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Old 15th January 2019, 23:34   #1
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Hello Everyone! Before I start off with my first thread, I would like to say a Big thank you to the admins and moderators for approving my application to join Team-BHP. I am indeed very happy to finally become a Team-BHPian.
I would also like to offer my thanks to the members for their warm welcome messages!

Alright, now coming to the thread. From the title of the thread you must have guessed that this thread is going to about some Silver car. Well you guessed right!
This is the story of a Silver Japanese car to be more precise. Dear readers, I give you the story of my Toyota Corolla! my trusty 'Silver Streak'.
It is a car that just refuses to give up! So here goes.

Prelude 2004-2005
The story traces back to some point around July-August of 2004. I was a little child of 3, who had just about learnt to speak and communicate. Since the age of 2 I have had a love for cars, there was always something that brought a smile on my face when I saw this metal thing on four wheels moving around. Later I learnt that its called CAR . So at that point in time, our garage consisted of a Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXI, also a great car I might add and a 2002 Maruti Wagon R Vxi . However, my dad back then was in his late thirties and was on the lookout for a slightly upmarket car that was fuel efficient, comfortable, easy to maintain and would stay with us for at least 5 years. The options that my dad considered back then were:- Skoda Octavia 1.8 Petrol, Honda City Dolphin and the Chevrolet Optra. Back in 2004, these cars were pretty new to the market and were selling quite well, so my dad decided to test drive each one.

So first on the list was the Skoda! I remember my dad taking me to the Skoda Showroom at Worli, Mumbai for a test drive in the Octavia, there was a swanky silver Octavia in the showroom and it looked awesome! Dad test drove the petrol Octavia and was quite pleased with it. Right from there we went a couple of blocks behind to the Honda Showroom where we took a test drive in a silver Honda City Dolphin. Although I was just a little child back then, I still remember that look of disappointment on my dad's face when he drove the City. My dad was a big fan of the Old Honda City, but the Dolphin just did not seem to excite him as much as the old one did. So, out went the Honda City from our list of options. Next up was the Petrol Chevrolet Optra.
The Optra was decent but apparently it had a mushy gearbox and my dad did not like the feel of the car much.

A month or so went by just like that, my dad had pretty much decided on getting the Octavia. Only until he did some detailed research and heard that Skoda's maintenance was quite killer back then. So we decided to remove the Octavia from the options then.
One of my dad's office colleagues back then drove a Toyota Qualis. He suggested to my dad that he must take a look at the Toyota Corolla, which to my dad was some random Japanese Sedan that had been there since a year or so and was sold by the company that sold us the Qualis that looked like a brick. Initially, my dad did not even really consider looking at it , but then later changed his mind.

So again, he held my little arm and we went to the Shinrai Toyota Showroom at Parel. I still remember they had a Pearl White corolla on display there. The Staff was very polite and enthusiastic. Dad took a test drive in the test car which was a metallic Blue Corolla and was fairly happy with the car. But he was just fairly happy.
Another month , he decided to go alone to the Toyota showroom one day after work and test drive the Corolla again . He came back that very night and said that there's soon going to be a new car in our garage!! Being the innocent and car crazy child that I was, just hearing the words 'new car' made me jump with joy!

So the car was ordered. We were scheduled to take delivery in December 2004. My dad had booked a Pearl White 1.8E variant Corolla, which was the mid-variant. It cost around 9-10 Lacs ex-showroom Mumbai then, I don't remember the exact figures. Anyway, we get a call 5 days before the delivery day saying that Pearl white was not available for some reason and that delivery may be delayed. So we dropped the plan of the Pearl White colour although it was probably the best colour. We zeroed in on the Metallic Silver colour. Delivery was delayed by nearly a month due to some issues with the stock of cars or something if I remember right.

