Simple And Clean: 1979 Toyota Corolla

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One might be inclined to ask why a 1979 Toyota Corolla is making a headline on Barn Finds. Automotive-wise, surprises come in many makes, models, years, body styles, and let’s face it, not every post is about a car actually found in a barn. So, if you’re tired of a steady diet of muscle cars, as many of you have told me via your comments, here’s something a bit different. This generation Corolla was once as common as bugs on a front bumper on a hot Texas day, but not so much anymore. Let’s check it out, it’s located in Fontana, California and is available, here on craigslist for $12,000, OBO.

Besides this Toyota’s stellar condition, it’s a two-door sedan with an old school layout of a longitudinally mounted front engine and transmission coupled to a rear differential (RWD) – a configuration that is probably non-existent, or close to it, today. This Corolla is an “E” series, specifically an E31 which is a two or four-door sedan powered by a TC series engine. The E30-31 series ran from model year ’75 through ’81 and was then replaced by the E70 in mid-79 though the E30 continued on in certain markets and that’s probably the reason for the seller emphasizing that though this is a 1979 model, it is still the earlier E31. This Corolla was in good company in ’79, it was one of over 250K sold that year!

Arguably, this Toyota could be called a survivor but the seats have been reupholstered and there’s a dash cover over the original cracked dash pad so I’ll dispense with that technical designation. The interior is typical for a ’70s Toyota in its rubber-mated matted simplicity and functionality. It’s in excellent condition and doesn’t appear to require any attention. It’s even still in possession of its original push-button radio!

The exterior finish is said to be born-with and though not obvious, the seller mentions some tiny surface rust spots on the roof. The rear bumper’s driver’s side corner may not be properly attached but the black plastic bumper cover is in nice shape – an item that frequently does not survive the test of time. The steel wheels have been powder coated and look just right with the skinny white stripe tires. Along with its lower body geometrics, the entire exterior looks pretty darn good for 43 years of age and 99K miles of use.

A 75 net HP, 1.6 liter, in-line four-cylinder engine, working via a four-speed manual transmission, put the power to the rear wheels. As stated earlier, try finding that configuration in a new compact vehicle. The seller adds, “It does take a bit to get it warmed up but once warm, it runs great!” While hardly a powerhouse, the 1,900 lb. curb weight should allow this Corolla to be zippy enough.

I could go on about all of the things that this Toyota Corolla isn’t but it would be easier to accept it for what it was intended to be, an inexpensive, reliable compact that was just what the doctor ordered in the Iranian Oil Embargo year of 1979. It was also sound enforcement of Toyota’s intention to keep producing what they believed to be the right product at the right time and one that would slowly grow their market share. It seems to have worked. I’m not going to go all, “Oh what a feeling” on you – $12K seems a bit large, I mean this is a 43-year-old Corolla after all, right?

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Comments

  1. 4spdBernie 4spdBernie

    Yeah, it’s got a Hemi, lol

    Like 9
  2. BigcatMember

    I love seeing these older Toys, keep hoping a 75 E/5 will show up one day. First car my wife and I bought after getting married. Same color as this, black interior, a sleeker coupe, one step below an SR5. Good runner after ignition issues were sorted. Had Rusty Jones rust proofing but Northern Illinois winters eventually took their toll. I’ve advised for one on this site so if you know of one…..

    Like 8
  3. BigcatMember

    Darn spell check, (and poor proofreading). I’ve “advertised “ for one on this site.

    Like 2
    • Rick

      Did you want it to be “rubber-mated” like with this Corolla?

      Like 1
      • Jim ODonnellAuthor

        I know that I don’t want to be “rubber-mated” by anything but thanks for pointing out my spelling error!

        JO

        Like 1
  4. angliagt angliagtMember

    These were even too basic vehicles for most people
    back in 1979.Many nice ones could be bought dirt cheap
    a few years later.

    Like 2
    • CJinSD

      Where I lived at the time, inflation meant that these cars were selling for more than their new prices at three and four years of age.

