Corolla BZ Touring Wagon : My Little Run-Around In Japan

iRage · January 31, 2014

So with our impending return to Japan we needed a little family run-around car. After much searching I decided on a Hilux Surf. I have owned several before and seemed like the best choice considering we lived on top of a mountain in Nagasaki which snowed rather heavily and two or three days during winter the roads didn't get cleaned up. So this was my choice...a 2000 HSurf, 56000kms on the clock (with service records)..

but then...my wife goes and buys this...

her reasoning ?

Engine looks like Trueno's

and it is a 6 manu-mission ( Japanese abbreviation for 6 speed manual transmission)

and has done only 16000kms

her final excuse...it looks cute...CUTE???

West-River apparently specializes in rare cars and as fate would have it the owner's brother runs a Trueno/Levin tuning shop .

My wife is going to use this one on me for ages...

Edited January 30, 2020 by iRage

john cooper · January 31, 2014

iRage nice choice by the WIFE, Corolla BZ-G....................... But u should have explain her about the SURF

Crosswind · January 31, 2014

I see a blacktop and the interior of a corolla GT in there. Has it got rear disks and 4WD ?

Your wife got better taste than u :-)

Edited January 31, 2014 by Crosswind

Jaliya48 · February 1, 2014

That's a nice wagon! I still can't believe the 6 speed manual! :smilie_liebe9:

Is it an AWD version?

Magnum · February 1, 2014

On 1/31/2014 at 11:32 PM, Crosswind said:
I see a blacktop and the interior of a corolla GT in there. Has it got rear disks and 4WD ?
Your wife got better taste than u :-)

Exactly, i was gonna say the same thing

bdw Shiffer is gonna love this Corolla

Schiffer · February 1, 2014

Hamana hamana hamana hamana hamana hamana.. YAAAWWWZZAAAAA... A freaking rare Corolla BZ Touring.. Your wife has good taste mate a corolla cant get any better :`)

iRage · February 1, 2014

Thanks guys !

Yeah...total facepalm on my part....I did explain to my wife about the Surf (not to mention she has a soft spot for surfs because that is the car we used to go on dates with) but her response was to stay at home on those bad weather days...at the moment she wants to keep it for a long long long time.

yes it is a BZ-Touring with all four disks but no AWD. Three weeks more till I go back to actually drive it.

Sampath Gunasekera · February 1, 2014

Nice selection....

Charith H Jayasinghe · February 1, 2014

Yes it is cute........

Schiffer · February 1, 2014

i just keep opening this thread and drooling at this car and just thinking, how mint it looks, specially inside the engine bay. and praying and hopeing i could own one of this someday :') maybe a conversion someday

iRage · February 1, 2014

I am quite surprised at how mint it is myself...when I get back I am tempted to investigate who owned this before cause whoever he/she is deserves a big thank you.

Saw a BZ-Touring in Battaramulla last year. It was green and silver two-toned and looked pretty worn out from outside and the interior looked like the owner had a few kids playing inside it. Whilst I was checking it out the owner,a middle aged lady, came over and talked about how good the Corolla wagon is and that I can easily find one for a decent price. She had no idea what she had underneath that hood.

Sampath Gunasekera · February 1, 2014

Catalog

http://cdn.toyota-catalog.jp/catalog/pdf/corolla-w/corolla-w_199804.pdf

Schiffer · February 1, 2014

On 2/1/2014 at 2:29 PM, iRage said:
I am quite surprised at how mint it is myself...when I get back I am tempted to investigate who owned this before cause whoever he/she is deserves a big thank you.
Saw a BZ-Touring in Battaramulla last year. It was green and silver two-toned and looked pretty worn out from outside and the interior looked like the owner had a few kids playing inside it. Whilst I was checking it out the owner,a middle aged lady, came over and talked about how good the Corolla wagon is and that I can easily find one for a decent price. She had no idea what she had underneath that hood.

kudos to the previous owner and lucky-ly its safe to say the new owner will treat it just the same

ive seen a white and a red BZ touring here in SL, thats it.

just love these cars. i love it when a car looks ordinary but packs a huge punch that can make the ricer boys weep

Jaliya48 · February 2, 2014

On 2/1/2014 at 2:29 PM, iRage said:
I am quite surprised at how mint it is myself...when I get back I am tempted to investigate who owned this before cause whoever he/she is deserves a big thank you.
Saw a BZ-Touring in Battaramulla last year. It was green and silver two-toned and looked pretty worn out from outside and the interior looked like the owner had a few kids playing inside it. Whilst I was checking it out the owner,a middle aged lady, came over and talked about how good the Corolla wagon is and that I can easily find one for a decent price. She had no idea what she had underneath that hood.

I'm curious about the transmission; what's the model number of this 6 speed transmission? Is it a rare find?

iRage · February 2, 2014

On 2/2/2014 at 6:07 AM, Jaliya48 said:
I'm curious about the transmission; what's the model number of this 6 speed transmission? Is it a rare find?

It is a C160 transmission (at least that is what it theoretically should be), the same unit that came with the Carina/Corolla/Sprinter 6 M/T. The only difference with the sedans is that the C160 was offered with an optional LSD. As far as I know the BZ-Touring didn't come with a LSD <not sure though>

I think it is somewhat rare as the number of BZ Tourings sold were low and most of these units were "ordered" with A/T transmissions (something similar to the face lifted Carina GT is hard to find in a M/T)

Gummybr · February 2, 2014

Must say that its a nice car, never knew that there was something like this in the station wagon range. Good buy iRage.

maheshw · February 2, 2014

Super car...and good selection of ur wife..never seen 1 in here yet...

iRage · February 2, 2014

Yes..yes...my wife trumped me out this time.

Schiffer and I have seen one each in SL ...so that is two confirmed so far, you never know how many others might be lurking around.

Komisiripala · February 3, 2014

Whoa. What a find! Was offline for two days and this happens!!

Supra_Natural · February 5, 2014

Niiice! Wife has great taste....

Davy · February 6, 2014

Woaah... how did I miss this? Stunning for a car of this age.

madmax · February 6, 2014

On 2/5/2014 at 6:26 AM, Supra_Natural said:
Niiice! Wife has great taste....

You mean him or the car?

iRage · February 7, 2014

On 2/6/2014 at 7:45 PM, madmax said:
You mean him or the car?

I would like to think both...but at times I do run away from reality

Hoonigan · February 9, 2014

Admitted, that I'm not the biggest fan of this format of cars, every time I open this thread and see the condition of this car, I keep liking it that bit more. It definitely is an awesome find and to have your wife pick it up is just a cherry on top of the cake!

Now you have a benchmark to meet and exceed on your other project

iRage · January 30, 2020

Its been a while....its been 6 years since we have had her in the family and we have put 23,000km during that time. She has been extremely trouble free and have never missed a beat. Toyota sure does not make cars like this anymore

Just yesterday took a pic of my little beauty next to the new Corolla Touring Wagon. The old girl looks cuter and more slender...