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As many people know, I've owned two 1969
Toyota Corona cars in my life, and my sister owned her own 1969 Toyota
Corona.
Car 1 was a powder blue 1969 4 door
sedan. This was known at the RT43 series 4 door sedan.
It was sold to me from my aunt Koni and her son Jeff Gollagher and I drove it all through college until I traded
it in on my new Turbo Thunderbird in 1983. Even though it was used as a
trade-in at the Ford Dealer in Santa Ana, I was
notified about 5 years later that it was still registered in my name, and towed
to a junkyard in Los Angeles.
When I went there to see it - I found the pink slip under the seat with my
signature still on it. I bought that car back for parts from that
junkyard for $214. I used it for parts until I moved to Las Vegas in 2000, at which time I had it
hauled away.
Car 2 is a powder blue 1969 2 door sedan
with a black vinyl top. This was known as the RT52 series 2 door coupe and has a 5 digit VIN number! My VIN number is
41490. The 1900 cc engine is coupled to the Toyoglide
2 speed automatic transmission, and it's quick around town, but hard on itself
on the freeway. Over the years I've restored many portions of this car,
and I had a Toyota
repair shop that loved to work on it. The last 2 items that need
restoration/repair are the black vinyl roof, and the white headliner in the
car. In 1999, I had an engine builder create a balanced, blueprinted,
beautiful 3RC motor for this car. It will be the last engine I put in
this car. Currently I drive this car for fun in the Las Vegas area. I sure turn a lot of
heads with this, especially when people realize that it's probably the only
1969 2 door Corona on the road in Nevada!
My sister Melanie also had a 1969 Corona 4 door sedan with
the 2 speed transmission, and the 1900 engine. Her car was a disaster and
the history deserves a page of it's own in this web someday!
Some facts:
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Year 2000 registration
costs: $193 including MYTOY4U personalized plate
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|
In California
it would no longer be required to have a smog inspection - 35 years old -
which is the cutoff in California
for smog inspection! Unfortunately, Nevada uses a different formula and
instead requires all cars from 1969 and later to have a smog
inspection. However, in 2004 I could apply for a HISTORIC VEHICLE plate
for my car, and one of the privileges of a HISTORICAL PLATE is that it
exempts the car from future smog inspections provided the plate is issued in
conjunction with a final smog inspection! Yeah! After all of the
hassles I had with the 3RC and 3RB motors and heads, I'm finally able to get
past this part. (I hated the 3RC smog system and removed it and put a 3RB
head on the top of the engine for many years)
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|
2 speed automatic transmission was called TOYOGLIDE. I put a shift kit
in mine for $6.00 when I rebuilt the transmission. It causes the engine
to move between low and high with much more certainty and force!
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|
2 door was actually a
1969 and a half model. The 4 door model was out all year.
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|
Factory air conditioning
was extremely rare on those cars. The air pump alone is huge.
|
|
The 1969 model in California had smog pumps and devices, all non California models did
not.
|
|
The 3-RC engine was the
engine in the California
version, and it was reported to be the best performing of the 3R series (3R,
3R-B and 3RC). Even the 5R that replaced it was not as well received.
|
|
Number one cause of car /
engine failure for Corona
- loss of oil and oil pressure.
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|
Gets about 12 miles in
city, maybe 16 to 18 on the highway.
|
|
With the Factory
installed air conditioner, the battery tray is moved from the front right
corner of the car to the front left corner. The battery is also a
different size (SMALLER - believe it or not) because of the smaller space it
has to be squeezed into. The cars without the air conditioner have a
GROUP 35 type of battery, while the A/C models have the battery on the left,
with a GROUP 43 designation. Although smaller, the Group 43 battery as
more Cold Cranking Amps then the bigger, older style battery.
|
As many people know, I've owned two 1969
Toyota Corona cars in my life, and my sister owned her own 1969 Toyota
Corona.
Car 1 was a powder blue 1969 4 door
sedan. This was known at the RT43 series 4 door sedan.
It was sold to me from my aunt Koni and her son Jeff Gollagher and I drove it all through college until I traded
it in on my new Turbo Thunderbird in 1983. Even though it was used as a
trade-in at the Ford Dealer in Santa Ana, I was
notified about 5 years later that it was still registered in my name, and towed
to a junkyard in Los Angeles.
When I went there to see it - I found the pink slip under the seat with my
signature still on it. I bought that car back for parts from that
junkyard for $214. I used it for parts until I moved to Las Vegas in 2000, at which time I had it
hauled away.
Car 2 is a powder blue 1969 2 door sedan
with a black vinyl top. This was known as the RT52 series 2 door coupe and has a 5 digit VIN number! My VIN number is
41490. The 1900 cc engine is coupled to the Toyoglide
2 speed automatic transmission, and it's quick around town, but hard on itself
on the freeway. Over the years I've restored many portions of this car,
and I had a Toyota
repair shop that loved to work on it. The last 2 items that need
restoration/repair are the black vinyl roof, and the white headliner in the
car. In 1999, I had an engine builder create a balanced, blueprinted,
beautiful 3RC motor for this car. It will be the last engine I put in
this car. Currently I drive this car for fun in the Las Vegas area. I sure turn a lot of
heads with this, especially when people realize that it's probably the only
1969 2 door Corona on the road in Nevada!
My sister Melanie also had a 1969 Corona 4 door sedan with
the 2 speed transmission, and the 1900 engine. Her car was a disaster and
the history deserves a page of it's own in this web someday!
Some facts:
|
|
Year 2000 registration
costs: $193 including MYTOY4U personalized plate
|
|
In California
it would no longer be required to have a smog inspection - 35 years old -
which is the cutoff in California
for smog inspection! Unfortunately, Nevada uses a different formula and
instead requires all cars from 1969 and later to have a smog
inspection. However, in 2004 I could apply for a HISTORIC VEHICLE plate
for my car, and one of the privileges of a HISTORICAL PLATE is that it
exempts the car from future smog inspections provided the plate is issued in
conjunction with a final smog inspection! Yeah! After all of the
hassles I had with the 3RC and 3RB motors and heads, I'm finally able to get
past this part. (I hated the 3RC smog system and removed it and put a 3RB
head on the top of the engine for many years)
|
|
2 speed automatic transmission was called TOYOGLIDE. I put a shift kit
in mine for $6.00 when I rebuilt the transmission. It causes the engine
to move between low and high with much more certainty and force!
|
|
2 door was actually a
1969 and a half model. The 4 door model was out all year.
|
|
Factory air conditioning
was extremely rare on those cars. The air pump alone is huge.
|
|
The 1969 model in California had smog pumps and devices, all non California models did
not.
|
|
The 3-RC engine was the
engine in the California
version, and it was reported to be the best performing of the 3R series (3R,
3R-B and 3RC). Even the 5R that replaced it was not as well received.
|
|
Number one cause of car /
engine failure for Corona
- loss of oil and oil pressure.
|
|
Gets about 12 miles in
city, maybe 16 to 18 on the highway.
|
|
With the Factory
installed air conditioner, the battery tray is moved from the front right
corner of the car to the front left corner. The battery is also a
different size (SMALLER - believe it or not) because of the smaller space it
has to be squeezed into. The cars without the air conditioner have a
GROUP 35 type of battery, while the A/C models have the battery on the left,
with a GROUP 43 designation. Although smaller, the Group 43 battery as
more Cold Cranking Amps then the bigger, older style battery.
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| 