Anyway 2004, comes to an end and we welcome 2005. Finally, the long wait was over and on the 20th of January 2005, the car was ready. My dad and Mom went to get the car some point early in the morning, I was asleep. Around noon, my mom closed my eyes with her palms and took me down to the compound and once I open my eyes, I saw this long-ish, but elegant, shiny, silver sedan standing in the compound with a ribbon running on the bonnet, the shiny Toyota logo on the grill made the front of the car look like it was smiling! I was so excited! I immediately wanted to open the door before the car was even unlocked. So I climbed in, the seats were plush and it seemed so big inside like a spaceship! What I disliked then and still dislike is the wooden trims on the center console. So the car was driven to the nearby temple and blessed, then it was taken to Worli Sea Face for a small photo session where I remember we asked a passer-by to take a picture of myself and my parents standing beside the sleek and shiny new car on our old 35mm film Roll camera! So we then go back home, dad took a few shots on his Nokia Cellphone's camera, which I still have with me along with a few initial pictures of the car.

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-img_8458.jpg
One of the first ever images of the car shot on a 35mm Film camera. Notice the grainy film picture quality! This is a scanned image.
The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-dsc_22832.jpg
The 'Smiling' Toyota logo
The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-17062005.jpg
This image was taken by my dad on his Nokia 6630's camera

First the Likes
1. First things first, one big boon of the Toyota Corolla is it's reliability! It is till date the most reliable car that we have ever owned. Never has there ever been an incident where the car has given us a hard time or been heavy on the pocket. Owning the car has been absolutely hassle free!

2.Good mileage:- As I have stated in the post , the Corolla's engine gives a mileage of about 10kmpl in the city and about 13kmpl on the highway. The 1.8 litre petrol engine is pretty fuel efficient!

3. Good Suspension:- One element that is common to most Toyota cars is good and soft suspension. The Corolla's suspension has held on amazingly all this while! The car has conquered most of Mumbai's potholes without any issues. It was only recently that we had to change the shock absorbers as the old ones had worn out, but that was after 13 long years! Ground clearance of the car too is very good, you sit at a position where you are comfortable ! Body roll is quite absent.

4. Good Aftersales Service:- Right from the first service, the Toyota Authorised Service Center where we send the car has always done a grand job at servicing the car and they continue to do so! The staff is efficient and responsive. Like some other service centers, where the older cars sometimes get neglected , the Toyota Service center's attitude towards older cars is the same as it is towards the newer cars that come there. Of course, the services are not cheap, but I can confidently say that the money spent has not been wasted.

5. Great Build Quality:- Everything about the old Corolla screams Build Quality! The body of the car itself is very strong and tough. It has survived a falling coconut, a tree, a truck and many reckless Mumbai Drivers with just maybe a minor bump or a few scratches! Even in the interior, every bit feels built to last such that everything has held its ground to this day! Living in a city like Mumbai, is a challenge for any car guy as rust is a big issue. Thankfully, the car has never shown any major signs of rust, except for a small part below the passenger front door that was attended to during the last service.

6. Good engine:- The 1.8 Litre petrol engine may not be the desired Fun to Drive or punchy engine. Although, I don't drive yet I have heard my dad and everyone who has driven the car say that the engine has a good cruising ability and connects with the driver of the car.

7. Safety:- Although the old Corolla was launched in India in an era when we were just about introducing safety features in cars, that too only in the top end cars, Toyota made a smart move by introducing two airbags in all the variants of the Corolla . Hence, the car is safe even by today's standards although the newer cars do have more than just two airbags. The instrument cluster also shows Seatbelt warning lights and there are warning buzzers that start beeping if the doors,boot etc. of the car are left open. An Anti-theft engine immobiliser was also a standard feature! The top variant of the car, the 1.8 G even got ABS!

8.Poweful Headlights:- The headlights of the car are powerful and more than enough to go through dimly lit or dark areas in the city at night without any worries.

Now for the Dislikes. Thankfully the Likes outnumber the Dislikes

1. Boring engine:- As I mentioned earlier, the 1.8 litre petrol engine maybe possessing cruising abilities, but it is not particularly fun to drive. Many automotive magazines and reviewers have criticised the Corolla's engine for that reason and called it Boring and Lacklustre. Even my dad has often said that the one reason why he would still feel like driving the Ikon over the Corolla sometimes was due to the engine.

