Camry restoration

[gr91]

welcome everyone. im new to the camry scene but not to toyota as a whole. my 91 corolla's differentiaburned up and i had to painfully sell it now in most peoples mind swapping the 3 speed auto to a 5 speed manual is strong in mind. and i did too but not having the proper tools and my uncle bitchin about his damn driveway getting dirty. i just couldnt. so anyway. this morning a guy informed me i could buy his 92 camry for only $100!! now mind you the car has not been moving for years though! so i jumped at it and im sure i wouldnt lose as much as i did with the corolla! so i need info. what do i need? all i know is im goin full synthetic on everything!! so tn help me please!i need to know what i should check and change! of course many things are obvious! but help me out!
oh the reason why the car hasnt been moved, its because the guys sister left it cause the alternator was bad, so she ended up putting it off and well just went off got married and got a new car. so today im goin to go pay up and transfer the title and get stickers in a few weeks.

well let me know and id like my thread to continue the evolution of it so lets see what we get into >;]

[WaxonWaxStillOn]

$100 is a very enviable price! I'm pretty new to the camry scene as well but these are my thoughts.

For starters imo, first thing I'd do is check all fluid levels to avoid anything dangerously low, and begin with a fresh motor oil change.

Then I'd get it running to diagnose the state of the engine and transmission before deciding to invest in anything additional (aside from making sure brakes work adequately enough so you can test drive it.) I think results will probably dictate what should be the next priority.

[slavie]

Congrats! Sounds like a pretty good deal.

I believe it is also recommended to replace the gas before starting her, as the old one is probably not very combustible by now.

Keep us posted!

[oopssorryy]

New belts, fluids, and a general tune up. Then check the ECU for any codes. I also go my Wagon for 100 bucks and I have loved every second with it, so good luck to you!

[gr91]

Alright i picked up the car today, i checked most the fluids and well no water signs in the engine oil, tranny fluid still looked pretty red, the car has a broken driver's side mirror and a missiong passenger side mirror. the interior is like burgundy red or whatever, but the seats are greyish?? anyway! the motor looks dirty right now of course its been sitting around for id say at least 3 years. well the tires are all crap, the interior is decent, not too crapped up, apparently it has 212xxx miles, so its good for another million lol anyway we tried to charge it up and turn it on, and it turned over! it was on for a good amount of time until i disconnected the negative cable, and well of course it turned off, my uncle was there and he said it sounded fantastic! of course it needs gas, oil change and radiator flush and change, but i cant do anything till wednesday, but i went ahead and bought the oil, filter and coolant, i didnt bother to look at the type of oil it needed so i went ahead with 10w-40. hopefully thats good enough? but i went with regular castrol gtx, and a fram filter, well anyway, first imma do all that change battery and alternator, then go from there to diagnose it. im sure thats all it needs to run, then if all is decent, Ill put in new wires, plugs, distributor and cap? an go ahead and remove the intake and put in a new filter and clean the throttle body. i might as well change the valve cover gasket, the couple belts that are there, and sometime soon check the timing make sure it still good and not cracked or something. anyway as soon as i get my license in sometime next week id probably get paid by that time and ill go get the registration, the title in my name,tires and then hopefully have it good enough for inspection :P lets see how this goes!

[the94camryman]

Oil and filter - flush with risilone
Transmission fluid and strainer, as well as the differential fluid
Brake fluid - flush and replace
Coolant - flush and replace
Fuel filter
Spark plugs
Distributor cap and rotor
Plug wires
Flush fuel system with a bottle of seafoam
Tires, including the spare
Timing belt and tensioners
Clean ICV and TB
Inspect for any leaks, including vacuum leaks, and any other thing that may need fixing, such as wheel bearings or axles, motor and tranny mounts, etc. Compression test the engine to ensure you have optimal compression in all cylinders.

Wash, wax, and enjoy.

**edit: I'd also stick with conventional oil. At that mileage, synthetic will find any leaks in gaskets, seals, etc and cause you to burn oil. It's much thinner than conventional, which I'm assuming it's been run with for the majority of it's life.

[gr91]

perfect! exactly the response i was looking for. i know my uncle is goin to be like blah blah you dont have to all that and blah blah. but for my safety im goin to do it cause i want to be sure that its all done and safe.
anywho id keep you guys posted i have a full morning of school then rush to work in that one hour frame for a 9 hour shift! >.< so i wont be able to work on anything until wednesday. so ill try to post pics up soon!

