Old Toyota Corona

[ClareQuilty]

You fellows may have an inaccurate picture of the sellers - they're middle class people who drive all new cars.. this is just the old car they've had left around the house for years, rarely used. It might be a bit neglected, but mostly from disuse and lack of interest, not from budget constraints or DIY errors.

[Spoonman]

You fellows may have an inaccurate picture of the sellers - they're middle class people who drive all new cars.. this is just the old car they've had left around the house for years, rarely used. It might be a bit neglected, but mostly from disuse and lack of interest, not from budget constraints or DIY errors.

If the wheel alignment cures you previous concerns on drive-ability how bout you grab a fridge magnet and try to stick it on various positions on every corner of the vehicle ..... that will tell you/us what sort of bondo lies beneath the surface from previous accidents.

[Kwasaki]

You fellows may have an inaccurate picture of the sellers - they're middle class people who drive all new cars.. this is just the old car they've had left around the house for years, rarely used. It might be a bit neglected, but mostly from disuse and lack of interest, not from budget constraints or DIY errors.

Well said !! As for the magnet idea you could do that with new cars that are prepared for the showroom, especially the ones with ali body parts and ABS panels.

[Spoonman]

You fellows may have an inaccurate picture of the sellers - they're middle class people who drive all new cars.. this is just the old car they've had left around the house for years, rarely used. It might be a bit neglected, but mostly from disuse and lack of interest, not from budget constraints or DIY errors.

Well said !! As for the magnet idea you could do that with new cars that are prepared for the showroom, especially the ones with ali body parts and ABS panels.

I was suggesting the idea for a 20 year old corona not a current plastic model sitting on the showroom floor.

[MMarlow]

It could just be that it needs a wheel balancing. A good way to check if the car is straight it to make the owner drive it down the road towards you while you watch.

Thais are notorious for not maintaining their cars and it is entirely possible that they haven't rotated the tires/had them balanced for 8 years.

Out-of-balance and non-rotated wheels will not cause the steering to pull to one side or for the steering wheel to not be straight.

Out-of-alignment suspension geometry will cause both the conditions mentioned and a simple and inexpensive re-alignment could put everything right.

[Kwasaki]

You fellows may have an inaccurate picture of the sellers - they're middle class people who drive all new cars.. this is just the old car they've had left around the house for years, rarely used. It might be a bit neglected, but mostly from disuse and lack of interest, not from budget constraints or DIY errors.

Well said !! As for the magnet idea you could do that with new cars that are prepared for the showroom, especially the ones with ali body parts and ABS panels.

I was suggesting the idea for a 20 year old corona not a current plastic model sitting on the showroom floor.

Yeah I know was just aving a lark about but as you say 20+ years old as long as it looks generally good all round the bodywork and inside and he is happy with it why not go for it.

For a car that has been standing around a long time, tyre condition would be my main concern.

[pokerspiv]

Just thought I'd bump this to say I bought one of these exact cars today in BKK for 65k from a private seller in a Bang Na tent. 1992 model 1.6L Corona. I'll keep you informed if it blows up on my drive back to Samui

[ClareQuilty]

Just thought I'd bump this to say I bought one of these exact cars today in BKK for 65k from a private seller in a Bang Na tent. 1992 model 1.6L Corona. I'll keep you informed if it blows up on my drive back to Samui

Fantastic, very similar deal. Any idea of the kilometers?

[jbrain]

​In the next Village to me is a 5 door [lift-back] Toyota Camry,,,,, no idea but guess from the 80's ??

I guess that one looks like this ?

[jbrain]

This is what I call a valuable old Toyota , restored one about 35 years ago which was rotting in the scrapyard of a local Toyota dealer .

[ClareQuilty]

This is what I call a valuable old Toyota...

Nice, but not really relevant to those of us who can barely afford a 60,000 baht vehicle.

[pokerspiv]

Just thought I'd bump this to say I bought one of these exact cars today in BKK for 65k from a private seller in a Bang Na tent. 1992 model 1.6L Corona. I'll keep you informed if it blows up on my drive back to Samui

Fantastic, very similar deal. Any idea of the kilometers?

Didn't even look, just had a friend who is a mechanic look it over for me and took for a spin. Odo readings are pretty meaningless here anyway because most of the parts have been replaced by now and there's such a massive difference between BKK miles and country miles that an engine with 200k on the clock could well be in better condition than one with 100k. And the beauty of a Corona is that they are so common here, if the engine does go you can probably pick up a new one at the nearest 7/11.

Edited October 12, 2013 by pokerspiv

[pokerspiv]

Just checked the Odo, 153,000kms. Not that it means much, pretty easy to wind back on an old car like that.

