1968 Toyota Corona for sale $29,900

EMG is excited to offer a truly One-Off unique Toyota Hot Rod for sale!

This 1968 Toyota Corona was hand built and designed by a well known Hot-rodder and Fabricator in Southern Californiaand#44; Mitch Allread.

Mitch took his old daily driver 68 Corona and transformed it into this 32 Ford inspired Toyota HotRod! Utilizing a Lexus SC400 4.0Land#44; DOHCand#44; 32 Valve V8 just to keep it all Toyota and even more unique; he took his corona apart and built a completely custom Tubular Steel Space Frame with 106-inch Wheelbase (10.7 inches longer than stock Corona). The front suspension consists of upper and lower unequal-length A-arms on either side that he fabricatedand#44; plus Carrera shocks inside Afco coil springs. In back theres a Speedway Engineering quick-change solid axle located by three links and a Watts linkage damperedand#44; againand#44; by Carrera shocks and Afco coilover springs. RGP manual rack-and-pinion steering handles that choreand#44; while the braking system consists of Wilwood 1231/416-inch cross-drilled rotors at each corner clamped by six-piston calipers in front and four-piston calipers in the back.
The engine was scavenged from a wrecked 92 Lexus SC400 and installs in Allreads concoction essentially unmodified. Naturallyand#44; except for the original exhaust manifoldsand#44; Allread had to build the entire exhaust system himself. It funnels the waste gases down the center of the carand#44; through an X-pipe to two mufflersand#44; and out each side of the car. The result is a very un-Lexus-like sound; a loud tenor that sounds something like two old Kawasaki KZ1000s screaming along just behind each of the drivers ears. Thats not a bad sound at alland#44; actually. The same SC400 donated its four-speed automatic transmission and the shifter that controls it. Lexus drivetrains are justly famed for their smoothness and quietand#44; but bolt in any engine and transmission using solid motor mounts and its inherent vibration is undeniable. Rated at 250 hp when it was bolted into that Lexus coupeand#44; the Lexus V-8 probably isnt making much more than 260 in Allreadsand#44; but it sounds and pounds like an animal.

Of course the Corona shell has been itself heavily rubbed. Allread whacked 311/42 inches out of the pillars and replaced the windshieldand#44; rear quarter-windows and rear window with Lexan (the doors side windows are just gone). Opening up the rear-wheel openings accommodated the slight shift in wheel position and rails welded into the roof and trunklid exaggerate the cars circle track vibe. The tail is capped by a Lexan spoiler and replica 59 Cadillac taillights. Finallyand#44; he took the leading edge of each front fenderand#44; welded it to a chunk of the hood that he narrowed 17 inchesand#44; and filled the space between them with mesh. The resulting box is a grille shell that sits forward of the front tires thatand#44; along with the engineand#44; are exposed to the open air.
Sitting on P215/45ZR17 front and P255/50ZR17 rear Nitto tires around Lexus IS300 wheels and painted a PPG Powder Blueand#44; what this car looks most like is an open-wheel modified circle tracker. The interior is nearly as wacky as the exterior with two Jaz racing seats inside upholstered in orange silicone by Michael Maestasand#44; five white-faced Auto Meter gauges for monitoring whats going onand#44; and more orange silicone on the ceiling and floor. At just 47 inches tall with a full cageand#44; this isnt an easy car to get intoand#44; and once inand#44; the drivers and passengers legs are shoved outward by the wide center tunnel. But its not an uncomfortable place to be.
Allreads creation drives like the raw mechanical beast it is; it shakesand#44; it shimmiesand#44; it rattlesand#44; but its never less than completely amusing