1995 Toyota Corolla Solair
We chat to David Clark from Lincolnshire about his unique ‘95 Toyota Corolla Solair!
I’m David Clark from Spalding in Lincolnshire. I’m 26 and I hate new cars. These old cars for me just have an unbeatable character and individual style that can’t be found in new cars; each one is different and very easy to make a personal connection with.
I have always prefered older cars since I was a kid and since I have been driving I haven’t had anything modern.
I am a strong believer of making your car your own and building it to please yourself instead of others, life’s too short to drive boring cars.
This is my 1995 Toyota Corolla Solair.
It is one of only sixteen currently on the road in the UK. It is the rarest car I have owned and also the most I have attacked a car and “ruined”, according to most people.
She was built in Japan like a proper Toyota and she’s a 1.3 4EFE, so it might not be the most powerful motor but it’s absolutely bullet proof and has never let me down.
When I got the car it was completely standard and needed new brakes, a clutch and rear shocks.
The first thing I did was fit a set of ‘90s TRD TSW Revo alloys.
Then the madness happened and I started painting teeth on it and rusting the top half of the car, until I got bored of it and decided to do what I had planned when I first got the car and paint it like a WWII fighter plane; but with my own twist so I did it NATO green and kept the teeth.
I think the teeth are what makes this car so recognisable - it wouldn’t be the same without them.
How long have you owned the car?
Since March 2019 - one month before passing my driving test, I swapped a £100 1995 VW Polo 6n for it.
What got you into the classics?
They just have something about them. The sounds and smells. All the rattles and bangs. They all have individual characters that can’t be found in new vehicles, and if anything goes wrong with them they are easily fixed.
If you had to pick one favourite part of the car, what would it be?
I think I’d have to say the paint job. That and the fact it’s built in Japan - I’m really proud of this.
Do you run off the standard E10 at the pump? I know it’s classed as a more modern fuel, does it effect how the engine in the Corolla runs?
When the new E10 fuel came out I contacted Toyota themselves and they quoted that my car would be fine to use it.I tried it once and my injector seals disintegrated and filled my engine bay up with petrol, so since then she only gets super unleaded.
What mileage does the Toyota have?
168,000 miles.
How old does a car have to be to be considered a classic in your opinion?
I think it depends on the car. Of course there’s the 40 year historic vehicle thing, but I class my cars as classic and personally I go by the rule that I like cars that are older than me - so anything older than 1997.
What is the most expensive repair you’ve had to do to keep it on the road?
Honestly, it’s quite a cheap car to get parts for, but that would have to go to suspension when I didn’t see a massive pothole and blew a shock, so had to buy a whole set of four.