This 1968 Toyota Corona has spent the vast majority of its life hidden away in a Minnesota garage. As a consequence, it has managed to only accumulate 27,000 miles over the past 52-years. The current owner has put in the hard work to return it to a roadworthy state, and it is ready for a new owner to drive and enjoy. It comes with some pretty cool accessories and even has the factory protective plastic on the rear door trims. The Corona is located in Maricopa, Arizona, and has been listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner is asking $9,500 for this little slice of Japanese motoring. Barn Finder Ikey H has had his radar working well to spot this great classic for us, so thank you for that Ikey.
It isn’t clear just why the Zenith Blue Corona was parked many moons ago, because as things have turned out, it is actually in pretty reasonable condition. When it was dragged out of hiding the owner proceeded to give it the usual clean and then buffed the original paint to a fairly respectable shine. There are a couple of minor bumps and dings in the body, but these might even be able to be addressed by one of those paintless dent places. Rust is not a problem, with the car appearing to be as clean as a whistle. The trim and chrome appear to be in good order, while there are no obvious problems with the glass. This model of the Corona marked the 3rd generation for that badge, and it received some pretty substantial changes when compared to its predecessor. The styling was significantly more modern, adopting a more wedge-shaped design. It was also slightly larger in overall size, allowing for an increase in both passenger and luggage space. This also allowed the company to slot the new Corolla into the marketplace as a smaller alternative. Interestingly, the Corona nameplate eventually faded into obscurity, but the Corolla continues to march on to this very day.
The interior of the Corona looks pretty nice now, but it did require some work when it was dragged out of hiding. The vinyl upholstery on the seats had remained soft and supple, but the cloth inserts had rotted. The owner chose to have new inserts professionally made and fitted, and now the seats are as good as new. The dash and headliner are also in good condition, and while the front door trims show a few spots of wrinkling, I suspect that they could be stretched back into shape. The rear door trims are even better because they still have the protective plastic on them from where the car was shipped from the factory. One inconsistency is the condition of the carpet. It might just require a good clean, but its condition doesn’t appear to be on a par with the rest of the interior. The original Owner’s Manual is still in the glove box, along with the incredibly rare factory trouble light. This plugs into a socket in the glove box and still works perfectly. This light more often than not would eventually “disappear,” so finding this one is a rare treat. As for luxury appointments, what you get is a heater, and…well, that’s about it really.
The 1,879cc engine that found its way into the Corona was capable of producing 90hp and could propel the vehicle to a top speed of 91mph. Buyers had a choice between a 4-speed manual transmission or a 2-speed Toyoglide automatic. In manual form, this allowed the Corona to accelerate from 0-60mph in around 14 seconds, while the trip down the ¼ mile took 18.7 seconds. This car features the Toyoglide transmission, and while I haven’t been able to find figures for the automatic version, I suspect that it would be pretty slow. However, the news with this car is actually pretty decent. When the owner removed the car from storage it didn’t run. He pulled the cylinder head to have hardened valve seats fitted and found that the engine looked new inside. This doesn’t surprise me, because the Toyota ” R-Family” of engines tend to be pretty hardy things, and I believe that only these engines and cockroaches would survive a nuclear blast. Now that the Toyota has been returned to active duty it runs and drives really well, and the owner says that he wouldn’t hesitate to drive it anywhere.
As the 1960s evolved into the 1970s, the Toyota Corona became a popular vehicle because it offered respectable build quality, a bulletproof engine, reasonable levels of space and performance, and really good fuel economy. This last feature made it a winner as the fuel crisis hit American motorists hard. That class winning philosophy really began with this car, and as the owner rightly points out, finding a good example today can be quite difficult. This is a good one, and if you are looking for something a bit unusual in a classic car, maybe this is one to consider.
‘Nother story. I have a friend, in the early 80’s that wrote a song about a car like this. He was a devout Toyota fan right from the get go, 1st person I knew that had a Toyota, had a blue ’68 Corona 4 door, just like this. The car developed a ticking in the motor. He got estimates for everything from lifters, to main bearings. He decided to repair it himself. Took it all apart, put new bearings, the whole magila, got it all back together,,,still ticked. Turns out, it was a broken spring in the fuel pump. D’OH! He wrote a song about it called, “I got the foreign car repair blues”,,,
These, while a little more popular and got Toyotas foot in the door, really didn’t catch on. It was the Corolla that changed everything for Toyota. Great find.
