$3,900 Project: 1970 Toyota Corolla Sprinter

Disclosure: This site may receive compensation from some link clicks and purchases.

JNC (Japanese Nostalgic Car) fans, here’s one for you. This is a 1970 Toyota Corolla Sprinter and it’s on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $3,900. Before you start lighting your torches and sharpening your pitchforks, just so you know, these cars can easily top $10,000 or even $20,000 in restored condition. Whew, that was close. This car is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and it’s obviously a project. It’s mostly complete but has a cracked windshield so you’ll have to dig in to the Toyota forums and try to track one down. You can see a mish-mash of wheels on it and 99.999% of the time these cars are modified so finding the original wheel covers would only matter to purists like myself. I would restore this one back to original-spec; bone stock original, including rebuilding the original engine. According to the seller, “the motor trans is there don’t run.” This is the same engine that I had in my 1970 Corolla wagon, a 1.2L inline-four with a puny 65 hp or so. I remember trying anything and everything to get more power out of that engine. A 1.6L would have been great but as they say, ya run what’cha brung.

This car needs more work on the interior than it does on the exterior. There are no front seats and no carpet. But, at least the floors and trunk are solid. It looks like welding and bodywork in general will be the least of the next owner’s worries. Now, let’s get to that engine photo! Wait, there is no engine photo. How someone who actually owns a car and has access to the interior of it couldn’t be bothered by even opening the door, snapping a photo of the interior, and popping the hood for one, measly engine photo is beyond me. But, more often than not that’s how it goes with online ads. eBay doesn’t charge more unless you go nuts on photos. To the seller’s credit, they do say that they will take and send any photos that a serious, potential buyer would want so that’s nice. I would want to see the other side, front, interior, trunk, and engine at a minimum. I know that a car like this isn’t in the sweet spot of most Barn Finds readers, but there are thousands of fans of these cars out there. And, this is actually a decent price, believe it or not, even with an engine that doesn’t run, no seats, no carpet, and a cracked windshield. Even a mild restoration on this car – engine rebuild, somehow finding oem seats, new carpet, new windshield, quick body-job and paint – would make it a money maker. Do a nut-and-bolt concours restoration or a mind-blowing resto-mod and you’ll have a $20,000 car on your hands. Have any of you owned a Corolla Sprinter?

Auctions Ending Soon

Comments

  1. Howard A. Howard AMember

    Scotty, I gotta laugh, “sharpening pitchforks and lighting torches”,,, BURN HIM!! you know, I don’t think many here share your love of these cars, but your writing is so darn entertaining, and somehow, you seem to pick cars that we’ve had or been around, even though, we may not want to admit it. I had a car very similar to this. It was one of the half a handful of Asian vehicles I had. I paid $50 bucks for it ( in the ’90’s) and I think it had an automatic. Wasn’t much of a car, did what it was designed to do, ( lousy heater) drove it for a few months and sold it for,,,$50 bucks. On that premise, if I ever wanted another one, which is not bloody likely, I suppose I’d offer the guy $50 bucks. I remember it had an odd feature, an automatic/manual choke. When cold, you’d slide the choke lever over, and as it warmed up, the choke would release itself. I always wondered, why not just have an all automatic choke? Be that as it may, it went on to be one of Toyota’s biggest sellers. New Corolla’s have little, if anything, in common with these. They were good cars. Sold a whole generation on them.

    Like 0
    • Woodie Man

      And Howard….it’s worth fifty bucks! A tuna can on wheels

      Like 0
      • Paul

        You know its amazing that you guys get on here and rip on imported cars like it’s no tomorrow but yet the people who own imported cars don’t get on here and rip on American cars, huh? I thought we were all in this because we love cars, isn’t that the same thing no matter what we drive or what we love or what we Restore?? ? I’m in this hobby because I love cars, I may not agree with other people’s choices but I don’t spout my verbal diarrhea and make other people feel bad in the process.

        Like 1
  2. Fred W.

    I’ve seen some unlikely cars go from the $50 days as Howard said to being highly collectible, but this one is mind boggling. Is it Japan paying these high prices? Who in the US that remembers these being disposable would pay over 3K for a good driver? I just don’t get it. But I don’t get the Fox body Mustangs either.

