1986 Toyota Corona CSi Wagon review from Australia and New Zealand

Apart from reconditioning the motor at 220000 Kms I have had a water pump fail at 175000 Kms.

The Radiator had a small leak that was fixed at 175000 Kms as well as above.

Diff was noisy and so it was changed at 190000 kms

Misc rubber pipes have been changed as prevention rather than cure as pipes only last about 10 - 15 years. Brake pipes also have been changed for new ones.

Master cylinder at 224000 kms.

A tough car that initially has a hard ride being a wagon. Installing Avante or CSX seat frames make a big improvement in comfort. Installing a 2.0 anti roll bar at the front helps the ride comfort and makes the suspension more supple which is better for out right handling (French philosophy a la Renault/Citroen)

Rear suspension bushes on the wagon are too hard as well and changing to car bushes helps with ride and handling. Flat corning is great on a smooth road, but with hard suspension meeting potholes on a corner is dangerous in the wet. Softer settings are the answer without being soggy.

The cabin is fairly spartan by todays standards, but is ergonomic in practice.

The seats are OK as long as they are raised up an inch at the front as they don't have much support under the thighs. After they are raised up they are almost excellent when they are in good condition.

Seats are easy to rebuild when dismantled by somebody even with limited mechanical knowledge.