Just to clarify, the Cressida was fully imported into Australia. No Cressida of any generation was ever built (or assembled) in Australia (unlike the Crown). Yes, you are correct in saying the the V6 camry of the generation you tested was fully imported (VZV21). I worked as a mechanic for Toyota when these cars were new (yes, I'm getting on now!) & the difference in quality between the imported & locally built cars was vast. The V6 camry (V2#) was everything the local car wasn't... Smooth, quiet, refined & very well built. (also much more expensive when new).
Them square body Camry's were good, basically all old Toyota's. By the 1MZ they were buttery smooth. Just as durable & dependable torque/power. People claim they sludge, only when shit oil was used, revised PCV sorted that issue. I've personally never had one i've owned or a family relatives sludge, even after 340k, full synthetic oil & every 7500km oil changes.... problem solved But the thing i laughed at, still do They call them "underpowered" When you calculate power per cc, they're a stout engine. And make more power realistically than Holden's 3.8L EcoTec V6 & Ford's 4.0L INTECH I6 Sad really 😁
Ian, I'm somewhat relieved to report that the Corona has a new owner, who can hopefully look after it better than I can. In its place I now have a mint Mazda 626 CB, which is a heck of a lot more refined! The Cressida is also running a lot better after a thorough service, but I still haven't got around to putting the steering wheel trims back on the Camry... Thanks for the review, and for taking the time to nose around my fleet!
@@steved3702 I was sure that shape Corona also came, maybe later, with the Toyota 2L Motor which were a much better car. Slogan was, ‘when your heart says Europe but your head says Japan.’
@@peterriggall8409 yes, the really square body unit came with a fuel injected unit. It was a good car. I worked at a Toyota dealership at the time. Rumour at the time was that Toyota rejected the first shipment of engines as they had obvious visual defects.
The Starfire was actually never used in the Gemini. The Gemini used an Isuzu engine. The Holdens that the Starfire was used in are the Sunbird, along with VC and VH four cylinder Commodores (although some VKs used a version in New Zealand for a lower tax bracket).
In New Zealand the starfire 4 was available on most trim spec VK Commodore models, SL, Berlina, Vacationer and Royale (basically a NZ only slightly de-spec'd Calais), right through to the end of VK production here. NZ had very basic emission regulations back then, so our starfire powered Commodores werent lumbered with the same emission control gear the Australian models were, which at least gave them a slight degree of performance. The starfire was popular, with no tax incentive other than a cheaper purchase price. Up to, and during the VH years, 3 out of 4 Commodores sold were 4 cylinder. VK's were probably 50/50 of 4 and 6 cylinder. The 4 cylinder VK was replaced with a 2.0 RB20E VL, again in most trim specs, and again just as popular as the bigger engined 3.0.
Nice one. We had a 1990 Carina II 1600 GL Auto in the UK. It was, as you say dull as ditch water. It was also utterly reliable and carried us about for over 180,000 miles at which point, everything still worked and it drove perfectly well. And "everything" was quite a lot, 'leccy windows, roof, mirrors, central locking, and a decent autoreverse stereo too. We sold it after buying our LS400 in 2002.
Love seeing the film of Williamstown again, my part of the world. A couple of points on the content, the Cressida was fully imported to Australia from Japan whilst the Starfire (backfire) engine was fitted to the Sunbird and Commodore 4 (both bags of bolts), and not the perky Gemini. I really appreciate your work Mr HubNut, thank-you!! :)
@@fabriziopiantamar Thanks , I knew they made them in Mexico for a long while and saw a couple of them here in England at car shows but never saw a Brazilian one . Was beginning to think I had imagined them lol
My dad had a 86 cressida brand new till he passed away last year. Same white color with same interior but a manual transmission. You reminded me of him. I miss my dad.
the dreaded Misfire Four, sounds more like a diesel than a diesel does....they make reasonable boat anchors though. Then there's that SV21 Camry, whitegoods on wheels.
GM's Starfire four was an abomination that should never have been fitted to anything, let alone a Toyota. But to meet local content regulations, Toyota Australia didn't have much choice if they wanted to offer something in the Corona's price point.
Look. As someone who has a corona with a starfire, it’s really not a bad motor, just very underpowered. I daily my old girl, good on fuel, very reliable, enough power to keep up with traffic, if it’s bumper to bumper that is.. but it’s just a great car to drive every day and even take for a cruise on weekends and gets way more attention than most other old cars, especially at a cars and coffee and meets and things, because there’s not a whole lot of late 70’s corona’s left, and not a lot of people expect to see them, and they’re not a status symbol like a Monaro or a gt, so I get heaps of people coming up to me and telling me stories about when they had one or when their parents had one.. they’re just a cool little car.. also, to be fair, mine has a fully documented 90,000 k’s on it so that probably helps with the reliability since it’s basically brand new
Brings back memories...we had a Camry for our household and was so envious that my uni mate’s mum had the high-end Cressida...good times and sweet memories of reliable and trouble free motoring back in the late 80s and early 90s..:)
I saw that Holden engine in the Corona and it immediately reminded me of the 'straight 6' 3.0l in the Vauxhall cresta PB, with two cylinders lopped off. The layout of the dizzy, fuel pump, Inlet over exhaust. There is definately a family connection, dating right back to Bedford lorry engines of the late 40's.
The Holden red motor was a replacement for the original grey motor they had used from the start. Extra crankshaft bearings was one of the improvements. Given that the first Holden was originally an unused Chevrolet design (and possibly the engine, too), there may indeed be that common heritage.
The Gemini used an Isuzu made 1.6 litre overhead cam engine which was very responsive. I assumed the Cressida was fully imported and only volume selling models were built here.
Owned a New Zealand assembled 91 Corona Twin Cam when I lived in Auckland. Great 80s/90s tech never had any problems with it, also had a decent turn of speed.
The Celica Camry was actually on the Celica chassis. Starting with this generation it changed platforms. The widebody was actually sold in Japan from the fourth generation. The narrow body was 1695mm wide to conform to the Japanese tax laws
Had a VC Holden Commodore in NZ with the dreadful Starfire and transplanted a 5 ltr V8 into it with a Toyota 5 speed manual. Finally a perfect car for the late 80s.
Interestingly had the same style Corona in NZ. Very popular car at the time there as they had Japanese engines and larger American style rubber bumpers. Comfortable but suspension was too soft. Great car!
I am presently sitting on an armchair the same color as the interior on that Cressida! However, it always warms my heart to see a Cressida, as my first car, which my dad turned over to me when I got my drivers license, was the RX60 model that preceded this. This model was sold as the GLXi in my home market with the inline six - the other GL version carried a 2 liter four, like the one my Dad owned. Very few left now.
