Opinions on this 1995 Wagon Please

[xcmtb83]

Hello all,
First time Corolla forum poster here. I like to think I have been around the block with 1st gen Tacomas, 3rd gen 4Runners and 3rd gen Camrys but I know nothing about 7th gen Corollas. I am in the market for a commuter vehicle that gets at least 30 mpg and can also serve very light duty utilitarian purposes (e.g. haul kayaks, mountain bikes, camping gear and even be able to sleep in the back with seats folded down) on the weekends. I have found a 1995 wagon that I will more than likely look at this weekend. I want to go armed with some Corolla knowledge so this is where your expertise comes into play! So, what should I specifically be looking for when I go? I.e. any rust prone areas, areas that are notorious for leaking oil, interior pieces that are usually broken or maybe neat little options that not all models came with.

Since I am not finding a lot of wagons for sale online I am having a hard time gauging what it is worth. I realize this is very difficult to answer without seeing the vehicle but does the price seem fair given the mileage, year and transmission type listed in the link below?

http://brothersauto.weebly.com/1995-...nsmission.html

I am looking forward to any and all input so go ahead and throw it out there!

Thanks in advance for any and all input.

[Zembonez]

If it runs and drives pretty well and isn;t a rustbucket, 1600 bucks for a pretty reliable car is cool. Keep in mind that you are probably going to have to drop a few hundred on some maintenance and "fix it" items on any used car this old and inexpensive.

From the looks of the pics I'd at least look at it.

[kickfli12]

i want a wagon sooooo badddd. i dont know much about them but i like the way they look when theyre slammed. look for bad motor mounts, broken inside door handles, speedometer not working... ill keep thinking. cool things to look for would be the crotch vent, tilt wheel, the large arm rest between the front seats, power options like mirrors, windows, locks. there are other cool things as well youll have to dig through the oem/optinal equipment thread for cool usa things cause kiwi has over loaded it with parts we can only dream about from over seas lol.

[MirrorEyes]

That's badass, it's the same colour as my car too! But check for rust under the fender arches, feel behind and see if there is any, and if there is feel if it is bad. Make sure the gas tank switch and any door handles aren't broken.

[speedy25]

The rust demons eat at the body behind the rear wheels.

Dirt and crud get sucked onto the rear gate and make the back look ugly over time. The same crud gets in the door lock and keeps it from operating with the key.

Engine mounts are a typical older toyota shortcoming. Unless you have a piece of paper that says they were changed you will be changing them.

I havent had ANY trouble with door handles. I did have a transmission go bad but that really doesnt ever happen on a Toyota.

Price is good, Car is a good model. Go for it.

-SP

[xcmtb83]

Thanks for the replies guys. I was too busy all weekend to get a chance to go and look at the wagon. I also read up on the oil burning thread. Is it inevitable that this motor is going to burn a lot of oil? If it is going to burn through 3 extra quarts per 3000mi oil change interval I will have to pass. Thoughts?

[mobiless2]

Oil burning is a normal occurance with a older high mileage vehicle, nothing a weekend new gaskets & rings won't solve. Valve seal dry roit, original oil rings wear.

Parts are somewhat cheap & easy car to work on. As long as interior & exterior are good, I would grab it.

[PhatRoyale]

If it's not blowing blue smoke out of the tailpipe when it's revved up then you should still be good.

Just keep it topped up with oil and it should run like that for a long time.

[xcmtb83]

mobiless2 - Can you expand on your post for me? I am under the impression that the oil is from bad piston rings (which ones?) and the bad valve seals? Are the piston rings really that easy in this motor to change? Also will there need to be any machining or honing required on the cylinder walls?

[mobiless2]

Pistons normally have (3) rings total (2) are compression and (1) is oil control ring, it is possible to damage/wear the oil ring & not the compression ring, from cheap oil to never changing the oil. The valves seal just get dry roit & leak.

To change it would require removal of cylinder head & oil pan to access Rod bolts.

Check the exhaust pipe on the wagon for heavy oil deposit.