Rt132 Liftback

[FlavouredMilk]

So, this topic may be a touch premature, but I'm quite content with getting ahead of myself with this.

 

I'm currently chatting to a guy who owns a 1979 Toyota RT130 Corona Liftback with the 18R engine and a 5 speed box. He is selling it due to having a few too many cars about. So, I'm going to go look at it tomorrow and if she's even half decent at the price he's asking, I think I'm going to sell my Festiva and jump on this deal.

 

Now, I don't know a lot about the old Coronas besides the fact that the sedans were fitted with the miserable 1X aka missfire. But, seems as I won't be copping that boat anchor, I'm very excited to become the owner of a liftback Corona. Very. Excited.

 

Now, I have questions! Firstly. I want to get my hands on a set of yellow foglights to fit in the housing, I'm sure you've seen them about? I don't know where to get them! And, the other, is there anywhere that still sells good TEQ parts?

 

Here's a photo of the beast

 

And a quick sketch of some ideas...

Edited December 25, 2014 by FlavouredMilk

[LittleRedSpirit]

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.

[FlavouredMilk]

Oh, my mistake. That makes sense... And the fog lights I'm referring to are the two inner of the four head lights. I've seen only a couple with them, I imagine as the one I'm buying is it's a highs and lows set up. But I've seen these which look like a highs/lows for the outer and yellow lensed foglights for the inner. That's what I'm looking for.

 

Edited December 25, 2014 by FlavouredMilk

[LittleRedSpirit]

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.

[FlavouredMilk]

I work with an accredited inspector, so he'll be able to tell me. As far as I know, you're allowed yellow for fog lights, just not for anything else, but of course it can't be amber-ish. I assume that if I get a set for the outer that toggle high and low then the inner set would be fine to set as fog lights, or even just dummy lights with yellow lenses.

[LittleRedSpirit]

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.

[FlavouredMilk]

You know what you're talking about, I couldn't take that away from you if I tried. I'm a first year apprentice mechanic and all of those things will most definitely be attended to. I can't deny there are a few little things I do want to change, but I want to try and keep it as period correct as I can, and I gave been looking at some better wheels, those definitely are not the best suit for the car.

 

Thank you for the advice, and if the lights aren't something that can be done correctly and legally, I wouldn't do it. Also, the interior is beautiful, I wouldn't dare change it. I'll show you all once it's home.

Edited December 26, 2014 by FlavouredMilk

[FlavouredMilk]

Alright, so I went and down and checked out the Corona. The rust is a bit worse than I thought, not terrible but defitely not all that pretty, it has been without a service long enough for the oil filter to develop rust and the rocker gasket is leaking, no surprise. I just hope it isn't hiding further, worse oil leaks. Besides that it doesn't look too bad, she's 35 years old and it does show a bit. But it is a wonderful car. He wants $400 and my currently registered Ford Festiva. Tempting... Very tempting...

[altezzaclub]

Haha! Worth MORE than your much younger Festiva??

 

OK, you sort out what you want to pay.. If it is RA40 underneath, get the body cleaned up and rustfree, then tackle the suspension. Check all the bushes and replace dodgy ones. You can fit Mitsi Sigma lower control arms for more negative front camber, we have some Kings springs left over from the last Celica rally car, and you can pick the shocks for your driving style. You can change the rear springs if you want to, but I wouldn't lower it much. Keep a good comfortable ride with taut handling. There are thicker rear sway bars made for RA40s, I have one in my KE70.

 

If its running a T-series Jap diff there are several ratios you can pick from, depending if you want acceleration or cruising speed. As for 18RG motors, we have a few floating around Woolshed Rallying I'm trying to get Steve to sell, so get hold of us. I assume you will have the same W-series gearbox in there already.

 

That would give you a fine-looking car that handles well and goes hard.

 

I've just spent a morning working on a similar car with a 3SGE fitted, running twin Weber DCOEs. I can't remember exactly what model it was, I was under the bonnet all morning. Once that is sorted I can tell you what is needed to fit a 2L 16valve capable of 200bhp into it!

[FlavouredMilk]

The Festiva is a bucket. It doesn't have any issues, but it's a whole bowl full of lame.

 

I've been thinking about it and I am pretty sold on it. There is rust, there is age, there is work to be done. But it's all minimal. Also, owning a Corona, that's all win.

 

Now, I do have one question, and probably more, but for now I'm just curious what drives the cam in the 18R? Belt, chain, yanno? I want to change that quite quickly, along with a decent service. She's not tidy but I will do what I can to make her live on. With 351,000km on the clock, she needs loving.

 

Anyway, now that I've decided on it. Has anyone got anything they reckon I should be informed. Common issues, quick fixes, things to watch out for, ways to keep her happy. Anything that will help. Cheers all.

[LittleRedSpirit]

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.

Edited December 26, 2014 by LittleRedSpirit

[LittleRedSpirit]

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.

[FlavouredMilk]

You don't think it's worth it? I mean, I have to know. I'm an easily swayed person and everyone has been positive about it. But they haven't seen it. Only know what I know. The thing is, the Festiva isn't a great car itself. It was cheap, has nearly bald tyres, runs rough as guts some times and got broken into. Its not a well kept or tidy car itself. And I can't fit more than 1 friend in it. The only thing it has over the Corona is a lack of rust.

 

It's between two buckets really. The Corona carries more and sends its power to the tail end and I'm quite partial to it. But if a shoddy little Festiva still seems better. I want to hear that.

 

The way I've been looking at it is that the Corona has potential, at least as a fun car. The Festy is just very A to B.

 

Do be honest though, all opinions matter a great deal.

 

Also, it hasn't been sitting at least recently. He was driving it when he bought it 2 months ago. Several hour+ trips until the rego lapsed in November. So I'm hoping that speaks for its drivability and he's driving it here tomorrow if the deals a go, so its not a non runner at all.

Edited December 26, 2014 by FlavouredMilk

[altezzaclub]

I'm a first year apprentice mechanic

 

Well, you will no doubt get a project of one sort or another... If you don't know any panel-beating apprentices yet, how about a less rusty Toyota from inland somewhere. There is an almost rust-free RA40 coupe up on the farm that was going to be our spare rally car, but Steve said it is too original to ruin so we have gone to KE70s. It has a rust hole below the rear-drivers-side window, just where AE86s get them, & has been badly resprayed somewhere in the past so runs are visible if you look carefully.

 

Same suspension and 18Rpoo motor, but Steve will want more than $400. This is the only photo I took of it as we drove it down from Brisbane, then stuck it in a shed on the farm. The inside is immaculate and everything works. We're meant to fix the rust hole and respray it, then sell if for a couple of grand or use it as a test bed for the 18RG motors we have to rebuild and sell.

[FlavouredMilk]

I'm going to ask him to bring it around here today. Seems he wants to look at the Festiva. I can snoop a bit deeper at the rust and crawl under it and have a good look. Where we had it yesterday I couldn't check. I'm going to drive him down on the price, especially if he wants the Festiva. The project aspect of the Rona is just so appealing. I never wanted to really try anything on the Fest because I didn't have any taste for the car. If I can't find any more rust in the Rona and I like the feel of how it drives. Ill do it. If it is apparently worse than I first noticed, he can keep it. Also, where are you guys located?