Steve gee

yes the venerable 18RG serial 12067 fitted to my 1974 GT corona wil be 47; years old and has 242000 km one set of rings, top overhaul and reco carbies.

Nice name. I drove mine to car club via a daddy short cut up the zig zag near Coleraine and down the Nareen back road. All I can say is I arrived with a smile on my face and as I rumbled up the carclub guys came out to see what had just rocked up. Mine had 16 inch wheels with Yokos and wonder why Toyota never learned when they ditched the idea of importing my Corona GT back in 74 cos it was so slippery in the rear end back then. And that was only 150 hp. I find the 250 or so adequate to easily lose your licence these days so I bought and fitted gts wheels and brakes which makes an enormous difference. The michies stick better than the yokos. Just clocked up 16000 km yesterday time to take it in for its 6 year service Yeah yaris will drop just like the STi subies.

How many times did you take your 86 out for a ride in past year? My shed find 2012 GT at 5000 original km has now 15000 km with under 1000 k in past year. I still have half can of the Toyota Zero oil given to me after last oil change in 2020. I am now using the annual yearly service times as I am way out of step with the km tear offs, which should be 150000 and is just 15000. And Toyota have done the 10000 and 15000 three times lol. There are a heaps of 86s for sale over $20000 which is encouraging but unsure if they are selling. Mines a keeper for future gens based on its resale price, regardless of history. I did get an offer of the $40000 GR Yaris but changeover price was $28000 only $12000 for the 86. So like my GT4 and GT Corona and 1600S which are all keepers and collectors I am considering donating them all to a motor museum along with the 86GT as representatives of Toyota PVs. The guy who sold me the GT at 4000 km was Wes Nalders mechanic, the dealer who sold me the AMI purple Corona GT in 1976 which has done 240000 km and still perking along. So I guess I am classified as an old fart owner of 45 years, trouble is too old to keep the 86 gt for 45 years but just inagine if someone turns up in 2065 with an 86 gt? When I bought the 1967 corona s from act rego ysa073 a couple of years back for $2500 could not but reflect on the first 1600s bought in ACT when I was 21 in 1969 rego ybw114. Little did I know YSA073 would wait for me for for 50 years. Cheers thanks for reading.

Is it just me, or do I sense there are a heap of low K GR Yaris 2020 models for sale by speculators bought at $40000 for sale at $50000? Also clapped out shed find TA and RA series celica rust buckets in terrible condition, advertised on gimtree from $3000 upwards? And not a single GT4 anywhere. What has happened during covid lockdown? I guess price is what you pay? As for value, buyer beware.

I am going through the same deal with a 4R and so far got quoted $43 from repco and 24 from autopro and saw them for $27 0n ebay plus $7 freight. Oils aint oils Sol!!!

Located western Victoria about 300k from Melbourne are you in Sydney

PROGRESS REPORT Friday 16th May started at 0800 Front and rear bumper bars replaced including those stupid round headed bolts that hold the bar to the bracket. Had to angle grind one off and also the blind bolt on the attach bracket. I have had new bars for about 4 years never fitted, now I have glad of it. Then removed the old rotors and fitted the new slotted drilled set I got from Online Performance Autos at hallam. I thought I had pads but not to be so shoe horned so NOS ones that were in a box. Spayed a bit of Fishoil around on all the brown covered metal springs leaf springs. Waiting on rear discs from Hallam, this GT was converted years ago to four wheel discs but the rotors cost a fair bit as they are disc and drum brake hand brake models like the GT4 and Camry rears. Next week. Master Brake cylinder. Clutch master rear rotors. Later Front upper and lower ball joints radiator third one in 40 years Water pump re-upholstery of seats maybe new moulded carpet set. decision about wheels and tyres to run with original steelies, or the 5.5 inch BWAs I inherited with the car. rear windscreen (which was smashed in 1978 have had clear glass in as fitted in Brisbane) I have tinted rear glass to go in Trip to Miyazaki and Fukuoka in June Find a clock from Japan. Continue talks with Toyota at Nagoya about donating car back to museum. decision about original long motor whether to rebuild it and fit so numbers match fwiw.

I found this photo set of an RT104GT in Japan, four door And this two door 1976 RT118GT A very dusty 18RGU Very Rusty back area http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HaUsNiP6Fe0

And for now I am otherwise occupied having just put the first JDM GT4 1989 on club plates 37575H 1990 Celica GT4 All Wheel Drive. MY October 1989 - Narrow E-ST185-BLMVZ GT-Four Air-To-Air intercooler, The E150F with 4.285 final gear ratio was installed in the Japanese market and All-trac, Engine is a twin cam 2.0 L turbocharged 3S-GTE producing 149 kW (203 PS; 200 hp) and 200 lb·ft (270 N·m) of torque. The ST185 GT4 won 16 full WRC series, and 3 overall winner in the W2L series. WRC Driver's Titles with Carlos Sainz in 1992, Juha Kankkunen in 1993, and Didier Auriol in 1994. WRC Manufacturer's Titles in 1993, 94 and 95.