I never liked the sedan variant, but for whatever reason, found the wagon quite handsome. But I generally prefer wagons and utes because of the cargo space.
I luuurrrved the styling of all three of those cars. I loved the straight lines, the long horizontal lights, all wonderful and has aged remarkably well
Ian I owned a Nissan Bluebird on an E plate 1988 2l slx for a few years back in the 1990's and the Toyota Cressida was so similar in so many ways loved every minute of the car and was still going strong at 188000 miles before a rear end bump .... Good memories
My neighbour was running one of those Corona wagons until about 10 years ago. It was probably the last registered one in Australia. Another neighbour helped him keep it going and was telling me about the cut down Holden engine in it. I cant remember why it was finally retired. That model of Camry was about as basic and boring as a car could be, but they sold heaps of them. Another neighbour still has a wagon they use regularly, and there are still a few getting about.
Hi Ian, when I first arrived in Oz after emigrating from the Uk (2001)my first car was a 1982 Toyota Cressida. I found this after several wasted test drives at Australian car yards. A Colt that broke down on a test drive, a Toyota Tercel which had so many things wrong with it, I was sure it shouldn’t have been on the road. The Cressida had been in the same family since new, the kids had learnt to drive in it. The owner was an engineer and had recently skimmed the head, new head gasket etc. it had done 200,000 plus kms but drove well. From memory it was the X60 which had a 2.8 litre straight 6. Unfortunately mine didn’t feature the chesterfield type seats but had lovely comfy blue velour ensemble with matching blue dash. I kept it for 3 years and did 80,000 trouble free kms. The only issues I had were a broken aircon pipe, the rear window shattered and the windscreen people could only get on from NZ(possibly Horowitz motors) and a small amount of rust under the rear window. Apart from its excessive thirst ( well after a Frugal Rover 214 in the UK) for petrol, it was supremely comfortable and wafted its way around Western Australia. Gave me many happy memories until I sold it for $1000 in 2004 when I replaced it with a1998 Subaru Forrester. Love the channel
I own a 1990 Camry cs same as tested with 97 k and runs a treat and very smooth..the things wit( these Camrys is they never die exceeding 400 thousand k if maintained .great cars ..6 cylinder cresidas are renowned for head gasket problems
Bloody hell, that engine in the Corona makes the 1256cc lump we got in the Chevette, Viva HC and Bedford Viva van sound refined... We did get that generation of Corona in the UK, but mostly as a rather odd 5-door liftback as, otherwise, that market segment was occupied by the Cressida saloon and estate. I don't think they were ever particularly common in the UK, as most people buying a car that size didn't want a hatchback, but I do remember seeing a few around, often in advanced states of decrepitude and well on their way to returning to nature, as, like most '70s Toyotas, they did rather rust for fun in the UK...
Iron man, yes the camry/Apollo was a very austere vehicle, akin to driving a refrigerator or any other household appliance which doesn't inspire you. However, you couldn't kill them with a large stick, with many examples running into the 3-400,000 klm range! (Unfortunately) I was the proud owner of an SLX Holden Apollo as a driving school vehicle (Unfortunately). On paper the 5 speed manual sounded a good thing. I however purchased a citric flavoured sow. (A bitch of a lemon pig). Rare in itself but proof they existed. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings including my PTSD rant some 30 years later. I also taught in a Corona which was a good car until the firewall started to flex from overuse of a clutch pedal! Cheers mate
I used to have a 79 Cressida,whisper quiet engine,an 1800 if I remember,it was no racing car but a reliable old plodder,I later had an 89 Camry which had a blue interior and blue velour seats so a bit plusher than the one here,had it ages until the body began to let it down,super reliable car,loved them both.
My dad had a '76 white Corona 2.0 estate in UK, maybe the gen before the one in the video. I remember the black vinyl interior was hot in summer. Scrapped after 10 years as the engine was using oil after 100k miles and the wheel arches rusted out.
The family of an Australian friend of mine at primary school had a Cressida identical to the one in the video. For some reason, they decided to bring the car to the UK when they emigrated. It even had an 'AUS' sticker on its bootlid.
Same HVAC panel in all three cars, our old Carina E (1995) had the same panel too. A bit old hat maybe but dead easy to use, and quick to familiarise yourself with so you can use it without looking. Something modern cars could learn from!
"Not a very good engine" is a bit of an understatement! We didn't call it Misfire for nothing. 1978 and the best Holden can manage is 78 HP from 1900 cc.
Kimberly Rae I used to call it the Backfire four. Gutless POS it was too. Took a manual Corona wagon from Adelaide to Strathalbyn and when I floored it on a straight, the temp gauge went up faster than the speedo did! Could only manage 140 after a five mile wind up.
@@stephenw2992 That example tested would have been diabolical with auto. trans. and aircon. Worse with a few passengers but at least they could push....🙂
Regarding the Toyoda -> Toyota name: It isn't much more difficult to write in Japanese (トヨダ -> トヨタ) but it reduced the stroke count from 10 to 8, and eight is a lucky and prosperous number in Japan. They also thought it sounded better.
GM did something similar here with the Opel K-180 but they used the 194 ci straight six from the 400/Nova, mowed down two cylinders and got a 1.8 to drop into it, very reliable.
My uncle bought a series 1 V6 Camry as a replacement for his trusty VB Commodore, after being swayed by the advertising that the V6 was as powerful as Aussie sixes and would still tow his trailer and tinnie. He hated it - traded it for another Commodore after about a year.
That was magic. Family had a74 Corona wagon in Oz. Made in Aus, it was bullet proof but leaked. It was a big change to have a Mitsi Sigma in 82- Similar scene- good car with many Oz build issues. The starfire Corona was a dog, hence the change. TR Magna that followed was a dream-destroyed by a roo tho.....a fine car, adapted for a big, open country.
Now this is something I never knew, the late 1970’s Coronas in Australia fitted with the Holden four-banger. I had a Holden Commodore with one of these for about twelve months, never gave me any bother but was pretty slow! At least it was a 5-speed manual, the automatic versions wouldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding.
I may be wrong (and happy to be corrected) but I don't think the Starfire 4 was fitted to the Gemini. Gemini's came with a 1.6L Isuzu engine. The Starfire 4 was fitted to the Holden Commodore, a heavier car than the Corona, so you can imagine how gutless it was in that application. Love your Aussie videos. Takes me back.
The first one was a Corona in the UK and Ireland but the version we got had a 5 door hatchback rear similar to the SAAB 900. It was a lovely well equipped and comfortable big car.
