Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

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


Recommended Posts

Nice find! Being born and raised in Cape Breton, I would have bet money that a Toyota sitting in a junkyard for 25years would be pretty much unheard of!

My very first car, at 13 years of age, was a '69 Toyota Corona.

Brush painted with Brown Tremclad, it was bullet-proof, at least when beating it around the back 40on my Uncle's farm. I don't recall what engine it had (it seemed bigger than what's in your Corolla) but it had the lovely Toya-matic. Slooooooowwwww.

We'd get it rolling down the tractor path along the fence line, whip the wheel as hard as we could to the right, and try to roll the thing. It actually went over once or twice, both times landing on it's wheels. Started up and drove away each time. I don't think we even broke a window in it... 

Looking back, I kind of wish I had it now.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, restoman said:

Nice find! Being born and raised in Cape Breton, I would have bet money that a Toyota sitting in a junkyard for 25years would be pretty much unheard of!

My very first car, at 13 years of age, was a '69 Toyota Corona.

Brush painted with Brown Tremclad, it was bullet-proof, at least when beating it around the back 40on my Uncle's farm. I don't recall what engine it had (it seemed bigger than what's in your Corolla) but it had the lovely Toya-matic. Slooooooowwwww.

We'd get it rolling down the tractor path along the fence line, whip the wheel as hard as we could to the right, and try to roll the thing. It actually went over once or twice, both times landing on it's wheels. Started up and drove away each time. I don't think we even broke a window in it... 

Looking back, I kind of wish I had it now.

 

You probably already know this but there used to be an assembly plant in Cape Breton that made Corollas in the 70s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Adam deCoste said:

You probably already know this but there used to be an assembly plant in Cape Breton that made Corollas in the 70s.

I didn't know that. Where in CB was it?

Google found the old CMI plant in Sydney... and I just barely remember it... still couldn't tell you where it was, and I'm from the Sydney area. :(

Edited by restoman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Do these use the same engine as later Starlets? I had a 1981 1.2 with a 5-speed 'box and that went very nicely. I think it does go up to 1.5-litre, but they might not rev so well?

Same engine pretty much yeah. My car has the smallest 1.1L version of that K engine though and a 4 speed. I'd love to find a 5 speed to put in it! Funny enough the larger 1.5 was available in toyota forklifts so i got to keep my eyes open for that haha.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, restoman said:

I didn't know that. Where in CB was it?

Google found the old CMI plant in Sydney... and I just barely remember it... still couldn't tell you where it was, and I'm from the Sydney area. :(

It was the CMI plant, its very hard to find any info on. One of my friends in PEI just got a 74 Corolla that was built at that plant!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very neat, love seeing quirky cars like this saved.

Not surprised that you got it to start so easily. My parents bought a new Toyota Corona in 1970. The body was tin foil, but the engine just wouldn't die. My Dad abused the heck out of that poor little car treating it like a truck and he still got 15 or 16 years out of it. It finally blew a head gasket. By then the body was a mess after having the front end caved in after a car backed into it while parked, later it got sideswiped by a bus. That plus the years of abuse and the head gasket was the end of the line. 

Edited by Aaronw
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...