I was sort of asleep, but think I heard it said, but I can’t remember which call it was. I think I heard one of the callers refer to their 1991 Corolla as a “Crapmobile”.
I think this is not right to insult a classic car like this. I place the early 90’s Corolla’s - of which I own one myself – on a very short list of classic American cars, comprised of just the Ford Model T, the VW Beetle, and the Toyota Corolla. Possibly I’d add the Honda Civic if pressed on the issue.
These are America’s “People’s Cars”. Designed to be cheap and reliable. The Model T weighed much less compared to other cars so it was good on gas, and came in one color: Black. Just two forward speeds, so it was easy to drive. It had quirks, like you had to drive backwards up steep hills due to a pecularity in the fuel system. And it cost just $260 in 1924, considerably less than when it was first introduced years prior. That’s only about $3000 in today’s money. It was dirt cheap. Same w/the VW Beetle, up through the time the Heinz Nordhoff fellow was running the show. And the Toyota Corolla, up 'till the time America’s Toyota marketing machine got hold of it. Cheap, reliable, easy to repair, and a few quirks.
My early 90’s Corolla, you know what? It has never been in the repair shop even once! I bought it new. It has needed repairs from time to time, but I’ve been able to do them all in my driveway, no problem. Sure it has quirks. The starter selenoid needs to have the contacts taken out and filed once in a while. But it works. It has never left me stranded.
The 1991 Corolla a Crapmobile? No! I say! If you scratch me, do I not bleed! lol …
It all depends on the car. I think the Honda CRX is a classic. That doesn’t mean my first one wasn’t a crap mobile. It was rusty and the previous owner had treated it like crap, so it was a turd on wheels. My other 2 have been much better.
Was it intentional satire that either 2/3rds or 3/4ths (if you count the civic) of your list of classic American cars are foreign?
The only Corollas that were crapmobiles were the early 70’s versions. They were vastly improved by the mid-70’s and have been great little cars ever since.
They were vastly improved by the mid-70's and have been great little cars ever since.
It wasn’t until the 80s that Toyota fixed the premature rust problem. I wouldn’t buy a 81 Corolla here in the North East. They’re just rust buckets by now.
Without being able to inspect the '91 Corolla in question, or to know how it has been maintained during its 21 years on the road, none of us can say for sure what its condition actually is.
However, given the lax maintenance that so many people inflict on their cars, it is entirely possible that the car is indeed “a crapmobile” at this point. Or, to put it more bluntly–who is in a better position to know the condition of that car…the owner…or all of us in cyber-land?
I agree that the '91Corolla was a great and sturdy little car. My sister owned one for 18 years and finally gave it away to her daughter-in-law as a grocery shopper. It’s stil running. Important to note that the D.I.L’s dad owns a Toyota dealership; she can have any car she wants at a great price.
You can only call it a “crapmobile” if you have driven the “crap out of it”. And that wuld not be the car’s fault.
I must have escaped the “Rustbucket” syndrome with my 1979 Celica, in Connecticut… It still looks like new, and I get complements on it everywhere I go. To avoid “rustbuckets” from happening, perhaps cars should be washed after driving in snow, and yes, under the car too.
There are some people who can keep cars a long time. There are also others who tash them as soon as they get in them.
I’m going to reserve judgement but I kinda doubt these will be showing up at future classic car shows like bugs and model T’s. Just think Toyota drivers were more utilitarian and not in love with their cars like folks in their bugs. Don’t think there’ll be many with that warm fuzzy feeling in the future. Could be wrong though.
@Bing, there’s a car enthusiast here in San Jose that buys older Corolla’s – usually 1970’s, 80’s – fixes them up so they look like new , rebuilds the engine, sometimes he takes parts from two different years and incorporates them into the same car to get more power, etc. He shows them at car shows then sells them to other enthusiasts I guess. Inside, after his re-do, they usually aren’t stock anymore. He’ll put newer powertrains in the older cars, as he thinks Toyota fuel-injection is much better than the carb version. He says Toyota fuel-injection ispretty much “bulletproof”.
Anyway, they actually are pretty cool looking when repainted and buffed up to look like they looked new on the showroom floor. It’s interesting to see how the body styling changes with time. He usually has 2 or 3 Corollas parked in front of his house in some state or another of upgrade. He just decided older Corolla were going to be his hobby. Mostly because they are easy to find, the body and hardware is still in good shape (in Calif anyway, where snow isn’t a problem), and parts are easy and cheap to obtain.