2. Interiors:- Yes the interiors of the Old Corolla were considered cool back then, but unlike the rest of the car the interiors haven't particularly stayed evergreen. The fake wood trims on the center console were never my favourite, in fact I preferred the simple grey trims of the base 1.8 J to those of my car. Despite regular care, the interior has gotten a bit faded over time. But never mind, I have to give the car some consideration since it is now 14 years old.

3. Notchy Gearbox:- Although I have not driven the car as I am not 18 yet, I have always observed that the gears of the car have to be shifted with a bit more effort and strength than those of many other cars that I have sat in.

4. Mirror visibility:- The mirror visibility is not the best in its class. The mirrors are a bit small and narrow, which reduces proper rear view visibility for the driver.

Well, that's it ! I hope you enjoyed reading this story and review about my Silver Streak! Do leave your comments and if you ever owned an old Corolla or have any memories associated with one, do share your experience! Cheers!!

Last edited by GTO : 22nd January 2019 at 14:14. Reason: Adding likes & dislikes to the opening post :)
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Old 16th January 2019, 18:38   #2
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re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

The Corolla became my dad's daily runner immediately after it was bought, replacing the Ikon , although the Ikon was used at least once or twice in a week .
A few months pass, and we are a happy family with a modest Japanese Sedan. Then comes July. For every Mumbaikar the 26th of July, 2005 will be an unforgettable day. The city was affected by possibly the worst rain it had ever received, Mumbai was under water that day. Several Mumbaikars were stranded and some unfortunately didn't survive.

The 26th of July, was a fateful day for the cars of Mumbai as well, as several cars had to be abandoned and eventually were ruined due to the massive water accumalation. My dad had his office at Worli back then and he thankfully left a little before the water logging got worse. The Corolla was driven with it's wheels submerged in water, but it did not give any trouble and made it home through the flooded streets and brought my dad home safely. The car was sent for a thorough checkup to the Toyota service center thereafter and fortunately did not have any signs of major damage.

A Month passes by , Mumbai recovers from the shock of the July floods and everything goes back to normal. One night, my dad got a call from the neighbours saying that a Coconut Tree had fallen and damaged the Corolla. My dad took me along, and we immediately went down. From a distance it looked like the car was done for, as a branch of the tree was lying on the roof, but on looking at it closely we saw that all that was caused was nothing but a small little bump near the roof! My dad heaved a sigh of relief and with some help from the neighbours managed to remove the fallen bits of the tree off the car. Phew! That was a close shave!

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-mumbai_floods_in_monsoon.jpg

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-07mumbaifloods2005.jpg

The horrors of the 2005 floods are perfectly showcased in these photographs. A car enthusiast will probably shudder at the sight of those submerged cars. Yikes!

Last edited by CrAzY dRiVeR : 20th January 2019 at 16:15. Reason: Minor corrections
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Old 16th January 2019, 18:51   #3
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re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

Time passes by faster than you know it!

2005 comes to an end and then begins 2006. I have my first year at school and I was dropped off to school every morning in the Corolla. Although, going to school then always brought a sour expression to my face, knowing that I was going to be dropped off in the Corolla changed it to a smile. The Ikon which came to be used even less was unfortunately sold off.
Wish we still had that car too. Between 2006 and 2010 we made several road trips to Karjat, Pune, Matheran and places in Maharashtra. The Corolla which was more of a city car thereby got a taste of the highways and rural roads. The suspension was amazingly soft even on the worst of roads!

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-dsc_0041x.jpg
Here is an image of the Corolla chilling somewhere in Karjat in late 2006.

