My project car is a 1977 RT-104 Toyota Corona sedan. I inherited the car in late 2003 from my grandma, who didn't need to use it any more. It used to belong to my great grandfather and was in PRISTINE condition (just needed a clean when I got it). Stock as a rock and only 117,000km's on the clock, a true gem (bar the poo-esque colour). Here's what she looked like the day I got her.
MINT interior
Not quite so under the hood, where a still running but oil chewing 18-R was coughing out its last days (cold starts on the way to the shops is no way for an engine to live).
I then set about my devious plan of turning the car into a fire breathing (backfires :V), tire smoking (one at least) street cruising machine. And hey, it would give me something to do over summer (or two).
First up were some minor mods, I picked up some Minilites, tires and a tacho, installing it in the dash where the long stopped clock used to live.
As thoughts of lowering, a stereo and suspension upgrades came fluttering through my head, suddenly it hit me, a vision of what I could do to make this project really worth my while, a twin cam 18-RG to replace the 18-R.
(efi, but basically the same)
Months passed and I slowly progressed upon my merry way, burning much cash in the process. I did things one step at a time, tires following the wheels, lowering after that, then tints and an alarm, keyless entry, retractable front seatbelts (thanks dad), a home wired stereo system ($350 all up, I'm not a doof doof kinda goon) and to top it off, my favourite part of the car, a home made parcel tray with rear speakers to replace the rotting cardboard that came stock (sadly no pictures, will update when I next go home).
While all this was happening I managed to source my 18-RG, complete with twin Mikuni-Solex 40mm carbs. The motor itself used to be EFI (meaning the head was of better quality than the original carbed models), but I decided to go carbs for a number of reasons, mainly how bad ass they look and sound, and also how mcuh cheaper they would be to find and set up. The downside of the EFI block/head was that the pistons were a miserable 8.3:1 compression, hardly great NA material. To combat this, I downed some money on the remnents of a rece prepped bottom end that had been rotting at one of the shops I initially rang to get quotes for the rebuild. Although I didn't get the work done there they were happy for me to take the parts off their hands (they had been sitting there for 10 years!) and off I went with a knife edged crank, con rods with big big end bolts, the correct bearings for the whole engine and most importantly 9.7:1 pistons. Yeah baby!
Once the motor was complete I bought a slab of beer, a slab of energy drinks, hired an engine crane and invited a few mates over. None of us had EVER attempted anything like this before and there were a few hic-ups (I now know three ways to destroy my parent's asphalt) but eventually we had the motor in place and ready to be towed to the shop for the exhaust to be welded up, the wiring checked and the relevant certs/warrents given. From taking it off the road to the state it is in right now (just needs running in) I managed a build time of 5 months, 3 of which I was in a different city/country, not too bad eh. At this point I'll stop boring you with the details/drama and get on to the juicy, juicy pictures of what has FINALLY become a finished product.
Now I've just got to survive the last month of university and I can get a chance to drive her. All up I estimate it has cost me about $8,000 to get it how it is today, but I'm sure I'm forgetting some costs (I'm not going to count just in case I remember). From here I've just got to fix a couple of niggles (possible cancerour rust, squeaky wheel bearing, that sorta thing) and possibly install a Hilux rear end for the diff. Oh and maybe some bigger brakes. And make the suspension stiffer. And a nicer stereo. And...
