Which way to go

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Subaru Legacy is an option too. Those were made at the Isuzu plant in USA.
I really rather drive a legacy than a camry any day. Never drove a camry I didn't run out of screaming.

Though I haven't tried the new ones. Ridiculously intrusive cennter consoles are a big putoff. Why get a midsize car if all the seating width is gone with a foot wide center console. I think the Taurus is the worse example of this/

No Camry sticks anymore in 2016/2017?


They stopped making sticks after 2011. Well, for NA anyhow.

I prefer bench seats but our Camry fits us fine. Console isn't that bad, is another cubby hole for junk. Worst part is the cup holder, the shift smacks into any drink that is tall. Wouldn't be a problem in a 5spd, but in a 6 it is.


That just made me wonder,do any cars come with bench seats anymore?

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
That just made me wonder,do any cars come with bench seats anymore?


Probably not on cars. Even though most cars are automatic, and headed towards flappy paddle gearboxes, people still demand the gearshift on the floor, and a console to boot.

Now on trucks I suspect bench seats will be around for a bit longer.

I don't really hate consoles, they often have a nice armrest; but I kinda like the more open feeling that a bench has.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
That just made me wonder,do any cars come with bench seats anymore?


Probably not on cars. Even though most cars are automatic, and headed towards flappy paddle gearboxes, people still demand the gearshift on the floor, and a console to boot.

Now on trucks I suspect bench seats will be around for a bit longer.

I don't really hate consoles, they often have a nice armrest; but I kinda like the more open feeling that a bench has.


I'm like you,bench seats are really comfortable,roomy,and great for hwy drives. My dad's 1990 Olds 88 had bench seats and an armrest-cup holder-storage compartment that would fold up and down in the middle of the bench seat. I really miss that car!!

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
2000 Camry 2.2L, 78k miles, 5 speed

Link

1999 Camry 2.2L, 139k miles, auto

Link

1999 Camry 2.2L, 131k miles, auto

Link

First one finally sold.

Called on $1,900 one, something seems amiss: guy is a mechanic, did the timing belt etc; but the ac needs a charge...? If so, fix it.

Emailed on the $1,500 one, and I might go see it. Low expectations. No recent timing belt job, so it'll need that; and it's had a recent evap cannister, so I'm thinking it's a rust buggy underneath. Could turn into a $2,500 car once fixed up (tires, TB, exhaust, struts, wheel bearings--the usual stuff). I did look at a similar Camry and it looks like the "problem" area is right in front of the RR wheel, the brake and fuel lines hang low there. Although anything in the rear can rot.

Tried to get the wife onboard for this one, there's a CL ad in NY for it at under $3k, but she thought it high in miles for the price. Oh well. [Have a quick day trip to CT on Fri, so a dealer with 20 day plates would work.]

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
2000 Camry 2.2L, 78k miles, 5 speed

Link

1999 Camry 2.2L, 139k miles, auto

Link

1999 Camry 2.2L, 131k miles, auto

Link

First one finally sold.

Called on $1,900 one, something seems amiss: guy is a mechanic, did the timing belt etc; but the ac needs a charge...? If so, fix it.

Emailed on the $1,500 one, and I might go see it. Low expectations. No recent timing belt job, so it'll need that; and it's had a recent evap cannister, so I'm thinking it's a rust buggy underneath. Could turn into a $2,500 car once fixed up (tires, TB, exhaust, struts, wheel bearings--the usual stuff). I did look at a similar Camry and it looks like the "problem" area is right in front of the RR wheel, the brake and fuel lines hang low there. Although anything in the rear can rot.

Tried to get the wife onboard for this one, there's a CL ad in NY for it at under $3k, but she thought it high in miles for the price. Oh well. [Have a quick day trip to CT on Fri, so a dealer with 20 day plates would work.]
That one sure is clean! That's really low miles, just under 11,000 per year. Price is a little high but that one is really clean. If it isn't rusty it looks like a winner.

Looks a lot nicer than mine that's for sure.

 

[supton]

Yeah, would love to look at it, probably won't, not enough time to pull it off, plus the price isn't right.

 

[QuinZ]

Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
I would not DD a subaru 1998-2004 unless the head gaskets were previously serviced as well as documented timing belt service. end of story.


Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
I would not DD a subaru 1994-2009 unless the head gaskets were previously serviced as well as documented timing belt service. end of story.


FTFY.

That said, if I did see one that had the documented mentioned items, I would enjoy it thoroughly.

 

[supton]

Well, am hoping this works out.

