70's 4 cyl -new trend or SA only?

[jphanna]

dont know if its an SA only trend, but there are increasing numbers of young guys driving around in what appears to be Grandma's old 70's

mazda capella
corolla
180B
gemini
any other popular 70's 4cyl

anything that was considered a granny car in 70's. some are lowered and put whitewall tyres on them. other than that, absolutely stock standard.

i also ride my pushbike past a large popular exhaust/mechanic and see several that have been restored lying awaiting mechanical work etc.

is this trend emerging in the other states?

[4.0i_SiX]

have seen a couple in brisbane, better than a non-turbo skyline of saliva ( silvia ) IMO

[Nikked]

Got some nice coronas up here...

[SSD-85]

Given the price that larger 6cyl & 8cyl vehicles from the era are selling for, this shouldnt come as a suprise...

[Polyal]

They are smart..if they pick one up, maintain or fix it up to a nice standard then they will loose alot less cash than buying something newish.

Classic Japanese cars are undervalued IMO...many in that era are already getting expensive.

Good on them!

Mind you an older 4 pot probably uses a similar amount of fuel to a newer 6 EFi.

[2011G6E]

It's a great trend to see!

A great project car (maybe as an excuse you could say it's "for the missus as a second car" ) is something like a 1982 Corolla sedan or wagon...the last of the rear-driver ones...lower it, fit it with 14" wheels of a traditional style (Watanabes or similar) with white walls, tint the glass, and maybe whack in a 4AGE if the budget will allow.

You'll have a cheap and cheerful little car that stands out from the endless procession of Hyundais and Hondas with more wings than a Formula One car and with exhausts that big you could climb up them...

You also win by choosing things like the cars you list in that the expensive ones (Corolla AE86 Sprinters, etc) are the ones that the collectors hunt for, passing over the great cars that you can snap up for a song.

[302 XC]

One of my cars when younger was the ever reliable 70s corollas
3k,4k engines, they were that reliable the wreckers couldnt sell engines, because they never broke
Then you have the other toymota engine the 18 r series, those things with the twin cam yamaha heads, ala 18 rg, would scream there lungs out and kinda surprise many
Its only time that many look to the lesser brands,models for better value for the $$$
As much as i liked the reliabilty of the coroolas, id have my old mk 2 cortina anyday

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

One of my cars when younger was the ever reliable 70s corollas
3k,4k engines, they were that reliable the wreckers couldnt sell engines, because they never broke
Then you have the other toymota engine the 18 r series, those things with the twin cam yamaha heads, ala 18 rg, would scream there lungs out and kinda surprise many
Its only time that many look to the lesser brands,models for better value for the $$$
As much as i liked the reliabilty of the coroolas, id have my old mk 2 cortina anyday

Yep...I've got a worked 18RG in the shed. When the Celica engine gets tired that's what will be getting fitted to it. Twin cam, two liter, 140hp standard, twin side draft Solex carbs, Yamaha head...it's an amazing motor for its time.

[Fireblade]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Yep...I've got a worked 18RG in the shed. When the Celica engine gets tired that's what will be getting fitted to it. Twin cam, two liter, 140hp standard, twin side draft Solex carbs, Yamaha head...it's an amazing motor for its time.

Sold my worked 18R-GEU not long ago, changed to twin webbers, had HKS cams, custom electronic ignition and all rebuilt by me, had around 220hp, used to scare a lot of V8's in my RA28, honestly though I wished I'd kept it now was an awesome little car that I built 11-12 years ago.

[RAPID_BA]

Problem with these cars is lucky if they have 45kw at the motor!! and no air cond, parts a few and far between.

You can buy a brand new kia Rio or Hyundai for $15k, why wouldnt you?

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

You can buy a brand new kia Rio or Hyundai for $15k, why wouldnt you?

They're probably straight?

[raised by monkeys]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

Problem with these cars is lucky if they have 45kw at the motor!! and no air cond, parts a few and far between

Its not always about killa wasps

[EFFalcon]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

Problem with these cars is lucky if they have 45kw at the motor!! and no air cond, parts a few and far between.

You can buy a brand new kia Rio or Hyundai for $15k, why wouldnt you?

same can be said for most cars 1970 and earlier.
but its not about a comfortable daily, its about a project.

and its quite refreshing seeing an early model car of any type in good condition/tastfully modified and actually being driven.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

Problem with these cars is lucky if they have 45kw at the motor!! and no air cond, parts a few and far between.

You can buy a brand new kia Rio or Hyundai for $15k, why wouldnt you?

Why? Take my own personal case: I needed to buy a second car so I could go away to Rockhampton to do my train driver training while the missus was left with the "good car". I gave myself a $7000 budget. I could have bought a reasonably recent second hand Kia or Hyundai hatchback,but decided to deliberately look for something old, with a few requirements: two door, rear wheel drive, air con, five speed manual, fun to drive.

$5000, amazing handling, gets heaps of looks, has factory air con, parts are easy to get...
For cruising you don't need bulk horsepower, and if the handling is sweet enough, you also don't need masses of horsepower to have fun.