As I said earlier, time goes by very fast! So now fast forward to 2008.
3 years were completed with the Corolla in January 2008. As per my dad, the car would stay for 2 years more since the initial plan was to keep it for 5 years. By then, we had developed a name for it- SILVER STREAK! because of the way the light shined on the silver metal of the car! At some point in May 2008, I see on the Overdrive show while watching TV with dad, 'Toyota has just launched the new 2008 look Corolla' the Corolla Altis, which looked kind off boxy and muscular compared to our Silver Streak. The car was expected to come to India later that year. The same year a few months later we made a road trip to Goa in the car, and it served us and ran brilliantly! I still remember carrying several CDs and Cassettes to play on the Music System! Gosh the Nostalgia! At the time I was still a kid in the 2nd standard, and still loved to be ferried around in the Corolla. There were two new additions to our garage to as well then, The Wagon R was sold and replaced by a Hyundai Getz 1.3 GLS and a Hyundai Santro Xing ERLX. Both very good city cars I must add. But the King of the Garage was the benign Corolla! Months go by and everything goes of well for the car, it was sent for it's regular service and checkup work to the Toyota Service Center.

But wait! Something unfortunate, something sad, something bad, something mournful happens as 2008 comes to an end. Mumbai is shocked and devastated! Another day that is unforgettable for any Mumbaikar and is seen as a vision of horror and terror is the 26th of November, 2008. Terrorists attacked several locations in the city, there was chaos all over. School was closed for a week. I too was traumatized by this fateful incident as I was a kid of only 8 years back then and it was horrifying to hear about. The horrors of that day finally came to an end on the 28-29th of November when the Commandos managed to finally kill all the terrorists. As for Silver Streak, thing's do not auger too well either, it had it's first accident around the same time. A truck had banged into it from behind and badly dented the bumper and broken the right taillight while it was on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. However despite the impact, the occupants of the car my driver and somebody can't remember who were safe and the rear bumper had taken all the beatings. Fortunately or Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of that .I didn't see the car for nearly a week and was wondering what happened to it? But it returned, looking as good as new. 2008 then slowly draws to an end, with Mumbai and India mourning for all those who lost their lives in the attacks. Everyone prayed that 2009 would be a better and safer year.

Last edited by CrAzY dRiVeR : 20th January 2019 at 16:04.
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Old 19th January 2019, 11:27   #4
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re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

As 2008 came to an end and 2009 began, Mumbai was still recovering from the devastation of the 26/11 attacks. As for Silver Streak, it had just turned 4 years old on the 20th of January 2009!
Later in 2009, we made a few trips in the car to Lonavala and back. No need to say how it went Smile Silver streak continued to serve us flawlessly, month after month after month! In 2010, around Jan we made a trip to Matheran before the car's 5th Birthday. This was supposedly the last year of Silver Streak. So I waited for Dad to come home one fine night from office and say, it's time to bid adieu to it. Fortunately, that night never ever came!!! We had come to the conclusion that we were going to keep her for some more time.

Well that some time translated to 3 years more! One morning in 2013, when I was going to school, I saw Silver Streak out on the road. It had been parked there since there was some tiling work being done in the compound. I was astonished to see a tree had fallen all over her! The windscreen was all smashed, the bonnet had taken the heavy impact and the headlight was cracked! I thought she was gone. That was the first time we actually thought of getting rid of her. But insurance had us covered! and the service center got our job done in no time and there she was! all up and running again. This when I realised, this Corolla is a no nonsense car, if taken good care of it will never disappoint you and will serve you tirelessly . It was a car that refused to die and just kept going on and on and on!

Here are a couple of snaps from 2009-2010
The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-dsc_2313.jpg

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-9.jpg
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Old 19th January 2019, 11:50   #5
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re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

It has often been said that Japanese people outlive people from other parts of the world! Well, the cars made and created by them in the very well known Japanese Domestic Market also tend to live till eternity! So the time has come now, to introduce you to something that in my eyes has lived till and beyond eternity. Meet Silver Streak today! 13 years old and still alive and kicking! This car is an example of what makes a Toyota a Toyota and also probably why the Corolla was and still is the world's best selling car! The car is still my dad's daily driver and continues to reside in the garage of our Mumbai home! Despite having it for so long, the car hasn't done much over 42,000km which I feel is quite less for a 13 year old car! I will surely put some more km on the clock once I start driving! Here are recent images of Silver Streak from 2018 for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy!!

