Up for sale in the San Gabriel Valley outside Los Angeles is a 1973 Toyota Corolla Deluxe Coupe that looks as about as original as one can be. It has a claimed 68,000 miles on a 5-digit odometer, but the lack of tears in the original vinyl seats would seem to back up that claim.
Toyota’s TE27 chassis formed the basis of the first Corolla Levins and Spritner Truenos, legendary street fighters from the golden age of Japanese classics. Due to their light weight, rear-wheel-drive layout, two very distinct car cultures have converged on the TE27 as the blank canvas of choice — those seeking to replicate Japan’s twin-cam street and circuit terrors, and drag racers that want to gut it and swap a 600hp turbo single-cam or rotary engine into it. This results in the systematic culling of a very short supply of cars that were already rare to begin with.
In fact, we are extremely surprised to find a bone stock TE27 still alive, running, and with up-to-date registration tabs in the heart of SoCal’s Japanese modding hotbed. It’s as if the last wooly mammoth was somehow just found chillin’ in downtown Winnipeg going, “Oh, you guys were looking for me?”
Demand for clean TE27s are so high that even its automatic transmission wouldn’t be enough to deter the typical TE27 hunter. The fact that it’s “ready to drive off” makes it even more tempting. See it on craigslist for $4,700.
The seller posted this on ebay since the response was overwhelming.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Corolla-coupe-2-door-/191550519179?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2c994cf78b&item=191550519179
“This listing was ended by the seller because the item is no longer available.”
While that looks like a great deal on the outside, the body is in pretty rough shape. There is bondo present on the panels and as evidenced by the spare tire pan and under body shots, the unibody is rusting through. Looks to me like a car that sat outside somebody’s house on the coast somewhere, hardly driven. Expect to find seized up parts needing replacing with an engine holding sludge. If the transmission shifts all three ways, perhaps its worth $3000. This is coming from someone who has daily driven a TE21 over 60 miles each day for the last 3 years.
Dunno about the price, but I don’t see bondo…
I see the rust on the pans, but that’s not too horrible. Wire brush and POR-15, or media blast if you have the ability and epoxy paint. Patch as required. Not abusing it, you could get another 42 years out of it.
Question: The drip rail trim looks to be faded chromed plastic. Were they that, or is that some aftermarket (JCW) part?
I imagine some of the trim would be a nightmare to get, like the rear-window piece.
The drip rail trim is original. It was a chromed plastic that would fade out over time. I have an original 1974 TE-27 California SR-5 that my parents bought. I ended up taking the trim off because it deteriorated after several years. Although I am surprised to see an SR-5 steering wheel on this car.
this is my car . I owned it and for the guy who said it would only
Bring in $3000 I find that funny . I got $6500 for it on eBay
And was offerd $7500 from the same buyer . Lol.
I do miss it but it was a nice profit since I only paid
$800 for it from the original owners in Pasadena California
Never seen one so clean since
Is it for sell ? How much? Standard ?