1996 Toyota Corolla

Toyotafanboi

This car to me is a "top gear challenge". something that was very cheap to buy, very cheap to run and to see just how far it will go without giving up. i'm happy it's already a high-ish mileage example to speed up the ageing process.

bought with 170,900 miles on the clock. NCT'd 1 month previously @ 170,400 miles, but back dated 6.5 months so it is only tested until 10/14. it also came with a months tax, but that isn't much use as i won't be using the corolla until july at the earliest, but more likely september.

so far, the car cost not very much. i've spent €25 on a set of second hand moulded mud flaps already in 8k8 blue, €12 on 2 aerosol cans of 8k8 blue, €20 on petrol and €30 on 4 "part worn" pirellis. overall, it's creeping up on €500 now.

i bought it from a fireman and got to view it in a fire station bay surrounded by fire trucks and manly ****, so the car was worth a certain amount for that alone.

it's had some dodgy repairs bodywork wise, some small interior damage, it's misfiring under load and it's due a timing belt. but it's as tight as a nut to drive, just not up a hill with 4 or 5 people in it :P

plans are to tidy up the bodywork and interior, sort the misfire, do the timing belt and drive it. all on a budget, just for curiosity.

nice from a far, but far from nice.






this bird must have been on a heavy diet of porridge and oatmeal.

Toyotafanboi

there is a lot of paintwork issues,
repairs like these:


lacquer peel like this:

scuffs like these:

cracked filler like this:

crinkles like this:

and this door is just matted in one part from a bad repair:


blue interior. blue carpet, blue dash, blue seats, blue wheel and gearstick and contrasting centra re-usable bag.


the legendary 4e and its tip-ex service history. timing belt @108k in 2011. "97 XLi" is also written on the radiator and exhaust manifold in tip-ex pen, the best of scrap yard parts.


but don't worry, the screenwash was renewed on 06/07/2011 :pac:


4 excellent "Jinyu" tyres with absolute micro-meters of thread left!


the last owner also left this in the window. i'm not sure exactly how, but i have a feeling it may serve me well at some point in the future :P

JohnBoy26

must be one of, if not easiest car to work on ever