1st & 2nd Generation (19831986 & 1987-1991)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1983-1986 & 1987-1991.
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
Honestly, that is by far the best way. You need the engine, transmission, wiring harness, axles, front suspension, radiator, etc. from a V6, which requires a complete front end donor car anyway... And you won't be left with some odd car to try to sell at a later date (people don't trust modified cars).
I speak from experience here, having done one motor swap and working on a second as I type this. (in my case for a 280ish HP motor, not a 156 HP motor)
-Charlie
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2003 Impreza WRX Wagon 5spd - 2.2L stroker + other goodies
1989 Camry Alltrac LE 3S-GTE 5spd - SV25/ST205 hybrid
1990 Camry 3S-GTE 5spd - parted out / junked
1990 Camry DX 3S-FE 5spd - The original white90dx; gone but not forgotten
Trade for or sell yours and buy a V-6 model. Unless you truly love working on your ride pretty much fulltime your way better off with a factory installed V-6.
By the time one figures in the cost for extra parts and time (your time is worth a lot, it needs to be considered as well) rarely do you come out on the better end of the deal. Unless as I mentioned earlier its your love of labor and not your main mode of transportation.
There is a lot to be said for a fulfilling project and the pride that comes from driving a car you put together.
After having said all of this if you decide to do the work take plenty of photos and keep TN updated on your progress.
k well , thank you both, but i love this car and i dont think that i could part with it, but on another note,
this car needs alot of exterior and interior work, now i dont know much about cars, and i was thinking about doing alot of custom work, like a custom body kit, a custom digital gauge cluster, and an aftermarket sound system. so how do you suggest i go about all that stuff?
k well , thank you both, but i love this car and i dont think that i could part with it, but on another note,
this car needs alot of exterior and interior work, now i dont know much about cars, and i was thinking about doing alot of custom work, like a custom body kit, a custom digital gauge cluster, and an aftermarket sound system. so how do you suggest i go about all that stuff?
spells T R O U B L E on a swap. On a honda sure.. its' cookie cutter for them. But on Toyotas, it's a PITA to get in and out of the engine bay. I have a Previa. What it lacks in maintenance, it makes up for in labor costs. I aggree with both of above posts. There really is no point in making it a sleeper V6. unless you turbo charge/supercharge it.. or put in a 2Jz.. or an ES motor for that matter.
youd be running the the 2-4 k for the body work alone on that car. if the fenders are that gone, you are going to have some serious frame rusting too. once you get a hint of rust on the frame its pretty much toast.....i can see that salt has eaten that car up. have you looked under the car?
Just a little, I wasnt going to do any work till the weather gets warmer. I know its alot of work, time, and money, but its my first car, i love it , so its worth it to me.
but if you guys have any info that help me , please share!!!
OMG. Yeah, that's a lot of rust, and it looks like you might have some frame damage from that rear-end collision as the trunk doesn't close right. I agree with dem2757. First get under the car and look for a rusted and also damaged frame. Without access to a body shop, it's very hard to readjust the frame.
As for the body rust, you're definitely going to have to sand down the paint and grind off the rust, and then weld sheet metal and shape it. That is a ridiculous amount of work, but if you're doing it as a project car, then it will definitely be a learning experience.
If money is a concern, though, take what you were going to spend restoring this car, and get another gen2 camry without as much rust.
yea, I know a guy with a shop, the cool part is that i dont have to pay for labor , just parts, the only thing that does suck but its a good thing t the same time , is that the guy is going to make me do all the work by m u self, im ganna love that , lol
i agree, it might be worth it to buy a gen 2 v6, or i4 (keep in mind the i4 is MUCH easier to work on) i love my v6 but i dread tearing into it. and then keep your first car as the donor car.
i dont want to say it, but the amount of rust and damage to the rear end make it not worth dumping money into it. you should just dump that money into a whole new gen 2 and make that one nice and pretty
OMG. Yeah, that's a lot of rust, and it looks like you might have some frame damage from that rear-end collision as the trunk doesn't close right. I agree with dem2757. First get under the car and look for a rusted and also damaged frame. Without access to a body shop, it's very hard to readjust the frame.
As for the body rust, you're definitely going to have to sand down the paint and grind off the rust, and then weld sheet metal and shape it. That is a ridiculous amount of work, but if you're doing it as a project car, then it will definitely be a learning experience.
If money is a concern, though, take what you were going to spend restoring this car, and get another gen2 camry without as much rust.
Weld sheet metal were? OP is in Buffalo, Good luck finding a V-6 Camry with little to no rust there if he wants to go that route.
Weld sheet metal were? OP is in Buffalo, Good luck finding a V-6 Camry with little to no rust there if he wants to go that route.
There are places where it has rusted completely through the metal like on the fuel door and at the rear fender. To fix things like that, he's going to have to add sheet metal to make it whole again.
Yeah, up north, it's all going to be rusted, but if he's willing to travel a few hours, there are Camries without as much rest.
While it may be your first car, it definitely will not be your last car
Sorry pardoner I say it is time to cut and run
In any case, you will look back on the advice your getting and decide if it was good advice or not.
As far as learning with a hands-on experience that is great news. I would like to say the better condition the car is at the start of the project the less chance for frustration, and higher chance of completion.
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