Cressidas were fully-imported from Japan. The V6 version of that generation Camry was also an import. Both cars were quite expensive, with the V6 Camry costing about as much as a base Cressida. The Starfire was never fitted to the Gemini, it was fitted to the Commodore and the Sunbird
Another great vid Ian. My Dad had a Cressida. I recall it came with Dunlop tyres with the lovely feature of zero grip in the wet which was interesting for me thrashing around as an 18 year old. My sister eventually managed to slide it into the gutter and fold the wheels in. It also would float all over the road but the interior was plush.
I have a 1998 Camry 3.0v6 24v sport auto sat here for context if you wanted down the line to try , a UK model only with factory suspension tweaks and body kit . there are very few left out there in the world of these .
I hope I haven't said this here before, but littl' ol' me single-handedly solved the mystery of the Starfire. I discovered (almost) exactly what the fault was, developed a work-around, and had a very decent run out of my 3 Starfires. I was given a Corona when I arrived in Australia, knew nothing of their reputation, and ended up owning 3 of them all up (I replaced the original, but the wreckers had sold me a pup, so I went back and got a good one before the 1-month warrantee ran out. Hence: 3.) SO: WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM? The timing marks had been incorrectly designed, or located, or both. At the factory 'correct' setting you were actually setting the engine to run approx 15 degrees "late". Thus: instead of idling at 5-degrees before top-dead-centre, they were all pre-set at 10 degrees *AFTER* TDC. They ran fine at low revs, but at higher revs the timing error became more and more exaggerated. My car struggled at motorway speed, sucked petrol, and had zero 'pick-up' if needed for passing. All the faults they were famous for, and all explained by that one error. HOW DID I DISCOVER IT? one day (for some reson) I reset the timing in my home-mechanic/Kiwi way - by just *listening* to the motor - and suddenly it was running like a Boss! Heh: my Father-in-Law caught me doing it: "No, no, use the timing light!" - So I did, and my Starfire went right back to it's infamous reputation. I so drove home, up with the bonnet, advanced the timing by ~15 degrees - and VRROOM! Every one of my 3 Starfires responded the same. The Starfire was a perfectly good, very grunty motor, but ruined by a quirk in planning, the reuse of the same pulley-wheel, or some other mismanaged, un-thought-through layout error - AT FACTORY, and this error was meticulously installed into every motor made. Extraordinary that no-one ever picked up on it. Well: I did. More here: steamedup.wordpress.com/2021/10/20/lone-genius-makes-epic-discovery/
“Austerity on wheels” that describes many cars I have owned. Strangely when I had cars with luxury toys I never used them as I sort of imagined all cars were like that. Airconditioning is the only thing I really want now.
@@RussEdgar445y7tlfj We never had the Ballade imported to the US, just the Civic and Accord in the early to mid eighties. We also got the CRX, I believe furiousdriving did a drive on that classic model recently!
Great vid again. I love these big(ger) classic Toyotas. The Cressida looks very interesting. If you ever come to the Netherlands, there is a Camry Xv20 happy to meet you, Ian.
Great selection of old Toyotas - the Cressida is typical Japanese boxy-style of the early / mid-1980's, like the Nissan Bluebird we got in NZ around that time.
If you kick it into overdrive, the rev count drops away, meaning the engine doesn't need to work as hard to deliver the same speed. I drove mine permanently in overdrive, thus saving on petrol costs.
The Gemini didnt use the 1892 cc cut down 173. The Commodore, Sunbird and Corona RT130 used it. The T car based Isuzu/Holden Gemini used the 1587 cc OHC engine. Toyota made the 78 hp engine go better than the 2T 1587 cc 3T 1770 cc engine, and better than the 1892 cc Opel Ascona engine. The idle clatter is a 1X feature, more Din than three Peugoet Diesel Granadas. As an owner of one, the CoronaRy featured exceptional reliability. It was put together with so much love and it carried Holdens engine with suprising ease. The GM180 Turbo Hydramatic worked great with the little cut down six. Toyota carb, emmisions package and reworked igntion and a stump puller 260 degree camshaft ment Toyota were interested in making it work. In fact, Toyota suggested Holden make some other changes which would have brought the engine up to a very good standard. Sadly, Toyota would have then got the modifications for free. The mods (Con rods, valves, better cam profile etc did appear on the XT5 and XT6 Electronic Injection 3.3 litre engine of 1980 to 1985.
The Starfire despite all the nonsense written was reliable in service. It has the distinction of one of the few Australian designed & developed 4 cylinder engines.
The Camry is not surprisingly plainer than the Cressida given the latter was always pitched as moderate luxury. This was the second generation Camry sold in Australia, the previous generation was fully imported and sold as a hatchback alongside the last of the Coronas. Fully imported probably also meant it was slightly more upmarket.
That corona was nowhere near as bad as I expected. Who knew!😉 Cressida interior definitely reminds me of a 1970s American brothel saloon but in a good way. Not sure how I know that. What a lovely collection of Japanese retro-ness.
Must've been a later model Corona as the Blue versions of the Starfire came out in 1980, early versions used the even more anaemic Red version. The Camry was also rebadged as a Holden (Apollo) along with the corolla (Holden Nova) in exchange for Holden commodores (Toyota Lexcen)
Interesting trio of vehicles! For those like myself, here in the US, the Camry replaced the Corona in 1983, this Corona looks like a DX; DX for Deluxe and the LE, top model for the Corona and the Camry. This Camry is one step above the US DX, as I believe in the automatic it didn't come with a tachometer, I believe the manual did. The LE was better equipped, and packages included power windows, door locks, etc. You were spot on about the Camry also getting the V6, which might have been around 1988, although my memory is hazy on that source of information. Now, the US Cressida was the top range for Toyota, with packages like the Camry: leather seating, electric tilt/slide sunroof and digital instruments. I think cruise control on the Cressida was standard here in the US. This is a second generation model, as well as for the Camry, and the Cressida third generation was from 1988-1991 or so; after that, Cressida was no longer imported, and therefore, all luxury models became Lexus. The air conditioning in the Camry has the two buttons, AC and Econ, pushing both limits the compressor operation, saving fuel (supposedly), very Toyota at the time. Brilliant video! Too bad no test drive of the Corona ☹️
It was used in the Aussie Commodore, too, but was a dreadful seller so was soon dropped! It had less power and even worse economy than the basic 2850cc six so was a pointless experience.
Ahhh ...I remember when the Japanese cars started arriving with the radio antenna placed on the A pillar..who knew then they would become to be known as *keep fit antennae*
2:50 - That was done so that there was almost always a horn sign the right way up, somewhere near your right hand. Or wrong way up near the left hand for left-handers... I find that mildly annoying, but, as a Southpaw, it's par for the course.
