Hello, Elsie

My great grandmother Elsie drove a Toyota Corona, and I rode in it a few times as a kid. I'm not certain exactly the vintage of that car, but if I'm remembering the body shape correctly, it was a 1967-69 model, and I always liked it. It was smart and practical. It seemed to have plenty of leg room in the back seat, which was important to a gangly prepubescent boy. It always ran well. Its lines smacked of a design sensibility that was distinctly 60s but not typically American. It was a compact, forward-looking foreigner in a land of muscle cars, pony cars and land yachts on the brink of being torpedoed by the energy crisis of the 70s.

I never gained much of an taste for any auto makes or models, new or classic, and I especially dislike the bland, lookalike lines of modern cars. There's some I wouldn't mind owning, and plenty that would be fun to drive. Sure, wouldn't a sexy Porsche be be a blast, or a muscly Camaro, and those Hondas sure seem efficient, but there's very few I could say I loved. I really loved the look and feel of Grandma Elsie's Corona, and over the years I occasionally found myself searching the want ads for one like hers, with no luck. There just weren't very many of that model imported, and fewer on the road. Watch old films from that era, and you'll see a Beetle in almost every street shot, but the model Corona I wanted was a rare jewel.

And then out of the blue, Justin sent me this:

1969 Toyota Corona 1900 4 door sedan - $2450

This is a one owner car with 80,460 miles. 4 cylinder, 4 speed transmission and runs very well and drives good. It has been in storage for 21 years.
This car is in very good condition. There is one small crack in the bottom of the drivers seat and the carpet is not the best. All of the rest of the interior is is very good condition. There is one small spot of damage on the lower part of the drivers door. 
Reasonable offers considered.

 

So I went to take a look. The condition wasn't quite as very good as the ad described, but it was really good considering the age. It was a little rough in spots, but this was the legendary granny car, the one driven once or twice a week to the grocery store and church. The one parked and forgotten for two decades after grandma stopped driving. It was an automotive time capsule that needed a little love but still had plenty of life left.

An inspection revealed a car that was rougher than the tiny photos could convey. The tires were completely shot. The "very good condition" interior included a warped and cracked dashboard, a leaking cabin and moldy carpet. The brakes pulled sharply to one side. The paint was bubbling with surface rust in a couple small spots. The tail showed signs of previous bumps and bruises. The effects of extended storage on the engine, and the conditions of its return to service were unknown. It was being sold as-is, and while the seller was a trustworthy friend of a friend, even he didn't have much to say about its revival or reliability, except that he figured it had been run enough lately to expose any problems that might arise, and it ran like a champ. The oil looked like it had been changed recently, and the fuel filter looked clear. The suspension bounced back just right. All the lights and gauges seemed to work. All the windows rolled up and down, and the latches all did their job.

It had some small problems, and there was definitely a bit of work I'd need to complete up front. It would end up being a little bit of a project car--but relatively small and relatively cheap. I needed a project, something to pull me away from the digital world where I spend too much of my time working and playing. It wouldn't take much to get the car ship shape and ready for some action. So after a bit of haggling, I made my offer, and a day later I found myself taking possession of my new old Corona, just two days after Justin first sent me the ad.

You have to strike when the opportunity arises, if you don't want to live a life of regrets. I don't spend a lot of time cruising used cars, but I'd never seen a Corona for sale before...one of the two car makes I'd ever had a real affection for (the other being the Volkswagen Thing), and I didn't expect to see another one soon, if ever. I knew I had to take a chance. And now the car's parked in my driveway, waiting for my new hobby to begin.

I call her Elsie, and this is her story.

--Greg