Toyota Tuesday: AMA

"Svart Smart, traded in his Smart" (svartsmart) 08/04/2015 at 23:53 • Filed to: Toyota Tuesday, AMA

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My whip for this evening is a friend and coworker’s 1987 Toyota Corolla. (Hey, that’s the same model year as I am!) She’s a one-owner car with just over 69,000 miles. It’s a complete base, stripper model except for a three-speed automatic transmission. Manual windows, manual locks, no power steering, no air conditioning. The engine, I believe, is the 1.6L carbureted inline-four producing 90 hp.

Ask me anything.

dailydoseofmindlessness > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 08/04/2015 at 23:59

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Is that side view mirror missing or an option?

E92M3 > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 08/05/2015 at 00:00

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Every car has a story. How did it get that dent in the quarter panel?

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 08/05/2015 at 00:02

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How bad is the auto?

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > E92M3 08/05/2015 at 00:06

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Good question. I wish I knew. I’ll have to ask my friend.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > dailydoseofmindlessness 08/05/2015 at 00:09

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The passenger’s side wing mirror was optional (probably standard on higher trim levels). The car came from the factory this way, as did many subcompact/compact cars in the U.S. in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 08/05/2015 at 00:12

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Not great but not terrible for city driving. The gearing seems pretty tall in 2nd and 3rd, but shift behavior is steady and predictable. It helps if you drive with a relaxed attitude. You’d really have to give it the beans if you want to make haste. I’m hesitant to hoon a 28-year-old car too much, especially since it belongs to someone else.

Amoore100 > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 08/05/2015 at 02:16

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My friend’s family owns one of these as a second car. It feels incredibly tinny and unsafe, and whenever I ride in it the lap belts do not inspire confidence...is it as terrifying to drive as it is to ride in?

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Amoore100 08/05/2015 at 02:37

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I wouldn’t say terrifying, but there’s a distinct feeling of vulnerability knowing that there are no airbags, no side-impact beams, no advanced crumple zones, etc. The low beltline, thin pillars, and outstanding visibility remind you that modern (i.e. safe) cars don’t come this way. (By the way, the front seats have three-point belts, and I assume the outboard rear seats also have them, but I could be wrong.) But there’s genuine joy to be found; the steering and handling feel delightfully analog and communicative.

GTI Sprinks > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 08/05/2015 at 08:52

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I gotta know: How/why does it have such low mileage?

Amoore100 > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 08/05/2015 at 10:52

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I think what struck me the most about the Corolla was its flimsiness compared to the Volvo 740s that my parents used to have...those had three point belts all around, two airbags, and a lot of mass to contend with and I always felt very safe in them. The Corolla that I rode in on the other hand had belt seats in the back, no airbags, and was smaller and lower than the boxy Volvos...I would say that visibility would be comparable in both, but perhaps the ride height of the Corolla also contributed to a sense of vulnerability...still, its what makes the difference between it and the Volvo: I would consider the Volvo a viable daily driver today; the Corolla, not so much.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > GTI Sprinks 08/05/2015 at 12:51

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My friend (the owner) just doesn’t drive that much. She commutes by bus to a part-time job and also does some work from home, so most of her driving is for leisure/personal use: weekly errands, grocery shopping, etc. She turned 70 this year, and I suspect she drives less as she gets older.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Amoore100 08/05/2015 at 13:00

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+1. I would definitely feel safer in a 740 than a Corolla. The Corolla sits pretty low, you’re right about that. And although the Corolla seems to have been designed to last a long time, it does feel somewhat light and fragile (“tinny”) compared to cars of today, or certain European cars of similar vintage.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > GTI Sprinks 08/05/2015 at 13:05

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P.S. The low mileage is one of the reasons my coworker came to me with the suggestion that I take her car for a spin once in a while. I think she’s worried she’s not putting enough miles on the car anymore.

Amoore100 > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 08/05/2015 at 13:29

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Yup. Also, I don’t see much of a draw towards Japanese cars of that vintage since European cars of the era are comparable in price and yield a much better road experience (IMO), though repairs might be a bit more costly...our two 740s both reached upwards of 300K miles though on inexpensive and minimal repairs...durability it seems was not uncommon in that era...

thewbacca > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 08/05/2015 at 15:21

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This was my first car! I rolled it over on the roof on the way to school one morning, called the tow truck and had it put right side up again and drove it for another year. I ended up selling to my brother who immediately took it on the interstate and blew a baby fist sized hole in the block. He called a buddy with a trailer and they were able to drive it onto the trailer with the ac still blowing ice cold! I think he ended up trading it for a lawnmower. It was a lot of value for the $750 I gave for it.