    Like 0
    • John b

      Ur right…many a man bought and sold used isettas for 50 bucks back in the day

      Like 1
  3. dirtyharry

    Never knock someone’s passion. If this “wheeze box” turns you on, you may also like: The Honda 50 Cub Scooter, Cessna 152 and the Fiat 850. Perhaps it is the feeling you need to drive the hell of it, so you are not mowed down in traffic that attracts you.

    Like 0
  4. sparkster

    I love these old Toyota’s . My 73′ Corolla cost me $ 75 and ran and drove. So $3900 is out there a ways as far as price goes.

    Like 0
    • Andy

      When did it cost $75?

      Like 1
  5. Eric 10Cars

    The price on this one shocked me. My 2nd car (after my 66 Saab 96 blew up at 70mph…thank goodness for freewheel…I still have my feet) was a 69 little Corolla just like this one. I bought it used with the 1.2L and 4 speed. It ran fine for probably 30K. I did have to have a head gasket replaced (that was before I began doing my own wrenching), but other than that it was fine. One exception, the spotwelds on the driver’s seat failed and it was always tilted back too far. These days I’d have pulled out my MIG and taken care of it, but back then I decided to buy my only new car…a 1972 2TC Corolla 2 door.

    I have a hard time believing that the 70 of this model is worth $20K unless it was gold-plated. BTW, that’s an 84 RX7 GSL wheel on the left rear.

    Like 0
  6. Ralph Terhune

    I too, find it very hard to believe that these tin cans can fetch 20 grand when properly restored. These cars were meant to get from point A to point B in the cheapest and most efficient way possible. You bought them, drove the wheels off of them, threw them away and then bought another one. Repeat as necessary. No redeeming qualities at all IMO.

    Like 0
  7. sparkster

    Wow good eye Eric. Perhaps that’s where he came up with the $3900 price. Too bad he couldn’t find three more and move the cat out of the weeds a bit

    Like 0
  8. Alan (Michigan)

    Original auction was ended, due to “An error in the listing”

    I guess he wanted to open the door a bit lower, with a $3K starting place:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-Toyota-Corolla-Base-/132072317233?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1ec01fa131:g:RccAAOSw9GhYgi2F&item=132072317233

    Great car. Does not run, virtually no interior, missing parts, shattered (not cracked) windshield. Yea. Hmmm. Flips my curmudgeon switch with authority. $1K at the absolute most, and then someone would really have to want it. Looks to me that you could easily spend $15K to make this a $10K car.

    The ad says the other one is not for sale. He took the parts from this one for it…

    Like 0
  9. Andy

    The value on cars like these is mostly in scarcity. It’s like baseball cards and comic books. Nobody can believe what they’re worth now, because we all had so many when we were kids. But a few Mickey Mantle rookie cards in bike spokes, and a few moms cleaning our rooms while we’re at college, and the nice ones get scarce in a hurry. I didn’t like Japanese cars that much in the ’70s, but the last five 4-wheeled vehicles I’ve owned, going back to 1996, have all been Japanese–four of them made by Toyota. For these old ones, the scarcity was built in by using thin, barely- or untreated steel. When you look around today you don’t see many 40 year old Toyotas, and almost no Hondas from before about 1990. Considering how reliable they were for about their first ten years, that’s pretty weird. So this is a pretty straight example of a car a lot of people remember but almost nobody can find, and what’s usually the worst problem–sheet metal–isn’t that bad. And expecting to get one for what you paid twenty years ago is pretty unrealistic, don’t you think? Not just because of inflation, but because a couple hundred thousand more of these have been crushed since then. Would I pay it? No, but if I were looking for an old Japanese 4 wheel vehicle and saw a nice, clean 1970 Toyota pickup for ten grand, that wouldn’t sound unreasonable. Take a look at what FJ Land Cruisers go for these days.

