LittleRedSpirit

Looks good mate, nice solution. :wootjump:

Today I did a bit more. I carefully checked that the sump and oil pickup are in the right place and working together on the extended pickup without being too close or too far from the steel pan. Its perfect! About a 10 cent piece away at its closest. I also located the drain bung, and buffed through the paint on the sump ready for welding the nut inside for the drain bung. I was going to weld it myself but blew a tip on the shitty welder I was using and then couldn't find any more. I never got the welder working just so so I might look for someone with exquisite skills for this one. Then when I went about as far as I could on that, I started putting the interior in. I located the shifter surround, and centre console. I had to use a ke70 console bracket as the ae86 one I never had. I just screwed it inside the console then double sided taped the thing down using the console to locate it exactly once the front of it was screwed in. Then I slipped off the console and the bracket was stuck to the tunnel so I just self tappered it there and there it shall stay. I then did the job of mounting the stereo head unit. A bit of a pain without the genuine brackets but nothing I couldnt sort in about 30 minutes. Then it was on to the gauges. I mounted the oil pressure and water temp gauges there below the stereo. I made my own bezel, which I will wrap in black vinyl to make it look as stock as possible. I drilled a third hole in it but now I'm wondering why as I have only the two gauges. I have an hour meter but thats kinda pointless in this car as I only used it in my ke when I had no odometer to keep track of services. Enjoy the pics. Its looking good IMO. Heres where the sump drain is going. Didnt want it right underneath as it will hang down too far and catch something some day. Shifter hole shown here with the slight bit of trimming I had to do on the plastic to make it fit. I'm sure I have a overrated shifter bezel here somewhere but ʞ©$ɟed if I can find it. Heres the little bezel I made A bit more complete looking now Oil pickup clearance, not bad for the first attempt at it with just a nit of bent reo bar as a template. ʞ©$ɟing arsed that one. How it sits:

Goddamn it man, the point is that it needs a blue slip rwc to sell which is quite stringent. If you cannot take it as it is and sell it registered with an official change of registration then its much of a muchness. Fix it up for rwc, put it up for sale for $1500 and see how you go. You will need the rwc, which is something a non running car wont get with or without residual rego. Off to the wreckers you go, this week for festiva bits, and keep an eye out for a better condition vintage Toyota body while you're out and about.

That's a better idea. If you end up buying it I think that's fine if you can get it cheap and don't mind welding it up and fixing the paint, but I'm thinking that if you want an rt132 you should consider a nicer body as that's what you can't fix too easy. If the Festiva is off the road too then its probably worth less than the rona as it has no classic value whatsoever. Zero collectability. Any registered car with a rwc would have to be worth at least a grand just due to it being useful to someone. Without rego and rwc for sale the Festiva has lost its most desirable trait and its really just whatever you could get for the parts.

I'm in Brisbane. I think the point of me telling you to try and buy the car for cash and not give away the Festiva is so that you can have a car that's on the road and known to get you to and from work without any issues. You will want to take the rona off the road for a few days here and there while you are working on it. If its unregistered now it will need a rwc which it may need work to achieve, and as such if you don't have the Festiva, shit as it is, you may not be able to get to work or be able to drive around and gather the parts you need to speedily fix the rona. There is a much nice rt132 on gumtree for $300 more asking price. A few hundred extra on the right car up front will save you thousands in restoration later. The hardest thing for you to fix will be the body, as it is for most people. You can just bog it up but you will be in a much worse position in 5 years time. Id look for something thats got a straight body and chrome, as the mechanical stuff can come from any one of a few models if need be, but the body and chrome is pretty unique for the most part to the rt132. Plus with your knowledge base increasing as time goes by and you progress through your apprenticeship, you will find the mechainicals a bit easier to manage. So to summarise, I would not be chasing that car with any force. Its got at least a half dozen rust holes right through it, who knows whats hiding underneath some bog somewhere. The rear bumper is ʞ©$ɟed, the car itself isnt great. Its got 300 plus ks and no service history. I think if it had a good body, paint and chrome, the same mileage but a good service history and minimal rust you might find its worth 2-3 grand as a maximum. Its not a valuable car, you're not getting a special deal at the terms you've described. If you want it, you can buy it, its your decision of course, but don't pay for a sentimental attachment. I personally would maybe offer the $400 cash and then see what he says, if he looks like wanting your Festiva as well and wont negotiate just walk and tell him you're happy to wait for one with a better body to come along. He will probably beg you to take it, if he doesn't he's kinda stupid I think. People don't just up and sell classic cars that are in good order for a few hundred bucks. Id be wanting to drive it for long enough to establish the quality of the diff and gearbox and engine before making any further additions to an offer. That means getting it warm, looking in the radiator for bubbles. Does it have coolant and demin water or is it just filled with tap water? Are the tyres in date? What are the rack boots and the tie rod ends like? Does the diff or gearbox leak? Compression test? What's the date on the leads? Plugs? Belts? Hoses? Think it through, you will end up doing a lot of work, which if you think about it is going to push your purchase price up over another couple of thousand by the time its on the road. Id almost call the car you're looking at a parts car to wreck and not a driver. Ive bought 2 ra40 liftbacks in recent years and both were $150 and one was a bit nicer than your rona there.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/glenorchy/cars-vans-utes/1979-toyota-corona-rwd-manual/1065504504 Just looking at the add I can tell its quite a rusty shitter. don't go crazy.

