Toyota Cressida Cooling

Overheating is the enemy of any 30+ year-old naturally-aspirated classic, and the Cressida is no exception. Toyota cressida cooling stock at both depots covers radiators, water pumps, thermostats, radiator hoses, expansion tanks and radiator fans for 18R-C, 21R-C, 22R/22R-E and 7M-GE variants. Brass-and-copper radiators were original fit on earlier cars, and genuine replacements are hard to source — aluminium replicas through the JHB depot are the practical path at R2,800-R5,500.

Water pumps on the 22R are interchangeable across a wide date range of early Hilux and Celica applications, so new aftermarket supply is still strong — R450-R1,200. The 7M-GE pump is harder to find new; CPT stocks reconditioned used units at R650-R1,400. Radiator hoses weren't designed to survive decades of heat-cycling, so always replace the upper and lower hoses plus the thermostat when refreshing a Cressida cooling system. Heater cores are available used from CPT donors where the dashboard hasn't been cut.