Potential 1999 Camry purchase

[92saturnsl2]

1999 Camry LE 4cyl auto w/ 170K listed for sale at $1700, local pawn shop. Test drove it around their parking lot and it's misfiring on at least 1-2 cylinders. Oil and coolant condition looks good visually, I checked both. Transmission shifted fine. The body is in great condition (normal dings for its age), interior needs some help, floor mat replacement mostly. Thankfully no tobacco smell which is common in KY.

Valve cover gasket has been leaking but other than the misfire, I don't see much wrong with it.

The pawn shop owners are a friend of the family and they knew my teenage daughter was looking for a car. They know as little about the car as I do, so this is basically giving us first dibs.

I'm going back Monday to study it further and bring my scan tool. For such a severe misfire, I never saw a check engine light. Curious if it's worth the gamble, or an immediate pass?

 

[Elkins45]

Might be interesting to see if they would let you swap out plugs and coils on the misfiring cylinders, assuming it wouldn’t cost too much to acquire some to try. You would at least get a batter sense of what is causing the misfire, whether it’s ignition rather than compression or fuel.

 

[GSCJR]

Hopefully, it's just spark plug tube seals leaking, causing the misfire. Pull the ignition cables out and shine a light down onto the spark plugs; look for oil pooling.

Good luck!

 

[92saturnsl2]

Might be interesting to see if they would let you swap out plugs and coils on the misfiring cylinders, assuming it wouldn’t cost too much to acquire some to try. You would at least get a batter sense of what is causing the misfire, whether it’s ignition rather than compression or fuel.

That's why it's a gamble. It's a pawn shop, you can't leave their driveway for insurance reasons. They're confident that if I don't buy it, someone else will at that price, and they're right. Hopefully I can get down there quick enough on Monday to hook a scan tool up to it. No way they would want me swapping parts.

 

[SC Maintenance]

You don't have a whole lot to lose. $3000 is the new $500, so then $1700 is about free.

 

[addyguy]

Yeah, at that price, if it isn’t rusted out, grab it. Misfires can be fixed.

 

[Barkleymut]

I would buy it in a second if you feel decent about the trans. Worst case you try some cheap fixes and rhey do not work, you can still sell it.

 

[eljefino]

Is it beige?

Resealing the spark plug tubes is trivial. Just pull the cam cover (easy), unthread the tube(s), clean, put some black RTV on, send home, wait for cure. Bring a turkey baster or preferably a mity vac when you look at it, so you can see how much oil you slurp out of the tubes.

That generation is probably the best ever made-- the Yen was weak then so there was lots of content and engineering in a still reasonable size package with a great greenhouse. The 02+ Camrys got plump and feel cheaper.

The valve cover gaskets on these get very brittle with age; you'll laugh about how it snaps apart like raw spaghetti if you're lucky enough to purchase this classic. Do ensure the CEL works with KOEO as proof it wasn't tampered with.

 

[michaelluscher]

If it's not rusted, I'd be in for that money

Agreed on the KOEO CEL check

And remember these have the separate drain and fill AT/Differential
And the 5S oil pump seal that likes to self eject
Plan on some maintenance items, it'll make a good thread

 

[JMJNet]

IIRC, the valve cover gasket set comes with a set of spark plug seal.

 

[eljefino]

IIRC, the valve cover gasket set comes with a set of spark plug seal.

The tubes need sealing on the bottom as well, at times. The plugs are burrowed rather deeply into the head. The tubes come out with a pipe wrench.

 

[Nick1994]

That's pretty iffy. If it isn't knocking, maybe worth the gamble. Spark plug tube seals are a possibility. On my 2000 Camry, my newish at the time spark plug wires were sitting on the valve cover itself and one was arcing and causing a misfire. The dealer has the holders for the wires that pop onto the valve cover for cheap.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Is it beige?

How did you know? Beige interior too My least favorite color but at least it's not going to be mine! It doesn't have the Camry dent on the rear bumper, so it's got one thing going for it aesthetically.

That generation is probably the best ever made-- the Yen was weak then so there was lots of content and engineering in a still reasonable size package with a great greenhouse. The 02+ Camrys got plump and feel cheaper.

Much like my '96 Maxima. 90's era turned out some great Japanese cars.

The valve cover gaskets on these get very brittle with age; you'll laugh about how it snaps apart like raw spaghetti if you're lucky enough to purchase this classic. Do ensure the CEL works with KOEO as proof it wasn't tampered with.

I told my daughter to tell them we're committed and we'll be back Monday (they close on weekends). Whether that helps or not, I'm not sure as I don't know the folks that well, but my daughter is good friends w/ the owners granddaughter. I've actually been to that pawn shop before to do a gun transfer (one of the closest FFL dealers near me), they seem like good people.

I'll keep everyone updated if I get it, I'm excited to get it on the lift and inspect it further. If I don't like it or there's something nefarious going on, I think I can easily resell it for what I paid. Couple things I forgot to check (it was pouring down rain) like tires, but those are small potatoes.

 

[supton]

I’m in the “just do it camp” but I’m biased.

 

[nickaluch]

First car teenager worth the gamble

 

[eljefino]

14-inch potatoes. I would scare up some 15" rims and 195/65r15s or 205/65r15 if you're still rolling on the factory 195/70r14s just for more choices in tires other than super cheap, bland all-seasons.

Those headlights are yellowed and terrible. That body style got 4-bulb headlights in 2000 but you're stuck with the awful 9003 dual filaments. They don't throw much light but at least they're out of focus.

My kid's car (same everything) got new chinese lamps from ebay (super duper cheap) and, sigh, LED retrofits.

I spy with my little eye an empty bottle of Febreeze (tm) on the floorboards. Better than brake fluid, I suppose.

Couple things I forgot to check (it was pouring down rain) like tires, but those are small potatoes.

 

[supton]

O'Reilly's had headlamps for decent money for my '99. I swapped them just months before my daughter wrecked that car. Polished the old ones once, but it was a lost cause.

I liked General RT43's for my car; out of stock now. But RT45 shows as being available in 14". I had people question me about such a good tire for such an old car, but it was my commuter car and it's the small things that matter. Huge ride difference between that and the Mastercrafts that mine came with. Monroe quick struts were easy to install, but IMO they may have been bad after 50k.

I swapped the radiator a couple times with Denso units from Amazon. First time because the tanks were cracking, second time because a fitting was showing corrosion. Like $100. Original hoses. When the starter gave up I found the solenoid pieces on ebay for like $20 and "rebuilt" it rather than swapping it--but when the alternator gave up the brushes were not the problem and it wound up with an Autozone reman.

 

[92saturnsl2]

I spy with my little eye an empty bottle of Febreeze (tm) on the floorboards. Better than brake fluid, I suppose.

No half full jugs of coolant, motor oil bottles and brake fluid found lol. I can deal with Febreeze, though I'm not sure it really needed it. Usually it's to quench the smell of tobacco smoke, but I didn't detect any. All I know is whoever owned it had very dirty shoe soles, the floor mats will be job #1, but I'll leave that up to my kid.

Also the drivers door handle is broke off, needs a $10 junkyard part which should be easy to find.

 

[Tdbo]

That's worth rolling the dice on.

 

[Patrick0525]

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