1977 Toyota Corolla

Sedan

-

Manual

Clear

Gasoline

This is an iconic "barn find." The VIN is so old I can't run it to get the original specs.The (clear) title describes it as a 1978 (December 1977) yellow, 4D, 4 Cylinder (I think that is 1.2 liters, I know it is 75 hp!) 5 speed manual. Everyone takes a second look at this car, because it is so unique.I have had people offer to buy it while at the gas station, grocery store, etc. I had been driving past this car for more than 30 years and always said I would own it someday. I finally stopped, because it was moved from its' usual parking spot. The elderly gentleman who owned it all these years had been told that "it needed brakes and couldn't be fixed." That still happens here because some mechanics won't work on "foreign cars." My mechanic put on shoes and pads (it's rear wheel drive) and found the brake cable was hung up. It's fine now. I drive it everyday. It seems to be getting close to 40 mpg at times. With the miles and the age, it means they only put a couple of thousand miles a year on it, which is very low. The farmer drove it 3 1/2 miles to his farm and back every day and must have used it to haul stuff too. He also changed the oil every 2000 miles, as all of used to do "back in the day." Driven as it is, I suspect one could easily get a couple hundred thousand miles out of it as is. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it mechanically. All the lights, horn, etc. work. The heater is better than my newer cars. The dashboard has no cracks,etc., and the carpet is good. It has some hail damage. The windshield was cracked and I replaced it last week, almost $300. I was thinking about restoring it or at least getting all the cosmetics taken car of. It has a couple of rust spots. I was going to take it to MAACO, but only if I continue to drive it daily. The pin strips are faded, etc. The driver's seat is worn out. The headliner is gone. All in all it looks pretty good, it's not a junker, and people seem to really like it as I have had two offers "on the street" and one gal who asks me daily if I will sell it to her. Of course it's not "cherry" like the ones currently offered at more than $8000, but it certainly is rare, fun, and restorable. I will post pictures tomorrow. The VIN is Iowa KE30291058 which I have checked repeatedly. I am aware that's not enough digits, but it is correct. I am reserving the right to pull the listing if I get a good enough offer here to sell it. The car is in Oskaloosa, Iowa just south of Des Moines 45 minutes. Carole 641-638-0856On Mar-25-12 at 12:38:36 PDT, seller added the following information:One of the little hub covers is on the car and the rest are in the trunk. I will see if I can get them on.The spare and jack are there. The out side mirror is cracked and the back of the back seat is is torn. The carpet is all really good. I will try to add inside pics..the windshield installers broke the glove box cover but have located a new one and are replacing it. All issues are cosmetic and relatively small. Will try to get interior pics when the sun goes down a bit.On Mar-26-12 at 12:17:11 PDT, seller added the following information: I am trying to be as honest as I can. I added new pics of the inside. Actually the pics are less than flattering. The driver seat is the worst. The rest are really fine except the top of the rear. As I said a, farmer drove it every day form his house out to the farms. I suspect there were rarely other passengers. The seats are dirty. I suspect he rarely washed it. I started to clean the seats but they were appearing lighter after removing the grime so I didn't do them all. Most of the dirt will come off. The strong point is the mechanicals. I drive it back and forth to a neighboring town everyday. It really runs quite well. I would have no problem driving it long distances. Being from a Dutch farm family, I can say this: It is not uncommon to have the mindset that all a car has to do is take one from point "A" to point "B" Comfort is not an issue. We spend little on luxuries. It's all about mechanical, reliability, and fuel cost to them. I have an old Benz with 900,000 miles. The floor pan is rusted through but I'd drive it anywhere because I know the maintence I have done.I have had it since 1975. A neighbor has a 74 Jetta and a 77 VW dasher. That's just how we do things out here. One is not concerned of a door handle breaks, however we will keep them running tip-top. Luxury and status in cars are not big out here in the middle of rural Iowa, but reliablity and value is. So, I can guantee it's been well maintained, with the regular oil changes. The cosmetics are obvious, but easy fixes.