1999 Camry LE, 2.2 I4, 4AT, 139k. Ad said it needed tires; missed that it needed a windshield (not in ad and missed that detail--crack right at the top, in the tint area). Might need struts too, as one tire has some odd wear--Mastercrafts, so maybe just a bad tire? Dunno. ATF isn't as red as I'd care for, but drove fine (just a bit of tire balance and noise). I think it's due for a timing belt, but I might wait for an "opportune" time; her mechanic said it inspected fine. Did notice that the dogbone top mount is bad. Has fog lights of some sort which I haven't gotten to turn on; might just yank. Looking through the receipts, it has a recent starter; and it says "worn flywheel teeth", that is a bit troubling (but it starts fine so...?). Has new swaybar links and one strut mount. I already pumped up the spare and one low tire, and greased a couple of squeaky spots.

I think I'll drive it for a week, and if it checks out, get an alignment & tires (probably RT43's). Has a sticker through May; so I might drop it off with the local mechanic first, get it checked out; and if it shows big issues, reconsider. I could get cheapo tires and flip; or get cheapo tires and run until May and flip. Or just fix the issues, as I think it's a solid car.

The woman was nice enough to drive it the 40 miles to where I live, so either she's a good actress--or she legitimately didn't believe anything was wrong with the car. [She said she drove it up into NY the prior weekend.] I didn't find anything wrong with it when I drove it on the highway. So I didn't argue over the $1,500 price, all things considered.

One of the deciding factors was the fact that it's only been in NH for 5 years. Was in Arizona prior to that. Said she drove it about 10k/year up here. Just about perfect: cosmetically challenged, mechanically way better than anything up here. I *might* have to do something with the paint, as I fear it will rust from the top down otherwise. Wife suggested I get it painted... forest green.

 

[Nick1994]

Yeah, a Camry! It's so cheap you could drive it until it rots away and sell for $500. Low miles too. Drain and refills are easy on the transmission, I always get around 2 quarts out. Differential has separate fluid (tranny and diff both take Dexron III, I use MaxLife ATF). Not too hard to change if you have a crowfoot. Spark plugs are really easy to change. Use the NGK or Denso double prong plugs.

Check the air tube, looks in the picture kind of like it is taped. Mine broke in half earlier this year from dry rotting. A new $50 Dorman one replaced it. Looks like it has 14" wheels. 195/70-14 tires should be skinny enough to cut through snow.

A good heavy dose of rust protection should help that thing get along well. Jack it up and wiggle the wheels before an alignment.

Also something that might help you out. Commuting around town I get around 25 mpg, and I fill up at around 420 miles or so, still leaves a gallon or so left (18.5 gallon tank). On the highway if you get, say, 33 mpg, that's over 600 miles until empty. Post your mpg once you drive it to work.

 

[supton]

Yeah, 14" wheels. Should be cheap to get tires. I have a bit of time, so I plan to keep an eye out on CL; maybe I'll find another good deal. [Just scored near-new snows and rims for the '11 Camry; $200 plus $80 for mnt&bal. Not bad!]

Yep, won't be long before I Fluid Film it. I mean, I could do nothing and it'd go a few years; but it'll last longer if I do something. And it'll make future work easier. Besides, I still have like 4 gallons left... I see some rust on a steel line, now that I look again; bit of steel wool and some effort, and no one will notice. Maybe next weekend I'll get the first round of things done (like work on fluid changes, I suspect it's OEM brake fluid too).

Intake tube is torn, as you saw, so that is one of a the early things to deal with. Oil filters are another (saw some Fram's at Walmart but might just go OEM--I'm just that kind of guy). Didn't realize the diff sump was a separate drain; will deal with that too in the future. What size crowfoot would I need? Guessing 14mm, off-hand. PO did plugs recently so might wait a bit. Serpentine belt looks quite new, that's one less thing; but it's a replacement starter, so who knows what longevity it will have. Looks dirt simple to replace though.

Pumped up the spare. Has a date code of 438. I might give thought to finding another spare.

Looking forward to 30+ mpg. I haven't been cruising slow lately in my truck, and I think it's at 19mpg. Maybe. Also... Darned if this weekend the wife and I both noticed the same new body damage on her Camry. Parking lot morons! In this car, no worries. It's the first car that I've put a chintzy trunk-mounted bike rack onto and not worried about paint damage.

 

[Nick1994]

If you want separate wheels and tires, another option to look for is 205/65-15 wheels and tires. It came OE on a lot of Camrys, including mine (I have steel wheels). Just opens options for more wheels and tires if you see a good deal.

The fill plug for the differential is 17mm, you might be able to get away with a wrench. I had a crowfoot laying around and used that. Drain plug takes a 10mm Allen key. Transmission pan drain plug should be too.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: supton

Looking forward to 30+ mpg. I haven't been cruising slow lately in my truck, and I think it's at 19mpg. Maybe.