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-14.jpg
Chilling in the Rain

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-15.jpg
An aesthetic rainy day picture

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-16.jpg
The smiling Toyota logo in the center of the grill

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-18.jpg
The taillights

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-alloy.jpg
The 6 spoke alloy and the original Bridgestone tyre

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-dsc_2302.jpg
The mirror. Since my car is the 1.8 E mid variant, I am lucky to have the privilege of electrically openable and adjustable mirros. The speed of the electrical motor for mirrors has kind off slowed down over the years. Mirror visibility however could have been improved.

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-20.jpg
The rear end of the car. Note that my car is a 1.8 E and not 1.8 J. The 1.8 'J' was the base variant. The J badge was added there by mistake and I have not been able to find an 'E' badge yet. Any leads will be appreciated. Notice the parking sensors and reverse camera that have been added.

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-2.jpg
The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-8.jpg
Silver Streak cooling off at Worli Sea Face, at the exact same spot where the first ever picture of the car was taken 14 years ago, with me and my parents standing beside it! Nostalgia I tell you!

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail.jpg
The front of the car still continues to smile even after all these years, it still looks super fresh and evergreen and indeed does bring a smile to my face every time I look at it!

Last edited by BeemerBug_06 : 21st January 2019 at 23:05.
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Old 19th January 2019, 12:18   #6
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re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

Hope you enjoyed seeing the photos of the exterior of the car! Now it's time for some photos of the interior!

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-19.jpg
The original Key which came with the car along with an aftermarket keyless entry remote

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-23.jpg
The Toyota Corolla owner's manual and information guide that came with the car

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-22.jpg
The original Toyota manufactured Music System Head Unit. At the time, this Toyota music stereo system was looked at as a royalty since it could hold 6 CDs at a time, plus a cassette tape and could play the radio! Secondly, it was also inbuilt in the car and could not be stolen easily. PS:- Car radios were one of the most commonly stolen things back in those days. Although, I have the head unit stored safely at home, it was replaced by a Pioneer infotainment system last year.

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-4.jpg
The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-5.jpg
The interior of the car has stood its ground throughout the years. The seat upholstery is still original although it has gotten a bit faded now. The steering wheel finish has luckily not shown much wear. The Pioneer infotainment system has now been added in the place of the original Head Unit in the center of the dashboard. Storage space is quite sufficient, the glovebox is fairly big and there are two compartments in the center to store some papers etc. For someone like me who is 6'1'' there is no lack of headroom or leg room in both the front and rear seats of the car.

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-dsc_2286.jpg
The White 'Moonlight' dials . While the base variant of the Corolla got simple black dials, the white ones were looked at as a premium feature. Although, they seem dated now they still look brilliant at night!

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-dsc_2304.jpg
The passenger side SRS airbag. My car has two airbags, one for the passenger and one for the driver which is located in the steering. This car is from an era when airbags were just about being installed in the newer cars in India . It was a wise move by Toyota to install two airbags in every variant of the Corolla.

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-dsc_2278.jpg
The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-dsc_2284.jpg
The various switches and small storage compartments for the Knick Knacks

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-11.jpg
The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-dsc_2290.jpg
In the early 2000s cigarette lighters still came as an accessory for certain cars. Although my Corolla still retains the original lighter, the car is strictly a No Smoking zone! The lighter socket now doubles up as a cell phone car charging port.

The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-dsc_2285.jpg
The Air Conditioner vents are positioned perfectly! The air conditioner still cools superbly and is more than sufficient to survive Mumbai heat.

And Finally!
The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E-thumbnail-6.jpg
The 1.8 Litre Petrol engine which has worked tirelessly and continues to do so. The engine gives a mileage of about 10kmpl in the city and 13kmpl on the highway. It produces around 125 bhp and is powered by VVT-i technology. Although, it may not be a particularly 'Fun to Drive' car, it is surely one of the best and hassle free engines.

