Danish Toyota owner signing up

[CrazyCatman]

Hi there,

Been reading on the forum from time to time, and considered signing up many times. Now I've finally done it! I am living in the birthplace of Toyota Europe, and is  currently the owner of two Toyotas (and have dreams of a few various models including getting my hands on a 1963 Crown if ever possible).

Once a year I participate with both cars at a local Toyota & Lexus rally at one of the Toyota dealers, and for such events I have Toyota caps, wrist watch, wind jacket, sunglasses and pens.

 

A little bit of history and specs on the cars:

2004 Toyota Yaris 1.3 VVT-i linea SOL (XP10)
My first Toyota is my father's old 2004 Yaris 1.3 - and after 20 years on the road she is still driving amazingly and almost like a new car. It is a daily driver and takes me to and from work without any trouble.
He bought it as the top tier (non-sport) model, here called Linea SOL, and it was delivered in August 2004 including manufacturing and installation of custom leather seats: He wanted leather seats but didn't like the design of the stock leather seats, instead he wanted them to follow the original rounded design of the fabric seats, and in two colours: Toyota had him made cream and grey seats, and had the airbag logo embroded on the front seat as well, the biggest issue here is that the seat heating takes a long time to go through the thick leather being used. He ordered navigation, mats, cargo mat, CD-player - and of course the before mensioned leather seats. He didn't want to have alloy wheels however. Three years ago, my father asked me if I could sell his car, then we could split the money: He had come to the conclusion that it was time to stop driving before he gets too old (he is turning 70 here in 2024 and have just turned in his drivers license), my wife and I was actually considering a second car - so I told him that I could buy it and he could then keep all the money: I still got it at a good price. 14 days after I had bought it, however the front was driven off while I had it parked over night - I am fully insured so it was of course fixed. The car have been at more or less full service (through the last 20 years it have only missed service 2-3 times) and always at a Toyota service workshop - I still get guarantee and road assistance on a 20 year old car. It have so far been driving just below 170,000 km.

Recently I bought a pair of roof bars - for the XP90 Yaris (2006-2011) with a set of Ski & Snowboard holders, the Mk2 roof bars fits perfectly on the first generation. Short after I bought a Barracuda bike carrier for the bars. All three carriers are made for Toyota Accessories by Mont Blanc in Sweden. I actually only needed the bars and the Barracuda to take a drive with my 2006 Toyota mountain bike - mainly to take it to rally - but I might take it out for a trail at some time. The Ski and snowboard holder was just an added bonus. 

The images here are from October 2021.

2019 Toyota Camry 2.5 Hybrid H4 (AXVH71)
Secondly I have a 2019 Camry, bought second hand in 2022 with 29,500 km behind it, as the family car: Transporting wife and son around for the various gathering, driving on road trips - and also the one my wife mainly takes to work. We wanted to change her Renault Kadjar to a more relaiable car, and wasn't quite agreeing to what that should be: She was OK with Toyota, but preffered an SUV - at first she wanted a Rav4, but found it a little too big, then the C-HR had taken her heart, but I didn't really like the small rear window and would prefer the Yaris Cross (we later drove a C-HR in Norway and it was a good thing we didn't pick that one) - in the end I found this one-owner Camry for sale and she agreed that we could try it - and she fell in love although originally it was "too big" and not an SUV. We did a trade-in with her Kadjar and havn't looked back ever since.

Being the top tier model (H4) with sound bar and electrical sun curtain in the rear window, we can't lay down the rear seats - and with very old school boot brackets the else quite big boot is a little limited.

Included was the 18" wheel - and an extra set with winter tyres. It also have installed protection plate below the trunk lid, has velour mats, luggage mat and I have bought a set of rubber mats for winter use (not original).

The Non-Toyota life:

I have a 1961 Hillman Minx which I keep as a project (I got it before the Yaris actually), but else spend a lot of time with motorcycles, mopeds, computers, fishing and I love am crazy about cats. We have a sweet Ragdoll, which we got home just a few days after receiving the Camry. Her name is not Toyota related 😉

[Win24]

Hello Jorgen, I've also recently joined this forum and thought I'd post up a greeting seeing as we both haven't had any replies yet. 😐

You seem like a really dedicated Toyota enthusiast, and I'm loving the photos of your cars. I also like the fact you're into cats, as my family is too! 👍

[Bper]

Hi jorgen, Welcome lots of good advice when you need it and always welcome when you give it,😀

You have certainly taken care of your Toyota's 👍

[CrazyCatman]

Hello Win and Bob - thank you for the warm welcome.

