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Feb 18, 2012 18:33:27 GMT
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Well, a whole month went by without me buying a car, and with the Maxi going today, the time had come for a new and even more ambitious project. Meet my new Toyota Cressida:  This is how it looked, sat in the same spot for 21 years (1 year longer than I have been alive) and looking very sorry for itself with rust freckles and a flat tyre. A quick look over the car showed that it was actually very solid. 650 notes later and I was the proud owner, now just to get it home. The flat tyre took air and it had been left in neutral with the handbrake off, so after a couple of whacks with a hammer and the help of a breaker bar, the front discs were un-seized. The next weekend I had aranged a transporter and was all ready to push it out and into the range of the tansporters winch. The tyre was flat and I didn't have a pump, so after a frantic scramble I borrowed one and got 20 psi in it. It was all going swimmingly, but then , whilst on gravel and almost within range of the transporter, it suddenly became difficult to push and the steering was fighting.  That's the problem right there. After some more effort it was on the transporter and on its way to its new home. First job was cleaning it and it has come up alright:   The paint is filthy so despite spong washing it and the hosing off, it still isn't remotly clean and will need some more going over, but the paint buffs up surprisingly well. Amazing what a bit of T-cut will do, although I think the rust starins may require a more viscious compound, or run back and spray, or maybe just keep an eye on them, they are patina that the rat look boys can only dream of replicating. Last job I managed before it got stupidly cold was to get the boot open, the lock had seized. Some WD40 and leaving it 20 minutes and it popped open without issue, to reveal a mint boot floor, although the carpet it filthy.  The interior is dirty but almost mint. A quick hooevr out should see it right.   Jobs for tomorrow. Hoover interior, then see if it will turn over and if it does, why not try and get it running? It would be practically MOT worthy then, as I am yet to find any structural rot (or even anything past surface rust) which is pretty amazing. |
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Neil
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,485
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Feb 18, 2012 20:46:09 GMT
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Love it. Locally registered car too.
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japclassics
Part of things
Your trip down memory lane begins here ....
Posts: 757
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Feb 18, 2012 20:54:14 GMT
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Ahhhhhhhhh The Cressida RX30.....
Love It ;-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
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1976 Colt Galant GTO GSR (project)
1984 Corolla AE86
1986Corolla AE82 GT
1987 Corolla AE92 GTI
1983 Mazda 323 GT (BD) (Project)
1998 Corolla E11 1.6 SR
1999 Corolla E11 G6R
2000 Corolla E11 1.6 SR
1997 Corolla G6 (1.3 6 Speed)
1999 Corolla E11 G6R (Project)
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Feb 18, 2012 22:02:08 GMT
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You lucky, lucky man.
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choaky
Part of things
Posts: 284
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Feb 19, 2012 13:49:06 GMT
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I can vouch that this is a very solid car indeed! Bags of potential! :-)
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Escort Mk4 ST170 powered sleeper
Instagram: @f670_pur
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Feb 19, 2012 16:59:42 GMT
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nice one. any plans for it?
a few simple mods and it will look even better
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Feb 19, 2012 19:55:23 GMT
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Spent almost a full day on it today, and made some good progress. First I would just like to thank choaky for helping me claen it yesterday (as can be seen in the photo of the guy diligantly polsihing the rear wing) as it was taking me ages. I opened up the garage door bright and early to be met by the sight of its yellow rump:  I think the rear ligths might be my favourite design aspect of this car. But anyway, I quickly set to work on hoovering out and generally cleaning the interior which is now in a state that someone might reasonably entertain sitting in it. The interior also has some lovely details:    And the milage, which judging by the excellent condition of the interior and exterior is genuine.  With that seen to I then unwound the sparkplugs which were black and ruined and popped some oil down the bores, before setting to work again polishing.   This one shows the difference a bit of t-cut is making. The left has had a quick buff up and the right has only had a wash with zip-wax. The biggest difference I have ever seen first hand on a car.  And this is what the T-Cut has to contend with, the rust acne. From here it was all basic mechanical work, I stuck a socket and ratchet on the crank pulley and with a bit of resistance to get it going the engine then began turning over like with almost no effort, and a quick peek down the oil filler cap confirmed that the cam was moving as it should. With this I then pulled of the coil lead and nicked the battery from the MR2 for a quick go with the starter motor, which again worked without issue. As I now had electricity, I tried out all the equipment and everything except the passenger side washer jet is working perfectly. I was quite amazed. I then attached the coil lead and went to fire it up with new spark plugs, but nothing, I checked an had a spark but after quite a bit of cranking the spark plugs weren't even slightly wet. I checked and the fuel pump was working and drawing through fuel (all be it 21 year old fuel) so I think the carb jet is blocked. A job for next weekend as by this point it was getting a little dark and murderously cold. Still I am pleased, the engine turns over and I have a spark so I am half way there as it is. Just need to clean the carb and see if it needs anything else to get it going, then the obvious tyre issue (I am on the lookout for some 114.3pcd wheels with tyres just to get me through an MOT) and then replace the brakes, if I can get hold of the parts. There must be a good source of bits somewhere? |
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Last Edit: Feb 19, 2012 20:01:24 GMT by philibusmo
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Mike
East Midlands
Posts: 3,387
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Feb 19, 2012 21:11:42 GMT
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This is an excellent buy, I'm very jealous.
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RetroMat
Posted a lot
Column Shifting!
Posts: 3,442
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Feb 19, 2012 21:17:36 GMT
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A very cool car for £650! Parts the ussual ebay.co.uk/com/oz. My hiace has got the same engine as the Cressida i've had quite a few bits from rockauto.com (gaskets/oilpump/timingchain kit) Also try your local toyota dealers they seem to be able to get most things! Use www.toyodiy.com/ for part nos! |
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Last Edit: Feb 19, 2012 21:18:11 GMT by RetroMat
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Neil
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,485
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Feb 19, 2012 21:18:03 GMT
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Feb 22, 2012 21:16:57 GMT
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Small update; it starts!