Why would you get a bland Kia or Hyundai just like a hundred thousand others on the road...?

[Eric A]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Why? Take my own personal case: I needed to buy a second car so I could go away to Rockhampton to do my train driver training while the missus was left with the "good car". I gave myself a $7000 budget. I could have bought a reasonably recent second hand Kia or Hyundai hatchback,but decided to deliberately look for something old, with a few requirements: two door, rear wheel drive, air con, five speed manual, fun to drive.
image
$5000, amazing handling, gets heaps of looks, has factory air con, parts are easy to get...
For cruising you don't need bulk horsepower, and if the handling is sweet enough, you also don't need masses of horsepower to have fun.

Why would you get a bland Kia or Hyundai just like a hundred thousand others on the road...?

Up the 3rd gen celicas!!

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

Problem with these cars is lucky if they have 45kw at the motor!! and no air cond, parts a few and far between.

You can buy a brand new kia Rio or Hyundai for $15k, why wouldnt you?

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

Problem with these cars is lucky if they have 45kw at the motor!! and no air cond, parts a few and far between.

Most of the foreign 4s of the era had more power and far more advancement than our aussie 6s ....
Sad isnt it
4 cylinders, 2 barrell carbs, headers,clutch fans, decent radiator shrouds
that stuff was only on the upper class aussie cars ...
250 crossies, holden red, wee wee little single barrell carbs, what a joke really
Oh did i mention overhead camshafts and rev their rings out ....

My younger brother had a corona with a 2 L (18 RG) engine
For a 4 potter it would shake down any bog stock 5L comoodore
Even has time slips to prove that

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

Problem with these cars is lucky if they have 45kw at the motor!! and no air cond, parts a few and far between.

You can buy a brand new kia Rio or Hyundai for $15k, why wouldnt you?

If you need to ask this question you just don't understand and I don't think you ever will

[paule11]

Have not seen it here but have seen some young guys with p plates in a vf valiant coupe looked very original in the condition you saw them in the 80s for about $1500 . A little run down but all there and couldnt see any visible rust

[xisled]

These guys use these cars for drifting. Most of these guys with the older 4 cylinders will be involved with drifting. Cheap and rwd. Go to the illegals drift meets here in melbourne and there is a few.

[barra240t]

It's becoming popular everywhere I think, it doesn't cost too much to find a decent 4 cylinder in good condition with all the old school accessories still in tact. People are buying these instead of a new Kia Rio because cars built in the 50-70's had style and class in their design.

[raised by monkeys]

Originally Posted by barra240t

It's becoming popular everywhere I think, it doesn't cost too much to find a decent 4 cylinder in good condition with all the old school accessories still in tact. People are buying these instead of a new Kia Rio because cars built in the 50-70's had style and class in their design.

and because a 70's corolla is 40 years old and still in good order. Try finding a Kia Rio thats 4 years old in as good condition... and like someone else said, RWD cars with easily accessible spares cheap drift cars. Sounds like a sweet deal to me for cheap fun.

[Jim Goose]

In the good old days when we were all getting our licences (talking 1989 here) nearly all of us in yr 12 bought crappy 2nd hand cars.

Today when you look at all the P platers they all seem to own a relatively newish (5yrs or less) car.
Most males own expensive to own and run V8s (guess which make).

Its VERY rare to see a young P plater with an old (20yrs or older) car here.

[barra240t]

This doesn't really relate, but I sold my Polo GTI not long ago and needed a car ASAP, we traded a 91 Mazda 626 in G-spec (Grandpa Spec) exterior, interior all in good condition, automatic, cruise control, all the electric windows and mirrors work, central lock works, it all works! all for $1500. Left the louvers on because I'm old school.

So if you need a decent car at a budget price they are out there, don't be fooled.

[jphanna]

not uncommon to see 4 young kids cruising the burbs with these cars (ala waynes world in the egg shaped AMC)

its good to see. since they introduced the hoon car laws, you dont hear the whoosh of the turbo P plate skylines as much. safer too.....

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by jphanna

safer too.....

'Cept no airbags or crush zones or strong, rust free steel.

[GlenW]

We get a lot of DX Corrollas here, K series Corollas too. Pretty much no Datsuns or Mazda rotaries though - too expensive.

Nissan Cefiros are the going thing at the mo, cheap as dirt and have trickle down street cred effect from the drift scene.

[jphanna]

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

'Cept no airbags or crush zones or strong, rust free steel.

safer in respect to not getting up to 100kph in less than 6 seconds like the turbo godzillas out there. some of those old cars had 80hp on a good day.

no airbag, strong steel or crush zone is gonna save you if you wrap the car around a stobie pole or tree at 150kph.

[Vesper Martini]

I havent noticed many old cars driven by P-platers here in VIC not surprising when there are car companies like Nissan that were offering 1% finance

[Sorted]

I have seen a Few Vic P Plater's with 70"s 4cyl - Dumped and White Walls - they are so COOL

I notice them as I has as my 4th car a 1973 Toyota Corrola KE30 2 Door with a mild 5K (1.5 litre engine instead of 1.2 Litre engine)

Looked like this