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1971 Toyota Crown Hardtop Deluxe (2-Door Coupe)

Will Wright

Instagram - @71_Kujira

Photographer/Author  -  Donnie Rochin

Instagram -  @r0cean11

FaceBook -  r0cean11 Photography

www.r0cean11.com

“Learn by doing.. It is just metal. Don’t fear making mistakes.” ~ Will Wright

I was born and raised in Boise, Idaho. I’m 45. I have been in the US Air Force both active duty and the National Guard for 23 years. I started as a carpenter and welder for 19 years which gave me a lot of my fabrication skills, but I am currently the Ground Transportation Supervisor for the 136th Air Wing based at JRB NAS Fort Worth. I am married to my beautiful wife Sheldy, and I have 3 sons (23,18, and 15), and one grandson (5).

On location at Circuit of the Americas - COTA

My dad was a huge influence in getting me into tinkering. He always had some project going whether it was our old K5 Blazer or dropping an Olds 455 in a jet boat, and I always got to be right there helping. I helped rebuild my first engine at 7. I didn’t get into shows until I was 18 and we had restored the Crown for the first time. Then I was hooked on any show I could find. But that was also when I started realizing that I truly had a special car. My dad used to say, “Anyone can have a Mustang or a Camaro.. But there is only one Toyota Crown”. He wasn’t far off.       

It has always been this car for me. My dad bought it new in 71 so it has always been a part of the family. I was going to daycare curled up on the floorboard next to the heater.. Or shifting gears as we were cruising around town as my dad worked the clutch.. or in 6th grade sitting on the armrest in the back seat so I could see out the window. “The Toyota” has just always been around. We turn the key, and it starts. I have been very fortunate that my dad was amazing at keeping up with the little things that keep a car running. When I was getting ready to drive, I begged for it from the time I was 11, and it was my first car when I turned 15. 

I was lucky because even though the Crown was my first car, we started realizing it was ultra-rare at about the same time. I always seemed to have a second “daily” to drive as we were starting to restore it. I have had an 86 Honda Civic Si, 77 BMW 320i, and 85 Chevy truck, and even took a 1970 Suburban to England for 3 years. The Suburban was the first real “build” that I started. Leaning on my Air Force training, I did custom wood door panels, dash, and bed on the interior, and built a small block 400 that loved English roundabouts. 

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Everything about this car puts a smile on my face. It is legitimately a Japanese muscle car. I would love to have a drink with the engineer that designed it because it was so far ahead of its time. The wrap-around marker lights, the halo tail lights, the wrap-under bumpers, some of the unique body lines around the hood and the (functional!) rear vents. They are things that you just never saw from cars of this era.

But I don’t get the looks that other cars do. It brings genuine confusion to the most knowledgeable “Car Guy”. A typical person walking up to my car usually thinks it’s a Mustang or Barracuda or AMC. The only place it says Toyota is on the back of the trunk. There are a very, very select few people who actually know what they are looking at when I pull up.

Usually driving into a show or a meet, turns heads, but there are way more “what the hell is a Crown?” comments than anything. It definitely fuels my people-watching, but I have met some very cool people that just have a great passion for cars because of it. My favourite reaction was from an older gentleman that walked up to me asking “What parts, of what cars, did you throw together to make this thing?” Most people are just fascinated by it because they have never seen something so unique, and most definitely not from an early 1970’s Toyota.  

If you are looking at getting a Crown to build; good luck finding one… I do know of one that was imported from New Zealand because he saw pictures of mine, but that was 20 years ago. If you do find one, don’t expect to ever find parts for it. I have been looking more into 3D printing and fabrication which is an amazing opportunity now, but still very expensive. But at this point, if you find one for sale, be prepared to sink an absolute ton of time into getting it back into shape. But feel free to message me… you wouldn’t be the first! 