[pokerspiv]

Further updates: Tyres showed some bubbles after being cleaned so had to be replaced, which the dealer did for free (with used tyres but hey, still saved me 2k baht). Currently now just at the dealership awaiting them to fix a minor issue with the temperature gauge, then driving this baby back to Koh Samui.

[arthurwait]

Further updates: Tyres showed some bubbles after being cleaned so had to be replaced, which the dealer did for free (with used tyres but hey, still saved me 2k baht). Currently now just at the dealership awaiting them to fix a minor issue with the temperature gauge, then driving this baby back to Koh Samui.

Would that minor issue with the temperature gauge be the engine ?

[MMarlow]

This is what I call a valuable old Toyota , restored one about 35 years ago which was rotting in the scrapyard of a local Toyota dealer .

Bet that was a nightmare restoration, I believe the body was made from particularly thin steel that rusted to nothing very quickly? Did you have problems sourcing parts?

It would be worth a small fortune now, not many road versions were made.

[jbrain]

This is what I call a valuable old Toyota , restored one about 35 years ago which was rotting in the scrapyard of a local Toyota dealer .

Bet that was a nightmare restoration, I believe the body was made from particularly thin steel that rusted to nothing very quickly? Did you have problems sourcing parts?

It would be worth a small fortune now, not many road versions were made.

There have only been made 351 cars like this.

It was indeed quite some job to get it restored, mind you that when found it was standing in a flooded meadow with water inside the car.

Parts was no problem since this was approx 35 years ago and I had a good relationship with the Toyota importer at that time.I would believe that currently it would be a bigger problem to get any parts.

It fetched about 1.7 million in todays money at that time, but I believe now you would probably have to cough up a tenfold or more.

What a petty that there was no internet yet at that time, because one wasn't really aware what a treasure this was.

[pokerspiv]

Further updates: Tyres showed some bubbles after being cleaned so had to be replaced, which the dealer did for free (with used tyres but hey, still saved me 2k baht). Currently now just at the dealership awaiting them to fix a minor issue with the temperature gauge, then driving this baby back to Koh Samui.

Would that minor issue with the temperature gauge be the engine ?

No, the gauge just wasn't working, stayed on zero. Just needed to replace a wire or something.

Update:

I drove the Corona to Hua Hin today and it ran very well on LPG, but when I started to run low on gas I tried to switch to petrol (I put about 15 litres of Benzene 95 in it before I left Bangkok). The car started chugging and showing all the signs of dirty fuel tank or filter, so I had to switch back to LPG. It's pretty apparent that this car has been sitting disused for a fairly long while.

So now I'm in Hua Hin with 1 LED of gas remaining and as far I can tell I am about 30km from the nearest LPG station. My options are to try and make it there on what gas I have remaining, or to get a mechanic in to clean the tank and replace the fuel filter before I leave. I am really keen to get home to Samui so I think I'm just going to give it a shot.

But if anyone knows of any LPG stations in the centre of Hua Hin that would be a big help

[jbrain]

Further updates: Tyres showed some bubbles after being cleaned so had to be replaced, which the dealer did for free (with used tyres but hey, still saved me 2k baht). Currently now just at the dealership awaiting them to fix a minor issue with the temperature gauge, then driving this baby back to Koh Samui.

Would that minor issue with the temperature gauge be the engine ?

No, the gauge just wasn't working, stayed on zero. Just needed to replace a wire or something.

Update:

I drove the Corona to Hua Hin today and it ran very well on LPG, but when I started to run low on gas I tried to switch to petrol (I put about 15 litres of Benzene 95 in it before I left Bangkok). The car started chugging and showing all the signs of dirty fuel tank or filter, so I had to switch back to LPG. It's pretty apparent that this car has been sitting disused for a fairly long while.

So now I'm in Hua Hin with 1 LED of gas remaining and as far I can tell I am about 30km from the nearest LPG station. My options are to try and make it there on what gas I have remaining, or to get a mechanic in to clean the tank and replace the fuel filter before I leave. I am really keen to get home to Samui so I think I'm just going to give it a shot.

But if anyone knows of any LPG stations in the centre of Hua Hin that would be a big help

I would suggest to have the fuel filter cleaned and make the trip to the gas station on fuel, because an LPG vehicle which get's too low gas pressure can backfire and destroy our engine.

Been there, got the T-shirt.

[ClareQuilty]

Quite an adventure there pokerspiv! Is your engine the 1600cc 16 valve 'dohc' engine? I heard some had the 'sohc' engine, which, though less powerful, was a bit more durable.

[Kwasaki]

Quite an adventure there pokerspiv! Is your engine the 1600cc 16 valve 'dohc' engine? I heard some had the 'sohc' engine, which, though less powerful, was a bit more durable.

