Bought a Toyota even more boring than The Critic's

[nthach]

The older Camrys of the 1990s-early 2000s were good, if not boring cars. They’re to cars like the HP LaserJet 4000/5000 series was to offices.

I’d replace the timing belt/water pump out of PM as well as the oil pump O-ring and seal, a common 5S-FE leak point, and if left unmitigated, results in a major oil leak.

 

[Skippy722]

Every kid should feel humiliated by their first car. My son drives Grandma's old Buick which is not-so-lovingly known as Mildred (the car, not Grandma). Personally, I wish Mildred had less get up and go than she does with the 3.8l V6.

If it’s a Buick LaSabre, those are great cars! My friend in high school had one we called the “LeSlobber” and it was absolute peak comfort.

I feel like any teenager will just be happy to have any car… at first I wasn’t pleased with the 2004 Grand Caravan I drove… but I quickly realized I could put 7 people in it (though 12 was the max I ever did 😉) and have fun. Also learned if you opened up both sliding doors at 60mph it creates a TON of noise!

 

[PandaBear]

Best car for a new teen driver is one with no back seat and a large center console.

This is 2022, there is no need for back seat anymore.

 

[Skippy722]

This is 2022, there is no need for back seat anymore.

Instructions unclear, 3 children in the back seat 😏

 

[dishdude]

Also learned if you opened up both sliding doors at 60mph it creates a TON of noise!

A poor man's Wrangler?

 

[nthach]

'Cause in my experience, every teenager can use a good dose of humility.

If I ever had kids, my first car pick for them would be a Prius. Ugly, not the best handling, not the best accelerating nor the most confidence inspiring but it’s cheap to maintain and repair(unless a HG, HV battery or brake actuator goes out) and the negatives are positives to prevent dumb things from happening.

 

[The Critic]

(unless a HG, HV battery or brake actuator goes out)

Which is a question of when, not if.

 

[eljefino]

If I ever had kids, my first car pick for them would be a Prius.

Junior makes $12.75/hr washing dishes. That's enough gas money to get to Atlantic City in a Prius. Not sure I should encourage this, unless he gets good at counting cards.

 

[nthach]

Junior makes $12.75/hr washing dishes. That's enough gas money to get to Atlantic City in a Prius. Not sure I should encourage this, unless he gets good at counting cards.

It’s probably the same price to cross the NJ Turnpike as well, which there’s no way to avoid.

 

[JimPghPA]

I hope finding the gas lines are easy.

We had to have the prebent gas lines shipped in fron Canada for our 2001 Impala about 4 years ago. And shipping cost for long unusual length shipping cost a lot. I do not remember the exact cost of the shipping but think it was a little over $100.00

 

[citationxeleven]

I drive a 1994 Camry. 303,000 miles. You probably have 10+ years of inexpensive, reliable car left.

 

[Andrew1972]

Every kid should feel humiliated by their first car. My son drives Grandma's old Buick which is not-so-lovingly known as Mildred (the car, not Grandma). Personally, I wish Mildred had less get up and go than she does with the 3.8l V6.

First car I drove an AMC eagle wagon m with wood grain sticker and maroon plastic claddding. It turned out to be an amazing off-roader and could run on beaches.

 

[eljefino]

I hope finding the gas lines are easy.

We had to have the prebent gas lines shipped in fron Canada for our 2001 Impala about 4 years ago. And shipping cost for long unusual length shipping cost a lot. I do not remember the exact cost of the shipping but think it was a little over $100.00

I bought a 25' roll of 5/16 coated steel line. Gonna use compression fittings near both ends to splice into the factory stuff.

Looks like the tank has to drop, bummer. Hope I can get it around the exhaust. This is a project that will wait as the temperature's dropping into the negatives.

 

[JimPghPA]

I do not right now remember the exact name, but there is a nickle aloy brake line that is very resistant to rust and very superior to plain steel lines. If you saved the receipt and can return the plain steel lines ( if they are not the better nickle alloy ) that would be a good idea, and get the nickle aloy ones.

 

[eljefino]

So it was idling really really low, to the point of not starting if I didn't have my foot on the gas. Removed the TPS to clean it and was surprised that I only removed the magnetic windings that activate it via the little plastic cube under the throttle body. No matter, I grabbed a little brass thingie which felt like it was operating a small butterfly valve and moved it back and forth, put it all together, and the car decided to relearn how to idle. Fantastic!

But there's no glory without drama, and I busted the shifter cable for good. Set the e-brake, started her up, put it in gear to get it to a parking space, and ordered the part.

As for the fuel lines, steel got me 23 years, it'll get me another 23. I "thought" copper-nickel wasn't suitable for gasoline but it turns out it's fine.

 

[BISCUT]

Like choosing Vanilla ice cream instead of

Perfect first car!!!

 

[skrypj]

'Cause in my experience, every teenager can use a good dose of humility.

My parents were 2 seconds away from buying me a white Lincoln Towncar as my first car.

Looking back, i wish they had. It would have been so awesome. I just didn’t realize it at the time.

I did have a Chevy Astro though, which was equally awesome.

 

[ripcord]

My parents were 2 seconds away from buying me a white Lincoln Towncar as my first car.

Looking back, i wish they had. It would have been so awesome. I just didn’t realize it at the time.

I did have a Chevy Astro though, which was equally awesome.

A lady at our church has driven a mid nineties Buick Roadmaster Estate wagon for years and years. I always teased my kids that I was going to buy it from her for their first car. It looks just like this one I linked to on Wikipedia.

 

[dishdude]

All this talk of buying a car for the kids...I had to save up and buy my own. Until that happened I was driving their old Cherokee and Acclaim when available.

I sound like such an old man

 

[Nick1994]

All this talk of buying a car for the kids...I had to save up and buy my own. Until that happened I was driving their old Cherokee and Acclaim when available.

I sound like such an old man

Me too!

It's annoying seeing videos online of people giving their kids brand new cars. I just roll my eyes and turn into a grumpy old man.