      Like 2
      • Bill

        Just like today….

        Like 3
  5. Scotty GilbertsonStaff

    That’s a beauty, Jim, nice work! I vote for seeing more vintage Corollas here.

    Like 20
  6. Howard A Howard AMember

    Pretty tough to follow up Scotty G, and Jim, you don’t have to beat around the bush, it’s me, I’ve made peace with that,,prices aside, of course. I grew up when these “hit the shores”, and as far as I’m concerned, put Toyota on the map. Oh, we kicked and screamed, but the handwriting was on the wall, like it or not, these were a game changer. You think there is a panic with gas now, pales in comparison to the late 70’s. Gas went from like .38/gal. to over a buck, a substantial increase. The most unlikely people panicked, and traded their “Vista Cruisers” for one, and we never got that back. I say unlikely, because one of my favorite shows, “That ’70’s Show”, Red Forman bought one, and the irony there, was his job ( I assume AMC, but was never mentioned) was eliminated due to foreign cars. Remember future buyer, $12g’s is a lot of scratch for a car designed for 55mph and aluminum foil doors, but history repeats itself, and these will be popular once again.

    Like 6
    • CJinSD

      Cars like this would make a return, but the revised CAFE requirement scheme was designed to eliminate cheap efficient cars, not promote them.

      Where I live, gas has gone up by 150% in fifteen months. Not sure how fast it happened in the early ’70s, but the climate change agenda’s early costs have been quite dramatic. Wish I could buy a Honda Fit…nope, a Chevy Spark..gone, a Ford Fiesta….dead, a Buick Encore…toast, a Toyota Yaris…you get the idea. The earlier CAFE produced a bunch of small cars that had to be sold cheaply to offset profitable gas guzzlers. This time, the rules were made easier to meet for larger and more expensive vehicles. Was it because of the rules being written in the spirit of public-private-partnership? Or was it because working people won’t have cars in the near future?

      Like 5
      • Oldog4tz Oldog4tz

        It’s because Americans love SUV and big trucks.

        Like 9
      • Joe

        I’m happy with our Nissan Kicks. Great mpg, enough room for six footers, enough cargo room for luggage and peppy enough to keep up with traffic. You can find great mpg cars, you just have to look.

        Like 1
      • nlpnt

        I was just learning to read in 1979 but I remember the “NO GAS” signs. It wasn’t so much the price going up as the availability dropping to zero.

        One thing that might’ve been better “back then” is evidenced by the stripes on this car, the sort of thing dealers not yet brazen enough to just slap a “Market Adjustment” on the sticker price would add to pad the profits on an in-demand model even though I’m pretty sure ’79 was before import quotas.

        Like 1
      • SirRaoulDuke

        How appropriate for this article….the Toyota Corolla Hybrid gets 53 mpg in the city.

        My Mazda 3 hatch 2.5 manual gets 25 in the city with me driving like a maniac. I love first and second gears in that car, ZoomZoom indeed!

        And there are plenty of cars somewhere in the middle of those two. Civic, Forte, Elantra, Rio, Accent, Jetta, Sentra, Versa, etc etc.

        If you want the crapbox feeling, you could even get a Mirage, which I find oddly appealing in its humbleness.

        Like 1
      • Howard A Howard AMember

        Well, gas just went over $4 bucks in central Co. ( $4.09) up about .50 cents, but back then, gas went from .38/gal( $2.35 today) to like $1.12/gal over $7.00 today, almost overnight. I remember the gas station I worked at, the pump guy came in and cut a hole in the face of the pump to accept 3 figure prices. Caught a lot of folks with their pants down, including the auto industry, and was the 1st time people really had to worry about the cost of their precious driving,,unlike today, where people are used to being ripped off.

