My new 1:1 project. Its a 1969 Corolla.

[Adam deCoste]

I pulled this car out of a junkyard where it sat 25 years. Amazingly with little more then gas and a battery it fired up and drove! Its pretty rusty underneath but the body panels survived surprisingly good. I can't wait to get this thing back on the road!

[webestang]

Very cool!!! Looks like an episode of "Roadworthy Rescues". 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Really cool. I love to see stuff like this brought back.   

[JollySipper]

Cool car........! I wonder how a hot Celica engine would fit?

[Adam deCoste]

1 hour ago, webestang said:

Very cool!!! Looks like an episode of "Roadworthy Rescues". 

Thank you! I actually just finished watching the latest episode haha. I learned a lot from all those will it run videos and it paid off in this case.

[Adam deCoste]

1 hour ago, JollySipper said:

Cool car........! I wonder how a hot Celica engine would fit?

I do have some 1st gen Celica engines kicking around but I think a 4AGE would be at home in this car. I want to get the stock 1969 Corolla experience at first but it will be getting big upgrades. It has a 60hp 1.1 so I think that might get old fast.

[Adam deCoste]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Really cool. I love to see stuff like this brought back.   

Thank you! It was to good of a car to be sitting like it was.

[1972coronet]

AWESOME! Thanks for rescuing that bad boy! It's too bad that those earlier Japanese vehicles were prone to rust, even in relatively mild climates. 

For some reason, I can picture Philadelphia "Phil" Collins attempting to drive one of those to a fishing spot.

[Adam deCoste]

4 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

AWESOME! Thanks for rescuing that bad boy! It's too bad that those earlier Japanese vehicles were prone to rust, even in relatively mild climates. 

For some reason, I can picture Philadelphia "Phil" Collins attempting to drive one of those to a fishing spot.

I can't imagine phil getting into this car, its even smaller then it looks! The floors, rockers and a bunch of other spots are rusted out but it could be a lot worse. 

[Spottedlaurel]

This is fantastic, good luck with it!

They were sold in the UK, but I'm not sure if any survive.

[Can-Con]

Looks like you got a good project there Adam. 

At least no one's trying to beat you down like they did me last time I posted pics of a car I was thinking about, which was in about the same condition as yours. 

I got fed up and had the mods delete the whole thread. ?

[Dave Van]

COOL project!!!!!! My very first car was a Datsun PL411 4 door sedan. It was tough as heck car!!!!! Ugly as sin......

My son builds Toyota Camry and others at the Toyota Lexington KY factory.....they so good work! 

not mine but exact same

[Adam deCoste]

1 hour ago, Can-Con said:

Looks like you got a good project there Adam. 

At least no one's trying to beat you down like they did me last time I posted pics of a car I was thinking about, which was in about the same condition as yours. 

I got fed up and had the mods delete the whole thread. ?

I'm don't care to much about anything negative anyone has to say about this car, I bought it for me. Most people seem to like it though even though its pretty rough. Its certainly not a car you see anymore.

[Adam deCoste]

25 minutes ago, Dave Van said:

COOL project!!!!!! My very first car was a Datsun PL411 4 door sedan. It was tough as heck car!!!!! Ugly as sin......

My son builds Toyota Camry and others at the Toyota Lexington KY factory.....they so good work! 

not mine but exact same

That is super cool! I'm a diehard Toyota fan, this is the third one I own now. I actually saw a Datsun just like that but white last summer, I don't recall ever seeing one in person before that.

[Dave Van]

40 minutes ago, Adam deCoste said:

That is super cool! I'm a diehard Toyota fan, this is the third one I own now. I actually saw a Datsun just like that but white last summer, I don't recall ever seeing one in person before that.

Thanks.....we lived in So Cal all of the 1960's and I think Datsun was pretty much on West coast at the timr.  I'd love to find one. It was a mini Ford Falcon......same type suspension, a mini 9" rear......it looked like Datsun just shrank one down!!!

Keep us posted!

[Daddyfink]

Back in the 80's, one of my older cousins offered me a Corolla, exactly like this one! But my Dad said no, and that was probably a good thing, as I wanted to Hot Rod everything I got my hands on up to that time. LOL! 

Great save! 

 

[Adam deCoste]

8 hours ago, Daddyfink said:

Back in the 80's, one of my older cousins offered me a Corolla, exactly like this one! But my Dad said no, and that was probably a good thing, as I wanted to Hot Rod everything I got my hands on up to that time. LOL! 

Great save! 

 

You probably wouldn't get into much trouble with the 60hp 1.1 haha. I do want to leave this car stock for a little while anyways to get the real 69 Corolla experience but more then likely its getting a engine swap.  

[Tom Geiger]

I had a Corolla like that for a day or two!   Back in 1979 my first apartment was the former maids quarters in a gentleman’s farm. A rusty yellow 4 door was sitting next to the barn. Landlord told me a former tenant left it sitting there when it quit. He told me I could have it since he hadn’t got around to having it towed away.

Two days later I had it running and driving around the farm!   I came home one night and it was gone! Turns out that landlord sold it to the mailman!   No integrity there!

[pack rat]

I've got to wonder how that car survived sitting in the dirt like that.

I learned to drive in a '70 Corolla Sprinter.  One thing I remember was how thin the sheetmetal was.  And if you think that little sedan is slow, the one I drove had a 2-speed automatic transmission.  The only pic I have from back then was taken during a blizzard back in '71.

Bonus pic....my buddy's Celica that he owned years ago.   Believe it or not, according to the VIN, it was Celica #23  

[Adam deCoste]

35 minutes ago, pack rat said:

I've got to wonder how that car survived sitting in the dirt like that.

I learned to drive in a '70 Corolla Sprinter.  One thing I remember was how thin the sheetmetal was.  And if you think that little sedan is slow, the one I drove had a 2-speed automatic transmission.  The only pic I have from back then was taken during a blizzard back in '71.

Bonus pic....my buddy's Celica that he owned years ago.   Believe it or not, according to the VIN, it was Celica #23  

That is super cool!! The bottom of my car does have its fair share of rot though from sitting in that yard. I actually also have a Celica like your friends, mine is a 76 though, a bit newer. 

[Tabbysdaddy]

I drove my mom's 78 Corolla for a while, until a Cadillac pulled out in front of me and I nailed the passenger side of it. The Corolla held up really well, the Cadillac was totalled. 

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, pack rat said:

the [Corolla]one I drove had a 2-speed automatic transmission.

Ah, yes... the Toyo-Matic. It shared its design with the PowerGlide.

[Rodent]

3 hours ago, Adam deCoste said:

more then likely its getting a engine swap

Can you still get 2TGs? A friend had a modded 77 Corolla SR-5 that we (him, his brother, and I) swapped the 2TC for a 2TG in the early 1980s. Was still really slow, but really a hoot to autocross. You know, driving the slow car fast thing. Watching your lines and braking so you don't lose momentum.

[Daddyfink]

17 hours ago, Adam deCoste said:

You probably wouldn't get into much trouble with the 60hp 1.1 haha. I do want to leave this car stock for a little while anyways to get the real 69 Corolla experience but more then likely its getting a engine swap.  

Well, my diabolical little mind had an 18RG in mind at the time. Only $250 at the local engine importer! LOL! Big money for a Dish Washing kid! 

Edited November 4, 2022 by Daddyfink

[Adam deCoste]

5 hours ago, Daddyfink said:

Well, my diabolical little mind had an 18RG in mind at the time. Only $250 at the local engine importer! LOL! Big money for a Dish Washing kid! 

There is a 1st gen Celica local to me with a 18RG swap, it sounds awesome!!