Im a new member. Landed a '80 corolla wagon 107k og miles!
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 7:21 am
Greetings!
Im a brand new member of this forum. THought I'd describe my new aquisition:
I just bought a 1980 corolla wagon. She's a beaut! ONly 107k original miles. All service records, original window stickers still intact. I'm the 4th owner. 1st owner was an old woman who ran it outta gas, clogged the fuel filter and parked it in a barn where it sat for 10 years. She thought it was irrepairable. She passed away and her son discovered this gem, figured out it only needed a fuel filter, and thus brought her back to life. Dude put only 30k miles on it in the time he had it and sold it to pay for his wedding and honeymoon. The third owner was a student/cyclist who had big plans to get her in even more immaculate shape than she is currently. He only put 3k miles on it and sold it to me yesterday to help pay for school. I paid $2700 cash for her and I couldn't be more STOKED!
I was hoping this community might be able to help guide me. Car is stock as she comes. Very little rust anywhere. Engine is so clean you could eat off it. Interior is mint minus a few cracks in the dash and cracks in the leather driver's and passenger's seats.
I need to replace the clutch master cylinder ASAP... It's got a ton of play in it, and is visibly leaking hydraulic fluid into the cab. Clutch also slips a little when in 5 gear, pulling hills at 65mph. Anybody have recommendations for parts? I want to buy and install only the highest quality parts generally, and specifically for the clutch master cyl, clutch, and mechanical components.
THe next thing I need to replace is the ignition switch. The key release button doesn't work properly, thus, the electrical components like the after-market JVC stereo and the key alarm do not turn off. I've been simply removing the stereo faceplate when I exit the vehicle. I'd like to fix this myself, so any input would be greatly appreciated.
Third, the driver's and passenger's side door locks have been disassembled. The first owner of the vehicle had alzheimer's and would repeatedly lock her keys in the car, so to alleviate the problem, the locks were dissassemled. I can probably figure out how to repair them, but again, any beta would be helpful.
Lastly, what can I do to maximize this vehicle's gas mileage? I've heard rumors that Weber 32/35 carburetors will improve mileage, but by how much? I bought this vehicle under the impression that it would get 37 mpgs on the highway. So far I've yet to achieve that. SHould I run high octane fuel? Draft semi's? And keep in under 60? I guess I'll play around with it. Your input is greatly appreciated!
Gratitude!
Im a brand new member of this forum. THought I'd describe my new aquisition:
I just bought a 1980 corolla wagon. She's a beaut! ONly 107k original miles. All service records, original window stickers still intact. I'm the 4th owner. 1st owner was an old woman who ran it outta gas, clogged the fuel filter and parked it in a barn where it sat for 10 years. She thought it was irrepairable. She passed away and her son discovered this gem, figured out it only needed a fuel filter, and thus brought her back to life. Dude put only 30k miles on it in the time he had it and sold it to pay for his wedding and honeymoon. The third owner was a student/cyclist who had big plans to get her in even more immaculate shape than she is currently. He only put 3k miles on it and sold it to me yesterday to help pay for school. I paid $2700 cash for her and I couldn't be more STOKED!
I was hoping this community might be able to help guide me. Car is stock as she comes. Very little rust anywhere. Engine is so clean you could eat off it. Interior is mint minus a few cracks in the dash and cracks in the leather driver's and passenger's seats.
I need to replace the clutch master cylinder ASAP... It's got a ton of play in it, and is visibly leaking hydraulic fluid into the cab. Clutch also slips a little when in 5 gear, pulling hills at 65mph. Anybody have recommendations for parts? I want to buy and install only the highest quality parts generally, and specifically for the clutch master cyl, clutch, and mechanical components.
THe next thing I need to replace is the ignition switch. The key release button doesn't work properly, thus, the electrical components like the after-market JVC stereo and the key alarm do not turn off. I've been simply removing the stereo faceplate when I exit the vehicle. I'd like to fix this myself, so any input would be greatly appreciated.
Third, the driver's and passenger's side door locks have been disassembled. The first owner of the vehicle had alzheimer's and would repeatedly lock her keys in the car, so to alleviate the problem, the locks were dissassemled. I can probably figure out how to repair them, but again, any beta would be helpful.
Lastly, what can I do to maximize this vehicle's gas mileage? I've heard rumors that Weber 32/35 carburetors will improve mileage, but by how much? I bought this vehicle under the impression that it would get 37 mpgs on the highway. So far I've yet to achieve that. SHould I run high octane fuel? Draft semi's? And keep in under 60? I guess I'll play around with it. Your input is greatly appreciated!
Gratitude!