        Like 6
      • Lothar... of the Hill People

        CJinSD- Good news… you can still get yourself a shiny, new 2022 Chevy Spark!
        https://www.chevrolet.com/cars/spark
        Up to 38 mpg on the highway and get this…. you can still get a 5-speed transmission and then you won’t have to worry about anybody younger than 35 stealing it.
        I sat in one at the Milwaukee Auto Show this year and thought it was nice. For about the same price, you can get a Toyota Corolla which will have better resale value, I assume, but that’s not always the point.

        Like 4
  7. Johnmloghry Johnmloghry

    I’ve never owned a Japanese car before, but Toyota has definitely proven to be good cars. I like the looks of this one. My DIL drives a Toyota Versa I think it’s called and she has really racked up the mileage as a real estate agent in Houston and it’s proven to be a trouble free car. I’ve always been a Ford and Buick man but I may have to change my way of thinking. I don’t put a lot of miles on a car usually no more than 60,000 miles before I trade in with the exception of the 96 Ford Taurus we bought new for my wife.
    we kept that one for 22 years and put over 200,00 miles on it with no major work required.
    God Bless America

    Like 5
    • gearjammer

      Hey, John. Just letting you know, Nissan makes the Versa.

      Like 0
      • Johnmloghry Johnmloghry

        Well you might be right, but I think Nissan makes Venza and Toyota Versa.

        Like 0
      • joenywf64

        The Versa is not a subcompact, tho a great value for the money with better styling than earlier models(& you can still get a 5 speed manual!) – but you rarely see a Versa, & i’m sure it will be discontinued in a few years(the versa note has been gone 2 yrs). The subcompact yaris & fiat 500 have been discontinued & so has the spark(& the sonic), as well as the focus(& fiesta). What was the last small Chrysler – the Neon?!
        I should have bought a new Accent when you could last get it as a 2 door – it was < 10 grand – could even get it w/o a/c & with crank windows.

        Like 0
  8. 370zpp 370zpp

    Back in the late seventies, one of my friends had one similar to this but it was an SR-5. Probably the same drivetrain, but red in color. Well, my friend repeatedly beat the living crap out of that car, even crashed it a few times, once I recall when he was staring at some “tail” while driving through Lake George Village and rear ended someone. But that car held up like a champ.

    Like 5
  9. Stan StanMember

    Such fun cars manual and rwd will always be best.

    Like 6
    • mike

      Agree…and they were nice looking unlike todays ugly ones.

      Like 4
    • Steve

      Back in the day one of the most fun cars I had was a 1969 Corolla with a 1200cc engine. It was a car you could drive the crap out of and throw it around like a little rally car. It was crazy reliable and got 35 mpg. After working on American and Brit cars I was amazed at how much better the Toyota engineering was. Plating on fasteners? Holes that line up? Who does that? What’s not to like, other than the price seems a bit high.

      Like 2
  10. Rodney - GSM

    The market for 1970’s Japanese cars continues to increase as each generation gets older, the desire to recapture their youth get stronger. Since these cars did not survive very well, the ones that did now command a premium price. The best way to feel twenty something if you are seventy something, is to drive one of these.
    At 12K, I’d say an inexpensive time machine.

    Like 5
  11. Tim

    Are we sure the engine is laterally mounted? Doesn’t appear to be. My sister had a SR5 hatchback a long time ago but I don’t really remember … Looks nice!

    Like 1
    • Jim ODonnellAuthor

      I changed it to longitudinally which I think is more descriptive. I was trying to say that it’s not transversely mounted.

      JO

      Like 5
  12. Greg S

    Nice survivor. My miser dad bought one new in 1980. Same basic bottom line Corolla. No arm rests, passenger side mirror etc. However, I tried to thrash it as hard as I could when I used to sneak it out of the garage at night. It took the punishment like a champ. Dad drove it over 200,000 miles until he trade it in on a K car.

    Like 4
  13. billy1

    These engines are bulletproof. This and the larger 3TC can be modified to put out 10 times the original hp(race trim).

    Like 1
  14. Rod Plapp

    I sold these brand new for around $3,500 and would rather have the 5Spd 1200cc version for gas mileage.Recirculating ball steering and solid rear axle did not lend itself to cornering very well.

