1980 Toyota Corolla Reviews, Pricing & Specs

This was a base model liftback. Had it for 15 years, and put 105,000 miles on it. Not a particularly memorable car. It was good enough at just about everything, really good at nothing. The handling was typical for a Japanese compact of the time, seat comfort was pretty lousy, storage space was very good. It was light in the back, which made going up a hill in wet weather a dicey proposition. One thing I liked, and missed, was the boxy shape of cars of that era: I knew exactly where the front and rear were, and could confidently parallel park it in very tight spaces. It was, overall, a reliable car. I compromised it late in its life by using aftermarket parts, but it still kept going. I finally got rid of it because I was in my forties and tired of driving an entry-level car.May 06, 2010

The TE72 used a 1800cc pushrod hemi crossflow 3T-C engine, 5-spd celica box and recirculating ball steering. Factory vehicle has lemon status. Predecessor to the Tercel. The recommended conversion for this car is to fit rear disk brakes, stabiliser bars, flares and wider tyres, koni shocks and a 3T-GTE twin cam engine. Stock gearbox is great. Standard 3T honed for higher compression is a good comprimise. Single formed rear shell means a hit in rear can write it off. Thin body is light but subject to rust around base of pillars. Liftback adds considerable weight to the vehicle. Jul 07, 2008