Good story, Howard, and not atypical of how some of us learn about mechanical issues! Hope he made some cash on the song…
Thank you, Ikey H and Adam, for this article as it gave me an epiphany. My 84 year old neighbor (and younger brothers elementary school teacher) to this day has the yellow twin to this that she calls “Buttercup” that she keeps in the garage next to her Prius. When she decided 34 years ago that a car with air conditioning might be nice she parked it as a “backup” car and too no one would give her what she thought it was worth.
Your article brought this to light another explanation as to why we find these “hidden gems” on occasion..
Stay healthy and remember that THIS type of Corona is ok to bring home. Leave the rest alone!
So is the stuff in bottles! Mas Coronas, por favor!
Howard, back in my younger (and dumber) days, I replaced all the hydraulic lifters on my 72 Cutlass, only to find out it was the mechanical fuel pump! Oh, the lessons we learn.
While we’re on this road…I was driving a 69 Charger R/T in 1976 when it suddenly began overheating. I spent huge dollars at radiator shops to no avail. Long after the car was gone I was telling the story when a guy asked if I’d changed the water pump. No, it wasn’t leaking, I said. Guy tells me that my little drag race spun the impeller off the pump. I never thought of that.
Ha! My first car – which I bought in 1985 – was a 1965 Galaxie 500 2-door hardtop (352 4V and Cruise-O-Matic). The seller was dumping it as they were told that the lifters were shot, which caused a nasty dry, clacking sound when the engine was running. At 16 I was happy to have such a cool ride and I didn’t care if the motor was noisy, I was going to love the car and drive it regardless.
About two months in I was talking to one of my buddies and his Dad. The old man was telling me about how to make a “Mechanic’s Stethoscope” by planting a long screwdriver handle to my ear and placing the tip on whatever component you wanted to listen to.
Imagine my surprise when I put the tip of that long screwdriver on the top of the fuel pump and hear the clanging of the drive rod? $12 and a half-hour later I had a car that was a quiet and as smooth as I could have ever hoped. Of course, being a 20-year-old car that had had dubious maintenance for years was bound to catch up with me, and I was faced with near weekly repairs to that car the whole time I had it, but there was never anything wrong with that valve train.
I’ve never followed Toyotas of this era (perhaps because my blue-collar small-town Midwestern upbringing wasn’t really import country), but it is always good to see a basic everyman car like this in good condition. It seems that pricing a car like this would not be straightforward, but there is probably someone who would ***really*** like to have it.
Buy this car and scare your wife, “Honey, I got the Corona!!”
Huge pedals for an economy car!
Wish they imported this here …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1972_Toyota_Corona_Coupe_(33536436546).jpg
JoeNYWF64 they did import that model here, in Canada at least. I had a ’71 model that I drove for a year or 2 back in the early 90’s. A very nice looking car in the 2 door hardtop bodystyle. Paid $200 for that car, and it cost me another $200, or something similar, to certify it for the road. I loved that car! The only 4 cylinder/
Automatic combo I have ever owned that would chirp the rear tires shifting into 2nd gear. It would be interesting to see what the value of it would be now. BTW, I recall a couple years ago a Corona of this approximate vintage sold at one of the big auctions for the unheard of sum of $68,000. “Jap scrap” indeed. My apologies to anyone of Japanese heritage, no insult is intended.
Saw a few of those around the Washington, DC when new. My 1970 looked like that in the front. Probably one of the bigger hotspots for imports growing up was the DC area. Got me educated in many marques, old and new, from many countries. Couldn’t tell the difference between most of today’s economy cars. The US market is shifting focus to crossovers and trucks.
As a car obsessed teenage kid in the 70’s, I noticed that these had the same lines as a ’68 Rolls 4 door (google a photo and put them side by side). I decided one day I wanted to graft a VW “Rolls Kit” onto the hood of a Corona and create a “3/4 Rolls”. Dumb idea but typical of kid thinking.
Nope, Fred, I agree completely – that’s a baby Rolls Royce is what that is! I had one of these exactly 45 years ago, not in as good a shape as this one. If this car is running today, you can take off to anywhere tomorrow without worry. Relative to a lot of American cars in 1968, the quality was right up there with the Rolls.