    Like 0
  10. Paul B

    I drove Corolla 1200s quite a bit back in the day. They were friends’ cars. I liked them and as a result I wound up with two 1600 wagons myself later. The 1200 had enough power for me. But someone else take this because I can’t see $3000 in it even if it is rare. It’s just too big a mess, needs everything except heavy duty rust work. Personally I would call it a parts car but then, what do I know about the value of old Japanese iron? Probably nothing. It does kind of make me wish I had put my two Corolla wagons and two Tercel wagons — all in nice condition — up on blocks in a shed when I was done with them, to help fund the retirement account now …

    Like 0
  11. gerryMember

    If its the 3K engine they are pretty indestructible they were used in all sorts of stuff even forklifts.
    I don’t see the value in this one as it not a driver and even if it was its probably only worth about $1k
    My daily driver 77 Toyota has the 3K 1200cc engine and its still going strong speed demon? no but it will keep up with traffic and I have a 50 mile commute each way daily 1/2 of it being highway and it does fine still gets 24mpg even with the four speed (wish it had a 5th gear) Funny I have better luck getting parts from stateside FLAPS than I do here in its homeland.
    Now try to buy one of these here in Japan in driver condition and it’ll cost you about $5k

    Like 0
  12. milotus

    I like these,but would check to see if I fit
    in one before buying.
    I had a ’71 Corolla 1200.Gutless wonder,
    but well-built,& got over 50 mpg on the highway.

    Like 0
  13. Adam T45Staff

    It already has a bid of $3000! It’s probably now worth that sort of money, because when they were a dime a dozen, people would buy them, drive them until they died and then scrap them. It’s worth remembering that there are very few of these left in Japan (it’s biggest market) because of their registration laws. Would I pay three grand for it? Probably not, but since they are the sort of car that can be fixed with an angle-grinder a screwdriver and a hammer, anyone who bought it could complete most of the restoration work themselves.

    Like 0
    • Alan (Michigan)

      I guess that I am just the skeptic about this auction, and someone dropping 3 G’s on it, particularly without looking at it personally first. Betting on a shill bidder.

      At the end of the last year, I placed a bid on a $10K item, and was just outbid in the last second. (I guess there are programs which will make those 1-second to go bids) I should have done some research first. The same vehicle had been auctioned with no reserve by two different sellers (the same, actually, just two accounts, the locations is the same) THREE times in as many months. All three auctions ended with “SOLD”. The same winning bidder won the first and second “auctions”. I just noticed it for the third listing.
      That vehicle is STILL for sale on a couple of national listing services, as well as the broker’s company website. I had placed a December inquiry about it with one of those services, and am still getting emails about not wanting me to “miss out” on it. Like I’d ever consider doing business with a bunch of scammers like that.

      Be realistic, folks. What you see on eBay may or may not be how it actually is.

      Like 0
      • Adam T45Staff

        That’s fair Alan. This does sound dodgy. It’s a shame, because they are quite a nice little car, and they fairly fly if you drop a 1600cc twin-cam into them!

        Like 0
      • Alan (Michigan)

        Adam, This is a later one, but he has a twin cam:

        https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/5919740899.html

        This group of parts might have one that would fit the ’70?

        http://boise.craigslist.org/pts/5971300105.html

        Like 0
      • Adam T45Staff

        Yeah Alan, those sound like some parts that would be quite useful. That 4AGE would make the little beast get up and go! I really like the styling of this one, and it would make a great little project for someone like me who has recently hung up the race helmet. Unfortunately, shipping it to Australia would cost an horrendous amount of money. I also do think that you may be right. This auction is looking a bit dodgy, and I now notice that it has been ended by the user due to an error in the listing! I smell something fishy!!

        Like 0
      • Alan (Michigan)

        Nope, Adam… Based on what I see, someone popped off and paid the $3900 for a Buy-it-now!

        So many nice things to have for those $. Either it was really wanted, or a bit of public spoofing. I’d have never guessed this one could bring that much.

        http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=132072317233&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2565

        Like 0
      • Adam T45Staff

        Someone bought it for $3900? Oh well, PT Barnum once said “there’s a sucker born every minute”.

        Like 0
  14. GM

    My 71′ died on the way back from the Marti Gras, just shortly after I had the engine rebuilt.

    Like 0
  15. rustylink

    LOL – a Corolla “Sprinter” – not much sprinting in 65hp – more like a Corolla “Leisurely Stroller”…

    Like 0
  16. Chris

    I had a neighbor who had one in the 80’s. Ran well but Midwest rust ate it alive. Floors completely gone.

    Like 0
  17. Alan (Michigan)

    It’s Baaaaackk!

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/132075120699?ul_noapp=true

    This is taking on the aura of a comic tragedy play….

    Like 0
  18. Will Luzader

    My buddy is looking for a 1970s Toyota Corolla and it is now his goal to get one. You could say that this is his dream car.

    Like 0

Leave A Comment

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.

Barn Finds