would like your opinions on my situation

[bigbird]

OK now this may be the wrong question to ask a bunch of camry fans but i feel i have a decission to make in the near future (6 mo) and i wanted opinions...try to keep them bias.

so nearing the 200K mi mark on the coupe is scaring me a little considering the performance stuff thats on it and i know something will have to be done about it this year (spring at the latest i think). there are only a few problems with the car as far as mechanical issues, though more will arrise in the next 20K miles. at my current rate, that will be comming pretty quick (thinkin mostly tranny and SC rebuild). plenty of cosmetic problems that would require a full repaint to correct properly are also an issue. other then that the car is sound.

I will be taking one of two actions this year i believe. i will either say screw it and get another car. this car may be new but more likely a used 4cyl for better gas mileage purposes, think celica, rsx or civic (it must be a car i enjoy driving). i alreay have a car i really want picked out which i would love to drive and im shootin in the 8-10K range...maby a little more. If i get another car this car will be parted out or sold to help pay off the new...er one. It would not become a project car but i would likely be able to save for the project i have planned in the future.

my other option is to just keep this as a DD as it is. however, to do this with any confidence id like to invest a substantial amount into repairing and rebuilding parts. an engine and tranny rebuild (slight upgrade), suspension replacements, and id LOVE a paint job. thinking a total of about 5-6 grand for all that work...to a car from 1994, but knowing what i do about these cars, that would be like getting a brand new car with 200K wating to be eaten up.

what do yall think? what other options would you consider?

[73sport]

1st off, no idea what bearings and seals for the TRD will cost ya, but I bet it aint cheap. If the rings are good and you haven't abused it too much, would the MZ make it another 50 to 75k?

That leaves the trans - knowing someone would be good about now but there's just not many ways through this one but throwing money at it. Least I'd bet would be $1200 and depending on what you wish to do to strengthen it add more. . .

That leaves the nickel dime and cosmetic stuff. . .

We be in the same boat on the trans as mine has subtle change in motion which could lead to its demise (currently at 226,xxx miles).

So it breaks down like this; car payments vs planned repairs.

Payments of $300 month for 3 years is 11k plus interest. If you want more car, you're payments go up. . . If its used, no warranty or limited at best. Then you throw in the mpg thing. OR You drive gutless beater to get mpg or you make payments to get latest technology.

I've never kept a car with rough paint, so I hear yea on that (I hate it). >> yet another question, How much is your time worth and do you have any to give? Fits right back in with that payment thing. . .

For me, it makes sense to fix this as I bet it'll go further but I'm only getting 21mpg. Could we migrate to younger platform of 80,000 mile or less and not loose our @ss? Good question? Thing is, as they get more miles, they're just not worth anything and you end up in the Cody mode parting out a drivable car. WTF - it sucks!

[iovaykind]

You are definitely asking in the wrong place haha

1. I'd hate to see that car being parted out.. even if it was to offset the costs of a newer car. Especially cause there's nothing major that needs to be fixed on it.

2. You're right, its a 94.. it may be time to move on to something newer.. with age, plenty of problems will arise that simply aren't an issue with a newer car.

3. You may get the camry guys here behind your back on a new car IF you stayed on this forum!

But seriously.. whatever you decide, the guys here are gonna appreciate you sticking around. If you ask me personally, with around 10k to spend.. I'd go for the newer car, you just never know what can happen the next day with an old car like ours. You'd be spending around the same either way, like sport said with either car payments or repairs

[bigbird]

Originally Posted by 73sport

1st off, no idea what bearings and seals for the TRD will cost ya, but I bet it aint cheap. If the rings are good and you haven't abused it too much, would the MZ make it another 50 to 75k?

