Yeah but it'll never have timing chain problems, so there's that.
A decent $5,000 car?
- Thread starter MCompact
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I don't hate mine-fast enough, 40+ highway MPG, ugly enough to be an urban warrior, starts & goes every time. If it wasn't for rust, it would likely outlive me... Brother saw one like it for $6500-I'm like, no, you're not getting it back...I’ve never met the OP but for some reason a picture of a man shuddering uncontrollably just ran through my mind…
I wondered about that. Why put that much work into a car if you're going to sell it?
Idk about his situation, but here is my experience. I invested time and money into a car, hoping to own it forever. But then the work commute changes, requiring a more efficient vehicle. Or life changes, requiring more interior space, for additional baby car seats for example.
I just spent $1700 for a Timing belt, water pump, cam/crank seals, and motor mounts for the 2009 Honda Pilot. 204k miles, original belt and water pump. And even after that expense I will still keep having timing belt vehicles. This Pilot for example will not need another timing belt until 300k miles, at least... That's a looong time, more than enough to save up another $1000 for another timing belt job.
I think the timing belt hate is severely overblown. VW guys wish their timing chains or water pumps lasted 204k miles...
That's like a 90 min timing belt job, tops!
This!
At 127K, mine has bad clearcoat (my own fault, too much atmospheric fallout here, 2 very active RRs & I-75), it could use a clutch, but it still has life left-literally NONE of the other non-wear items have failed exc. a couple spotty lock actuators & one PW motor. Needs A/C evaporator replaced, nothing else (other than the body is suffering from being rear ended years ago). I’m trying to figure out how all the guy’s other stuff failed!
Seen a lot of maintained Toyotas clear 200K on original chains, even 100K on a Honda timing belt seems risky. Had too many fail back in the day (Ford, mainly) with catastrophic results at ~60K.
That Camry wagon has a 3.0 liter V6 with a timing belt, but both the 4cyl. and the V6 of that era are non-interference engines.
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I remember sitting in a repair shop around 1990 and there was a Gates catalog on the table. I began looking through it and it had an asterisk next to interference engines. If memory serves me, the Mitsubishis all were…
You are mostly correct since ~90% of the Mitsubishi engines are of the interference design. Toyota engines are ~60%/40% per the Gates Catalog.
Gates Timing Belt Replacement Catalog
From Kentucky and his perfect punctuation and spelling has me visualizing a deliverance owner...
Deleted-answered my own question.
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Is that common on those v6's to run a belt that long? The interval is supposed to be 7 years or 105k. So you should be on your second.
In my small sample set of vehicles, we've never had a timing chain problem even up near the 200k mile mark. I know I wouldn't enjoy paying for a timing belt on my current Focus as its not many years from the scrap yard, but the timing chain seems to be quiet and happy.
My timing belt experience hasn't been so good. My 95 Neon water pump tried to take out the timing belt at 80k miles, starting to take teeth off of it... And my parents 1991 Escort GT went to the wreckers due to the belt breaking, even though it wasn't an interference engine, they just felt it wasn't worth getting fixed.
You can find good cars, but you have to be fast (on FB Marketplace) when you see a deal. Saying sonething like “I have cash” seems to help. In 2019 I bought a slightly faded 2007 Toyota Yaris to help a friend who drove her 2015 Altima through a flood. I paid $1300 for the car ($1,500 asking), with 173K on it. I then installed new radiator hoses, thermostat, and did an oil change and ATF change. It needed tires, so I had those put on too. I had about $1,900 total in it. For today’s inflation, add $1K.
Some break right after 100k, some last twice as long. Mileage wise it should be a second belt, but I found no records of it ever being done, and Honda trained mechanic who did the job said everything points to it being the original belt and pump. I got really lucky I guess.
Its replacement is getting swapped out at 300k on the dot, if no deer kills the Pilot before then.
I have seen an RX300 with original timing belt at 229k miles, and I have seen a 3.3L Highlander with original belt at 190k. But I have also seen a dozen cheap V6 Hondas posted for sale on marketplace due to snapped timing belt.
Laugh all you want but I would go for this with 83,000 miles and red leather interior.
utotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/709445307?allListingType=all-cars&city=Charleston&maxPrice=5000&newSearch=false&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fcars-under-5000%2Fcharleston-sc%3FnewSearch%3Dtrue&state=SC&clickType=listing
utotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/709445307?allListingType=all-cars&city=Charleston&maxPrice=5000&newSearch=false&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fcars-under-5000%2Fcharleston-sc%3FnewSearch%3Dtrue&state=SC&clickType=listing
Given its well known history for spontaneous head gasket blowouts - I'll offer a shoulder to cry on, when it does.
Don't get me started on timing belt and water pump...
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