October 2001 feature:

The MS-55 Story.....

                                  .....Tasmanian Style.

This months feature article is written by Paul Robinson, from Launceston in Tasmania(Australia). It was Pauls beautiful MS-55 which was our September cover car. Words and photo's for this article are all Paulies. It's a great read, so go grab a coffee while the photo's are loading up! ...(Struan.Timms)

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Beginnings:

In the beginning god created the heavens and earth and then he created the MS-55 Toyota Crown.

My love affair started when I was 16 and visited a car yard on my bike looking for my first car. That was in 1980. I spotted a white aussy built MS-55 with a black interior and was instantly taken by the dash layout. I loved the way the instrument pinnacles are set so deep for the eyes of the driver only. The more I looked at the car and the great styling the more I liked it. Such a perfect size for a small six and great styling and beautifully finished.

Unfortunately my parents (who are the owners of a 1974 ms 65 wouldn’t let me have the car).

As time progressed my passion for cars developed and I ended up with a 1970 V.W. notch back and many more after this including Fiats, Falcon, Holdens and many V.W.s. I then purchased a white 1969 deluxe MS-55 in 1991 with red interior and loved the car until I came across a 1970 MS-85 for sale and traded the MS-55 in. I had the MS-85 for 6 years but wished I had never sold the white MS-55.

Then luck struck me one day: For Sale original 1969 Toyota Crown….

So went and had a look yeh not bad ..nice original clean interior 84,000 orig. miles and very good rubbers etc… But how I longed for the extra deluxe features.

Well 6 months later I was with a friend going to the beach  spotted what I thought to be a crown under a tree in the bush. I investigated and found it to be my old deluxe that I had sold 6 years earlier still complete. Well this was meant to be. I didn’t have space for the car so offered the owner 200 bucks for all I could get off the car and spent the next six months travelling down on my days off collecting all the goodies…. Yum Yum

So now I had all my goods and decided I was going to go full hog with the car and arranged for a spray job with an excellent panel beater or coach-builder by trade here in Launceston.

I let him do the spraying and minor body repairs in his own time and this took 2 years. But well worth it in the end.

I got the car back in December and have just finished the final stages.

The car was stripped of all trim, chrome, glass, bumpers grille lights etc and it took me a while to put it all back together using all new nuts, bolts, screws and chrome clips.

The car has been sprayed in two-pak original ‘Deep Aqua Marine’ a real marine green dark aqua colour, very masculine i think.

I replaced both screen rubbers and installed all the deluxe glass out of the old car and fitted a brand new screen.

All door rubbers have been replaced by me and by making some new ones out of rubber from Rare spares, very good stuff too.

I had some new paint made up for all the plastic grille bits and the rear trim near rear tail-lights and this looks bloody great. It was one of the best parts of the restoration to make that faded plastic look new again.

The rear bumper was repaired and re-chromed as they are hard as hell to find but the front one was still good as new and a good polish did the trick there.

I just detailed the engine bay and a good polish was all it needed.

I spent 3 hours cleaning the seats and dash, put some new carpet in aa well. It’s a great green colour with a fleck of blue through it. It also has a dash mat and a cover for the parcel shelf in the same carpet. Looks very plush and inviting.

Mechanically all I have done is fit new shocks all around, flushed radiator, new tyres, grease and oil and general check over.. All mechanical parts are in excellent condition and when I replaced the air-cleaner it still had an original Toyota genuine part one in it!

So overall I have a very neat 1969 MS-55 with deluxe glass and trim but original bucket seats which are in excellent condition at 84,000-mile motor excellent paint and overall immaculate car.

I am going to make some sound deadening for the under bonnet out of a plastic base with horsehair covering coated in a substance to make it stiff.

The boot will also be lined out with this stuff for extra quietness.

I have fitted a pioneer c.d. player in as well mounted under the parcel shelf out of the way good for security and originality..

The original radio is still mounted and works perfectly.

All inside trim is original and in perfect condition.

The car is just about to be registered and I am going to use it as my daily driver for 2 years while I save for a house. I will then put her in retirement where I will keep her until the day I die… I will use it as regularly as possible.

Cheers Paulie;

Launceston Tasmania Australia

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