Bit of fuel down the carb and started as soon as the key was turned. The pickup from the petrol tank seems to be blocked though so the tank is in the process of being dropped off, but rain has put that off for another day. Still a very pleasing development.
And I'm glad people like it, I really wasn't sure with this one.
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Feb 22, 2012 21:50:13 GMT
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 i had the two door pillarless coupe version many years ago. imported by to the Hong Kong embassy a couple of owners before i bought it (paid £600). six cylinder 2.0 auto with electric everything including wing mirrors. aircon, shagpile carpet (about an inch thick) , velour seats. super smooth to drive with disc brakes all round and indipendent rear suspension. . badged as a Toyopet it was quite slow though. Supra engine would have gone straight in . sold it after about a year. doesn't exsist anymore now though. 
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This looks great! it's not surprising about the stale petrol, it doesn't last long before going off, even the diesel in my fuel filter in my daily had started to go like jelly when i changed it last week and that's only a year old .
I'm looking forwards to the next update!
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djefk
Part of things
Posts: 844
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I just read your offer to swap this for Volksangyll's Princess - TBH although I'd be happy with either, this would be by far my preference - The look of the rear, the colour, that cool interior and also the way it will drive (smooth and very quiet I bet) will make it much easier to live with! Keep at it!!
+1 on the G3, but you need a proper mop for that (and a LOT of sensitivity in your touch to avoid burning the paint). You will get just as good results with T-Cut though, it will just take a whole weekend to give it the 3 attempts at the whole car that I reckon you will need to give it! I know this as I once brought a red HC viva's paint back from the dead with just T-cut. It looked like a new car once finished.
Great ride - Is it rusty underneath at all?
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Last Edit: Feb 23, 2012 9:49:51 GMT by djefk
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sick curse word car. keepin tabs on this.
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Feb 25, 2012 21:43:21 GMT
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Bit more progress. The car now starts on the key. The fuel pickup in the tank was blocked and in addition, all the petrol in the tank had evaporated. With these cleaned up and some petrol lobbed in the tank it starts and runs perfectly. Except it is belching out black smoke as the auto-choke is stuck open. Oh well, a splash of WD40 and it will work like a dream. I am a very optermistic person. But I let it run up to temperature and then changed the oil, and filter. I am not sure what happens to oil after 21 years dormant, but it didn't half smell unusual. One small issue was that when it was running it was quite incredibly noisy, all due to the back box on the exhaust. I think here I will let the picture explain the issue:  As you can see from the picture, it has been cut from the pipe. As Cressidas are a little on the unusual side, exhausts are not available for them, well atleast not in my budget of 48P. So a little ingenuity was needed. A spare exhaust for a 950/1100 mk1 Fiesta was found in the loft and the angle grinder and welder were put to good use to create this custom rear exhaust section.:  It only took a few hours to make up and fits pretty much perfectly, using all the original hangers and some of the original pipe.  With this done and waiting for the exhaust putty to set, work started on the front brakes, so the caliper was removed and pumped out and in. Despite looking very rusty on the outside, it seems to work just fine. So that is a big plus. And here is how it currently stands, waiting for work to re-commence tomorrow:  Pretty long 'ey? |
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Last Edit: Feb 25, 2012 21:43:47 GMT by philibusmo
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stevek
Yorkshire and The Humber
Posts: 728
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Feb 27, 2012 17:17:45 GMT
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What a vivid colour! Must be especially unusual for a large 4dr saloon. Cant wait to see how you got on over the weekend.
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Feb 27, 2012 17:42:28 GMT
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I love it, I can see you are short of a few cars
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Feb 29, 2012 22:27:45 GMT
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That side profile is amazing!Get it to one of our meets! ;D
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News time children. The Cressida now has a 'fresh' set of boots. By fresh I actually mean £15 worth of second hand low grade tyres, should get me though the MOT atleast, although the lower profile makes the wheels look lost in the arches at the moment, but don't expect it to be this tall on these wheels forever.  It also moves, backwards and forward! Although, I don't yet know if it will get out of first. So this afternoon I wandered outside to sort out its appaling overheating problem and its tendancy to dump entire oil fields of petrol down its throat every time you start it up. I addition I thought I would change the alternator belt, so I set to this first, but my new alternator belt was for a Yugo Sana, or a Triumph Acclaim or a Citroen Dyane, but definatly not a Toyota Cressida, so I scrapped that plan and got on with popping off the thermostat housing to find out if the thermostat is working.  There's the problem right there. In addition I pulled off the top and bottom hoses, and flushed the radiator, which didn't look too bad. I then jammed the hose in the thermostat hole in the block and nothing came out the bottom, turned out that the pipe going from the water pump to the bottom hose was blocked an inch thick with solid gunk, which was suprisingly difficult to remove. Happy with my work there, I moved onto the carb. The problem was fairly obvious; the auto choke was seized and was not moving at all, stuck almost fully open. The carb was seeming to come off easily enough, until it came to the fuel line which had two possible ways of removal. First I tried the bolt direct onto the carb. Would not move at all. So then I tried the union that is connected just below, which had the good grace to sheer off instantly, thus leaving me with a crab that is free to move, but a broken union that needs replacing. Please tell me that these are fairly generic and not Toyota specific parts:   In the space of one afternoon, I have gone from a working Cressida to one with broken fuel line, disconnected cooling system and no alternator belt.  I am hoping to have an MOT before March 25th to take it to the Retro Rides beach meet. Wish me luck. |
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