    Like 3
  15. Troy

    I like it but not enough to drop 12k on it. I had a 72 Carona that was fun little car even then it had the tire pressure monitor

    Like 2
  16. Steve Clinton

    $12,000 for a 42-year-old Corolla? AHAHAHAHA! (sorry)

    Like 3
  17. Araknid78

    Virtual twin to mine. 83,000 original miles, but some rust in places. It’s a Custom with black rimmed taillights, but has chrome bumpers. Still runs like a top with no rattles.

    Like 7
    • Carlos

      Still for sale this is Carlos from 2 years ago

      Like 0
    • Carlos

      Still for sale this is Carlos from 2 years ago
      My phone 413 531 4520

      Like 0
    • Carlos

      Still for sale

      Like 0
  18. Russ Dixon Russ DixonStaff

    I had one of these. 1977 model. Plain Jane Corolla. It was a great running and reliable car, but as basic as transportation was.

    Like 4
  19. Frog

    In 1979 i graduated HS and started commercial diving apprenticeship, was going to tech school at night, driving all over hillsborough county. Traded my 65 formula S barracuda for a toyota sedan, hated it traded it for a rusted out datsun 510 loved it. Just bought a 66 rambler american wagon 33k miles for 500 bux very little rust…

    Like 1
  20. joenywf64

    There’s NO excuse why ALL the car makers can’t make an affordable 2 door car like this for the masses, espec with the gas prices – how are any of them meeting cafe standards with almost all the small cars GONE(excluding Mitz & its Mirage)?!! The EPA must have fell asleep!
    & a RWD version option would be even better – for handling balance.

    Like 3
  21. Brad460Member

    Now this is REALLY. Cool. Wish it were closer to 8 or 9k. I’d figure out a way to get it, and a place to store it along with my 20 some other cars.

    Like 1
  22. Christopher Gentry

    My “third” car was a 78 almost identical to this. I put “third” because it was the first one that didn’t explode in 6 months (previous was a 65 fairlane 289 followed by a 73 dart 318) Any who all these years latter I still miss that Corolla and would daily drive it again in a heart beat. And yeah not fast at all but just plain fun to drive. On one hand I think this one is WAY over priced , but on the other hand I’ve not seen one of this generation in many years

    Like 1
  23. Thom Griffin

    When the late 70’s gas crisis hit, I had just landed a really decent job. I went out and bought the one and only new car that I’ve ever had in my life: a 1979 VW Rabbit. It got 55 mpg everywhere when it was new. When it finally dies at around 225,000 miles, it was down to 54 mpg.
    I realize that they do put out particulate matter, but at 55 mpg, how bad can it be, compared to a vehicle today that maybe gets 28 mpg?
    Thom G
    Massachusetts

    Like 2
  24. Glenn SchwassMember

    Fantastic. My Mom had a 78 wagon. What memories you brought back with that and in suck beautiful shape. Thank you for sharing this one.

    Like 0
  25. joenywf64

    Ford should dust off this model & make this small car!!
    Note the frameless side glass …
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_Pinto_at_Studio_1970_(3597548009).jpg
    Just don’t call it Pinto! lol

    Like 0
  26. Eurobanger

    One of the most fun cars I’ve owned was an ‘81 Corolla with the 1.8L engine. It looked very similar to this. What made it so fun was that no matter how fast you were going you could depress the clutch pedal and put it in first gear. I don’t know if this was a stock feature or there was some sort of protective gear lock missing. Anyway, I’d get that thing going about 40 mph, hit the clutch and throw it in first gear, then whip a big e brake slide. As the rear end came around I’d redline that baby and dump the clutch to keep the rear end coming around for a complete 360. Chirpped the wheels as I grabbed second gear and took off. Great way to show off when you’re sixteen!

