CorollaNut68

I was looking at philbey's pictures and saw this wagon at a great angle...hope he doesn't mind me chopping it up. They made a 2 door, a 4 door, a fastback and a wagon, ...I think it would have made a good looking truck too.

Hey folks I've been slowing using up what was left of the original downpipe on my 3K. It's all new pipe and original style muffler (my shop was kind enough to hold onto for 20 years)... but the last foot or so, where it bolts to the manifold, is the original, nearly 50 year old pipe, I'm amazed has lasted this long. After the last fix...old pipe keeps cracking...I had it all nice and quiet but on the way home it popped off, at 75 mph, like an open header, made me jump. Thought maybe it cracked at the joint like usual and I could clamp it together to get home but no....came apart at the flange, all that's left connected is the gasket and clamp. It was a very loud ride home at 1 in the morning...sorry about that neighbors. I may have had too much pressure on it...I have a slightly bigger pipe on the new part and it's difficult to keep it from touching and rattling where it goes through the tranz mount...I've tried both ways and I hate the look if you route under the mount and can see the pipe hanging under the car. I had just recently tightened up one of the clamps from the body to pull it a bit further to the center...I think I should have loosened the manifold clamp and let it settle into place. The vibrations along with the pressure made it crack. Years ago I had a header, the one I split for dual exhaust, don't know what brand it was but it eventually kept cracking too. Muffler guy said the pipe seemed too thin. I got it through JC Whitney but now I can't seem to find anything in the US. I looked at several places over there that sell the Hurricanes but they don't ship worldwide. It would probably cost an arm and a firstborn too. I've hunted around junkyards and can't even find Starlets or anything else with a K motor to get one off of. Which reminds me also...can a 45 amp alternator from a 80's model 4K be fitted to a 3K? I would like to have lights and heater at the same time at night, if it raining and I need my wipers too it's even worse. I haven't talked to them yet, they are closed and we are having a small ice storm right now but the last time I talked with my exhaust shop he thought maybe he had seen an original front section with the resonator somewhere in their warehouse. It will be a couple of days before I can check. I may have to try creating a new piece. It doesn't look terribly hard to do, I just don't do my own welding. Slim chance it may be able to be welded...again. Doesn't look likely Would like to stay original and will hope my shop came through, but if I have to and could find one that wouldn't kill my wallet getting here...I wouldn't mind going back to a header. I could take what was left of the old header and try to get someone to recreate it. Provided I get some kind of exhaust I'm planning on tearing it down this spring on my vacation time and I'm going to have everything balanced, all new bearings and seals, calipers, rotors, (I got rid of the front drums years ago) rear drums (have to rebore the center hole of later model to fit, originals not available), u-joints, rebuild heater blower and wiper motor, put some better wire in places...as much of a resto as I can find parts for...already have quite a bit gathered up. I wish I could do the suspension but can't find the right stuff and can't afford the conversions. Sorry for the rambling on... Sometimes it's cool to have the rarest car...sometimes it sucks.

I have no idea what I'm talking about for other engines but you can't align the dizzy (set to #1)and then drop it in on the 3K,. When you drop it in, it turns clockwise as it engages the gear, so you have to turn it back counterclockwise a few degrees so that as it drops in it ends up in the right place. You have to fiddle with the slot in the oil pump so it's in the right place too (long flathead screwdriver).

Guts and the tools to use them...this has turned into a "how to anything" a Corolla thread. I've always had the "I can do anything, there's just some things I haven't done yet" attitude too, I've just never had a shop to play in :( ...spring and summer I use my "shade tree" and hope it holds together through winter. Great job!

Good or bad, I've been using Castrol GTX 20/50 year round forever, Toyota filter, changed between 3-5k miles. .keep my radiator running well and adjust the airflow in the winter with a cover so it stays around 190f when running (and I have heat!). Had no sludge build-up or stickyness, a thin little baked on looking under the valve cover. My cam DID wear out after 40 years though, and I had to replace it, and the lifters, but I don't know what the previous owner did...it was 20 years old when I got it. I'm not trying to race it every day like I did when we were both in our 20's but it still has to work it's butt off just keeping up and getting there. Now I try to keep it below 6k RPM's and it seems I cruise best at about 4.5k on the freeway. We get more or less from 0f - 100f through the year, mostly 90-100 in the summer 30-40 in winter with periods of below 0f and there can be a 35-40 degree difference between day and night. (gotta carry a lot of crap with you if you're on a motorcycle, 45f morning, 85f afternoon) So the Castrol has been good for me through both extremes. Now days it seems all i do is go two blocks, hit the freeway, 80mph for about 15 minutes, two blocks off to work. Repeat in reverse order. sleep.

