1984 Toyota Corolla SR5 Two-door coupe review from North America

Replaced the radiator first summer I had the car.

Replaced following as part of scheduled maintenance:

Hoses

timing chain

clutch

brakes- 2x- first time brakes were improperly installed.

This was my first car. It was dead reliable, and never left me stranded.

The only thing I had to replace on the vehicle other than routine maintenance items was the radiator. It was then that I discovered that Toyota used PLASTIC radiators! I was amazed that the thing had survived 8 Arizona summers before finally dying. The replacement radiator from Toyota was too expensive, so I replaced it with a cheap Korean one that was made out of metal.

The car had sporty handling, and quite a few toys on it. I loved the pop-up headlights :).

I was sad to see this car go. I was broadsided while going through an intersection by a full-size van that had run the red light. The other driver was going 40+mph when she hit me, and considering the size difference between our two vehicles, the Corolla stood up surprisingly well to the impact.

I was fine, and walked away from the accident with only a few bruises. The car was toast.

I ended up replacing the car with a Ford Contour, a car that made me miss my Corolla even more.