Consider a test drive if you can get it running. Its also good as a bargaining point you might find shit hes not even aware of or claiming not to be. I like to view cars as they are before some con artist degreases the shit out of it so I can see where oil might be leaking. Don't offer much if you cannot drive it. Worst case scenario its got a whiny diff and a spent motor and box. If its been sitting then it will need more than just the usual service, there is the chance that almost all the exposed rubbers have perished with the age of the vehicle. Just give it the most thorough test you can. Just remember its a mass produced Japanese car with a not super stimulating engine and box. Its not a car you can't go looking and find another example of if you spend a few weeks looking. Also make sure there is no rust in the sills as this will prevent it from being safely maintained as it cannot go on a hoist. Id be looking to keep my reliable registered economical to own Festiva as a daily in the short term. Sounds like the corona is worth every bit of $400 and that's it if you ask me. If it was really straight, with a close to immaculate interior and great chrome might be worth a bit more, but it can't be worth much without a service history or test drive. Who knows how its going to be till you really put it through its paces. I bought a really nice looking Celica and it still needed tyres, belts, hoses, battery, alternator, water pump, thermostat, vac hoses, egr delete, a full fluid swap, brakes, engine coolant, engine box and diff oil, tappet cover seals, rotor button, leads and dizzy cap, ac compressor and regas and new springs and shocks and it was a mid 1980s car with 92000klms. Please don't let me boss you around, make your own decision, but just think it through and don't spend on an emotional attachment. I see these for sale fairly regularly, and often in good order as they are the premium Japanese produced model that cost more at the dealer than your usual xt130.

The car you pictured with the "foggies" as you call them is left hand drive and the US has different rules about which lights can be which colour and where. If you are in the US then feel free to copy that style. Otherwise you will be breaking adr rules. Nobody on this forum can stop you if you still want to do it, but you can fit foggies in a more appropriate place that will not affect the road worthiness of the car or the quality of the light you are driving by. If you must be unique and break these laws, expect to get a unique ticket from a Policeman. If you want to enhance the driving experience, buy the car (be a nice first step, :rocknroll: ) then look at upgrading or at least replacing whatever is damaged or in poor condition as far as bearings, bushings, seals and service parts goes. Most any old car I get a hold of gets a massive carby clean, split old rotting hoses replaced, egr deleted, since they are always not functioning once you are in the 3rd decade of dealing with CO. Id inspect the cooling system, radiator, and fluids, look at changing them all, and also check the condition of the heater hoses and the radiator hoses, which may have never been changed. Read the service books in the glove box and see what has and hasn't been done. Then once all the important bases are covered to keep it alive and running economically, you could definitely consider styling it some. If it were me Id forgo the styling as this usually means you just make the car worthless by drilling holes for fender mirrors, grafting a bumper onto it from something else, or the classic I just got a car and don't know how to modify it manoeuvre of pulling out trim and gauge backgrounds and painting them red white or some other god awful non period colour in and attempt to update the look of a classic that has more appeal in a close to original state. Id put some nice period wheels like long champs, or even some tri spokes or something more avante garde to play on the style of the car.