This car wouldn’t be popular in 2020 because nobody wants to get the Corona. This survivor speaks volumes about how well Toyotas were built to last in 1968 and since. It was their midsized offering back before the Camry replaced it but is no larger than a compact Corolla of today. Like the blue color and automatic transmission too.
My parents first car was a 65 Corona with the Toyoglide. They bought it cheap from a traveling salesmen with over 100K on it as I remember. I used to remind mom not to go over 70 on the freeway. I think I remembered dad warning her at one point. It pro sounded like it was going to come apart! That car made a good impression on my dad because he bought a brand new Corona mark2 wagon in bright red with a manual transmission in 1970.
During troubled times we tend to look back on childhood memories. I guess that’s why I have a desire to own this one. To laugh as I’m passing the 70mph mark:)
When I was attending community college and I needed a car for commuting, I couldn’t keep borrowing the parents. I passed by somebody’s house that had this old brown looking car that I had no idea what it was but in the window was a sign that said $550. So I went and bought it. I talked them down to $480. It was a 1980 Toyota Corona. The interior was in horrible shape but I put seat covers on to take care of that. It being a New York car, of course it had the rust spots around but nothing too major. Also, it had no radio. The only thing that the owner said was wrong with it was that the gas gauge wasn’t working and that the one of the hand-brake cables wasn’t working. Being that it was a 5-speed I was concerned since I have to park and put the handbrake on, but he said the one cable is good to keep it from moving, and having it in gear too keeps it parked well.
I guess what I got on here to write was, My Corona was probably the best car I ever owned. Without question, it was the most reliable car. I’ve never bought a new car, so that’s saying something. I never fixed the gas gauge, or cable issue because parts were hard to find back then. I figured out that the full tank of gas will go 200 miles so I just keep resetting the trip meter. That car would always start even in the dead of winter on the coldest days. I would turn it over and it would start on the first or second crank. The car broke down on the road a couple times, but both times it was because of a clogged fuel line, which I attributed to the car was probably sitting for a while. It had the 4-cylinder 20R engine. Probably the most reliable engine that TOYOTA ever made. I still saw it used in forklifts all over the place for years. I actually got rid of the car only because of a hole rusted in the gas tank and filler neck. I couldn’t find parts anywhere to replace it and no mechanic wanted to work on it in my area. The only shop that would, said he had to drain and clean the tank and weld the bunch of new metal all around, essentially making a completely new gas tank. And he told me it would cost me between $500 to $800, and the car was not worth it. So I ended up getting rid of it begrudgingly. I wish I would have kept it, but I had no place to put it. Even if it sat for a while because ten years later, with the internet expansion, I would have been able to find all the parts as well as have all the tools and skills to work on it, without spending much. The car was donated to one of those charity things I forget exactly when Oh, probably somewhere around 99 or 2000. I believe I must have located a cable for it because a couple of years ago I had found it in the garage brand new in the packaging with Toyota stickers on it. How to run an eBay for a little while and never sold. My brother reminded me that he was the one who found it for me, he had worked Then doing custom car accessories in dealer installs for all the dealers in the Hudson Valley area. He said he remembers telling people at the Toyota dealerships to keep their eye out for those parts and somebody came across it on a back shelf once around the time that I had all those fuel issues with my car. I never got a chance to install it before I donated it.
Never knew these came with a bench seat up front. Wouldn’t want to be the middle seat passenger as narrow as these cars were. Doesn’t appear to be seatbelts in this position either. I owned a 1970 Corona sedan…by then I think they all had floor shifters and buckets.
Awesome looking Toyota Corona. I used to know someone who had one like this. Given its condition, its originality, and its rarity, $9500 doesn’t sound like a bad price. If I were to buy the car, I’d be willing to pay $8500. I’d still have enough money left to do an inspection before driving it.
I have a friend who‘s parents bought him this same year Toyota new in August 1968. He and I were going to take it on a trip to Seattle from LA To visit his Grandparents. It kept breaking down and we were towed 3 times before getting to Sacramento. While at a Toyota dealership another customer who was having trouble with his new Corolla told my friend, “didn’t the dealership you brought it from tell you not to take it on a long trip!” Most people seem to like their Toyota’s, but my friend and I will never forget the nightmare of that trip. We never did get to Seattle due to running out of time.