For me, it makes sense to fix this as I bet it'll go further but I'm only getting 21mpg. Could we migrate to younger platform of 80,000 mile or less and not loose our @ss? Good question? Thing is, as they get more miles, they're just not worth anything and you end up in the Cody mode parting out a drivable car. WTF - it sucks!

see thats the issue, i know enough and have enough good resources at my disposal to repair MOST of the parts my self, but the question is, do i want to end up with a verhicle that if in an accident is ONLY worth it's parts and for how much longer? its not surprise the gen3/4 community is shrinking and with that is the demand for parts liek the ones i have.

Originally Posted by iovaykind

You are definitely asking in the wrong place haha

1. I'd hate to see that car being parted out.. even if it was to offset the costs of a newer car. Especially cause there's nothing major that needs to be fixed on it.

2. You're right, its a 94.. it may be time to move on to something newer.. with age, plenty of problems will arise that simply aren't an issue with a newer car.

3. You may get the camry guys here behind your back on a new car IF you stayed on this forum!

But seriously.. whatever you decide, the guys here are gonna appreciate you sticking around. If you ask me personally, with around 10k to spend.. I'd go for the newer car, you just never know what can happen the next day with an old car like ours. You'd be spending around the same either way, like sport said with either car payments or repairs

oh ill stick around, i really want a celica but reguardless of what i would drive i wouldnt stop posting here.

[swagger_wagon468]

hm... well, in your postion, i say get a newer car. ( RWD IMO) or rsx type-s. but i will HATE to see the part out... but if you do, dibs on headers to muffler and maybe the CAI.

as for me, if someone came up to me, and offered me 7k$ for my wagon, i'd say NO without hesitation. as i have about $5k in it so far. (which includes engine,tranny,suspension,complete "new to me" interior, axles etc etc) i plan on keeping my wagopn for litterally EVER! my grandma bought it new. and i love it.

good luck with whatever you choose... but u MUST stay on TN. and in the gen3 section

[2wickedtoyz]

Originally Posted by swagger_wagon468

hm... well, in your postion, i say get a newer car. ( RWD IMO) or rsx type-s. but i will HATE to see the part out... but if you do, dibs on headers to muffler and maybe the CAI.

as for me, if someone came up to me, and offered me 7k$ for my wagon, i'd say NO without hesitation. as i have about $5k in it so far. (which includes engine,tranny,suspension,complete "new to me" interior, axles etc etc) i plan on keeping my wagopn for litterally EVER! my grandma bought it new. and i love it.

good luck with whatever you choose... but u MUST stay on TN. and in the gen3 section

i agree with you swagger.


on a side note though....
Bird: WTF dude? you sold this car to joe a couple of yrs ago to get a "better" car (gen 4 btw) then you started missing the car and bought it back from him and did all this work to it. now your backing down.........again? the community is shrinking cause our members are quiting on thier cars. I keep hearing the same old stuff "I'll be moving on to bigger and better things" in translation "i want to get something easier to get parts for and to work on".
I have 2 1994 camrys (a wagon and the coupe) and a 96 avalon....all with 200k + miles on them and i dn't plan on letting go. but hey that's all you. i wish you well in your choice. and good luck bro

[iovaykind]

^^ Can't agree with you more. We need people to stay on this forum.. it's shrinking in size cause people are giving up. Even when I'm more well off, I plan to keep my camry as a project car.. or maybe switch to a camry coupe. Either way, I'm sticking with the gen 3 camry for life, it was my first car and it's always gonna have a place in my heart...and garage.

[bigbird]

in case you both missed it....this is my DD, come and say that same crap when you drive what i do an hour and a half EVERY day. its awesome!!!! but the repairs stack up quick and so does gas. think outside the box guys.

