Why are you still keeping/buying an old camry?

[ivlage]

Hi all,

I am newcomer in this forum and I have a 91 camry DX automatic. My car is having a major problem now, water pump is broken. It's also the reason led me to this forum (wish I could have found this site earlier). Auto shops told me it would cost me at least 850 to fix, because the replacement will touch timing belt, "pressure pin," and other parts I can't recall now. The cost is steep for me, especially while thinking it's a 17 years old car. I live in North CA.

Before this happened, the car is running great, got ~31mpg, besides some small problems (including steering oil leak, alignment, sometimes engine stall at red light after exiting freeway), and the body is ok too, only a few small dents from street parking and it got ~140k milage. It's sad and hard to decide for me to get rid of this car either selling it cheap to auto shop, or donation, or sell its parts because it's my first car and I have been driving it for almost 10 years.

So I would like to see your opinions, and also would like to know answer of the question in the title.

Sorry for the long paragraph and thanks in advance.

[drugal]

They're cheap to buy, plenty of parts around, and super easy to work on. I can walk into any self-service junkyard around here and find half a dozen or more.

More importantly, they're reliable. I let go of my last one with 612,000km.


As for changing the water pump, $850 seems like a total rip-off. I would look around for some better quotes.

[TVISMR2]

What part of CA are you in? $850 for a timing belt/water pump is recockulous

[TBayToyotaBoy]

drugal is right--about everything. These cars are inexpensive, extremely reliable, easy to work on, and if you don't have any rust then you're LAUGHING. Rust is the worst problem with these cars.

The price you were given is extremely high, unless your engine overheated when the water pump seized. If it overheated, then the price is more reasonable--they would have to do a lot of work on the head when they replace the water pump and the timing belt.

If your car did NOT overheat, then get another quote from a good mechanic. I should think that $400 or $500 is a liberal estimate for a water pump/timing belt replacement...

[MROLDV8]

Why am I keeping it? (90 DX)

1... For a small car, I fit behind the wheel.
2...The interior on mine is in nice shape.
3...The A/C works.
4...I can get a 10' long stick inside it.
5...I can park it anywhere and not care about getting it dinged.
6...It gets 30 MPG.

[Doctor J]

Unfortunately, the 78-82 Corona wagons are rare now; we bought the Camry because we wanted to have a wagon. If my Supra would not be rear-ended I probably would still use it, but I doubt it would pass the visible smoke test.
To ivlage: is yours 6 or 4 cylinder?

[kenwoodrunner]

850 is way to high! like others said 500 is about right. if you can do it your self it is an under 100 dollar job. maybe this question will help you decide! where can you get a car for 500 that you know the history of and is reliable?

[white90dx]

Along with what everyone else here has said... the timing belt and water pump are normal wear&tear items and should be replaced regularly anyway (timing belt every 60k and water pump at 120k if you are using factory parts). It just sounds like the cost of owning a car to me.

If you can do the work yourself, I believe it is under $200 for all factory parts (timing belt, water pump, tensioner, idler pullies and accessory belts). After it is done, you should be able to get another 140k out of the car, as long as it is rust free.

I had 267k miles on my first Camry when I crashed it, my current 2wd Camry has 324k miles on it (with a new engine and just about everything else though) and my Alltrac Camry has 104k miles on it and feels almost brand new...

-Charlie

[fredk]

change the pump and belt yourself

[ivlage]

Thanks alot for the input, you guys are great! Now I know something to keep in mind when getting more estimates. One thing I hate about getting estimate is that shops usually give you a "nice" number and when you get there, they rip you off > I live in south bay in SF bayarea, but the price I got is from San Mateo, my car is parked at a friend's company parking lot.

My car is 4 cylinder. Thought there was only 4 cylinder DX hahah

As for fixing it myself, I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty, but I lack the knowledge, tools, proper space (I am a renter with only street parking) and time for it. I have the repair manual for my car and skimmed through it last night. I am not sure it's suitable DIY for an inexperienced guy like me, mainly the timing belt part, ie. engine jack up, I have no idea how to accomplish that :P It seems too big a project and energy investment at this time. But thanks again for giving me reasons to keep this car.

[aych]

dont bother fixing it yourself its no fun removing the engine. 400 should do it if its just a watercooler change. but while you're at it, you might as well change everything that needs to be changed with the engine out. its the labour thats expensive, not parts.

[fairladyZX]

i paid under $500 less than a year ago for timing belt replacement along with a couple of bad rings that i can remember, also included was a new driving belt, new engine valve gasket, transmission flush and radiator flush... i guess it's cheaper here in LA county but i always bargain with my mechanic before i decide to fix my car there

i think u should keep it since it makes a good daily driver car. i wouldn't mind spending 1~2g a year to maintain it

[91CamryMan]

wow that is very high. I replaced the water pump on my camry for well under $100, but that is the benefit of diy.

[aych]

yeah, the part is about 100, but 3-400 of it goes to labour. anything to do with removing the engine is expensive

[BlueFusion6851]

I drive a gen3, but I have a few reasons of my own to keep the old girl around.
-It's paid off, even though things break down, it's still cheaper than monthly payments on a new car.
-$39.00 a year for tabs, and cheap insurance.
-It still gets decent gas mileage for being a V6 with 185,000 miles.
-Theres also a lot of sentimental value there.