Getting Started

After taking my $750 purchase to get a roadworthy certificate, I was relieved to find no major expensive barriers to getting it registered. Remember, the object of the exercise is a reliable car that I would not be embarrassed to drive.

The list of nasties -
1. 2 bald tyres
2. One cracked windscreen
3. Headlight mountings broken
4. Windscreen washers inoperative
5. Battery loose
6. Spare tyre loose
7. Steering wheel cover floppy
8. Rear window tint delaminating and interfering with vision
9. Nearside parking light not working

The items not preventing registration, but coming under the "embarrassment" heading -
1. Panel damage to every panel except bonnet, hood and boot.
2. Headlining detached and falling
3. Missing wheel trims
4. Smelly/dirty interior

I wonder how this happened. Click to embiggen. Sticky tape?

Given my proven inadequacies at panel work, I decided that simply replacing damaged doors was easier than beating out the damage and painting. The fact that this car was white helped. There are beaucoup white 1996 Camrys about.

Old mate at Toowoomba Car Wreckers quoted me $75 per door, and threw in a set of genuine (if faded) Toyota wheel trims for $5 each. The doors were relatively easy to remove and fit, although an assistant is necessary to position them before bolting them on. Long suffering daughter two helped. I told her that she was learning an important skill.

I don't think I convinced her.........

I decided against replacing the front (driver's door) because of the complications with locks. I'll have a go at panel work on this one, as the damage is minor. Someone has got up close and personal with a gatepost, and the result is a gouge, rather than a dent.

The windscreen was replaced by O'Brien's for $330, which is the maximum I'd hope to spend on any one item.

I began to deal with the trim items one by one, after swapping the front tyres (little tread remaining) for the rears (plenty of tread) before going any further. On a front-driver you always want your best tyres on the front.

One unexpected hiccup here was the fact that one of the rear wheels refused to budge, after all bolts were undone. It was rusted on to the backing plate. A thorough spray of WD 40 and a ten minute wait did the trick.

Replacement doors

The battery was loose because some twit reversed the position of the clamp - easily fixed, and the spare tyre was floating around because the aperture in which it dwelt had be dented out of shape, probably by reversing over a rock or log. One clout with a sledge hammer from above was all that was necessary.

I fixed the windscreen washers by connecting the hose that was adrift, and replacing a plastic T junction with a part from a home irrigation system.This material is much cheaper than Toyota genuine. One of the spray outlets blocks from time to time. It will need attention to be reliable.

So, at the end of one week, the scoreboard reads -

Battery and spare fixed.
Doors replaced.
Washers fixed.
Windscreen replaced.

Apart from numerous cuts on my fingers from sharp unfinished Toyota metal fittings, it's been trouble free so far. The spend has been $150 (doors) and $330 (windscreen), so it's above the magic $1000.

My bride tells me the project keeps me from getting under foot until I go back to work.

Win-win, really.....