Informative test. I've never been in a Cressida or that model Camry. I think I prefer the Camry except in a manual wagon, plain and a bit dull but fuss free, with enough features to make it comfortable. I once drove a Starfire powered (?) Holden Sunbird, it was so underpowered and low geared. I kept looking for a higher gear but there wasn't one :-) Cheers
Your assessment of the Camry is spot on. I owned a 1988 Camry. The basic trim. The build quality was terrible. Trim rattles everywhere. The engine power was all at the top end, so you had to wind the engine out, making it rather weak and unpleasant. It was also a massive oil leaker of an engine. The seat gave me back ache as a teenage driver, speaking to its lack of comfort. It was my first Toyota and haven't bought another in the last 20yrs since.
Interesting to see the differences between these and the NZ assembled ones. The NZ assembled Cressida of the same shape had a 2.8 DOHC six cylinder, leather interior, and digital dash. All very high tech at the time, was also available with a 2 litre SOHC 6 CYL, with grey velour seats and conventional gauges. At the time they seemed very modern and even sleek compared to the model they replaced.
I'll be honest, I thought the Aussie Cressida was also the 2.8DOHC motor, but ours were fully-imported. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong :)
14:15 We didn't get that Cressida in Europe, the previous generation was replaced in '83 by the angular FWD Camry in Saloon and Liftback guises. I'm not surprised that Gen.2 Camry looks a lot more modern, it came out in 1986 and styling had moved on quite a bit from the old squarish shapes. Then we got a saloon and estate version. That Camry looks really cheap inside. Maybe it was a taxi/rental variant?
Call me weird, (most people do) but I find watching your car reviews odly soothing, I think it may be the element of nostalgia, not sure really ,cant quite put my finger on it but whatever...keep them coming, they are most excellent viewing.
Blimey, you could do a family tree chart of the model designations, only trouble would be finding a big enough sheet of paper☹️. Nice vid again Ian, I could like them all for different reasons.
The trim levels and finishes in SA were far superior to what the Aussies ever got. The 3.0i Cressida was the peach with full leather trim and none of those stupid button seats as seen in the States and other markets. If you check out Gumtree South Africa, there are still plenty of these about in very good condition.
I drive a 2012 Corolla sedan, and I think it's actually bigger than all these earlier 'medium' Toyotas. Toyota's have a great reputation in Australia, and are often seen as being better suited to outback conditions than most Ford's and Holden's were..... ironically. I might buy a Hilux tabletop in a few years time as every bloke should have a ute. I'd also like the first shovel nose Corona from the 60's........if I can find one!
I think only the liftback was offered in Europe as we normally got the Carina which was only offered as a saloon and coupe. Then things got confusing and they rebadged the Corona as "Carina II" for us
it was available here in Australia, too, but like you say, not for very long - it just didn't have any really position in the model line up - we have the Estate (wagon) versions for those that needed the extra carrying capacity.
Also Willi in the hubnut VW fastback vid : th-cam.com/video/_GSdLUegaRk/w-d-xo.html And in the later part of the Holden ute vid : th-cam.com/video/3JUiURoh5pg/w-d-xo.html
Finding myself liking the austere Camry interior a lot (but then again, luxury cars never really was my cup of tea... unless they were french...) - especially the way the top of the dashboard sorts of floats over the rest - nice!
Just to clarify, the Cressida was fully imported into Australia. No Cressida of any generation was ever built (or assembled) in Australia (unlike the Crown).
Yes, you are correct in saying the the V6 camry of the generation you tested was fully imported (VZV21). I worked as a mechanic for Toyota when these cars were new (yes, I'm getting on now!) & the difference in quality between the imported & locally built cars was vast. The V6 camry (V2#) was everything the local car wasn't... Smooth, quiet, refined & very well built. (also much more expensive when new).
In fact i believe the 88-92 Cressida was more or less a test bed for the coming Lexus LS
Fancy seeing you here, Mr Birmingham!
@@munnsie100... Hmmm.. You're the omnipresent one Charlie! 🤣
Jason Birmingham, and despite being so, you beat me here, even though there’s a Camry involved! You need a medal! ;-)
Them square body Camry's were good, basically all old Toyota's. By the 1MZ they were buttery smooth. Just as durable & dependable torque/power.
People claim they sludge, only when shit oil was used, revised PCV sorted that issue. I've personally never had one i've owned or a family relatives sludge, even after 340k, full synthetic oil & every 7500km oil changes.... problem solved
But the thing i laughed at, still do
They call them "underpowered"
When you calculate power per cc, they're a stout engine.
And make more power realistically than Holden's 3.8L EcoTec V6 & Ford's 4.0L INTECH I6
Sad really 😁
Ian, I'm somewhat relieved to report that the Corona has a new owner, who can hopefully look after it better than I can. In its place I now have a mint Mazda 626 CB, which is a heck of a lot more refined! The Cressida is also running a lot better after a thorough service, but I still haven't got around to putting the steering wheel trims back on the Camry... Thanks for the review, and for taking the time to nose around my fleet!
Thanks for sharing your collection. Hope the Corona survives. It is a piece of motoring history and where are you likely to see another?
Hola Ryan I’m looking after it .🙌🏽
We have to thank you for letting hubnut review your cars to let us see your amazing car fleet
It seems the Corona is on CarSales.com again - www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/1980-toyota-corona-cs-auto/SSE-AD-6789613/?Cr=52
Last time I heard an engine like the one in that Corona, it was powering a set of temporary traffic lights.
Literally lmao 😂😂🤣👌
Nice!
The liftback version of the Corona was fully imported - a useful way to avoid a Starfire!
@Tone. Ah, so there was a yang to match the ying.
@@steved3702 I was sure that shape Corona also came, maybe later, with the Toyota 2L Motor which were a much better car. Slogan was, ‘when your heart says Europe but your head says Japan.’
@@peterriggall8409 yes, the really square body unit came with a fuel injected unit. It was a good car. I worked at a Toyota dealership at the time.
Rumour at the time was that Toyota rejected the first shipment of engines as they had obvious visual defects.
I only remember seeing the Corona as a liftback here in the Netherlands
@Tone. A friend had a liftback. It eventually ended up as rotten as a pear.
The Starfire was actually never used in the Gemini. The Gemini used an Isuzu engine. The Holdens that the Starfire was used in are the Sunbird, along with VC and VH four cylinder Commodores (although some VKs used a version in New Zealand for a lower tax bracket).
I didnt think it was ever put in the Gemini. That explains why the Sunbird had a bad reputation.
