1974 Toyota Corona Wagon review from Australia and New Zealand
"Excellent reliability, hard to break"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I got this car for free, for bashing around paddocks, and though I took care of it under the bonnet, I neglected the rest of it. It was driven through rough terrain like a touring wagon, and was subject to general abuse from hooning through the bush.
The auto trans began to leak at around 202,000 Kilometers, and then completely carked it a few Ks later, before I had a chance to fix it. This was entirely due to a small crash involving a massive knock to the transmission from a tree stump. It now only travels forward in first gear, and I have no plans to replace it at the moment.
The interior has held up excellently to never being cleaned, the only problems are the notorious cracks on the black dash (from expanding in the sun), and the left spring on the drivers seat sagging.
The alternator died recently, but all other electrics are excellent, incl wipers, heater etc.
The carby has been troublesome for a while now, apparently coronas of this vintage are known for dodgy carbs. The main jet (in the main barrel) is completely blocked, and also seized in the carb, so I can't get it out. I currently use a bolt sitting in the second barrel to keep the air vent to the second barrel completely open, thereby allowing the second barrel to provide all the fuel. (Like I said it's a paddock car, and I only use it in
first Gear!)
Oh, one last thing. The engine mount bolts are literally impossible to tighten with any standard socket or wrench.
General comments?
This car has taken a lot of physical abuse, and has stood up to the test well so far. I am planning to get a new paddock car though, and I am definitely looking at newer model corona (or a Subaru AWD wagon), but definitely a MANUAL transmission. An auto-trans is eternally frustrating in a bush situation.
The engine is excellent, it is the 18r model, which is a copy of a Mercedes engine.
The engine has never had an over heating problem, even doing 60km/hr in first gear, on and off for 3 or 4 hours on hot day!
Parts for this car are extremely cheap from wreckers, the only problem is finding them. I plan to buy a new carb for around $20 (Aus$) sometime soon.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 200000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 210000 kilometres |
| Date of Entry | 22nd October, 2003 |