Project Zero Bucks Given - Part 2: Can it drive? Will we survive?

Back at OverSteer R&D HQ, Zero Bucks is treated to a more detailed investigation.

We're still reeling that Project Zero Bucks Given managed to start and run within 30 seconds after what we understood to be a decade-long stint in a West Wyalong paddock.

But, before we throw ourselves head-first into Summernats-cruiser cool-ification mods - $0 worth, that is – we needed to ensure a few other fundamentals would work first.

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Like brakes, and a clutch, and functioning fuel and cooling systems. We have no intention of getting it registered for the road, and crawling along the Summernats cruise route at walking pace is hardly the Hume Highway, but the Summernats scrutineers are pretty stern about basic safety items.

Plus, being able to stop is always a good thing. We have no idea why the Corona was retired to the paddock in the first place, so it could've had a dead alternator, clutch, water pump, or even gearbox. All of these things cost a lot more than $0 to fix.

When we tried to push her into a more accessible spot in the garage, even two strapping young men like myself and Zero Bucks design and build consultant Craig of Bearfoot Garage couldn't manage to move it an inch. The handbrake was off, the tyres inflated, it was definitely in neutral but she wouldn't budge.

Yanking her into place with the help of my Echo shop truck and a snatch strap dragged the left-rear tyre along the ground. Hooray, the drum had seized.

Drum brake wheel cylinders are notorious for going bad when left to sit for a while, so hopefully it was as simple as a shoe rusting itself to the inside of the drum. Wheel cylinders also cost more than $0, you see.

We jacked her up on axle stands at all four corners and pulled the wheels off to get to the brakes.

We jacked her up on axle stands at all four corners and pulled the wheels off to get to the brakes. The rear drums were actually pretty easy to get off thanks to Toyota's brilliant threaded hole in each, designed for pushing them off the hub by simply using one of several bolts from under the bonnet.

A quick trial of each corner while pushing the pedal saw no movement from the rear shoes, while the very rusty front discs would grab, but only after about half of the pedal's travel.

Drum brake wheel cylinders are notorious for going bad when left to sit for a while.

The rear drum innards were given a liberal dose of WD40 and some gentle taps with a hammer to free up all the pivot points, before we got out the brake bleeding gear.

In my experience, some cars can be a real pain in the neck to brake bleed, and Project Zero Bucks Given is up there with the worst of them.

Some cars can be a real pain in the neck to brake bleed, and Project Zero Bucks Given is up there with the worst of them.

It could be a fault of how the brake lines are routed, but more likely its chequered past, but it took a good couple of hours and two laps of the car to get decent pressure from the pedal. Nonetheless, we got there.

The clutch was much easier thankfully, which was a big relief given a hydraulic clutch is far less likely to enjoy sitting unused for a decade than a simpler cable arrangement.

The next big question mark we had to address was the fuel system. If the tank was rusty on the inside, it would likely be a deal breaker.

The fact that the inside of the fuel cap looked clean and free of condensation was a good sign, but things looked even better when we undid the oh-so-convenient drain plug and emptied the contents into a clear bottle. What came out was about ten litres of clean-looking petrol, but we were blown away to find that it was red. Not rust red, but the colour of leaded fuel, which was phased out in 2001! Our Corona had been sitting for 16 years! What a battler.

The true test of the fuel system will only come when we connect it all and run it with petrol, but things were looking better than worst-case scenario. To hopefully dislodge any other sediment, we tipped in 10 litres of metho and let it soak.

Given Toyota's reputation for excellent cooling systems that render the temperature gauge almost ornamental, all we were hoping to see from Zero is that she'll hold water and the thermostat and gauge kick in.

After topping up the radiator with the best tap water in the hose, it ticked both those boxes.

The next big question mark we had to address was the fuel system.

A quick lap of our private test track (driveway) showed that all these important systems worked reasonably well in practice, with just an intermittent stutter at idle, a bit of a grinding noise from the water pump and some diesel-like rattle from the lifters. She'll be right, we hope.

Once we had the mechanical fundamentals sorted, the not insignificant task of making the interior hospitable was now justified.

Aside from looking like the inside of a farm shed and evidence of rodent residence, there was also a distinctly mouldy smell about the place, likely from the left-rear window being left open a crack for more than a decade and a half.

Old Toyotas are a piece of cake to disassemble, so within an hour we had all seats, carpets, underlay and drain plugs removed and ready for a liberal hosing.

Within an hour we had all seats, carpets, underlay and drain plugs removed and ready for a liberal hosing.

Ordinarily we wouldn't recommend hosing the inside of your car, but with no battery connected there was no better way to make Zero Bucks Given as hygienic as possible.

The same applied to the seats, which are too big to fit in your washing machine, so they got a good dose of the hose too.

Old Toyotas are a piece of cake to disassemble.

While we were at it, we gave the engine bay, undercarriage and body a good spray to hopefully flush out any remaining insects and their homes, but we were very careful to protect the lichen. You can't accuse us of not being green.

We were very careful to protect the lichen. You can't accuse us of not being green.

So, she seems to work well enough, and we've removed the worst of the potential health risks, but she's still a long way from Summernats glory. The big show kicks off this Thursday, so there's work to be done!