Monday 14 October 2013

Spring cleaning!

Finally, I've sorted all the parts! some are in piles and others in plastic storage tubs.
So far there has been some interesting finds.. numerous "sets" of spares & extras ranging in all sorts of condition.

Examples are dash surrounds, chrome trimming, chrome door handles & window winders, grilles, badges, rubber seals, a huge amount of interior fittings & some extra panels!
One of the cooler items, was a really old taco meter.. with a user set redline! I'm hoping it works and install it into the car, keeping the nostalgia/vintage look.






We also examined the brakes, no good. It appears the lines are blocked somewhere & the master cylinder is stuffed.
After that, I drove the "beast" (VX commodore) up close and personal, used jumper leads and tried my luck... Errrrr err.. it cranked over, no worries! always a good sign to know the stock motor has life. I'd still like to build a decent 4K/5K or perhaps a 4AGE conversion if funds allow.

Once I had my fun experimenting with the motor, I kept at the interior and started cleaning the carpet, under the rear sets & removed the head lining.



Once again, more to come! :D

Saturday 12 October 2013

Arived home 9/10/2013

Today was the day, I bought home the new project.
A 1977 Toyota Corolla KE30 sedan, 4 speed manual and a small, non-effective 3K motor.

The car has minimal rust, half black/"poo" brown interior. Front/rear seats are in good condition considering they are over 35 years old, minus the front passenger seat which has seen better days.
The dash will need replacing as it's cracked, faded and heavily worn. I plan to keep the interior to standard specs, but will be changing everything to black including; door cards, handles, parcel shelf and roof lining.

The body is okay, small patches of rust here and there. Half of the car is already coated in primer, some panels are fully painted and others half sanded. I will be sanding and painting the outside of the car in primer, ready for whichever paint I choose.
As of today, the car hasn't been started in quite some time as the previous owner discovered water inside the fuel tank, some engine parts missing and there is no ignition key. I have a spare tank and numerous key barrels so it's only a matter of time.

The underside of the car is still unknown, I'm yet to venture down there.
The diff and transmission are bone dry, looks like they have leaked over the years and have nothing left to give. Brakes are coated in rust, suspension seems non-existent at the moment.

Spares are plenty, it seems there was/has been a donor car at some point. The boot was full, interior was also packed full with anything and everything relating to the car. Parts include; bumpers, guards, interior parts both plastic & chrome, headlights & taillights, door hinges, dash fittings, motor parts, rubber trimming, bolts and much more.

The first goal is sorting out all the spares, good from bad etc.
I will then place the car up on stands, removing the wheels and begin sussing out the brakes.

Pictures;





More updates to come!