@TJ I’m thinking the dealership network wasn’t up to speed in 1968 and may have skipped some of the pre-delivery maintenance (or simply owner orientation between salesperson and new owner). Do you recall the things that went bad on that trip or have you pushed the whole mess out of your mind? Perhaps it was just normal break-in for a new car in the 1960s. Especially “foreign.”
Which proves,TJ, that even the Japanese car manufacturers have the very rare but not unheard of “remon”…
LOL! Funniest comment of the week! Maybe not politically correct, but what is these days?
Nevadahalfrack Did you mean to write “lemon” or “remorse?” Either word could fit!
@ Little_Cars
Neither: remon is the Japanese word for lemon.
Really it is!
Whoever buys it hopefully lives on the west coast and keeps it there ; these little imports just dissolved away in New England
We had a slightly different version of this – a Toyota Corona Mark II. It was a 1972 model and it looked similar. What I remember about the car was that it didn’t ride as well as American cars at the time, it was rather harsh. We called it “feel of the road”. Like not having shock absorbers or something. It wasn’t overly roomy but it was acceptable. Also, when it had problems, it was very difficult to find someone who could fix it. And I do remember many problems with it, the carburetor in particular. Mechanics did not work on foreign cars very much and did not have metric tools. And, the biggest problem with all Japanese cars at the time was RUST. Ours basically rusted away. I guess it depends on where in the country you lived. I know we had to get the front fenders repaired and repainted due to rot-through – before the entire car finally rotted away. And I think rust is the REAL reason there are practically none of these around anymore. So I really don’t know what people are talking about when they say how great Toyotas and other Japanese cars were at the time. I think later on they got a LOT better, like by the early-mid 80s. But I think people tell revisionist history stories about how “great” Japanese cars were and how “awful” American cars were, especially when you’re talking about the late 60s/early-mid 70s. So, no, we had a Toyota, and it wasn’t this wonderful experience or anything. It was really major mistakes the Big 3 made, like the Vega and Pinto, that made small, fuel efficient American cars rate worse than the not-so-great Japanese cars right when that market segment became important. The bigger American cars were better, but by then people didn’t want them anymore because of wanting to save fuel. That said – I do think this is a very cool find, and I’m glad someone saved it! It does appear to be a nice little car.
I forgot to mention that while I had my Corona I was at the junkyard once, looking for parts for my brother’s car with him, and I came across I rear-ended Toyota Carona from 81 that was a limited edition model. It was a hatchback though, and automatic. I remember that, for its age and being at a junkyard, it looked beautiful, there was no other rust on it. The interior was in mint shape and what other great parts were on it that were great too. I remember asking the junkyard about cost for the interior and all the other luxury pieces I was interested in, but they wanted a lot more money than I was willing to spend, or even had at the time..
Had one, a long time ago. 1968, white, bought it quite used, this was in California so it hadn’t dissolved. Alas, it had the 2-speed and was quite slow but it ran well and I could afford it and turned out to be a very good car. Based on that, with the exception of a 1993 Taurus bought new (disaster), I’ve always had Toyotas and always will. If this one had the 4-speed …
I bought a ’68 around 1985 in red. for $200 bucks from a neighbor. It needed a new radiator fan, and still always ran hot as I was later find out the radiator was clogged. Noises seem to be a thing with these as this one had this horrible loud screeching sound that would happen randomly. I finally tracked it down to a part of the driveline that I could never get to sit properly. But I dove the hell out of this thing, delivered pizzas in Santa Cruz, but always keeping one eye on the temp gauge. Finally had to take it to the junk yard when the motor was done. By that time I had moved to San Francisco, so I took a friend and we did our own car chase sequence, sliding, catching air, one last ride before the crusher, still regret not putting a new motor in it. Absolutely LOVED that car.
I was 14 My Dad got transferred to Hawaii with U S Coast Guard parents rented a Corona we had 6 people in this car,slow at best the rental was $10. A week. A new Corona was about $1800.in Hawaii with no heater or A/C. My dad almost bought it but the family Chevell arrived at the dock, we were happy to see the Chevy.