Stephen w it was never put in the a Gemini. It was too wide for the engine bay
@@stephenw2992 1978-1980 UC Toranas only used them, earlier LH/LX models used an Opel 1.9 CIH engine
In New Zealand the starfire 4 was available on most trim spec VK Commodore models, SL, Berlina, Vacationer and Royale (basically a NZ only slightly de-spec'd Calais), right through to the end of VK production here. NZ had very basic emission regulations back then, so our starfire powered Commodores werent lumbered with the same emission control gear the Australian models were, which at least gave them a slight degree of performance. The starfire was popular, with no tax incentive other than a cheaper purchase price. Up to, and during the VH years, 3 out of 4 Commodores sold were 4 cylinder. VK's were probably 50/50 of 4 and 6 cylinder. The 4 cylinder VK was replaced with a 2.0 RB20E VL, again in most trim specs, and again just as popular as the bigger engined 3.0.
James Govett only the early Sunbirds used the Opel 1900. Later LXs and all UCs used the Starfire.
Nice one. We had a 1990 Carina II 1600 GL Auto in the UK. It was, as you say dull as ditch water. It was also utterly reliable and carried us about for over 180,000 miles at which point, everything still worked and it drove perfectly well. And "everything" was quite a lot, 'leccy windows, roof, mirrors, central locking, and a decent autoreverse stereo too. We sold it after buying our LS400 in 2002.
Great video, but... there's an Audi indicating at 12:48! No wonder you held off publishing! This is world-changing!
Now that is funny!
Love seeing the film of Williamstown again, my part of the world. A couple of points on the content, the Cressida was fully imported to Australia from Japan whilst the Starfire (backfire) engine was fitted to the Sunbird and Commodore 4 (both bags of bolts), and not the perky Gemini. I really appreciate your work Mr HubNut, thank-you!! :)
I am Brazilian and love this Channel. The australian cars are amazing . Thanks for your job.
Ian should travel to Brazil and try some of your 'oddities'. I'd like to see a Ford Falcon for a start!
@@steved3702 Brazil, like Australia, has many automobile singularities, but the Ford Falcon was never built here.
@@fabriziopiantamar Did they make the original VW Beetle in Brazil ? If so were they any good ?
@@shaunw9270 the original VW Beetle was manufactured here until 1986 and then in 1994. We still see many around here, some well preserved, others not.
@@fabriziopiantamar Thanks , I knew they made them in Mexico for a long while and saw a couple of them here in England at car shows but never saw a Brazilian one . Was beginning to think I had imagined them lol
My dad had a 86 cressida brand new till he passed away last year. Same white color with same interior but a manual transmission. You reminded me of him. I miss my dad.
the dreaded Misfire Four, sounds more like a diesel than a diesel does....they make reasonable boat anchors though. Then there's that SV21 Camry, whitegoods on wheels.
General Motors lol ..my 1.2 petrol Vauxhall Corsa C sounds like a Bedford TK 😂
GM's Starfire four was an abomination that should never have been fitted to anything, let alone a Toyota. But to meet local content regulations, Toyota Australia didn't have much choice if they wanted to offer something in the Corona's price point.
Look. As someone who has a corona with a starfire, it’s really not a bad motor, just very underpowered. I daily my old girl, good on fuel, very reliable, enough power to keep up with traffic, if it’s bumper to bumper that is.. but it’s just a great car to drive every day and even take for a cruise on weekends and gets way more attention than most other old cars, especially at a cars and coffee and meets and things, because there’s not a whole lot of late 70’s corona’s left, and not a lot of people expect to see them, and they’re not a status symbol like a Monaro or a gt, so I get heaps of people coming up to me and telling me stories about when they had one or when their parents had one.. they’re just a cool little car.. also, to be fair, mine has a fully documented 90,000 k’s on it so that probably helps with the reliability since it’s basically brand new
Brings back memories...we had a Camry for our household and was so envious that my uni mate’s mum had the high-end Cressida...good times and sweet memories of reliable and trouble free motoring back in the late 80s and early 90s..:)
I've heard the Corona's transmission is effective. Too soon? I'll get my coat.
Never too soon. LOL
That comment will go viral.
I saw that Holden engine in the Corona and it immediately reminded me of the 'straight 6' 3.0l in the Vauxhall cresta PB, with two cylinders lopped off. The layout of the dizzy, fuel pump, Inlet over exhaust. There is definately a family connection, dating right back to Bedford lorry engines of the late 40's.
Indeed so. Go back far enough and it's Chevrolet heritage I believe.
The Holden red motor was a replacement for the original grey motor they had used from the start. Extra crankshaft bearings was one of the improvements. Given that the first Holden was originally an unused Chevrolet design (and possibly the engine, too), there may indeed be that common heritage.
The Gemini used an Isuzu made 1.6 litre overhead cam engine which was very responsive.
I assumed the Cressida was fully imported and only volume selling models were built here.
The Cressida is only lacking flock wallpaper and a trio of flying ducks. 🦆🦆🦆
And that would be an issue?
Owned a New Zealand assembled 91 Corona Twin Cam when I lived in Auckland. Great 80s/90s tech never had any problems with it, also had a decent turn of speed.
The Celica Camry was actually on the Celica chassis. Starting with this generation it changed platforms. The widebody was actually sold in Japan from the fourth generation. The narrow body was 1695mm wide to conform to the Japanese tax laws
Had a VC Holden Commodore in NZ with the dreadful Starfire and transplanted a 5 ltr V8 into it with a Toyota 5 speed manual. Finally a perfect car for the late 80s.
Interestingly had the same style Corona in NZ. Very popular car at the time there as they had Japanese engines and larger American style rubber bumpers. Comfortable but suspension was too soft. Great car!
I am presently sitting on an armchair the same color as the interior on that Cressida! However, it always warms my heart to see a Cressida, as my first car, which my dad turned over to me when I got my drivers license, was the RX60 model that preceded this. This model was sold as the GLXi in my home market with the inline six - the other GL version carried a 2 liter four, like the one my Dad owned. Very few left now.
A testament to Toyota , there are a stack of those Camrys still on the road merrily clogging the roads .
I never liked the sedan variant, but for whatever reason, found the wagon quite handsome. But I generally prefer wagons and utes because of the cargo space.
I luuurrrved the styling of all three of those cars. I loved the straight lines, the long horizontal lights, all wonderful and has aged remarkably well
Ian I owned a Nissan Bluebird on an E plate 1988 2l slx for a few years back in the 1990's and the Toyota Cressida was so similar in so many ways loved every minute of the car and was still going strong at 188000 miles before a rear end bump .... Good memories
I like the colourful interior of the Cressida. This video perfectly shows what went wrong in the eighties: everything went gray.
Now everything's all black as a coal mine.