This is the absolute definition of a Unicorn Car. It was 1 of 30 that were imported in 1971. Of those, only 6 survive that I know of. Of those, only 3 are manuals… but beyond the numbers, I truly believe that it was Toyota’s first big car design swing. Nothing else has ever come close to this styling. It failed because it was so far ahead of its time from anything else on the market at the time. The body style only survived 3 years, but I believe it became the inspiration for the first Celica Supra. They shared the same engine, and some of the design cues including the shape of the side window have been used by Toyota for over 50 years, including on the Mk V Supra.

But when it comes down to it, my car is a 309,000-mile driver. It doesn’t sit in a warehouse somewhere. It gets driven every weekend there is a show or meet… happily making people say, “What the F#&@?”

Here is a bonus backstory for this ride…

This is the 4th generation of Crown. It was the first Crown to be marketed as a Toyota (others were Toyopet). Production of the new body styles started in February 1971. My Crown is #206 (MS75000206) and was built in April 1971. I have the lowest VIN remaining (that I have found, next is #216).

1 of 30 imported in 1971. They were brought in for dealer shows before Toyota discontinued the Crown in the US. The few that were here were scooped up by people who worked for Toyota. The majority became just another throwaway Toyota in the 70’s and 80’s and never survived. I know of 2 that are in a collection or were in museums. They belonged to service managers who knew how to fix their cars and are in like new shape.

Mine was brought in for a dealer show in Portland, Oregon and then purchased by Dewald Motor, the Toyota dealer in Nampa, Idaho. He gave it to his wife who almost immediately backed into something and wrecked the driver’s side rear quarter panel. The dealer repaired it but had not put it out front of the dealership yet when my dad was driving by and noticed it. He was working delivering bread for Eddies Bakery, so he came back later that night. He traded in his 66 Lincoln on it, and we have had it ever since.

It was my first car when I turned 15 and I have been driving it for over 30 years.

There are other MS70/75 Crowns worldwide. MS70 Crowns are Japan only and have a 2-litre version of the M engine. Australia received the majority of them, but not many 2 doors have survived there either. There are 2 in England (RHD), 1 in France (LHD), and others in Belgium and Germany. Overall, I would estimate that there are between 50-60 worldwide, with 15-20 being left-hand drive, but that is just a guess because we have never had a registry.

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Modifications: 

2.6l 4M Inline-6 (2563cc) @140 HP

Wheelbase        105.9”

Length              184.3”

Height               55.9”

Weight              2850 lb

Exterior -

• Shaved front bumper and side marker lights

Brakes/Wheels/Tires Modifications – 

• 17x8 and 17x9 Foose Legend Wheels

The Work 

I did all the rust repair, metal work and fabrication myself on the restoration. My friend Patrick Whalen helped me through the bodywork and painting the car myself in my garage.

Paint: House of Kolor Jet Black/SPI Universal Clear

Future Plans

Mechanically I’m going to do a frame-off cleaning and restoration in the next 2 years. It has 51 years and 309,000 miles of road dirt and grime on the frame and body. While I’m there, I’m going to replace all the rubber bushings, powder coat all the pieces, lower them, and do a retro-mod rear disk brake conversion using period-correct parts. I am also planning on fabricating an intake so that I can do triple Weber/Mikuni carburettors and swapping in a 5-speed manual from a 79-80 Celica Supra.

Visually, I am going to reinstall the original AM/FM stereo, reupholster the seats/carpet, and get the door panels repaired. I am also looking at painting it a Lexus Nori Green Pearl. It was originally metallic green, and I just think it is time to go back. I’m looking at something more period correct with the wheels as well.

The Scene 

I just love the people and the conversations. I have the added benefit of being able to fit into any American or imported car show and still get the same reaction. I have met some amazing car people over the almost 30 years that I have been showing my Crown, and I can’t wait to do more!

Dream Car

My dream car? I own it… but my next project is a tube frame FJ-45 track car because I want to test my fabrication skills. And I wouldn’t mind having an Alpine A110.

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'The future is bright as long as we can still Smell the Fumes'

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