It has been a long journey with Silver Streak and I can assure you that it is not going to see the face of a Second Owner anytime soon! Without doubt, it is one of the best cars we have ever owned. I can't wait to turn 18!

Last edited by BeemerBug_06 : 21st January 2019 at 22:58.
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Old 22nd January 2019, 14:12   #7
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Re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Long-term Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 22nd January 2019, 14:38   #8
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Re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

Belated Happy Birthday Silver Streak! And how bad of you Nikhil to have forgotten Silver Streak's Birthday! I seriously feel that Silver streak should breakdown and make you realise your mistake. But a Corolla being a Corolla, it won't!

It's one of the neatly maintained Corolla's I've ever seen. Your Silver Streak is meant to live on till eternity. Keep the clock ticking and please update the thread regularly.

Cheers!
Varun

P.S : My 200th post is dedicated to the Silver Streak!
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Old 22nd January 2019, 15:41   #9
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Re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

Quote:
Originally Posted by BeemerBug_06 View Post
The 6 spoke alloy and the original Bridgestone tyre
First of all kudos to your Father for maintain this car in top shape for 13 years. That indeed is a great achievement.

By original do you mean factory fitted tires ? Or is this an old picture (not from 2018) ?
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Old 22nd January 2019, 16:25   #10
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Re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

Nice review of the old Corolla. I happen to own one too. You have got a lot of observations spot on. The car is extremely reliable, comfortable and very easy on the pocket when it comes to maintenance. Most Toyotas feel like they will outlive their owners and this car is no different. The materials used in the construction of the car are durable and don't wear off easily.

Coming to the engine, it has a superb low-end. That makes it quick out of the blocks and very easy to drive in the city. The top-end, however, is poor and if you are into high-revving, you will be disappointed.

Still, the strong points of the Corolla far outweigh its weaknesses. As you said, take care of the car and it will return the love - many times over.

Last edited by Aditya : 23rd January 2019 at 07:54.
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Old 22nd January 2019, 17:00   #11
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Re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

"The original Toyota manufactured Music System Head Unit. At the time, this Toyota music stereo system was looked at as a royalty since it could hold 6 CDs at a time, plus a cassette tape and could play the radio!"

Oh man, brought back such fond memories! I owned a similar one between 2007 and 2010. The 6 CD changer was a much loved feature. I would usually divide the six slots between audio books and music CD's. And would restock only once a month
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Old 22nd January 2019, 19:12   #12
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Re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

Nice review!! I can still remember high revving my father's Corolla 2003, such a wonderful machine. I may have to differ with you on one opinion though, the engine.

It was the highlight back in the days, it could easily top 110kmph 2nd gear, wondering how many cars could do that back then. Optra, Elantra and even civic was no match for its outright acceleration figures. The Corolla back then was a wolf in sheep's clothing
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Old 22nd January 2019, 22:50   #13
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Re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

Quote:
Originally Posted by Varun_HexaGuy View Post
Belated Happy Birthday Silver Streak!
It's one of the neatly maintained Corolla's I've ever seen. Your Silver Streak is meant to live on till eternity. Keep the clock ticking and please update the thread regularly.
Cheers! Varun
It is indeed very irresponsible of me to forget the car's birthday the car will be treated tomorrow at the petrol pump with a birthday wash and polish! Thanks for your comments buddy and do come over for a drive sometime. Cheers mate!

Quote:
Originally Posted by vaasscit View Post
First of all kudos to your Father for maintain this car in top shape for 13 years. That indeed is a great achievement.
By original do you mean factory fitted tires ? Or is this an old picture (not from 2018) ?
Hi vaasscit! Thank you for your compliments! Yes, by original I mean factory fitted tyres!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aditya View Post
Nice review of the old Corolla. I happen to own one too. You have got a lot of observations spot on. The car is extremely reliable, comfortable and very easy on the pocket when it comes to maintenance. Most Toyotas feels like they will outlive their owners and this car is no different. The materials used in the construction of the car are durable and don't wear off easily.
Thanks for your comments Aditya! Good to see another old Corolla owner here! Do post some pictures of your car here. Would love to see it

