Presenting My Vintage Corolla!

[SHAI]

Jaliya, WOW !!! Machang props to you and your father for keeping it this way for so long. Indeed a breath of fresh air from what has been done to most KE72's.

My father had a flat roof and then went in for a 'High Roof' sometime in the late 80"s...... Great car. Great times too : )

[Jaliya48]

@The Don; thanks! We've got two wagons (this and a CE106V that's our daily) and we've pulled everything from timber to bags of cement to huge fabric rolls between the two of them! You're correct in assuming the powerplant in this. I rarely drive this hard though, it's a vintage so I don't want to stress it! Interestingly, the KE70 commercial wagons (like mine) was in production from 1979 to 1988 whereas the sedans were replaced with the FF models (apart from the AE86) in about '83/'84.

@Davy; yup, no power steering and no creature comforts! Just how I like my cars.

@Sampath; thanks for that scan. I think this was an Australian edition judging by the regular bumpers (US models had hideous huge plastic bumpers!) I've come across low-res scans of a JDM KE72 catalog, PM me with your email and I'll gladly send it to you.

@Terrabytetango; GL models had seats with bigger adjustable headrests, a rear wiper and a 5speed transmission. Some also had differently styled steel wheels too. I've seen some on our roads as well, but never a GL 'woody'!

@SHAI; thanks! We've always kept our rides original!

Regards.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Jaliya48

[JadeyBlitzen]

My dad had one of these in the 90s. It was 15 Sri 9347. which was funnily the same day we bought the car, 7th of april 1993. I was 6 at the time and for me it was the best car in the world. It taught me the most basic stuff about cars. It was pretty basic itself too. it didn't even have an a/c when we bought it. It was never a big car but us being so small then me and my cousins would sit in the boot whenever we went somewhere. I distinctly remember the roar of the radiator fan at high engine speeds that MrCat mentioned. It must have been very exciting in the corners cos I remember the tyres screeching even when we approached bends at moderate speeds.

Anyway I never got to give it a proper send off and now that think about it that car deserved a lot better for what it gave our family. It was sold to a police officer in 1997 and appeared in a car sale in mahara a few months later. We never saw it after that. I'm always wondering if it was broken up for parts. But it was in very good shape. We even painted it a few months before we sold it.

Nowadays every time I see a good one like yours I get carried right back into those days when I was standing between the two front seats going wow! looking at those pics I can remember just how it was sitting in our garage and exactly how I felt then looking at all those simple details.

My advice is don't do anything drastic with it. You can't find one in such good nick these days and if you keep it original and just preserve it you got something truly special in your hands. This is one of those rare cars so many of us grew up in. So I'm sure you know how many people go crazy when they see this car in this shape. So try and keep it that way.

[CyRaX]

Now that's waay better than how a vintage should look like! Goodluck, keep that blood running!!!

[Skyline R33]

Nice car Jay and really well kept. My dad had the exact same car back in 1986/1989 period. Please don't do any mods to it as finding an original in this nick is not that easy.

[Croozer]

Hats off Jay - 10/10 ... cheers.

[terrabytetango]

Just don't do this to it

[Jaliya48]

Now that is just sad!

I'll be snapping some more photos tomorrow, stay tuned for updates!

Regards.

[carboy2011]

looking forward to it mate and btw well done to you and ur dad for kpeeing it in such good nick

what type of radio/cd does it have ,you could fix a good one to enhance the quality of the car and its something that wont compromise on anything

you could try 4 speakers too but if i were you i wont cut the door boards but try to fix under the dash board (front ones)

Now that is just sad!

I'll be snapping some more photos tomorrow, stay tuned for updates!

Regards.

[Jaliya48]

Hi,

Thanks for your compliments! I won't even dream of cutting the door cards lol! The factory radio unit was the typical Japanese AM type and was replaced with a Sony FM-AM type. The factory speakers are near the bottom of the driver and passenger side walls (what I typed makes no sense, I'll snap a photo of this tomorrow) and I find it adequate. Sure, it's not a boombox, but I can listen to Gold FM when I'm driving and that's good enough for me!

[Schiffer]

a lil bit OT

but saw this in kandy.

Are these alloys stock for this model?

[Schiffer]

Just don't do this to it

oh god, this hopeless rice bucket used to be near my place.

[terrabytetango]

a lil bit OT

but saw this in kandy.

Are these alloys stock for this model?

No, the DX wagon is little more than a delivery van, and even the top end trim didn't come with alloys back then. Those wheels look like they belong on an AE86.

Edited October 11, 2012 by terrabytetango

[Jaliya48]

Terrabytetango is correct; all KE72s came with steel wheels with a wheel cap (black/white or polished steel with magenta details).

On a side note; I've seen a green Nissan Vanette with uber rare Work Equips (or an excellent replica set!) around the Debug building in Wellawatte.

[SpeedyAsA]

Just don't do this to it

Simply can call it as HARRASED & Then RAPED....

[Schiffer]

No, the DX wagon is little more than a delivery van, and even the top end trim didn't come with alloys back then. Those wheels look like they belong on an AE86.

ahaaa. and yea i remember seen the same wheels on a AE86 catelog that sampath posted

[Jaliya48]

Hi AL,
As promised, here are those new photos!


This is an old pic of the engine bay, the new photo I snapped was badly lit and was deleted.


This plaque was sprayed over the last time the car was resprayed. I managed to remove the offending paint using isopropyl alcohol.

The interior. The original radio was removed and this was put in place.



Cleaning the dash took a lot of hard work! (and a mild solution of Teepol!)

Rear seats; not cleaned thoroughly!


Rear end. Note our CE106V in front.




Thanks for viewing!
Regards.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Jaliya48

[carboy2011]

great job mate keep it up ,the rear tail light is broken would be great if you can replace it

[Jaliya48]

Yup, looking for both lenses. I was told to check the Delkanda area so might go hunting one day!

[terrabytetango]

Time to degrease the engine bay? Definitely a weekend project there.

[Jaliya48]

I know! I tried the usual kerosene and a rag but some stains were still there. What can I use?

[Sampath Gunasekera]

Jaliiya,

Thanks for the photos.

One suggestion, if possible please remove all stickers on rear windscreen as this car is a 100% specimen of its model.

[ZyKo]

Must say your car is kept neat.

[Komisiripala]

Hi AL,

As promised, here are those new photos!

This is an old pic of the engine bay, the new photo I snapped was badly lit and was deleted.

This plaque was sprayed over the last time the car was resprayed. I managed to remove the offending paint using isopropyl alcohol.

The interior. The original radio was removed and this was put in place.

Cleaning the dash took a lot of hard work! (and a mild solution of Teepol!)

Rear seats; not cleaned thoroughly!

Rear end. Note our CE106V in front.

To finish-

Thanks for viewing!

Regards.

Mine had all the thora stickers too! Which batch were you in? Car is now with my cousin. Also a thomian

[Jaliya48]

I left college in 2007. Science batch.

Hmm...another Thora with a KE72? We should definitely meet! What batch were you and your cousin in?

Drove to Mount Lavinia today and one 'potential buyer' asked if this was for sale....

Edited October 13, 2012 by Jaliya48