Toyota Corona was built after many years of research with prime importance placed on the safety of driver and passengers.
However, the car's life will depend much on you. With proper handling and care, your new car will give you many years of driving pleasure and good service. To ensure this good service, this manual gives important information on the operation and maintenance of your car.
The network of Toyota Distributors and Dealers with well-trained staff and facilities to match, provides you with the best possible service. Have them inspect your car and follow their suggestions for many miles of pleasant trouble-free driving.
This car was made in both
sedan and
station wagon formats, and available in both
automatic and
manual transmission. It is reasonably safe and there are still quite a few around - they are reasonably hardy cars. A slightly larger and more luxurious model of the
Toyota Corolla, the
Corona was discontinued some time in the mid-'80's.
Specifications
DIMENSIONS cm (in)
Wheel Base: Sedan & Wagon - 250 (98.4)
Tread: Sedan front - 134.5 (53), rear - 132 (52). Wagon front - 134.5 (53), rear - 135 (53.2)
Length: Sedan - 421 (165.7). Wagon - 428 (168.5)
Width: Sedan & Wagon: 161 (63.4)
Height: Sedan - 139 (54.7). Wagon - 142 (55.9)
Ground clearance: Sedan - 165 (6.5). Wagon - 155 (6.1)
TYRE SIZE
Both the sedan and wagon had one of three sets of tyres; same for all four wheels:
6.45 S 14,
165 SR 14, and
175 SR 14.
ENGINE -
Toyota 18R
Type:
In line four cylinder chain driven
SOHC
Bore and Stroke: 8.85 x 8 cm (3.48 x 3.15 in)
Piston Displacement: 1968
cc (120.1
ci)
Compression Ratio: 8.5:
Maximum Horsepower: 119
hp at 5,500
rpm
Maximum Torque: 17.8
m/kg (125
ft/lb) at 3,600rpm
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery:
12V 40
AH
Alternator: 12V 45
amps
Starter Motor: 12V 0.9hp
TRANSMISSION
Manual: Four speed
synchromesh on forward gears.
Gear ratios:
1st: 3.579
2nd: 2.081
3rd: 1.397
4th: 1
Reverse: 4,399Automatic:
Aisin-Warner - Automatic three speed. Gear ratios:
Low: Aisin-Warner - 2.450. Borg-Warner - 2.39
2nd: AW & BW - 1.45
Drive: AW & BW - 1
Reverse: AW - 2.222. BW - 2.09
There is no
tachometer in either the Corona or the Corolla models.
Learn to listen.
This is the car I drive and it has only done 53,000km (33,000 miles) as I write this. Odds are that if you can find another car of this
vintage it will have done much more, and
engine troubles will show. At the moment, It takes about 6-7 minutes to
warm up if it hasn't been driven for over 12 hours, and a couple of minutes more on a really cold day. For the first five minutes of driving, operation may be a little
jerky, mainly in the bottom two gears. Reverse and second gears are both a little
temperamental, especially when cold. After longer drives (say an
hour or more) or a period of reasonably rough driving there is a tendency for pressure to drop in the
petrol tank, as I don't think there is a
fuel tank vent valve. I'm not sure if this is confined to my car, that year, or the whole Toyota range, but you can hear a
tell tale hiss coming from the cap. I usually open it and let the
pressure equalise.
The car has needed new seals on the front and back
windscreens, and the lights that
illuminate the
dashboard have a tendancy to work their way loose occasionally, but a good thump on the dash sorts it out and if they do come loose it is relatively easy to get behind the
instrumentation, if a little cramped. Most
components of the engine are pretty easy to get to as well; this is a good car for performing your own repairs.
Do not get this car if you like music. It has an optional
AM Radio that fits into a slot smaller than the universal standard. I don't think radios are even made for this size anymore, and there is only one speaker in the top centre of the dash. The doors are quite thin and you would have alot of trouble trying to put speakers in (I am though, so I'll update it if/when I do).
This car now would have a
Blue Book value of about $500 Australian (about $300US) but one in nice condition could fetch up to $1500AU. If you can, track down an
Owner's Manual for the car, it has good technical information and instructions on
maintenance you perform yourself. Finally, use a
fuel of over 92
Octane, and have the tyres at about 30-33
psi. Happy driving.
Technical data from the manual.
Update 22/08/2002: The left rear
mudguard has almost fallen off. I caught it when there was about an inch of
rubber still holding it on. There is a metal plate that keeps the guard together, but it has broken through from age. I put a screw through the guard and the rim, but it is only a temporary solution until I can get some rubber to cut another to size.
Update 17/10/2002: Punctured a tyre on
Grand Final Day. Found out that the required tyre types have not been made for about twenty years, and the equivalent replacement sets have not been made for about five. Now the spare tyre is a different type to the rest. Bah.
Update 09/09/2004:
tally ho wrote the car off while stoned. Car is now small cube in wreckers' yard.