farmsci Posted August 23, 2010 Report Posted August 23, 2010 Okay so i'll start with a bit of backstory, my older brother has lived in the states now for about 4 years. I can't remember a time in recent memory where a conversation with him that has lasted more than 20 seconds didn't end up with him telling me or anyone else how much he misses the KE25 Corolla he owned 12 YEARS AGO! Fast forward to two weeks ago when someone posts up the car he rescued from a wrecking yard for $400. So after umming and ahhing for a while I send my bro a text message (around midnight in new york) commically suggesting he buys it to drive when he visits Australia next... 3 mins later he calls me. I stupidly suggested if he buys it ill go collect it for him, and I would happily carry out the work on it for him to get it on the road. So what does he do? Tells me to go buy it! So last weekend I drove from Canberra to Bendigo to collect a KE25 Rolla in need of much TLC as a new project streeter! (nevermind I almost spent the purchase price again on the trip!) Plans? Well it MUST be orange (brother request) and road legal. Not being one who is content with "the way the factory intended" I have so far concluded maybe something like XR5 Orange, with chrome/silver trims bits re-done satin silver, Gunmetal 13" minilites and either a 4AGE or 12A BP for motivation. That said am very open to suggestion at this stage! Also a big thanks to Cameron for both providing the car and a few spares and also for the experience of crapping myself flailing around in the passenger seat of an uncaged corolla piloted through dense bushland drifting within centimeters of solid trees driven by a bloke I met 15 mins earlier! That I won't forget in a hurry! Cheers, Steve And pics: Quote
altezzaclub Posted August 23, 2010 Report Posted August 23, 2010 4AGE !!! and I assume... He won't be visiting Aussie for years so you get time to do it! ..and he will be bloody lucky to get to drive it at all after you've finished putting all the work in! :jamie: Quote
farmsci Posted August 23, 2010 Author Report Posted August 23, 2010 Your not wrong, but then again at most I would be giving it up for maybe 2 weeks in every couple of years, I think I can manage! Not short of other fun things i can drive at the moment anyways. Quote
Tally Posted August 23, 2010 Report Posted August 23, 2010 (edited) congrats on the buy man! Love KE25s, looks like this one went to a good home.... Good base to start with too! Edited August 23, 2010 by Tally Quote
farmsci Posted August 23, 2010 Author Report Posted August 23, 2010 yeah it all seems structurally sound, fired up with a spray of start ya bastard in the carby and a battery so it should easily become a runner when I piece the fuel system back together. Will need a little work on electrics but nothing major. I'm confident i can have it up and running in a couple of days, time permitting of course. Quote
Duckman Posted August 23, 2010 Report Posted August 23, 2010 Nice score! Wish I had a brother like you. I like the time permitting at the end...time makes fools of us all. I have a growing pile, of jobs and parts for my rolla....time permitting they'll find their way into my Rosie(what I call my KE30) Best of luck with the resto :jamie: Quote
farmsci Posted August 23, 2010 Author Report Posted August 23, 2010 haha, yeah, i've had enough projects now to know it's pointless to kid myself that any timeline is realistic! But they all get there eventually. Quote
Redwarf Posted August 23, 2010 Report Posted August 23, 2010 Nice. My 25 looked something like that when I picked it up. 19 years later it's still in my garage (a little different from then.....). Good to see another saved. Quote
TheNOBBLER[RL] Posted August 24, 2010 Report Posted August 24, 2010 (edited) Ahh... I know this car! Glad to see it's gone to a good home. Previous owner was just telling me the other day that it had gone, it was time to let someone with the time to tidy it up take it home. Will be watching this one come together, especially with that front end on it :jamie: Oh... And good to see Cam took you for a spin in his track car! The bloke can steer! Edited August 24, 2010 by TheNOBBLER Quote
farmsci Posted August 24, 2010 Author Report Posted August 24, 2010 Haha, yes Cam can steer very well, i just wish i knew that with cofidence before charging into dense bushland! Quote
farmsci Posted October 5, 2010 Author Report Posted October 5, 2010 Update time! Thanks to labour day I was able to put in a days manual labour on the rolla. Fuel system is now fully operational! She runs sweetly as well, idles nice n smooth, ticks over straight away every time, put in new oil, and replaced the filter, sounds and revs sweetly. Degreased the engine bay and discovered that the motor came out with some neat factory bling (block is painted red!) Also discovered that it is pissing out water from the thermostat, which on closer inspection is rooted. Got some sweet series 1 RX-7 rims for it, rears look tops although the 205 tyres fitted to them wont clear the front struts (anyone got any 13in 185s they want to get rid of?) Steering is tight, clutch works fine. Electrics, well nothing works, however on closer inspection that may be because the fuse box is empty. All in all we came away from the days work feeling more confident than when we started which is promising! Finally some pics: Quote
ke70dave Posted October 5, 2010 Report Posted October 5, 2010 ah those RX7 wheels look great. that is quite possibly the greatest crack in a dash i have ever seen! Quote
farmsci Posted October 5, 2010 Author Report Posted October 5, 2010 ah those RX7 wheels look great. that is quite possibly the greatest crack in a dash i have ever seen! haha yeah I would call it an epic dash crack Quote
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