My neighbour was running one of those Corona wagons until about 10 years ago. It was probably the last registered one in Australia. Another neighbour helped him keep it going and was telling me about the cut down Holden engine in it. I cant remember why it was finally retired. That model of Camry was about as basic and boring as a car could be, but they sold heaps of them. Another neighbour still has a wagon they use regularly, and there are still a few getting about.
Something very cool about these cars. Typical 3 box design I used to draw as a kid. Like the boxiness
Hi Ian, when I first arrived in Oz after emigrating from the Uk (2001)my first car was a 1982 Toyota Cressida. I found this after several wasted test drives at Australian car yards. A Colt that broke down on a test drive, a Toyota Tercel which had so many things wrong with it, I was sure it shouldn’t have been on the road. The Cressida had been in the same family since new, the kids had learnt to drive in it. The owner was an engineer and had recently skimmed the head, new head gasket etc. it had done 200,000 plus kms but drove well. From memory it was the X60 which had a 2.8 litre straight 6. Unfortunately mine didn’t feature the chesterfield type seats but had lovely comfy blue velour ensemble with matching blue dash. I kept it for 3 years and did 80,000 trouble free kms. The only issues I had were a broken aircon pipe, the rear window shattered and the windscreen people could only get on from NZ(possibly Horowitz motors) and a small amount of rust under the rear window. Apart from its excessive thirst ( well after a Frugal Rover 214 in the UK) for petrol, it was supremely comfortable and wafted its way around Western Australia. Gave me many happy memories until I sold it for $1000 in 2004 when I replaced it with a1998 Subaru Forrester. Love the channel
I had a 1974 Toyota Crown which i bought from an older couple who brought the car over with them from the UK, It was a 4M 6 Cylinder, fully loaded car
I own a 1990 Camry cs same as tested with 97 k and runs a treat and very smooth..the things wit( these Camrys is they never die exceeding 400 thousand k if maintained .great cars ..6 cylinder cresidas are renowned for head gasket problems
Bloody hell, that engine in the Corona makes the 1256cc lump we got in the Chevette, Viva HC and Bedford Viva van sound refined...
We did get that generation of Corona in the UK, but mostly as a rather odd 5-door liftback as, otherwise, that market segment was occupied by the Cressida saloon and estate. I don't think they were ever particularly common in the UK, as most people buying a car that size didn't want a hatchback, but I do remember seeing a few around, often in advanced states of decrepitude and well on their way to returning to nature, as, like most '70s Toyotas, they did rather rust for fun in the UK...
We got the Carina saloon instead of the Corona. Cressida is bigger
Isolde a Cressida once...that looks like Williamstown, where my beloved mother grew up
Iron man, yes the camry/Apollo was a very austere vehicle, akin to driving a refrigerator or any other household appliance which doesn't inspire you. However, you couldn't kill them with a large stick, with many examples running into the 3-400,000 klm range! (Unfortunately) I was the proud owner of an SLX Holden Apollo as a driving school vehicle (Unfortunately). On paper the 5 speed manual sounded a good thing. I however purchased a citric flavoured sow. (A bitch of a lemon pig). Rare in itself but proof they existed. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings including my PTSD rant some 30 years later. I also taught in a Corona which was a good car until the firewall started to flex from overuse of a clutch pedal! Cheers mate
I used to have a 79 Cressida,whisper quiet engine,an 1800 if I remember,it was no racing car but a reliable old plodder,I later had an 89 Camry which had a blue interior and blue velour seats so a bit plusher than the one here,had it ages until the body began to let it down,super reliable car,loved them both.
My dad had a '76 white Corona 2.0 estate in UK, maybe the gen before the one in the video. I remember the black vinyl interior was hot in summer. Scrapped after 10 years as the engine was using oil after 100k miles and the wheel arches rusted out.
The family of an Australian friend of mine at primary school had a Cressida identical to the one in the video. For some reason, they decided to bring the car to the UK when they emigrated. It even had an 'AUS' sticker on its bootlid.
Same HVAC panel in all three cars, our old Carina E (1995) had the same panel too. A bit old hat maybe but dead easy to use, and quick to familiarise yourself with so you can use it without looking. Something modern cars could learn from!
"Not a very good engine" is a bit of an understatement! We didn't call it Misfire for nothing.
1978 and the best Holden can manage is 78 HP from 1900 cc.
Kimberly Rae I used to call it the Backfire four. Gutless POS it was too. Took a manual Corona wagon from Adelaide to Strathalbyn and when I floored it on a straight, the temp gauge went up faster than the speedo did! Could only manage 140 after a five mile wind up.
The 18r used in the earlier Coronas was a much better engine.
@@stephenw2992 That example tested would have been diabolical with auto. trans. and aircon. Worse with a few passengers but at least they could push....🙂
@Stephen w any car with the backfire four was automatically called a crayfish - all shell and no guts
Crappy, but still better than the Opel 1900 that came with the Sunbird.
Regarding the Toyoda -> Toyota name: It isn't much more difficult to write in Japanese (トヨダ -> トヨタ) but it reduced the stroke count from 10 to 8, and eight is a lucky and prosperous number in Japan. They also thought it sounded better.
Makes me wonder why they thought "Toyopet" (トヨペット) was a good idea. LOL
GM did something similar here with the Opel K-180 but they used the 194 ci straight six from the 400/Nova, mowed down two cylinders and got a 1.8 to drop into it, very reliable.
My uncle bought a series 1 V6 Camry as a replacement for his trusty VB Commodore, after being swayed by the advertising that the V6 was as powerful as Aussie sixes and would still tow his trailer and tinnie. He hated it - traded it for another Commodore after about a year.
That was magic. Family had a74 Corona wagon in Oz. Made in Aus, it was bullet proof but leaked. It was a big change to have a Mitsi Sigma in 82- Similar scene- good car with many Oz build issues. The starfire Corona was a dog, hence the change.
TR Magna that followed was a dream-destroyed by a roo tho.....a fine car, adapted for a big, open country.
Now this is something I never knew, the late 1970’s Coronas in Australia fitted with the Holden four-banger. I had a Holden Commodore with one of these for about twelve months, never gave me any bother but was pretty slow! At least it was a 5-speed manual, the automatic versions wouldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding.
My favourite of these three would definitely be the Cressida - that red, buttoned interior - swoon!
Excellent videography as always. Thanks, Ian!!
I may be wrong (and happy to be corrected) but I don't think the Starfire 4 was fitted to the Gemini. Gemini's came with a 1.6L Isuzu engine. The Starfire 4 was fitted to the Holden Commodore, a heavier car than the Corona, so you can imagine how gutless it was in that application.
Love your Aussie videos. Takes me back.
True about the Gemini. It was also popular in boating, I believe (as an anchor).
The first one was a Corona in the UK and Ireland but the version we got had a 5 door hatchback rear similar to the SAAB 900. It was a lovely well equipped and comfortable big car.
Cressidas were fully-imported from Japan. The V6 version of that generation Camry was also an import. Both cars were quite expensive, with the V6 Camry costing about as much as a base Cressida. The Starfire was never fitted to the Gemini, it was fitted to the Commodore and the Sunbird
Another great vid Ian. My Dad had a Cressida. I recall it came with Dunlop tyres with the lovely feature of zero grip in the wet which was interesting for me thrashing around as an 18 year old. My sister eventually managed to slide it into the gutter and fold the wheels in. It also would float all over the road but the interior was plush.
I have a 1998 Camry 3.0v6 24v sport auto sat here for context if you wanted down the line to try , a UK model only with factory suspension tweaks and body kit . there are very few left out there in the world of these .
TOYOTA is absolutely my cup of tea! But three of them? Three cups of tea!!! Marvellous...
The same model Cressida was assembled and sold in NZ but with only one motor option, the 2.8 straight six. I didn't realise Oz got the older 2.6 lump.
I hope I haven't said this here before, but littl' ol' me single-handedly solved the mystery of the Starfire. I discovered (almost) exactly what the fault was, developed a work-around, and had a very decent run out of my 3 Starfires.
I was given a Corona when I arrived in Australia, knew nothing of their reputation, and ended up owning 3 of them all up (I replaced the original, but the wreckers had sold me a pup, so I went back and got a good one before the 1-month warrantee ran out. Hence: 3.)
SO: WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM?
The timing marks had been incorrectly designed, or located, or both. At the factory 'correct' setting you were actually setting the engine to run approx 15 degrees "late".
Thus: instead of idling at 5-degrees before top-dead-centre, they were all pre-set at 10 degrees *AFTER* TDC. They ran fine at low revs, but at higher revs the timing error became more and more exaggerated. My car struggled at motorway speed, sucked petrol, and had zero 'pick-up' if needed for passing. All the faults they were famous for, and all explained by that one error.
HOW DID I DISCOVER IT?
one day (for some reson) I reset the timing in my home-mechanic/Kiwi way - by just *listening* to the motor - and suddenly it was running like a Boss!
Heh: my Father-in-Law caught me doing it: "No, no, use the timing light!" - So I did, and my Starfire went right back to it's infamous reputation. I so drove home, up with the bonnet, advanced the timing by ~15 degrees - and VRROOM! Every one of my 3 Starfires responded the same.
The Starfire was a perfectly good, very grunty motor, but ruined by a quirk in planning, the reuse of the same pulley-wheel, or some other mismanaged, un-thought-through layout error - AT FACTORY, and this error was meticulously installed into every motor made. Extraordinary that no-one ever picked up on it.
Well: I did.
More here: steamedup.wordpress.com/2021/10/20/lone-genius-makes-epic-discovery/
“Austerity on wheels” that describes many cars I have owned.
Strangely when I had cars with luxury toys I never used them as I sort of imagined all cars were like that. Airconditioning is the only thing I really want now.
The steel wheels on that Camry are reminiscent of those seen on a Triumph Acclaim!
True, but the Acclaim looks like a Honda Civic, at least to me it does!
But the Ballade is just a booted Civic mk2 really. I think it was even sold as the Civic in some markets.
@@RussEdgar445y7tlfj We never had the Ballade imported to the US, just the Civic and Accord in the early to mid eighties. We also got the CRX, I believe furiousdriving did a drive on that classic model recently!
Great vid again. I love these big(ger) classic Toyotas. The Cressida looks very interesting. If you ever come to the Netherlands, there is a Camry Xv20 happy to meet you, Ian.
Great selection of old Toyotas - the Cressida is typical Japanese boxy-style of the early / mid-1980's, like the Nissan Bluebird we got in NZ around that time.
Having a button-back dralon sofa in the rear of your car...
That's how you knew you'd made it in the early '80s...
I learned to drive in a diesel Cressida, dark blue with light blue corduroy seats.....tasteful lol
Cressida interior is incredible! Reason enough by itself to own one.
If you kick it into overdrive, the rev count drops away, meaning the engine doesn't need to work as hard to deliver the same speed. I drove mine permanently in overdrive, thus saving on petrol costs.
Love the Starfire 4. I don’t care how crap it is, that’s my favourite of the 3.
The Gemini didnt use the 1892 cc cut down 173. The Commodore, Sunbird and Corona RT130 used it. The T car based Isuzu/Holden Gemini used the 1587 cc OHC engine. Toyota made the 78 hp engine go better than the 2T 1587 cc 3T 1770 cc engine, and better than the 1892 cc Opel Ascona engine. The idle clatter is a 1X feature, more Din than three Peugoet Diesel Granadas. As an owner of one, the CoronaRy featured exceptional reliability. It was put together with so much love and it carried Holdens engine with suprising ease. The GM180 Turbo Hydramatic worked great with the little cut down six. Toyota carb, emmisions package and reworked igntion and a stump puller 260 degree camshaft ment Toyota were interested in making it work. In fact, Toyota suggested Holden make some other changes which would have brought the engine up to a very good standard. Sadly, Toyota would have then got the modifications for free. The mods (Con rods, valves, better cam profile etc did appear on the XT5 and XT6 Electronic Injection 3.3 litre engine of 1980 to 1985.
The Starfire despite all the nonsense written was reliable in service. It has the distinction of one of the few Australian designed & developed 4 cylinder engines.
The Camry is not surprisingly plainer than the Cressida given the latter was always pitched as moderate luxury. This was the second generation Camry sold in Australia, the previous generation was fully imported and sold as a hatchback alongside the last of the Coronas. Fully imported probably also meant it was slightly more upmarket.
That corona was nowhere near as bad as I expected. Who knew!😉
Cressida interior definitely reminds me of a 1970s American brothel saloon but in a good way. Not sure how I know that.
What a lovely collection of Japanese retro-ness.
Great video ian, love the honesty of your reviews. Magic.
Must've been a later model Corona as the Blue versions of the Starfire came out in 1980, early versions used the even more anaemic Red version.
The Camry was also rebadged as a Holden (Apollo) along with the corolla (Holden Nova) in exchange for Holden commodores (Toyota Lexcen)
Interesting trio of vehicles!
For those like myself, here in the US, the Camry replaced the Corona in 1983, this Corona looks like a DX; DX for Deluxe and the LE, top model for the Corona and the Camry.
This Camry is one step above the US DX, as I believe in the automatic it didn't come with a tachometer, I believe the manual did. The LE was better equipped, and packages included power windows, door locks, etc. You were spot on about the Camry also getting the V6, which might have been around 1988, although my memory is hazy on that source of information.
Now, the US Cressida was the top range for Toyota, with packages like the Camry: leather seating, electric tilt/slide sunroof and digital instruments. I think cruise control on the Cressida was standard here in the US. This is a second generation model, as well as for the Camry, and the Cressida third generation was from 1988-1991 or so; after that, Cressida was no longer imported, and therefore, all luxury models became Lexus.
The air conditioning in the Camry has the two buttons, AC and Econ, pushing both limits the compressor operation, saving fuel (supposedly), very Toyota at the time.
Brilliant video!
Too bad no test drive of the Corona ☹️
In the US we still see those Camrys on the road every once in awhile
The Starfire 4 cylinder was also used in the NZ market Commodore
It was used in the Aussie Commodore, too, but was a dreadful seller so was soon dropped! It had less power and even worse economy than the basic 2850cc six so was a pointless experience.
Ahhh ...I remember when the Japanese cars started arriving with the radio antenna placed on the A pillar..who knew then they would become to be known as *keep fit antennae*
My '86 Daihatsu Charade had one - drunken vandals loved it 🤬
I am loving the back seats or should I say sofa of the Cressida what a place to be
Beautiful cars especially the Corona 👌
The 1979-80 Coronas were fantastic cars when fitted with the Toyota 20R engine.
2:50 - That was done so that there was almost always a horn sign the right way up, somewhere near your right hand. Or wrong way up near the left hand for left-handers... I find that mildly annoying, but, as a Southpaw, it's par for the course.
Informative test. I've never been in a Cressida or that model Camry. I think I prefer the Camry except in a manual wagon, plain and a bit dull but fuss free, with enough features to make it comfortable. I once drove a Starfire powered (?) Holden Sunbird, it was so underpowered and low geared. I kept looking for a higher gear but there wasn't one :-) Cheers
The Camry not only has a Triangle of Doom but a Dribble of Despair as well!
Cressida Gentleman's Club edition 😉
Your assessment of the Camry is spot on. I owned a 1988 Camry. The basic trim. The build quality was terrible. Trim rattles everywhere. The engine power was all at the top end, so you had to wind the engine out, making it rather weak and unpleasant. It was also a massive oil leaker of an engine. The seat gave me back ache as a teenage driver, speaking to its lack of comfort. It was my first Toyota and haven't bought another in the last 20yrs since.
Interesting to see the differences between these and the NZ assembled ones. The NZ assembled Cressida of the same shape had a 2.8 DOHC six cylinder, leather interior, and digital dash. All very high tech at the time, was also available with a 2 litre SOHC 6 CYL, with grey velour seats and conventional gauges. At the time they seemed very modern and even sleek compared to the model they replaced.
I'll be honest, I thought the Aussie Cressida was also the 2.8DOHC motor, but ours were fully-imported. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong :)
Ian, still got my 1984 Carina (Japan: Corona indeed) ready for you when you are out of quarantaine :-) in the UK and enjoying the mainland of Europe.
14:15 We didn't get that Cressida in Europe, the previous generation was replaced in '83 by the angular FWD Camry in Saloon and Liftback guises. I'm not surprised that Gen.2 Camry looks a lot more modern, it came out in 1986 and styling had moved on quite a bit from the old squarish shapes. Then we got a saloon and estate version.
That Camry looks really cheap inside. Maybe it was a taxi/rental variant?
Call me weird, (most people do) but I find watching your car reviews odly soothing, I think it may be the element of nostalgia, not sure really ,cant quite put my finger on it but whatever...keep them coming, they are most excellent viewing.
I have a yellow AE92 Corolla from the same era, also made in Australia.
I like the Camry the best!
But those seats from the Cressida look lovely.
Loving the velour seats in the cressida.
Bring back velour seats.
Blimey, you could do a family tree chart of the model designations, only trouble would be finding a big enough sheet of paper☹️. Nice vid again Ian, I could like them all for different reasons.
I saw an interactive tree of Toyota models in the Toyota Automobile Museum in Japan. It was... very big!
Cressida reminds me of Datson Bluebird
Me too.
The 3 liter had a digital dash ..and the 2.4 was the most popular version here in S.A
The trim levels and finishes in SA were far superior to what the Aussies ever got.
The 3.0i Cressida was the peach with full leather trim and none of those stupid button seats as seen in the States and other markets.
If you check out Gumtree South Africa, there are still plenty of these about in very good condition.
I drive a 2012 Corolla sedan, and I think it's actually bigger than all these earlier 'medium' Toyotas.
Toyota's have a great reputation in Australia, and are often seen as being better suited to outback conditions than most Ford's and Holden's were..... ironically.
I might buy a Hilux tabletop in a few years time as every bloke should have a ute. I'd also like the first shovel nose Corona from the 60's........if I can find one!
My memory of the Corona in the UK is of a five-door liftback. Pretty sure I have a late 1970s brochure for that in my stash.
Yeah we had those in Australia too, they were fully imported. Had the 2L carb. engine here.
I think only the liftback was offered in Europe as we normally got the Carina which was only offered as a saloon and coupe. Then things got confusing and they rebadged the Corona as "Carina II" for us
That Cressida is a young one. I have a fried with one that has around 500,000 km on the clock.
The mighty Holden “Bush fire” engine, AKA:
Starfish, back fire, misfire, It was never used in any Isuzu vehicles thankfully.
In the early 1980’s The Toyota Corona was available in Ireland as a 5 door hatchback for a very short period of time, 2 years or so.
it was available here in Australia, too, but like you say, not for very long - it just didn't have any really position in the model line up - we have the Estate (wagon) versions for those that needed the extra carrying capacity.
Ah the old Backfire 4, it would shake alternators loose from the mounts.
In New Zealand our Corona all had a Toyota motor. We avoided the dreadful starfire
The starfire is so bad i love it, the AC compressor looks like it's straight off a 6, must take up 90% of what little torque they put out.
Same here, I use to have a vh slx 4 cylinder commodore , wish I still had it.
@@Djr67 They still used it in the vh I thought it was a VC thing.
Hey I recognise that area! That’s Williamstown, which is only about 2 minutes away from me. I drive those roads all the time. Small world haha
Also Willi in the hubnut VW fastback vid :
th-cam.com/video/_GSdLUegaRk/w-d-xo.html
And in the later part of the Holden ute vid :
th-cam.com/video/3JUiURoh5pg/w-d-xo.html
Triangle of confusion? For when you don't expect it to be there.
I always loved the Cressida!
Finding myself liking the austere Camry interior a lot (but then again, luxury cars never really was my cup of tea... unless they were french...) - especially the way the top of the dashboard sorts of floats over the rest - nice!
Corona is nice, like the colour ... SOLD!