I have gotten a couple of different versions when ordering new clutch cables. Some have been bare cable, some have had a plastic coating on the cable and all have been too long because I think they were actually for later models. I made a spacer for the longer ones but would rather not have to use it. It's also getting hard to find them at all over here. So...as long as you still have a good sheath and the adjusting rings are useable.... This is how I make my own cables. I used a slightly thicker cable than what came stock, about as thick as stock plus the coating but still fits in the pulleys nicely. Getting the length right is important because just a little difference in the cable makes a big difference in the pedal and adjust-ability. This is where your patience will come into play. I would give you length but I didn't measure, I went by sight, sorry. (Edit: I forgot the right hand version doesn't have the pulleys and such a long cable so my measurements wouldn't help for the right hand drive anyway.) I bought 11.5 feet to make two cables and there will be a few inches left. You need a bit to make the loops on the end so you can't quite measure it like the stock ones with the molded ends. I take my old cable to my local hardware store so I can match sizes and buy a length of cable, two ferrules and a couple of wire thimbles. You will be cutting one of the ferrules in half and just using bits of the thimble (that's what they are called, don't know why). Cable Hammer Punch Wire cutter Needlenose (not pictured) Vise Grips (or actual vise if you have one) Hacksaw Ferrules (2) Thimble (1) File (not pictured) The curved thing is the thimble, the other two are ferrules. I start with the smaller end that goes to the pedal. First cut one ferrule in half. There isn't room for a whole one as you'll see. Then slip it on the cable and pull it to about as tight a turn as you can. I happen to have a spare set of pedals which makes it easier to make sure it fits. Needs a little tighter than that so once it's in there you have full travel of the pulley and no binds or bumps. Try to make sure it's good before you punch the ferrule tight. After cutting a small piece of the thimble to fit. This rides on the pedal and keeps it from sawing on the cable. Squeeze it up in there tight and centered with the needlenose. While holding it in place, crimp it on with another set of pliers. You get something like this. There seems to be slightly less space in my car than shows here when all is in place. Next make sure the end will fit through the hole in the firewall. After punching it, the sides will swell a bit. rather than hammering the sides which may loosen the grip, use a file or sandpaper and smooth the edges till it will slip in the hole. With that end done, go ahead and cut the old cable and slip it out of the sheath. This one had worked fine until I got some PB Blaster on it while trying to get my pedal to stop squeaking. Do not get PB Blaster on it and you should get several years out of it. You can lube the cable, just don't get anything on the ferrules. Anyway...Slip the new cable into the sheath, make sure it's the right way round. The end you just made goes to the pedal. Then you make your loop for the end that goes on the tranny. This too will need to be tight but not quite as much. I try it in the car before punching the last end. Hook it to the pedal like you're installing it but you're just making sure it will reach, not too long or too short. the only wiggle room you have is in the adjusting clip at the firewall. Make sure it reaches ok, try not to let the end pop out while fiddling with it since it's not punched yet. When you're reasonably sure it's good, go ahead and punch it and try it out. It will be tight getting through the bracket hole in the tranny too but it will fit if it's right. It's not expensive or terribly hard to do, there may be some cussing moments and you may get it too short or long on your first try but it's better than nothing and only takes about a half hour. I got enough stuff to do 2 of them for about $6.50 My better attempts have lasted years, they tend to get weak at the pedal if you get the loop too tight

One guy modified my right fender to match his front bumper. My first wife re-modified the right fender to match a boulder. One guy modified my left door to match his rear bumper. One guy modified my front end to match his rear bumper. An 80lb pitbull modified my roof into a nice bowl shaped lounging area. I once modified my steering geometry to match a ditch. A lady modified my left fender to match her left fender. I'm tired of modifications, it's been primer 10 years now. I'm going to try again this spring to make it shiny.