I would call myself a bit of an enthusiast, which kind of came random to me: I usually have been quite the Ford Fanatic (coming from a Ford Family), but my father one time decided to swap his Ford Sierra to a new Toyota Carina E, which he later traded in for the Yaris - I alwayd found the Yaris a bit boring, but after taking it over from him, I have to admit that it really is a fun car to drive: I really understand why everyone have loved them so much! I do try my best to keep her in tip top shape and really hope that my wife will let me keep her when the Camry is paid out and the Yaris turn 25 and thereby turn "Classic" = cheaper insurance - five years after (they changed it from 35 to 30 years) it goes down in tax and MOT is prolonged to when it is 35 years and after this every 8th year + even cheaper insurance - however this also means limited driving (maximum 6,000 km per year and only from mid March to end October) and may not be used for daily use, meaning we will need a second (third) car if changing the insurance to "Classic". She might not like the idea of keeping the old Yaris for occational driving, but I really want to keep her (the car - and sure, the wife too I guess) as long as it can drive safely - if we all just scrap cars because they are oldm there wouldn't be any VW beetles, Ford Escorts or Morris Minors - it would all be luxury and sports car and honestly I would feel that was dumping and hiding the history for future generations 😉

I have had some major repair done: as mensioned in the first post someone drove off the bumper 14 days after I got the Yaris, but since it was in such good condition when I got it from my father I had the full insurance - else it might not have been worth repairing with my current income at the time (working as a soldier of the lowly rank of private first class, so not a lot of money):

But which car to get... that is a very good question! I mean if we would get a Toyota again I wouldn't have to change my wardrobe completely - and it usually is a car to choose with the head rather than the heart, so it would only make sense (their service garages have been voted #1 in Denmark 21 years in a row, and collectively in last year's AutoIndex Toyota had an overall second place (#4 in Car Satisfaction, #1 in Dealerships and #1 in Service workshops). AutoIndex is a survey done by the car owners on how they feel.

I use an official Toyota service workshop - the same for both cars (the original dealer of the Yaris closed years ago and this workshop took over the service, and was therefore the one my father used, so I decided to use it too) and although we bought the Camry at another Toyota dealer I decided to use the same workshop as the Yaris - then we only have to think about one workshop and the people there knows me so I usually get a very good service.

 

Later on I might get some photos of the gear 😉 I started simpel by buying a cap and a pen at a Toyota rally at a dealership (later that day a beanie, socks and bip for my son), and then ended up with an extra cap, a watch, wind jacket and a Yaris children shirt. Just recently ordered some Yaris and Camry (older model however) pins as well as bicycle gear (bib and jerseys) for my Toyota branded mountain bike (which I still haven't gotten home as it is at my cousin's apartment). I was considering to get a maniquin for the bike gear to bring for the annual Toyota rally since I found one specificly for cycles 😉 I am also a great lover of documentation; articles, books, manuals, brochures; I got my hands on a surplus 2019 edition of the Camry borchure and some years ago I saw the original Yaris 2003 brochure - sadly I haven't seen it for sale since, but I am looking for it to show up for sale again. All service documents (invoices, checklists, etc) I have found are all kept in a binder for each car - so if I should sell it there is an (almost) full documentation (I didn't keep the two annual wheel swap invoices for the Camry).

 

Now.... I am a bit ashamed to admit that the hub caps on the Yaris is a bit of a mix and match... 3 of them are the five spoke "bolt" models but front-left is a six-spoke "V" model:

Been looking for an extra "5 spoke bolt" model (I actually found one, cheap - but the shipping was insane!) or three "6 spoke V" model - but even considered a set of newer that I have found to make the complete set (I may or may not have a dash of CDO...)

[RUToyota]

welcome, Win and Jorgen

[Eddie G]

Welcome to TOC Jorgen, loving MK1 pics and that your keeping her long term still my favourite Yaris out of them all 👍

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hello Jorgen - welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

[CrazyCatman]

On 2/2/2024 at 4:30 PM, RUToyota said:

welcome, Win and Jorgen

On 2/4/2024 at 2:14 AM, FROSTYBALLS said:

Hello Jorgen - welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

On 2/3/2024 at 11:11 PM, Eddie G said:

Welcome to TOC Jorgen, loving MK1 pics and that your keeping her long term still my favourite Yaris out of them all 👍

 

Thank you for the warm welcome.

@Eddie G I have uploaded an album with some more images of the Yaris - some are the same, but others are more detail images and life situation photos: