This Corolla just keeps rolling
One owner, 610,000 miles and no shortage of stories to tell
In 1971, I purchased a new Toyota Corolla for $2,135, primarily because of the new hemi-head engine. After 36 years, I'm still delighted to wheel it down the freeway at 70 mph. It's taken me 610,000 miles, and never left me stranded, although once I had a close one.
I do all of my own maintenance and repair, except setting the ring and pinion; the first major event was an unexpected differential overhaul at 84,852 miles. The good news came when a diligent parts man found that the 1960s Corona 3.7:1 gearset (versus the stock 4.11:1) would bolt right in. Revs and fuel consumption went down.
In 1976, at 87,584 miles, the engine was losing compression and burning oil. One Saturday, since it needed repair and I have an insatiable curiosity about how things work, I put the car on jackstands and, by evening, only the bare body shell remained: drivetrain out; doors, hood and deck lid off; seats and upholstery out; front suspension pulled; dashboard removed.
Over the next four months, I disassembled every nut and bolt of the entire car except the transmission, because I had bought a low-mileage five speed. Everything was scrutinized, cleaned, lubed or replaced if any wear showed, down to the window regulators and door latches and new wiper motor brushes. The engine deterioration was a fluke; the rings in every cylinder were broken, and the walls deeply scored. Bungled assembly at the factory? Some car carrier jockey revving it to 6,000 rpm on a cold startup? I'll never know.
The brake and clutch cylinders were rusted, so new ones went in, and I used the best-kept secret of auto repair, silicon brake fluid. Thirty years and 500,000 miles later, they are shiny like chrome and have never leaked a drop.
I also performed a few modifications: added a leaf to each rear spring and de-arched them, Koni shocks and struts, cut one coil from each front spring, fabricated a two-inch exhaust system with a long (quiet) glass pack muffler, built new seat mounts and moved the front seats back four inches and installed an electric fan from a Honda. I also removed the choke butterfly and shaft for a little more airflow. It starts at -25F with a couple of squirts from the accelerator pump. Wanting still lower freeway revs, I fitted Nissan Maxima alloy wheels--15 inches in back and 14 inches in front. At 70 mph, I could then turn a comfortable 2,700 rpm (factory stock was 3,900) with 32-35 mpg.
At 182,823 miles, the pinion bearings were again noisy, and I installed a 1974 low-mileage rear axle after swapping in my special-ratio gears. Although not down to the metal, I replaced the brake discs and shoes, and those are still in the car. I use the brakes very little; I'll broadside a corner rather than braking, and often drive 250 miles to Portland without touching them.
With 115,000 miles on the rebuilt engine, which was running well, I re-placed it with an import "60,000 miles max" 3-TC (1,800cc) container engine for $250, replaced the throw-out bearing and clutch disc and rebuilt the transmission. On startup, a piston was ticking audibly, and I suspected it was scored. The mechanic agreed, and they refunded me $125. I kept driving it, and in about 40,000 miles, the noise stopped.
As an investment in safety, at 231,167 miles, I rebuilt the front suspension. The steering gear had always needed adjustment every 20,000 miles. "Normal," said the dealer. Adjustment ran out at 251,000 miles, so I replaced it. It has never been adjusted since.
Starting in 1987, I was driving the car for work, regularly covering all of Oregon, and the old doll was hitting a good stride. My preventative maintenance, using Toyota kits, included a rebuild of carburetor, fuel pump, alternator, starter, water pump and replacement of the fan belt and all cooling system hoses, needed or not, every 100,000 miles. The car was never washed and the damaged sheetmetal began to show superficial rust.
I drove the junkyard engine for another 60,000 and replaced it in December of 1991 with a 1981 3TC engine and five-speed from a $150 wreck I purchased that had 137,000 miles since new. In June of 1992, I replaced the carrier and pinion bearings, and in September of 1993, rebuilt the transmission. (Synchronizers and main shaft are a little fragile.)
By the end of 1993, the Toyota's odometer had reached the 400,000-mile mark. At this time, I was in my 60s and mellowing a little (I'm currently 75). I no longer felt the need to take every corner with the rear end hanging out. I retired in 1997.
The engine that I installed in 1991 now has just over 410,000 miles on it since leaving the factory. It is using some oil (a quart every 1,800 miles) and the compression is down 10 pounds in two cylinders.
My closest scrape with being stranded came in 1991. About halfway through a shortcut on a desert road, the steering wheel whipped to the right and the car slewed sideways. The cause was apparent: The right front wheel was partially folded underneath the car because the inner pivot bolt of the lower suspension arm had fallen out.
I walked back 50 feet and located the bolt, but I had no idea where the nut was. I raised the car with the jack and used several rocks as makeshift jackstands. Reasoning that on acceleration, the right- hand motor mount will press downward, I removed the nut from the motor mount bolt and secured the suspension bolt with it. After tossing away the rocks and letting the car down, I pressed on and reached my destination at 3 a.m.
I have three rules for automotive longevity:
1.) Before driving away, warm the engine one minute in summer and two minutes in winter;
2.) Don't lug it or over-rev it. Keep it in the 2,500 to 4,000 range;
3.) Change the oil and filter faithfully at 3,000 miles and use the best oil;
Several years ago the AAA calculated that the average middle class family, driving two typical SUVs which are traded in every five years, making payments requiring maximum insurance and where all maintenance is performed by a shop, pays 54 cents per mile. I tracked every expenditures for my Corolla for a full year: fuel, oil, filters, tires, all replacement parts and insurance, and the cost came to 5.2 cents per mile.
My friends roll their eyes, and my wife won't ride in it anymore. Bosses have asked me to park on the street rather than in the company parking lot. Strangers view me with contempt and scorn. It's all pure joy--I love it.
A little trivia: If the average speed in my Corolla has been 40 mph for 610,000 miles, I have sat behind the wheel for 24 hours a day for one year, eight months, 26 days, eight hours and 36 minutes.