Quote:
Originally Posted by catchjyoti View Post
Oh man, brought back such fond memories! I owned a similar one between 2007 and 2010. The 6 CD changer was a much loved feature. I would usually divide the six slots between audio books and music CD's. And would restock only once a month
Yes catchjyoti!! That original Toyota Head unit was absolutely superb and futuristic back in the day. I feel nostalgic everytime I look at the unit which has been safely kept at home.
Sometimes, I wish we hadn't replaced it with the infotainment system.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vittalnrv View Post
Nice review!! I can still remember high revving my father's Corolla 2003, such a wonderful machine. I may have to differ with you on one opinion though, the engine.
Hi vittalnrv! Thanks for your comments! It's good to find someone who has a unique opinion of the Corolla's engine, contary to most people.
Cheers man, keep revving!!
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Old 22nd January 2019, 23:12   #14
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Re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

Wow, this brings such fond memories, this car literally saved my life.

We owned a Corolla from 2003-2006, it replaced our first gen Honda City then which was only an year old at that time but dad just wanted the Corolla as soon as it was launched.
I remember the day this was delivered and the car was quite an upgrade from the Honda City, i was only a passenger at that time (i was 10) but dad used to drive it really enthusiastically, it was the peppiest of all the cars we had owned and that VVTi engine sounded just amazing!
I used to be a fast and furious and Dhoom fan at that time and the engine note from this engine sounded like a nice racing car to me then, my dad, young then, used to revv it from time to time and to me the experience everytime was no less than being in an action movie. (We owned a Civic after this and then eventually Cruze but i guess dad got old by then or maybe i started driving but i've seen him happiest behind the wheel of Corolla)

Coming to the saving my life part, it was one morning when 4 of us were going somewhere with me in the front seat, dad driving when the accident happened.
My dad was overtaking a bus when the moment he switched lanes the car hit a divider (a 5 feet long thick metal pillar, which went flying) at the speed of no less than 80 Km/h. I don't think many of the cars costing a million bucks even today have the rigidity and the outstanding build of the Corolla that all of us (except one rear seat passenger) got out without a scratch. Even NCAP tests are done at 64 Km/h to the best of my knowledge. We had a first gen Swift at that time which we used to alternate with this, had it been that car, i can't say what would have happened.
The car came from 80-0 in an instant and i still remember i was totally in shock for atleast 5 seconds, the moment i got normal the airbags had deployed and were deflated, the cabin was filled with smoke and we got out instantly.
The airbags left a few rashes on my face, it was as if someone had punched me hard on my face and the belts got so hard that it just glued me tightly to the seat and i could'nt move an inch unless i remove it. Full marks to Toyota on the safety aspect, ours was a base model (J) Corolla.

Coming to the 4th injured passenger, actually it was my grand dad in the back seat who was not wearing a seat belt. (he is the only person in our family who does now, in the backseat that is) so he hit the strong metal frame of the seat and got a knee fracture. The car when it was repaired months later and ready to be delivered, it was then when we found out the frame which he had hit, was dented badly and needed to be replaced, until then we were confused, how hitting a fabric seat did he got so hurt that it broke his knee.

Last edited by Rocketscience : 22nd January 2019 at 23:20.
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Old 22nd January 2019, 23:28   #15
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Re: The story of 'The Silver Streak' and I : My 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.8 E

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocketscience View Post
Wow, this brings such fond memories, this car literally saved my life.

We owned a Corolla from 2003-2006, it replaced our first gen Honda City then which was only an year old at that time but dad just wanted the Corolla as soon as it was launched
Gosh! That indeed is a horific accident! I shudder to imagine what you must've felt! Like I said in my post, the old Corolla is a safe car even by today's standards. Your story is a perfect example of the safety offered by the Corolla. I am glad to hear that your family members were all safe! Hope your grandfather is alright now and do buckle up for safety at all times
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