A Good Deal?

[Gawa]

Hello All, new to the forum, wondered if I might pick your brains on a deal that I have been offered and what steps you would take if it looks good, after looking around on the forum a number of times I have been impressed with the knowledge on offer and hope you can help me make up my mind on this. I currently have an '89 Camry, bought for a bargain $400 25,000 miles ago, runs like a top and am now thinking of adding another one to the stable....

A friend of my wifes has a '99 Camry sitting in a Garage where it has been, unmoved, for 5 years. The owner was an elderly gentleman who rarely drove it and sadly passed away. Mileage is being checked with the seller, but estimated at around 30k. Trim and engine are also being checked on but I have read many things about the 'engine sludge/gelling issue' on this gen and wondered if $4,000 sounds like a good deal? Unfortunately it is stored 400 miles away from our location and so an inspection is not possible until we get there to bring it back. I realize that a bit of work will be required to get it squared away, if you bought it what would you do in order to drive it back that distance, then what would work would you complete when you got it home? Not sure of the servicing history, but as far as I know he drove it for 5 or 10 miles a couple of times a week and bought it new in 99 and has always been in a South Eastern State.

I appreciate any assistance you can offer.

[N/A Camry Sleeper]

At the very least I would change the oil and filter, battery, and possibly the tires depending on the storage conditions. Oil turns acidic over time and needs to be replaced. Also, the gas in the tank may have absorbed some water over time, so be sure to add a water remover to the gas and maybe change the fuel filter as well

I bought a 1978 Mercury Marquis in 2000 with 60K original miles - just a cream puff of a car but it had been stored for 12 years prior. The tires on it only had 3000 miles but were dry rotted and not trustworthy. The oil had an odd smell, and there were other minor things that had intermittent issues, but overall it was one of the most dependable cars I have ever owned. Had to get rid of it during the fuel "crisis" a few years back.

But on that Camry, check everything out first and if there's any doubt, replace the part!!! Proper storage may mean little if any works needs to be done, but just to be on the safe side, refer to the first paragraph.

Good luck!

[Gawa]

Thanks for your response, I will certainly take that on board, does $4000 seem like a fair price to you on this? Hard to gauge it against others I've seen as the mileage is so low I've checked the KBB, but I don't always think that is a fair reflection of the market... I hoped that the length of time sitting would not accelerate the gelling issue, or maybe it would not make any difference, perhaps I am over thinking it

[N/A Camry Sleeper]

Originally Posted by Gawa

Thanks for your response, I will certainly take that on board, does $4000 seem like a fair price to you on this? Hard to gauge it against others I've seen as the mileage is so low I've checked the KBB, but I don't always think that is a fair reflection of the market... I hoped that the length of time sitting would not accelerate the gelling issue, or maybe it would not make any difference, perhaps I am over thinking it

I'd throw away that KBB if I were you - there are some minor issues about "new old cars" that are not difficult to overcome required you know what to look for. I think $4000 is about right, but I would offer $3000 and see what you can talk the seller down to - also depends a little bit if the car is manual, automatic I4 or V6 - but again, depends on what your needs are as well.

Lesser known things to look for on a museum piece like this one is replacing belts, possibly hoses. Best way to check for the "gelling" issue is to pull the oil dipstick and look for rust or odd-colored oil - evidence of acidity...let us know what you find out!

By the way - there is a 1994 5-spd Camry on ebay right now with 6024 original miles and the bidding is (last time I checked $3500) so this should reflect the market value and also people's affinity for the Camry in general...