With respect, come on don't worry about whether it's dohc or sohc if the car runs good just enjoy it.

As for ' pokerspiv ' I guess he knows already a good clean on the petrol side of things, in layman terms will sort it.

[Ace of Pop]

Sometimes it makes you Wonder. Look around,there are Mitsu, Toyo, Nissan, you name it getting on for 20 Years, and a credit to their Thai Owners. Immaculate, yet we ferangs want to dump anything over 5/7 Y.O... Is it because the only thing that Settles in th E.U. that doesnt get a Handout is SNOW.?.

[pokerspiv]

I think the main reason is that its hard to get comprehensive insurance after a certain point. Which leaves you to being exploited by police/Thai drivers in the event on an acccident.

Update on the Corona:

Woke up this morning in Hua Hin and drove to the mechanic. They said they didn't have the parts on hand to replace the filter immediately, so I decided to risk running it to the nearest LPG station. The tank showed empty (0 lights) when I finally got there, but there had been no loss in performance so I guess it wasnt completely out of gas. Reached Don Sak (mainland port for the ferry to Samui) at 6:10pm tonight, but the last car ferry at 7pm was full already, so I am spending the night here by the waterside in a 300 baht backpacker bungalow that has space to park the car outside.

The car ran really well without the aircon on. I had to turn off the aircon shortly after leaving Hua Hin because it was making the engine lug. So it was just the fan and open window all the way to Surat Thani, not as bad as I thought it would be but I think I might get the aircon fixed before attempting another 9 hour road trip. Made some Thai guys who were riding in the back of a pickup smile when they saw a Farang driving an old beater down the highway with the windows down.

Got the car up to 120km/h on the highway with no overheating. Checked the fluid levels every 2 hours or so and the radiator and reservoir are both still full. So far I am very happy with the way it drives. The suspension and wheel alignment are perfect, the engine performs well on LPG (including cold starts and highway overtaking).

The car looks pristine on the outside, apart from a bit of rubber perishing on the door seams. Gunmetal grey in colour, much like the one in the original post except with nice looking alloys (came with the car). When I get back to Samui tomorrow I will post some pictures of the finished article for anyone who has been following this.

Edited October 14, 2013 by pokerspiv

[Spoonman]

Sometimes it makes you Wonder. Look around,there are Mitsu, Toyo, Nissan, you name it getting on for 20 Years, and a credit to their Thai Owners. Immaculate, yet we ferangs want to dump anything over 5/7 Y.O... Is it because the only thing that Settles in th E.U. that doesnt get a Handout is SNOW.?.

I have spent many many years being at the point the only car I could afford was a 20yr old shitter, I can now afford (within reason) to buy new.

Saying that Iam in the market for a 15 to 20 yr old Toyota pickup that I can build as a toy........quad cam V8/bagged suspension/big <deleted> off stereo mini truck style is what Iam looking at to do.

Not keen on the paint but something like this.

Edited October 14, 2013 by Spoonman

[mogandave]

it needs a blower sticking out of the hood, and a babe in 6" pumps to balance it out...

[pokerspiv]

Mission Accomplished!

I missed last night's ferry back to Samui (full already) so I stayed the night in Don Sak. Now safely back in Samui with my Corona after a long 10-hour trip which it performed admirably. Models were not included in the price:

My picture looks a bit gay because the roof of the car was waaaaaaaaaayy to hot lean on at midday in Samui.

Edited October 15, 2013 by pokerspiv

[mogandave]

Mission Accomplished!

I missed last night's ferry back to Samui (full already) so I stayed the night in Don Sak. Now safely back in Samui with my Corona after a long 10-hour trip which it performed admirably. Models were not included in the price:

My picture looks a bit gay because the roof of the car was waaaaaaaaaayy to hot lean on at midday in Samui.

A bit? Don't worry, with a nice seat-cover like that, no one will be confused...

[IMHO]

Sometimes it makes you Wonder. Look around,there are Mitsu, Toyo, Nissan, you name it getting on for 20 Years, and a credit to their Thai Owners. Immaculate, yet we ferangs want to dump anything over 5/7 Y.O... Is it because the only thing that Settles in th E.U. that doesnt get a Handout is SNOW.?.

Maybe they just want a car that starts everytime, aircon works, can run on gasoline, doesn't have bubbles in tires, is insurable, guages working, not a source of amusement for workers riding in pickups etc etc?

Edited October 15, 2013 by IMHO

[ignis]

Maybe make an American feel at home here ? http://www.one2car.com/MERCEDES-BENZ_OTHER/H16130562

or even something a little nicer http://www.one2car.com/MERCEDES-BENZ_S-CLASS/H16130561

[mogandave]

With the right maintenance you could drive the same woman for twenty years as well, but why would you want to?