Here's a handy chart if you want to keep your speedo accurate...find a size closest to original diameter or at least know how far off it is. Put the original size and what you are changing to and it will calculate the difference and give you actual speeds. Kinda cool. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/tirecalc.php?tires=155-80r13-175-80r13

You know for sure when you go out in your 67...if you or more likely someone else screw up, you'll most likely die or suffer horrible injuries and drive accordingly (not counting the time and effort spent restoring that beauty). I hope you did anyway, haha...if you didn't..well...uh.....um... Nobody thinks that way in cars now...close the door, it's so quiet...just a big comfy chair, my how fast this chair will go, so smooth, windows up, not much sound or connection to the outside world now... Don't get me wrong, I appreciate new cars, I don't mind a smooth effortless ride, I've tried all the gizmos out, I even sold new cars for a little while (Toyotas of course) driving a lowered supercharged Tc was awesome, feels like it's on rails, til it doesn't...but I have the background in old school to also appreciate that while it is smooth and effortless, I'm still pushing 2 tons of steel down the road at 80 mph (or way more) and all the gizmos in the world won't save me and the only thing between me and disaster are four small patches of rubber on pavement. I like that my mother is surrounded by air bags and all the gizmos when she drives ( because she doesn't notice a lot that goes on around her) and I'll probably borrow hers when it snows. We just seem to be more focused on letting electronics take care of everything rather than developing and maintaining personal skills. Hell, even handwriting is going out of schools! This will be bad for the human race in the long run and goes way beyond cars...( I feel like a preacher)...we will become a race of potatoes rather than star explorers ever dependent on Google for knowledge and ....worst of all...there will be no roar of engines at the self driving electric Icar races! ..

Well...some years ago...the idiots that be...decided on a crush campaign to rid the country of what they considered junk. You won't find much over 10-15 years old in the junkyards...er I mean Auto Recyclers. You have to travel around hoping to catch a glimpse of something in someones backyard or field. I found a transmission one day years ago, out on my little Kawasaki 550...saw a familiar shaped roof barely visible above the brush next to an old house. Stopped in, gave em 20 dollars...dug my way under the car and pulled the tranny out (always carry tools) managed to get it strapped behind me on the bike and took it home. 71 model, most of the engine was gone, the rest rusted really badly...good trans though. When I get over being sick, I'm going to dig out my back shed...I have another rear axle housing, I'm liable to have some more leaves buried somewhere...don't know why I would have gotten an axle without the springs. (hey I'm getting old and have been trying to save stuff for years, I can't remember everything!) Oh yeah...I call the low riders around here..."spatulas"...because they're just good for scraping the roadkill off the streets. Just when they think they're going to beat me they have to stop and crawl across some tracks.

Someday ...mechanics will evolve with that third arm we always end up needing.

To me, that's kind of a good thing (Zero Star Crash rating)...I think cars should be dangerous, and thought of as dangerous, not an extension of your living room or den. Making cars "safer" has done nothing to reduce the number of crashes, instead it lulls people into a false sense of security and they end up watching movies and texting or putting on makeup. They don't have in their mind that they are moving 2 tons of steel down the highway at 80 mph...they are watching a movie go by the windows of their living room. Make em scary so folks will pay attention, make em all stick shift so they have more to do...if fewer people can drive that way...Yay!

You haven't been loving on it like you used to...It's gotten lonely and throws that light on so you'll touch it.

"PB Blaster" gets em all unstuck...took the two piece hoses to a shop here that makes new brake lines...20 minutes later had single pieces in place.

Well as far as room goes, I have more in the front seat than the Yaris, I sat in a new midsize Chevy Malibu the other day...got more room than that too, it felt really cramped. A big boy would not be comfortable in that for long, all squeezed in by consoles. I haven't sat in a Scion iQ yet but I'm pretty sure I can pack more in mine than that...it's not much bigger than one of those Smart cars. We would just be hoping that Toyota would do a better job than Fiat... I'm not holding my breath, I'm gathering parts to make Mine new again...

What is the cardboard looking stuff between the leaves called and where do you get it? I can't find anyone around me who still works on springs. I see posts where y'all seem to have no trouble getting springs reworked over there...I'm going to have to do what I can myself again it seems...on my Ramen Noodle budget. There was one place but the guy has gotten old and bitchy and impossible to talk to...he could maybe clean em up and re-arch them but doesn't have anything else for them....I would be worried he would screw them up and then I'd have nothing. How do you know how much to arch them? What if they break while trying? Would they actually be weaker afterwards? Most of our wrecking yards have gotten rid of anything more than 10-15 years old so finding any other older models is pretty much out I've been trying to find somewhere to get new leaves or "add a leaf" or something without much luck over here, I have the measurements written down somewhere. I've used some thick plastic where some of the "packing?" has been missing and I can find new 3" center bolts but that's about it. If I didn't have the helper springs on it they would be bowed downward instead of up and the whole diff assembly rocks when you roll it back and forth in gear so no clutch popping til it's tightened up. She's getting a lot of seepage around the engine so it's time for a rebuild and I'm gathering parts, just got the seemingly last new factory oil pump in the world (will this one last nearly 50 years too?), Carb kit, more gasket sets, timing and tune-up junk, I'll have to wait and see what engine bearings I'll need, head is not that old shouldn't need much ($200 for new freakin bolts!!), keeping it all stock 3K... For underneath I have new bearings for the diff, new drums and brakes, new rotors and calipers(KE20), wheel bearings, ball-joints, u-joints, newer-ish steering box, looking for e-brake cables and want to try and do something with the springs when I take it all apart again. Planning on trying to screw up my front end with the coilover kit (never done anything like it before but gotta do something, it rides like a brick and gets "airborne" on some bumps). Winters coming in so it may be a while before my shade tree is warm enough. Riding low looks cool but we have too many RR tracks and crappy roads.