[N/A Camry Sleeper]

I have an extra passenger's side mirror if interested. Just let me know...

[the94camryman]

Originally Posted by gr91

perfect! exactly the response i was looking for. i know my uncle is goin to be like blah blah you dont have to all that and blah blah. but for my safety im goin to do it cause i want to be sure that its all done and safe.
anywho id keep you guys posted i have a full morning of school then rush to work in that one hour frame for a 9 hour shift! >.< so i wont be able to work on anything until wednesday. so ill try to post pics up soon!

Most of this is from Toyota's maintenance schedule. I know there are a few members here who could get you a copy of the schedule. You'd just have to ask around.

These cars are extremely forgiving, especially being a non-interference engine. But maintenance is maintenance, and if you expect to get many years out of your Camry, you'll have to do this. If your uncle doesn't want you working on your car in his driveway then respect his wishes and find elsewhere to work on it. And some things may be better left to the professionals, such as the timing belt. It is a complicated job.

Preventative maintenance is key, and if you don't do it you'll be wishing you had when something breaks on your car. Drive a German car for a few months and you'll learn that very quickly.

And remember OP, function over form. Make sure the car runs well before you start putting money into the cosmetics. And when you get into modding, keep it classy and light. You'll never make your car fast, unless you're Tony or Gabe, so concentrate on making your car look, sound, and ride well.

Happy modding. May she serve you well.

[gr91]

Originally Posted by the94camryman

Preventative maintenance is key, and if you don't do it you'll be wishing you had when something breaks on your car. Drive a German car for a few months and you'll learn that very quickly.

hah funny you should.mention german cars since my aunt [in case you notice i.live with my aunt and uncle] has an 03 audi a6 3.0. she got it two months ago for $6k! lol my mom used to have an03 jetta2.0 and that tranny just gave out :/

well anywho yeah for sure the first thing is having it work. then ill get into.modding. in my corolla i didnt mod too much. just lowering springs LED EVERYTHING. and i mean that literally! HIDs and sound. im not planning on some expensive stuff but just decent light useful modding. or stuff to improve minor defects. we'll see what we get into. besdies function over form!:id rather have it working than good looking. im not scared to drive an eye sore!

[gr91]

ok. so i finally got something done today. well i bought some stuff. and i'll include the prices i paid to keep up with how mucthis restoration is costing me.
so this is what ive boight so far.
trip 1 to o'reiley: $305.40
alternator
battery
battery post
seafoam(which is on sale for 7.99)
alternator drive belt

oreiley trip #2(pick up alternator)$25.38
pcv valve
valve cover gasket with the spark pliug boots

advanced auto parts:52.60
fram oil filter
antifreeze/coolant
5qts castrol gtx 10w40
bottle of gojo

so thats what ive bought. what ove done so far is:
install alternator
install battery
install alternator drive belt
clean throttle body

thats about it. i didnt have much time to work on ot since i had to go to DPS -.-
wsll ill post pictures of the Camry when i get home as im at work posting this through my phone

[oopssorryy]

Still under $500! Can't wait to see pics of your car.

[gr91]

Originally Posted by oopssorryy

Still under $500! Can't wait to see pics of your car.

Well Todays your lucky day xD haha i could only snap a few photos this morning! So, here I go ;D





thats all :/ unfortunately, more tomorrow as i will just be working on it all morning! Anywho, obviously its never been crashed! and its endured some weathering. and you can see my driver's side mirror, broken -__-
[so if anyone has one thats power AND flat black i'll pay up!]

anywho, its a decent car :3 its definitely a keeper as a DD
well if you dont know what I used to do, here's some pics of the old Corolla :[


AFTER the Brand new B&G Lowering Springs :/


When I Had the cut springs >.<


HID and LED EVERYTHING! The Fogs, the turning signal, and parking light.

well We'll see what we get into on this one! anywho, more pictures amd Updates To Come!!

[Mister_Perkins]

Pics of the engine!

You definitely got a great deal, just with the car being Southern and it looks like it only has a few minor things wrong

[Jonate]

That's a super clean $100 car! Its not the best in the world... But definately the best looking $100 car!!! Congradulations on the find, and good luck with your project. May she serve you many miles