Hi Guys,
After I expressed a thought that I would like to do a "restoration" on a car, a friend recently "gave" me (Yes! You read that right.) his 2003 Corolla 1.8J model which was lying almost unused for the last 4 years. The car was in a very, very sad state and I was beginning to wish I had not opened my mouth about the "restoration" thing. Watching too much "Discovery Turbo" I guess - Wheeler Dealers et al! This is a First Owner car. Run 78000 Kms but badly, nay, criminally neglected. Toyota A.S.S. have no records whatsoever of this car which just goes to show.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I took him up on his offer

and after a month of regular visits to the local FNG, the car is finally back on the road.
So far I have changed :
1. Complete Front suspension overhaul including steering overhaul

2. Clutch plates and bearings.
3. Clutch Cylinder.
4. All fluids changed.
5. New air and oil filters.
6. Complete A.C. service with removal of dashboard (for condensor cleaning)
and gas charging.
7. Complete brake overhaul.
8. All power windows overhauled.
9. Both power mirrors overhauled.
10. New tappet head cover gasket.
11. New A.C. Resistor switch.
12. New Horn.
13. New spark plugs.
14. New Pioneer stereo system with USB, Bluetooth and Aux In.
15. Overhauled all meters when dashboard was removed. (Petrol gauge still
not accurate)
16. New Central locking system installed.
17. New reverse sensors installed.
18. Tyres removed and dumped as they were old (11 years old), some with
tubes, various sizes and cracked.
19. Alloy wheels scraped and painted.
20. Fitted new "Bridgestone" Tyres with Alignment and balancing.
21. Thorough cleaning of interior and engine bay.
22. Polishing of headlights.
23. Anti rust coating in the boot.
24. Made a new stepney cover in the boot from plywood.
25. New gear lever cover from leather.
26. New arm rest cover from leather.
27. New steering wheel cover from leather.
28. New floor mats.
29. New clip on rear view mirror. (Not really what I wanted)
The car is looking pretty good now and drives well.
Still a few jobs to be done though.
1. On the front bumper, the fog light space has a black plastic insert. (This model did not have fog lamps). I am unable to find it anywhere. Can anyone help?
2. I would like to fit a felt insulation inside the bonnet. Again, cannot find this anywhere.
3. I hate the rear convex mirror but can't source the original.
4. RPM gauge does not settle at Zero.
5. Speedometer does not settle at Zero.
6. Petrol gauge has a mind of it's own and bears no relation to the amount of fuel in the tank.
7. The clock is still working but cannot be seen at all - only with the help of a torch. I was quoted Rs. 1800 for a new one.
8. Front passenger seat is not reclining. Opened up the entire seat but still no success.
If anyone can suggest any "fixes" for the above, I would be much obliged.
The car is presently in Bombay.
All this work has been done at an FNG and has cost a pretty penny. However, if I had gone to Toyota, I am sure it would have cost me double (at least) as they quoted 18K just for the 80K service.
Regards,
SS