Originally Posted by 2wickedtoyz

i agree with you swagger.


on a side note though....
Bird: WTF dude? you sold this car to joe a couple of yrs ago to get a "better" car (gen 4 btw) then you started missing the car and bought it back from him and did all this work to it. now your backing down.........again? the community is shrinking cause our members are quiting on thier cars. I keep hearing the same old stuff "I'll be moving on to bigger and better things" in translation "i want to get something easier to get parts for and to work on".
I have 2 1994 camrys (a wagon and the coupe) and a 96 avalon....all with 200k + miles on them and i dn't plan on letting go. but hey that's all you. i wish you well in your choice. and good luck bro

that was a nice rant Gino, youd think i insulted you personally with that crap. its a car man, plain and simple. i couldnt care less why you think im trying to get another car, cuz the obvious things didnt occure to you thus far. im sorry this has cause you some sort of frustration, perhaps you should work on trying to care less about things that have absolutly no impact on any part of your life and focus on the question posed in the OP?

BTW, the project i have planned is far better then anything this platform could offer, the engine however is something different, you would like it...i think

[swagger_wagon468]

well if u part out. headers to muffler = MINE!

[bigbird]

one step at a time, gotta field this question first and see what yall think is best. if i do though...and remember, they are yours.

[ajkalian]

I'm facing the same problem as you right now. The only difference is I have a 2000 LE with 217,000 miles on it, and I was looking at a 2005 or 2006. Anything past 2006 is a financial black hole from a repair standpoint, and frankly I just don't like the looks of the newer body style they introduced in 2007. To say nothing of the Drive By Wire crap, TPMS and who know what Nanny state "features" I'd have to put up with.

Here's how I figure it. Pretty soon a new transmission = $1,500. New struts on all 4 wheels = $1,000. New Brakes on all 4 wheels = $400. New axles and boots = $500 to have it done, less if I do it myself. And if the worst happens, and I have to replace the engine, then add another $3,000. So I'm looking at possibly having to spend $6,500 on my car sometime in the future. But who knows, I might not have to spend anything for a year or so, but the bill is coming due, and it will be soon.

So I could get a 2006 like mine for maybe $10,000 and sell mine for $3,500 would be $6,500 out of pocket. About the same money if I re-built my car. So the money's about the same, but I'l have a car that is 6 years newer and maybe 150,000 less miles on it.

And then there's the forum. I've been here in Gen 3-4 forum now for four years now, and I'd hate to have to leave it because I got another model year car. I've been over to the Gen 5-6 forum and there are some real dickwads over there. It's nothing like the guys here, let me tell you. I'd probably miss the forum more than the car.

So after all this rambling I have nothing to offer you, since I have the same dilemma as you do. I really like my car, and I'd be tempted to commit to re-build it, but then again, it might just be time to move on, sigh.

.

[Chris Crash]

Do what I did. Keep the camry (in my case the 97) as a DD and get a project (fast "fun") car.

Yeah, you'll be spending money. But buying a new car is ridiculous. Buying a used car is terrible, you don't know what's wrong with it. As per your current car, you know EVERYTHING that's wrong with it. And nothing else is wrong. It's better than buying a car that just needs a battery or soemthing and finding out you need rings, and bearings, and gaskets, and axles, and then the tranny falls out, and then your shift linkage snaps, and then the airbags don't work, and then...well...if the airbags don't work you'll probably die.

[EEngineer]

do that 5speed swap! i have the parts :p

[swagger_wagon468]

Originally Posted by bigbird

one step at a time, gotta field this question first and see what yall think is best. if i do though...and remember, they are yours.

yea i hear ya. just sayin

good luck on ur decision man

[mdatrdcam]

well you mentioned this to me the other day and i guess i would have to say just drive it until either it dies or something major goes wrong that isnt worth fixing. thats kind of where im at with my car. i love it and its one of the rare ones with the v6 5spd combo but they do wear out and mine has certainly seen better days. i use it to commute from frederick to dc and back everyday and the gas is definitely a killer. if you can afford to keep it as a daily driver and buy something else to play with, that would be ideal. i would love to buy a g35 or ls430 and keep the camry as my daily but i cant afford to right now. but when i can, believe me i will jump on that opportunity. i wont ever sell the cam or trade it. so to sum up this long winded rant - keep the cam as a daily and, when you can, get another fun car in addition to it.