New Toy: 1968 (I think) Corona

c_copperpot · **Posted:** Wed Mar 20, 2013 6:28 pm

Just picked up this little gem from Ladoga, Indiana this past weekend. A friend turned me onto it when he discovered it on the Indianapolis Craigslist. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it. It took a couple of hours to get it towable but it made it home safe.

The story is that the old man whose estate it was part of had it shipped from overseas where is was picked up in a Military Port in Ladoga. He parked it in 1975 in a dry barn. I really haven't even checked the VIN to see what year it is but the sellers said it is a 68.

When it was parked in 1975 with 92,000 kilometers on the ticker it still had the factory shipping plastic on the door panels, visors, and back seat. At some point someone took the wheels. Also, despite the fact that the original owner was trying to preserve the car some IDIOT rolled down the window.....and just left it down........IN A BARN. For the next 38 years, racoons and any animal that was capable of climbing into it used it for shelter and as a toilet.

If this car is from another country, I don't know where. It is left hand drive, the speedometer is in KPH, it has a 2RC, and has some weird factory looking item installed under the right side of the dash. It is wired into the radio and seems to be a frequency converter.

The engine seems that it was good when it was parked, but it is shot now.

Here are some pics before and after cleanup. If anyone has ideas of where this car might have come from please let me know!

john · **Posted:** Wed Mar 20, 2013 7:50 pm

c_copperpot wrote:

If this car is from another country, I don't know where. It is left hand drive, the speedometer is in KPH, it has a 2RC, and has some weird factory looking item installed under the right side of the dash. It is wired into the radio and seems to be a frequency converter.

Somewhere in Europe? Germany/France would make sense...

ks336 · **Joined:** Thu Feb 28, 2013 5:16 am **Posts:** 59

Too bad that window was down...it's a kool find. My friend had one that same color, drove the wheels off, a fun car. Good luck.

OkieRA29 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:42 pm

The pic of it on the tractor screams Lada at me for some reason. So I am gonna go with east germany. Great find, shame about the window because the interior looked to be in great shape!

mandalore · **Posted:** Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:58 pm

awesome man! I have a 67 4 door auto.

Looks like its in decent shape, i'd be happy with it kept in a barn even with the window down.

The engine bay pic is awesome!

c_copperpot · **Posted:** Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:26 am

It is in pretty good solid shape overall considering the storage conditions. It did sit outside for a year with no wheels after it was removed from the barn. There are just a few trouble spots, specifically the fuel tank (which is totally destroyed) and trunk floor on left side of the tank.

I am still deciding what to do with the car for a drivetrain. I would really like to be able to just hop in this thing and cruise without worry of breakdown or parts availability.

The engine that is in it now will have to at least be honed and re-ringed to be any good. An inspection with a borescope showed that the cylinder walls are rusty and the #4 cylinder was the one with the valves open judging by all the debris and dead bugs in it. It is locked up solid, even the carb is locked.

It makes monetary sense to just swap in one of the 2T or 4AG I have laying around. Anyone have ideas/input on this?

I am also looking into a front disc brake conversion. Anyone have any good info on that? Everything I have been able to find so far has been kinda spotty.

xxcoolrollinxx · **Posted:** Mon Mar 25, 2013 8:59 pm

Still hating you on this car wish i would have saw it
Matt

MedigoFlame · **Posted:** Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:14 pm

Awesome find! Looks pretty solid, but a shame on the interior, could have been in pristine condition if someone hadn't opened the door. Hope to see it up and running again! :tu:

Toyohead · **Posted:** Tue Mar 26, 2013 10:05 am

Problably a european (scandinavian) car because of the extra wiring. Nice find!

ToyGuy · **Posted:** Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:42 pm

Nice find.

I would dearly love trying to resurrect that engine.

I know a gentleman who had a '65 Corona in Canada.

whit · **Posted:** Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:21 pm

send your pics. and vehicle info to.
mailto:cdinkler@bellsouth.net

moominsean · **Posted:** Wed Mar 27, 2013 9:06 pm

whit wrote:

send your pics. and vehicle info to.
mailto:cdinkler@bellsouth.net

Yeah I second that. I got a bunch of parts from Carl when I had my 69 2-door. Good prices.

c_copperpot · **Posted:** Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:24 am

Thanks for the info guys!

whit · **Posted:** Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:38 am

Solid floors and a manual transmission. :tu:

Toyohead · **Posted:** Fri Mar 29, 2013 11:29 am

It's an RT40 corona

c_copperpot · **Posted:** Fri Mar 29, 2013 12:29 pm

Toyohead wrote:

It's an RT40 corona

Wikipedia told me at least that much. Someone suggest sending snail mail to Toyota Corporate with the VIN and someone would probably reply with a country of origin.

79Supra · **Posted:** Fri Mar 29, 2013 5:43 pm

whats the VIN? some old Toyotas are just chassis code and the production number, might be a bit hard to find anything out of the VIN

c_copperpot · **Posted:** Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:15 am

79Supra wrote:

whats the VIN? some old Toyotas are just chassis code and the production number, might be a bit hard to find anything out of the VIN

Oh I didn't think of that. Makes sense from what I remember of the VIN. I will take a look at it when I get home today.

whit · **Posted:** Mon Apr 01, 2013 9:31 am

RT43- Sep./1969 :idea:

errolae92 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 02, 2013 2:14 pm

wow awesome found!!! :tu:

New Toy: 1968 (I think) Corona

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