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Location: Victoria, Australia
Registered: July 2004
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New addition to the family [UPDATED] Now with pictures
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Fri, 08 October 2004 08:03
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Just recently I purchased two MS112 model Crowns for $600.
I learnt of these two Crowns when we looking at buying an 82 Crown at Eaglehawk. Instead we ended up buying his wrecks.
The first one is a '81 that has been bought for parts. It was involved in a crash and bloke we bought it off was going to fix it -- that is until he bought an 82 model Crown and drove that instead. He had rubbed the paint off and never repainted so you can imagine what's happened to the surface. Still, the body is in better shape than my current car (which is also a '81 MS112 Crown); it has no bent panels anywhere and virtually no rust. We will use it to rebuild my current car which has numerous mechanical and body problems. Kinda sad a nice car like this will end up trashed, but unlike my current car it doesn't have the rego on it. Hopefully I can give it to someone who would want it?
The second car brought home is a 1982 MS112 Crown and the color is metallic brown. The funny part is that this car was in better shape (body and interior wise) than the car he was trying to sell us! 
This car has *no* rust anywhere (I've looked and looked again!) and the rear drivers side door has a stone chip dent -- thats it. The paintwork has lost some clear stuff on the driver side doors where the sun would have been shining on it for who knows how long. Minor scratchs near the left front panel. Thats it for problems. It came with the engine and gearbox removed and what I believe to be factory mag wheels. One final touch is that it has an LPG conversion installed. I hooked a battery to it the other day and everything powered up -- the digital radio and electric mirrors were working to my immense satisfaction 
Well, since the engine's been removed it is very inviting to put a newer, more powerful *ahem* more economical engine in it. I've been reading the forums for months now finding anything related to Crowns. The descision so far is to use a 1UZ engine (other coniderations were the 7M-GE (or GTE), 1G-GTE, 1J and 2JZ-GTE but the V8 being released in 88 Crown's has a certain appeal to it -- that and this modication has been done before with success). Hell the engine has been put into Cressidas (I'm not dissing Cressidas either)
With the factory mags and brown colour and equipped with a 4.0L quad cam 32v V8 (stock version from a Crown half cut), I think I would have close to the "ultimate sleeper" (although I think the MS46 Wagon here takes the cake.)
I'm building a website detailing my cars and the conversion of the "brown crown"; just need to find a place that will host it. For the mean time I apologise for the lack of pictures. I had to rely on descriptions instead 
Anyway, cheers and "Long live Crown!" 
UPDATE
As I promised, I have found a place to host my website and photos...Turned out to be our ISP Netconnect (thanks Netconnect). So here are some pics
The trusty '81 Crown and the one I currently drive

Paint is peeling off, panels are bent, rust is invading the drivers door...

Like the 'Custom exhaust'? The owner before the last put this car through hell. Done 321000km, same engine.
The 'Parts car' (aka 'The Bomb' [that is in better shape than my car mechanically ])

Interestingly, when we drove it, it had much stronger torque than my car. Easily spinning the wheels without applying much throttle...Perhaps because it has no shockers in the rear?
Still I can floor my car and it won't wheel spin on loose gravel! 

A curtesy shot off the interior. In good shape, too. Done 190000km.
EDIT
Server address change already!
**Addresses of pictures fixed.
[Updated on: Fri, 15 October 2004 10:08]
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