I don't know if youre allowed to change the colour of whats essentially just a headlight, not into the yellows or oranges anyhow, as those colours have specific meanings on the adrs I believe. Red for stop, yellow for caution. Just check before you go making the car an rwc fail.

If it has an r engine its actually called an rt132. I don't see any fog lights? The lights in the bar I believe are indicators. They look good clean original and low. They already have the gifts of chrome and a cool Japan meets USA look to them like most Toyota's of the period. Id be leaving it alone if its as tidy as it looks unless you can find better parts to replace anything that is broken or unoriginal. I dare say on ebay you could eventually find some bits, but a very obscure model to find bits for Id assume as far as new parts. Wreckers would be your best bet. Id prefer to put in an 18rg and some nice carbs if I had it, or just convert to a 3rz, beams or sr20 in the long run if the motor is tired and you want more power. It doesn't make sense to spend much money on the 18rc its not a real powerhouse. Just get to know the car for a while and look at what you can put into it when the time comes. They are not a car that collectors really seek afaik so go nuts, I cannot see you devaluing it with a tidy conversion. Suspension is pretty easy to tune, more or less an ra40 celica as far as the running gear goes.

Makela auto tuning is a great source of images of the exact constitution of the car, but you'd have to have money falling out of your pockets to be spending that kind of money on a few panels so kudos for making them. I thought you sold your moulds though?

I just emailed adaptronic the other night and they emailed me back a base map that should run when I turn the key of the 2azfe. Plus I have picked up a little extra work in the holidays and will maybe be able to purchase the ecu sooner rather than later. Yippee. Still need: ECU TUNE Tailshaft A few bits of wiring. Mod plate Rego

Yeah good point. I don't know what was cut near there though. I'm pretty careful about it. I did lots of grinding in the early days but all in the floor, its just such an even coating of bumps on the screen that it seems like a corrosion type of thing.

Today I cleaned the windshield, fitted the new wiper arms, the washer nozzles, and connected it all. Its got a nozzle on each wiper arm aiming the water in front of the squeegee (good idea Justin), it works amazing. All the hoses are concealed in the bulkhead. I also sanded back and painted the lower windscreen trim black, as it was fag spec metallic purple before. I also fitted the blower motor, main vent, and made some further tweaks to the heater tap actuator. I found it was a bit stiff and it popped the cable casing out of the clamp so I tie wired it together. Then I put the face of the ac surround on and fitted the ciggy lighter. I also wired all the speaker plugs for the stereo, cut the holes for the 6x9s and bogged the screws ahead of applying vinyl to the speaker boxes next time I go in. I had to spend ages cleaning glass today with a combination of thinners, windex and a clay bar, but it came up ok. One wierd thing, the windscreen has a lot of bump on the inside of what actually looks like rust. Has anyone heard of a windshield deteriorating? They were kinda lumpy little bumps like when you weld near the screen but not as embedded in the glass. Really wierd. I scraped most of it off with a razor but no chemical I had could take it off and it seems like its spot rust on the glass or something, if thats even possible. Its even all over the inside of the windscreen, nothing else is affected. Really odd. Ill be mounting the oil pressure gauge by the stereo in the console next time I go In, as well as wrapping and fitting the 6x9s into place, and plugging the wires into the 4 inch dash speakers as the trim goes in with it. I had to self tapper screw the bracket that holds the lower dash fixing on as the fabricator had removed them to look at how to fit the cage, Put a proper hydraulic hose on the clutch remote reserve.

Checked where the oil senders will reach too, looks perfect, just hidden in the corner under the washer bottle there. I also bought the wiper blades I needed (yay exciting I know), and I got my HKS pod in the post. I'm not certain Ill run it but I wanted to get it to have a go at fitting it in in a box behind the headlight, will have to be kinda tricky to fit it but it will be worth it if it works.

I made some custom speaker boxes for the 6x9s. Came out pretty decent. I also received the oil sender relocation hose. I need to cover the boxes in laminate or maybe vinyl, see what I feel like and what I have when I go to do it.