    Like 3
  27. douglas hunt

    my grandparents lived in the country about an hours drive from us in the city of Charleston WV, Pawpaw as we called him, loved to tinker and his neighbor was the body shop foreman at the local Toyota dealer in Charleston.
    Pawpaw bought two cars from his neighbor, a 71 Celica ST that i bought from him for 1000$ in 1979 when i was in high school. He also had one of these, parked in his barn, he never drove it and i over looked it due to it’s auto trans.
    I remember after my grandparents passing his AMC Marlin and the Corolla were parked at our house for a while but i had moved out and was working a job where i went to neighboring states every day to repair and maintain hospital equipment.
    I do not remember what happened to that car, but this post sure brings back some memories

    Like 0
  28. MICHAEL

    I had a 1977 custom with black trimmed tail lights and chrome bumpers with the 3KC 1.2l engine and a 5 speed. SLOW as heck, easily 32 MPG and never once let me down and didn’t start even in below zero weather. I just had to remember not to pull on full choke when it was that cold or the engine would flood.

    Like 0
    • Anthony

      Unfortunately that custom met an untimely end back in March ’93 when an asshat driving his mommy’s mustang convert smashed the trunk out of it. And it had just hit 220k that day. I still think about the time on the SS Pkwy we were just going for it and it eventually made it to 89.5 mph. To bad cars like this aren’t made today.

      Like 1
  29. Bruce

    I love reading all the stories here from the commentariat everyone has his own memories of these old wonderful cars.My first car was a 1968 Corolla and it was a wonderful car very reliable and cheap to run many fond memories.Greetings to all from Australia.

    Like 1
  30. Christopher Gentry

    My 78 rotted from the inside out. Looked great , but it was the Flintstones mobile after 1990 . Sold it cause it seriously had a big enough hole in the driver’s floor board to put both feet thru. Got my feet soaked when it rained 🤣 but other wise one of the best cars I’ve ever owned

    Like 0
  31. gearjammer

    The 4-speed kinda surprises me for a ’79. My first car was a ’73 Corolla with a 5-speed.

    Since this has become something of a discussion about gas prices, I thought I’d give you, my American friends, a bit of good news about your gas prices: you’re getting a better deal than we are up here in Canada. The cheapest gas price I could find in Canada is in Alberta, is about $4.65 US a gallon, converted from litres, and using the current exchange rate to convert from $Cdn to $US. The most expensive gas is in Montreal, QC, and Vancouver, BC, at about $5.75 a gallon ($1.90 Cdn. per litre). In Eastern Ontario, where I live in a small town just west of Ottawa, the gas price is at $1.713 a litre, which, converted to $US, works out to almost $5.22 a gallon. Yesterday the gas gauge on my Toyota Matrix indicated nearly half full, and I pumped $60 ($47.92 USD) into it with a bit of room to spare.
    Up until the end of October, I was commuting more than 300 miles a week, driving my 2002 VW Jetta TDI, and getting 47 mpg. But I parked it for the last time on Sep. 30 with 620,901 km (385,892 miles) on the odometer. The 2010 Toyota Matrix I am driving now only gets a disappointing 31mpg on the highway, but luckily, in my retirement job, I only commute less than 30 miles a week.
    Please understand, my friends, I am NOT trying to say that my brand of suffering is any worse than yours, but we up here sure wish we were getting as good a deal on gas as most parts of the US. It’s not so much political, but our lack of refining capacity. We sell you 40 million barrels of crude a day, but we buy most of our gas from you.

    Like 0
  32. Christopher Gentry

    I think it’s vice versa (see what I did there ) it’s the nissian versa and the Toyota venza. I m pretty sure , friend of my with had the nissian versa.

    Like 1
  33. Carlos

    Still for sale please call me this is Carlos 4135314520

    Like 0
  34. Wayne arioto

    I bought one new in 1979 for $4300 which was the absolute cheapest of any new car. It got 28 mpg which was a lot at the time . 5 speed, had plenty of zip accelerating , but did struggle on steepest part of the grades on grapevine to LA. Had it for 17 years. Tan interior as pictured, but white paint. And I couldn’t afford the radio until a couple years later.

    Like 0

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