survived is because of the kinder climate. Had it been in use similarly in the norther place it'd probably already dissolved by now.  No wonder the only place with numerous amount of these is Australia.

Reading about these I found 3T engine response really well to Webers and tubular exhaust manifold. I'd probably do that eventually. Not the main priority right now though.

[tooSavvy]

Interesting to see '4 doors + dinky window = 5' side profile, like my Carina II [mine being booted!]

I'm not a fan of that hatch/lift back glazing.

Lovely car, nonetheless.... Enjoy A/C m8 👌

[Conan]

[Conan]

I had to go run some errand so only uploaded the detailed* installation video. Might be confusing as to what I've actually done.

The original grille was bent at the top in such a way it cannot be bent back into shape. Even on the picture it is obvious.

Last night a mesh hardtop coupé grille appeared on FB Marketplace for cheap so I took this opportunity to fix that. I've been looking for one for a while now. SCHPORT.

Before.

After.

Truth be told after I installed the mesh grille I wasn't completely taken by it despite actively seeking one before. Not that I hate it, just that I wouldn't mind either type on the car.

Then again, I'm keeping the original blocky grille so I can swop it out anytime if I ever feel like it.