19 MPG is what my Rangers get...is that bad?

That Camry looks very rust-free for your area. At $1500 with only typical old car concerns, it seems like a good deal. Seems like a good beater.

As for the replacement starter, my 1994 Ranger has what looks to be and what sounds like a non-original aftermarket China starter. It has worked great for the nearly two years and 15K mi or so I have had the truck. My aunt has an Aztek with an appetite for aftermarket starters, but it also hemorrhages oil all over its starter(s), so that's probably a big part of the problem. I think a lot of starters probably die due to being coated in oil.

 

[Jarlaxle]

The Rust Stop in Concord does good work...I'm having my Vic sprayed there this weekend.

 

[Dorian]

My car is almost identical. The Antique Sage Pearl is a great color for hiding dirt. I just polished my car for the first time and it looks great. My interior is grey though. Looks to be in good shape. My car hasn't missed a beat! Drop the trans filter. My trans. runs quite a bit smoother after I did that. My General Altimax RT43s are doing well, but they aren't the quietest tires. That are far more grippy in wet conditions than the Michelins they replaced.
If you put some major elbow grease in this thing it is going to start looking great.

 

[supton]

The paint is shot! Hardly any clearcoat left on any horizontal surface.

Would have preferred a gray interior; take what I can get. Interior is pretty clean; it could probably use shampoo but that's too much work. Original floor mats look decent; I'll see if this winter I get good mats or not (seems wrong on a beater to get Weathertechs!).

Put 80 miles onto it and the gauge has barely moved. Did find a rattle that I missed on the test drive; only shows up on some pavement. Not on a single pothole but certain rough spots. Probably a body panel. Trans programming is decent: I'd call it reluctant to downshift, which is perfect for economy. Otherwise, I really just let it do its thing and it seemed to be... correct. Only thing that bugs me is that if I let off the throttle, it drops like 50rpm; then if I get onto it, it pops up. I'm guessing it unlocks the convertor. However: it doesn't seem to do that when using cruise. Which, unlike my truck, appears to not cause the trans to hunt. At least it didn't on the way to work.

Haven't decided yet on dropping the trans pan. From what I understand, it's a strainer not a filter. If it's not giving grief...

The ATF is far from pink, almost to the point of me wondering what is in it--seems rather clear with some crud. But not black. Shifts fine though. So I plan to drain and fill; then pull a cooling line and see if I can pump out what is in the convertor, try to get as much old stuff out. I've got a few gallons of Maxlife already on hand.

Debating if I want to drop it off with the local mechanic and get an inspection of what is wrong with it, see if I missed anything (and diagnose the above rattle). If it gets a clean bill of health, then spend good money on tires and windshield.

 

[Dorian]

My car has rattles on certain pavement as well. We have done the front sway bar links and strut tower bushings that made a little bit of a difference. The rear sway bar links are more than likely the cause of my issue. Not quite sure if that is your issue or not. Generally, I have my radio up so loud it doesn't bother me. Also, I noticed your coolant reserve is empty/low. That might be your biggest concern for now. I, too, average around 26-27 in my daily commute which combines a lot of stop and go with high speed streets.

 

[dareo]

What a sweet car for your commute and rust situation. Well done!

 

[supton]

Yeah, it's a pinch low--recent t-stat. Hasn't changed in level, but I picked up two gallons of red coolant this morning, will get two gallons of distilled water tonight. Have a timing belt job to do in the near future, so it'll get used. Picked up a couple oil filters and ordered wipers while I was at it--I know I could go to Walmart, but the OEM blades go a year plus on my other Toyotas.

 

[supton]

Put on about 450 miles so far; filled up today, as it was down to quarter tank and it was a good time to refill. 34.4mpg. 40 miles were with 3 tires at 30psi (one at 20), and 40 miles was with ac. Otherwise, 65-70mph most of the time. Cruise control works pretty good.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: supton
Put on about 450 miles so far; filled up today, as it was down to quarter tank and it was a good time to refill. 34.4mpg. 40 miles were with 3 tires at 30psi (one at 20), and 40 miles was with ac. Otherwise, 65-70mph most of the time. Cruise control works pretty good.
Wow, great mpg! Especially since EPA says it gets 28 mpg highway. You'll be able to figure out how often you can fill up. It has an 18.5 gallon tank, which I doubted until I once filled up with 18.283 gallons. You can probably push 600 miles on a tank if needed.

My best mpg was 36.72 with my 97' Camry. Haven't had a chance to drive this one like a granny out of town yet. Maybe in the next month or two I will.

Actually, looking at my fuel records in Fuelly my car got 37.1 mpg with my brother driving it at 70 mph. Although he was following me when I was driving a Uhaul so I don't count that.