So this is the beginning of actualization. Long-time lurker, I've been planning a million builds in my head but this winter , with some planning , it's been started. Not my dream donor or fantasy body, but an affordable design exercise, if you please. A study in practical functionality.
1997 Avalon, gold trim pearl white old man car. He loved it, kept it serviced decently, bone stock with 230,xxx on the odometer. Fall of 2022 received a $1700 tune-up and new Toyos. Then winter came and with it snow. Too much, too heavy, cheesy old Sears and Roebuck's carport caved in, totalled the car. In exchange for helping the old guy out, he gave me the car after surrendering the title and taking the $2400 from his homeowners insurance.
So here's my donor.. what to do with it? Never owned an Avalon, started the interwebs up and began learning. Dimensions, performance (of course!!), known issues, common parts with other fine Toyota vehicles for future wrecking yard crawls. A year goes by, tax refund is designated as the budget limits ($4000ish), so my partner and I started earnestly creeping through Marketplace and CL.
Search parameters were 1960 to 1975 ( because draconian emissions restrictions in CA) and needed to have current reg and all glass to keep things simple. No brand loyalty allowed, all body configurations considered. I'll spare everyone... because we looked at alot. I began disassembly on the Toyota to help be pick some dimensions to work with and that helped. Google is awesome for quick dimensions, photos to check visually how something might look, certainly helped eliminate many cool possibilities.
Karin found the car we ended up purchasing. 3 hour drive got us a running ( sort of) and registered 1961 Lancer 170. Base 4-door, 170 had been "upgraded" to an '80's 225 , newer clutch, starter, alternator.. no floor. Coastal Oregon life had turned the firewall and floor into air. Wiring was a mess, but it ran well enough to drive on the trailer and off again.
All glass, no missing trim, mouse eaten stock interior and a terrible rattlecan black over the original red. $2300 and we drove him. Current registration was in hand, no need to buy glass. Wheelbase is within an inch of the Avalon, body width... Close, but a tad narrow.
This is the best side of the Lancer. Anyone not familiar, Lancer and Valiant (Plymouth) were direct competitor with Falcon and Corvair, basic transportation. IMHO the Lancer is somewhat prettier, the peaked grill and front bumper are especially nice. Despite the rust, all specific trim and glass are useable and that saves money and headache. Two year only body means parts are simply unavailable.
so here's a couple shots of the two day process.. body up, body back down. Identify the tight spots, pull it off and trim. A brief word about the Plan.
This is where the battery used to live, the swept -to- center line along the hood and fenders made it necessary to relocate the battery to the right of the trunk and the power steering reservoir lives where the Toyota wiper started. THAT now occupies the space where the (deleted) passenger airbag was. Also built an adjustable strut tower brace to hold everything stable while I reconstructed a narrower front end. Lots of "lucky" moments like the inner edge of the fenders barely cleared the strut tops. Phew!!
