This rare cute classic was found in a driveway, I asked the owner about it and ended up buying it. The body was in pretty great shape so my son and I took this project on for the purpose of money for his college. It was more work than we expected, but it was fun to do together. Finding quality parts was a challenge due to the age of the car. We attempted to keep the car as original as possible and find original vintage parts whenever available. The original air horns still work and pack a punch goe such a little car! The engine and transmission is original as far as I can tell. We eventually found the same paint color from Napa that is expected to be phased out soon. This car is being stored under a carport with a battery maintainer. The car frequently gets a smile and thumbs up when taken out for keeping it in good shape.
1968 Toyota Corona Deluxe RT43 - Automatic
95,000 Miles-last known reading (odometer frozen so true milage unknown) mph is working
1.9 liter, 3-speed
Newly painted ( found original Pluto beige #1353) eliminated rust, minor bondo applied near wheels.
Gold Interior installed professionally by the previous owner
Vintage repair manual
Valid Wyoming title
Spare tire and jack
Electrical components replaced;
New Battery - 6/2025
New Alternator & regulator (from O'Reilly's) - 6/2025
New electric fuel pump and filter (from AutoZone)
New Starter & Solenoid (AutoZone)
New Distributor cap & rotor (Napa)
New Spark plugs & Spark plug wires
New Points, ignition coil & condenser
New Fuses
New windshield washer motor
Other items replaced;
New carburetor (from Autozone)
Mechanical fuel pump replaced with new electric fuel pump (no replacement available for the original mechanical type that that failed) (AutoZone)
New tires (Les Schwab)
New shocks
New brake pads
New thermostat
New trunk rubber gasket
New fender rearview mirrors (from eBay)
New coolant hoses
New oil pan gasket
New rear license plate illumination light and cover (last one in the US from Toyota parts dept.)
Installed and purchased rear chrome trim (used)
New (used) trunk emblem
New shift knob (hardware store)
New ball joint dust boots
New engine air filter
New speedometer cable (Rock Auto)
New heater blower motor (from NAPA)
New fuel gauge sending unit (AutoZone generic)
New cloth dashboard cover. (eBay)
Engine oil & filter replaced (6/2025)
Differential gear oil replaced
Brake fluid replaced
Antifreeze replaced
Automatic Transmission gear oil replaced
Other notes:
Trim around headlights, upper right fender and chrome trim below doors not original (replaced with adhesive chrome trim).
High beam dash light out (cannot find replacement) - high beams fully operational
Odometer does not seem to be increasing miles from 95,000 - the speedometer functions well.
Headliner in the rear of the car above rear window slightly separating (see photos)
Some original chrome trim could not be located and was replaced with chrome adhesive: one side along the middle, both sides below the door, both sides - top front by headlights
Need to wait for the carburetor to fill before starting. If the car is not started weekly you may need to put a little gas into the carb to get it started.
The transmission is a little jerky when put into reverse, but does fine when shifting. When going up steep hills the car needs to put in low gear.
The turn signal lever is a little loose, but works. Replacement could not be found.
