What should I do?

[ninja92]

Hey,

So to make my point quick, basically I was supposed to get my dad's 97 2.2L Camry. He was gonna get a newer car for the drive to work. He got in a accident this week and something tells me that insurance is gonna total the car. The radiator and everything was push into the exhaust headers. So the front end is smashed. I'm not going to get the car now.

I really like the Camry and I want to get a 4th gen stick. either v6 or 5s-fe. idk for now. im a 17 year old that has mostly been reading up on TN about stuff, as I didn't have the funds to do anything yet. (just sanded down the headlights, put silverstar ultras in, and put a front strut bar). I was going to get a whiteline sway bar soon.

Anyways back to the point: Should I get the 4th gen Camry or should I get another car? I don't want to rice it. Just nice VIP style eventually. Make it look clean. Maybe when I'm older put a turbo on it.

Thanks for any ideas. I'll let you know if Allstate decided to total it once I know.

[frenum49]

Sounds like your Dads 97 will likely be totaled. Find out how much money the insurance co is handing over and start looking on carsoup for a better ride before your Dad decides he needs a new BBQ pit.

[bigbird]

well if ya want a reliable car with a manual you have ALOT of choices. Accord, Maxima, Camry are the 3 id look into. the first 2 have lots of aftermarket support...the third(and most dissapointing) doesnt. if i had to get another car right now...of thoes 3 id prolly want the accord...V6...Coupe. but the camry is a great sleeper and the gen4 at least has some parts avalible. i hate sending people off to other auto makers but the gen4 camry lacks alot that a 17yo would prolly want.

in any case i would ONLY get a V6 auto or 5 speed.

[ninja92]

ok, thanks for the replies.

yea i prefer manual, even though i live in chicago. i drove stick in poland, and i learned to drive a car on stick.

all im looking for in a car for now is so its easy to turn, handles well, and parts don't cost an arm and a leg.

insurance is still expensive for me, so i don't plan on getting anything to crazy. maybe when im older and i can afford it, i'll get a STI, but thats like 5 years down or more.

I want a comfy, clean looking car until then. and i don't wanna go with a civic or the main-stream car. I can do custom work. Have plenty of uncles and friends to help out with that.

ps. bigbird, can you like name a couple of things that most 17 year olds want? j/w lol. I realize i can't have a camry to be in the fast and furious lol

[bigbird]

well your certainly not gonna care about trunk space or rear leg room are you??.

im thinkin along the lines that you are, what parts are avalible? have performance potential? any fun factor? how much to insure? how much to maintain? how long will it last? things like that. but im sure some stickers and a big spoiler would make ya happy too.

[ninja92]

haha well rear leg space not anymore since im driving

yea, im going for a daily driver, that looks nice (clean, not ricey)

i do appriciate a nice tuner, with the super large rear wing, the stickers.... not so much. lol my rule of thumb is if it's slow and stock under the hood, the exterior should not be flashy.

i'll see what happens, and let you guys know whats up with the car and stuff thanks for ur help .

btw i know the camry is reliable, b/c my dad drove 80 miles day to work in it.

it just crossed over 186K miles like before the crash.

[projektvertx]

Based on your description of the accident, I'm guessing it will be a total loss, front ends are more expensive... But unexpected things can happen!!! If you are 17, I assume you are looking for a bit more performance. Your age set aside, I would pick a honda accord coupe V6. Replacement parts for Honda's are cheaper and mods are more readily availible. My father has an Acura and his replacement parts are way cheaper that parts for my Cam. He pays half of what I do for brake pads. Not to trash on Maxima's but every Nissan that has ever been owned by anyone I know have had a multitude of electrical issues. My buddy complained endlessly about the cost of repairs on his Maxima. The engines are strong, but the electrical is f*cked up to say the least.

However, all this being said, I would give you a V6 camry, because you need a "tame" car to keep you at bay and that is reliable. You should focus on sharpening your driving skills right now and not pulling off stupid stunts.

[ninja92]

yup
thats y i want i camry, so i would be limited on the performance. i know myself and if i had a more powerful car i would try to push it.

ok i'll look into the accords and camrys more

thanks again

[werkit217]

wow i'm impressed. Usually kids your age want ricer as possible if mommy and daddy havent bought em a new car from the dealer. Good job . In any case yea i agree with what everyone has said ^^. Stick to a Japanese car (Honda or Toyota, maybe even a Nissan) for the time being, since most replacement/maintenance costs will be the lower with these. I have a buddy who owns a Maxima and also has had electrical problems.

Your reasons are pretty the reason why i own a Camry now, (i want to limit my spending a project car and eliminate any incentive to do performance/ exterior modding upgrades, (I already did that when i was your age wit my 89 Celica in my avatar :/) I think you should get a V6 Accord, that way if you want to do those things, you have more market to discover and things are more readily available than a Camry. For reliability/low maintenance purposes i got me my gen 4 Camry. Good Luck

[ninja92]

thanks, im just being realistic.

getting a brand new car/sports car for a teen like myself is the stupidest thing imaginable. the new car drops in value a couple of g's when its off the lot.

btw this is what i can picture my car sometime in 2 years if i go with a camry
http://www.toyotanation.com/photos/s...e/9999/way/asc

[JCamry94]

Originally Posted by ninja92

thanks, im just being realistic.

getting a brand new car/sports car for a teen like myself is the stupidest thing imaginable. the new car drops in value a couple of g's when its off the lot.

btw this is what i can picture my car sometime in 2 years if i go with a camry
http://www.toyotanation.com/photos/s...e/9999/way/asc

Sick car to reference! The maturity thing at your age is huge. Trust me even having a little POS Camry can be fun.

Just gotta work with the suspension a little bit and you'll know what I mean

Welcome!

[my name is joe]

get a toyota cressida looks like a normal car to anyone. but to anyone that knows cars buckets of win!

[carsrus]

Man im 16 and im in sorta the same situation as you. Probally gonna get the parents camry and,no offense to anyone, be stuck with it. Its a great car and its roomy, doesnt look bad and good on gas, cheap parts, reliable as hell.

But if I was in the situation you were in, id look into something else. For the 4-5g's youll spend on another 4th gen you can get something a bit nicer and with almost the same part costs and reliability. Mazda 3, maybe something like a jetta, accord coupe, and if you think you can handle the maintenance costs, an a4.

Personally, these are awesome cars, but in the end theyre family sedans and you can do so much to it with looking stupid. If I do get my parents camry, im not going to sell a perfectly good and reliable car because its not sporty. But I know i cant make it as fast/nice as my friends cars without looking ricey.

In the end it is your choice, and I have the same mindset as you (maybe because with both polish lol), but I would only keep the camry if it got passed down to me. Sure you can make the camry nice and a little bit faster, but when it comes down to it, its a family sedan.

[carsrus]

If you do really want a camry, get like a 01 with leather,v6, spoiler, alloys and all that good stuff. Or an es300 ( same car just well, lexus) Or a older TL.

[bigbird]

i thought that pic was an accord sedan at first with that lip on

its funny how we have more people recommending an accord then the camrys we drive and love so much.