Congratulations! You'll need some really tall wood blocks on the pedals so he can start driving right away. Always teach em to drive a stick first. Although sometimes plans don't work out...I've been driving something or riding since my first pedal car...I started my daughter driving a boat around a lake when she was 4 to get used to steering, went on to go-carts and stuff...when she could reach the pedals, taught her to drive a stick....at 22, she tells me she really doesn't like to drive. Doh!

hahahahhah that was good As there is no iPhone in my pocket, so shall there never be an iCar in my driveway...I'll keep getting myself there in my Toy til they bury me in it. It's probably more likely that I'll invent time travel. Then I'll just go back and get me a fresh one. According to Toyota's story they really don't know what happened to the first ever Corolla off the assembly line. That proves that I WILL (did?) go back and get it. KE10 000-001

The Echo and then the Yaris kind of took the Corollas place as their economy versions...but now "economy" is !8 grand. The new Yaris, though smallish, still doesn't have the visibility or the maneuvering capability. My last girlfriend had an Echo with a stick, lots more fun to drive than the Yaris. I drove my Mom's automatic Yaris "Sport Package" in the snow last year with all the traction control, anti-lock stuff on it. I still managed to have fun but the car didn't like it...it's like it was trying to fight back. If I tell my 68 to do a donut at 40 mph, it doesn't argue with me. I know a new one wouldn't be as cool but all they have now are copycats. Nah..screw the rules and just bring out the old blueprints and build brand new KE10's.

:bash: No it's not new yet but they should make it. I have suggested it to Toyota a couple of times but I need every Toy head out there to write, e-mail, message...and let's get them to make a First Generation Retro (FGR) Corolla. Bring back the look, style and SIZE of the original, updated of course with all the latest gizmos (can't get away from that). Kind of in the way GM and Chrysler have done with the Camaro and Challenger 60's-70's look. The Corolla has become virtually indistinguishable from the Camry, it is nothing but another big 4 door sedan and it's numbers are fading. Ford is going to if they already haven't surpassed it for best selling car in the world. It came on the scene as a practical, cheap, fun to drive economy car with good gas mileage and quite a bit of zip for it's time. I keep thinking I'm seeing the new one on the road but it turns out to be a Camry instead...I haven't seen a single 2014 on the road yet, people are opting for the Camry instead now since they are so similar in size and price. Their car lots would be overflowing with all the traded in Fiat 500's, Mini's and Beetles...(and other bigger Corolla's) I would love to see it with rear wheel drive again but that probably won't happen. However they do have a couple of small chassis vehicles a cool retro body could be fitted to. My mom has a 2014 Yaris Sport Hatchback thingy that is the same overall length but the wheel base is longer and wider so it's not as nimble. Contact Toyota through any means available, on every site they have and demand they bring Corolla back to it's small car roots. Build the Corolla FGR! Any PhotoShoppers want to post some ideas that would be cool too. I'll be working on one. I also may have posted something similar here before...but so far it's not working cause they aren't building it yet. :)

How cool, I just got a shiny new granddaughter too. Congrats again. It'll use more till everything's worn in good...go ahead and drive her, they hate sitting in the garage. They have no defense against the gremlins when sitting still. Do you know the legend of the road gremlins? They are the gremlins who jump on your car or bike and chew on cables, hoses, wiring, loosen bolts and whatnot. You are supposed to hang a tiny bell (Gremlin Bell) under your car or bike. The gremlins can't stand the sound of the bell and when they stick their fingers in their ears, they can't hold on ...thus falling off and doing no more damage. The tricky part is...you can't buy your own bell...it has to be given to you by someone who loves you, family, friend etc....and you can't ask for it either. Of course they cannot protect against manufacturing and engineering defects...my 2008 Yamaha V-Star will attest to that.