Justin spontaneaously appeared today and connected the freshly mounted thermo-fan, the last few auxiliaries and tidied the whole show up. Looks extremely neat and I highly recommend Justins' professional touch. Had a lot of the accessories fired up, the blower motor, wipers, washer, horn and lights. We worked out the wiper conundrum. Justin wired up the stereo power feeds ready for me to do the speakers as I tidy up the trim. I can put the dash back together now and fit the last few pieces of body wiring as I locate them. I'm desperately looking for an interior light wire with the plugs at either end. I also need the wiring that connects the left side door switch, and the handbrake switch. I also need number plate lights, the wiring for the parkers, and a reverse switch. Getting close now!

I think if its a circuit car then you're not going to enjoy a 400kw straight six in a ke70 as much as you might in a commodore. Keeping weight down don't mean shit if your engine is already a massive heavy 200kg plus unit. A heavier diff might balance the car out better. You can make it handle but will have to move the firewall to carry the weight in the correct places. The thing about a ke70 is, you cannot just transfer over a bunch of commodore and ford knowledge to modifying one. Its a completely different thing. Its like you're feeding your cat fish food, just because you used to have a fish before the cat. You should research what we do with them for a while. Individuality is great, however it would be nice to frame the discussion around the strengths of the car, what fits and what's known to work already. To me this means agility, light weight, balance and a confidence inspiring all around drive, usually with an inline 4 or possibly v6. Nowhere in this summary is a lot of power really part of the formula. In my opinion, you would be best with 250-300hp at the wheels and linear torque. That's all the chassis needs. The fastest and most successful rally ke70 I know only dynoed at 100 and something horsepower, but it drove great. Less is more. You should open yourself up to the idea of researching hp per kg of engine, not hp per litre of engine.

If he's putting a much higher power engine in with a turbo then he may well need at least a skyline diff or an F series as the torque will smash a T series ae86 diff. I've always wondered if for pure circuit you can nitrite or shot peen (or something else if I'm too ignorant to know what its called) the T diff gears and coat them also to make it hold up to higher torque, run cooler and get away with the bolt in option at the lightest possible weight.

Wrapped the panels in vinyl.

Thats great work Matt. I always admire your engineering skill.

Spent another 5 hours on it today. I made 4 trims for inside the car as I can't find any rear seat trims and I don't want to run the stock rear area plastics as I'm never going to have a back seat and they only really make sense with one. They're all bolted and screwed in tight, and with some deadening behind the panels they should be awesome. Ive used some 4mm metaline which has .6 or so aluminium either side with plastic in between. You can fold it if needed, whihc I did on the trim behind the drivers seat as it covers wiring. Ive also drilled out the spotwelds on the brackets for the rear seat and removed those altogether. I also ran the speaker wires around the car. Now that the trims are made I can fit my speakers to them as I choose and connect up the stereo. Once I finish the locating of the speakers I will wrap the trims in Black marine grade vinyl that I picked up at clarke rubber. It was on sale for $17.50 a metre which was quite reasonable. I also bought some self adhesive rubber seal for around the radiator when I get the lower air dam back from the sheety. Heater cables in and working fine. You can see the hoses in the photo making it quite tight behind the head. I did a tie wire to hold the loop on the tap.

OK Ive ordered some alpine 6x9s. Ive bought some speaker wires and some black marine grade vinyl. I'm going to make some rear door cards and some boot trims. Ill mount the 6x9s right back near the boot area and Ill mount a pair of 4 inch in the stock location. I have also received my universal heater cable, and it was almost too short but actually just a really tight fit, so that allows me to select from hot or cold air now which is always a bonus. Since I can't run a back seat or parcel shelf I might remove some of the spot welded metal brackets that support them. I did some tidying up around the shifter hole with the sheetmetal and ended up with a very neat little arrangement there. Also went through my tub of rubber bits and found a full set of floor and chassis bungs that I then installed. Once I find some of the seat belt parts I have lost in the shed somewhere Ill put the rest of the insides in it. I think I can modify a ke70 console bracket to fit the centre console in also, so that will be a win. Must hunt down the thumbscrew that holds the spare in the car and also the cover that clip over it. I know I have it somewhere. I'm wondering what sort of sound deadening to fit to the car as someone has previously stripped the floor and almost the whole firewall of the tar that comes factory.