So what was it like to own and drive a 2000GT in 1976? It was a quick, unprententious, orphan, often misjudged by Torana and Monaro owners as a rice burner. 18RG 1111-88210 9.7:1 CR PULP only engine. Some of the issues: Slow down the water pump with smaller pulley on crankshaft to stop radiator over pressure and splitting the solder in the top tank. Head gasket/shims blowing at front due to fine thread bolt holes, rectified by retapping block to 14MM medium thread. Upgraded to Yamaha head 88230 and variable dowel camshaft gears. Diff changed to 3.9 for longer legs and lower revs. P51 gearbox bearings replaced at 100,000 km Top overhaul at 140,000 new rings and bearings. Mikuni solex repaired by Shaun Maloney Collingwood in 1995. Pretty luxurious by old school Corona standards. 5 speed P51 Gearbox, F series 4.111 LSD. Engine bay 2013 ORIGINAL.

Restoration Stage One. A few people have criticised the use of such a special car for outback trails, but you must remember this was a developmental car, and the feedback to AMI Toyota resulted in a decision not to import this variation of the RT104 and stick with tried and proven technology. Near sighted maybe in view of the subsequent importation of countless 18RG engines which were fitted into Celica and Corona clones. Given that this RT104GT is basically sound and roadworthy 37 years on is testament to its sturdy design. BUT it was proof coated and dipped with anti corrosion undercoat and did not suffer the fate of so many RT104s that were not treated in this way. Roads travelled SHUDDERRRRRRMUDDERRR AND DUST Home at last November 1977 Perth, Laverton, Gunbarrel Giles, Alice, Tanami Loop, Port Augusta, Flinder Ranges, Temora, Wilcania, Quilpie, Brisbane, Tamworth, Newcastle, Sydney. 1989 roughly12 years later after kids at school I pulled the 104 out of the shed and washed it. The lawn was brown. Then vacuumed out kg of dust from rear boot area sealed off from main cabin by dust barrier. By 2006 it was fully restored down to the BWA TRD alloys NOVEMBER 2006 NOVEMBER 1976 November 2013

1976-1977 Singapore Airlines London to Sydney rally Nalder and Richards Stawell Toyota Class A winners. 60 Victoria Toyota Dealers George Nadler (AU) Noel Richards (AU) Toyota Corolla http://www.1977londontosydney.com/ My participation was as a journalist/radio reporter for Macquarie Broadcasting by way of Radio 3HA Hamilton where I was a technician:----I carried spares for Car 60 and was their communications officer. In Dec 1973 RT104GT-MQFG serial number 012604 was prepared for the Toyota Division in South Melbourne (Australian Motor Industries). It was driven off a boat in Feb 1974 and registered LUO833 sight unseen by Vic Roads and began its life as a developmental car that AMI was going to assess for suitability to import in limited numbers. I understand that the MD of AMI drove it around along with a purple GT Celica. I am told more often it did 180's on wet roads when driven by his wife on Yokaham radials. It was quite powerful to drive.. It ran the Toyota high compression 18RG engine, P51 F series gearbox and 4.111 7.5 inch LSD. The live rear axle is totally unique to TRD nothing like a Corona, it has pins and locating rods and the whole car set up more like a sports sedan than a Corona. It had a top speed demonstrated of exactly 200 km/h at 6500 rpm in 5th. In 1975 it passed thru dealers including Weribbee and then onto Stawell Dealer Nalders and was driven by mechanic Steve Baird. In June 1974 Modern Motor did a full page liftout story in full colour. In late 1976 Nalders called me and said if I wanted it to go to a Toyota Dealer in Campbellfield and offer them $4500, I could buy the car. It was being trucked to Sydney. I intercepted the car on a Friday and paid $2000 deposit and the balance on the Monday and acquired it with 52000 km of developmental time on the speedo. I was told go away take it away do not tell people that these cars are for sale cos they are not going to be offered here in Australia. In 1977 Toyota approached me to use the car as a service vehicle in the 1977 Singapore Airlines London to Sydney Rally and it was used to service ultimate Class A winner Wes Nalder and Noal Richards in their 3KB Corolla Coupe. It was seconded to Toyota again in 1978 to support the three Celica GT's driven by Hilton, Hurrey and Nalder in the Repco Around Australia trial and again conveyed personnel and parts to wherever they were needed in the east coast rally.

PHOTO TIME as Promised. LUO833 RT104GT as imported and tested by Modern Motor Magazine in June 1974

OK in Chrome browser see if I can post photos http://www.turbocreations.com/corona/rt104gt/ Yay thats the link to the JDM 104 time line. Here is Stephos LINK http://members.iinet.com.au/~stepho/ Wow going well here Here is the crazy car spotter Wasabi Cars (和錆カーズ) is a website all about car-spotting in Japan. Each car is special. There are old cars, imported cars, abandoned cars, JDM's, plus plus http://wasabicars.com/ Fujitsubo's collection car 有限会社 藤壺自動車工業http://www.e-fujitsubo.co.jp/265/266.html If you ever go to Japan you must go to Western Japan Fukuoka. And to TOYOTA NAGOYA The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, also known as Toyota Tecno Museum, is a technology museum located in Nishi-ku in the city of Nagoya, central Japan. Another museum is the Toyota Automobile Museum, also located in Nagoya.Wikipedia Address: 4-1-35 Noritakeshinmachi, Nishi Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 451-0051, Japan http://www.toyota.co.jp/Museum/english/

Hard one I will ask Steve Baird at Stawell Toyota what happened to old MK 2 stuff Also Gary Mac Toyota in VIC Australia 9or his son) might have a lead. Suggest you google and google and google. Could also ask Wasabi car spotter or Fujitsobu in Fukuoka Japan.