First Trip (sorta) - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

patcal · 11-28-2009, 09:53 AM

This may not seem a big deal to most but I just got back from taking my rolla on it's first trip outside of work. I have been hesitant since it is 19 years old but had to do it. On Thanksgiving I drove from Portland to Redmond & back. I know, not much of a trip but for a guy like me this is a big step. I just have not trusted the car. With the vibration issues & other little things I was paranoid. Well, the car drove perfect. 300 miles and not a bit of problems. Got 33.6 MPG. That's going up over the Cascades. The thing was actually pretty comfortable. I though with my bad back & lack of cruise I would be sore but nothing. Little noisy & it did have to downshift on a few hills but I was impressed. I think I like this car again. Maybe I will put some more money to fix the A/C, leaky trunk & find that damn vibration. Anyway, thanks for letting me rant a little. If this is out of line, sorry.

Ghostyman · 11-28-2009, 12:38 PM

Good to hear. They are really good, basic cars. I've been happy with mine -- I've spent just under $500 (including purchase price) and have a very reliable car that hasn't had any problems going 15,000 miles. If I invest $200 and an afternoon of hard work, I can get all the small things fixed too.

For the leaky trunk, it's going to be either a bad trunk seal (the weather stripping that goes around the opening) or it will be the taillight seal. Either one can be fixed very cheaply and easily. A/C fixes can be pricey or time-consuming. What is the problem with the AC?

The really nice thing about AE92s, in my mind, is that if you perform preventive maintenance on the engine, there is no reason they should ever stop running. Dirt-simple cars, I love 'em.

***REN69*** · 11-28-2009, 03:00 PM

I took my cars on longish trips before, like for example to Niagara falls and back (2hr drive each way) never had problems, also went to the cottage we used to rent in northern Ontario, 3hr drive and still no problems, as long as you perform maintenance you're ok.

patcal · 11-28-2009, 03:23 PM

The trunk is probably the seal. Ran the hose & no water came in the lights but did have some come through one of the body seams. The A/C just needs some money. I put a used compressor on it & just have not had the money to buy a vacuum pump or charge it to test for leaks. I am going to do the timing belt this spring with all the related parts.

freakinbox · 11-28-2009, 04:10 PM

I've driven mine from Windsor to Angus, ON. 4 hours 15 min or so straight back when I found out it had a blown head gasket. I do long trips a lot with it, it's never left me stranded at the side of the road. Even a dead alternator with an hour or so of driving ahead at night (which means lights are all on) wouldn't stop it (the carb helped). It even got me home on 2 cylinders 1 of which was drinking oil like water when the head gasket finished giving out. No reason to fear long trips. You have a car to get you where you want to go might as well do exactly that

.

I personally found the sr5 seats to be painful for anything over an hour of sitting in them (they make comfortable furniture in the house though LOL). The gts seats are very comfortable even sitting in them for 4 hours.

eage8 · 11-28-2009, 08:45 PM

pshh, these are all wussy trips

I drove mine 9 hours from Maryland to Indianapolis and then back with no problems. it was decently comfortable except for my stiff aftermarket springs combined with blown front dampers.... that wasn't very nice.

front struts are fixed now though

I think I've done that trip at least twice...

freakinbox · 11-28-2009, 10:38 PM

you've done that trip twice. I've driven mine 2+ hour trips COUNTLESS times. I have no issues jumping in my car and driving 2 and a half hours to hang out with someone, it's the benefit of having a car and one that doesn't use a whole lot of gas. My ex also used to live 2 - 2 and a half hours away so I did that trip a lot as well. To be honest my 20 year old corolla did it better than my moms 2001 Windstar lol.

I also was putting 1000 km a week when I first got it just driving around pointless. Even with the car having issues it does trips like that.

Oh to make the Windsor trip worse... again I didn't realize the head gasket was bad. When I left I had topped up the oil but when I got there the dipstick was DRY :|. Filled it up and drove home a week later, other than the over heating and driving the whole trip the the needle just touching the red with the heat cranked and sunroof and windows wide open, that car made it back home with no issues to show for it's hard 4 and a half hour trip like that.

Only time it left me stranded was in a friends driveway when I tried to start it and the battery exploded, but I don't blame that on the car. Plus my timing of buying a battery for the not on the road jetta was PERFECT because then I had a battery for the corolla

1991corolla4afe · 11-28-2009, 10:40 PM

Over the summer I drove my ae92 on a 3000 mile round trip from South Carolina to Minnesota with no problems at all. They're great cars!

Ghostyman · 11-28-2009, 11:42 PM

Yeah, well mine's in such good running condition I loaned it to a girl for a 1,000 mile trip from San Francisco to San Diego and back (and we all know girls can't be trusted with cars, right?!?!?)

Anyway, a carbed SR5 is about the most reliable and simplest thing on the roads. May be slow as hell, but that's why I don't drive it myself -- always convenient as a loaner. Combine that with their cheap purchase cost and you could probably drop me off anywhere in the USA with $500 and I buy a Corolla and then drive it back home, gas included in the five hundred,

patcal · 11-29-2009, 01:30 PM

I do like the fuel injection on mine. Simple & reliable. I don't miss the days of rebuilding carbs.

I am pretty sure with a timing belt change this thing would take me anywhere. I even "treated" it to some new back speakers yesterday since the old ones were pretty bad.

xxgmsmgxx89 · 12-01-2009, 11:50 AM

since march 09 to date, I put over 35,000 miles on my 90 DX sedan...3 speed auto, stock everything except a cone filter. i have to say, my gas milage is pretty bad, i could put the blame on my shitty driving habits, but after 9 months of driving it as a stick (1st then 2nd then drive) and almost every day hitting 6400 RPMs in 1st and 2nd gear, and only doing 3500 mile oil changes and 2 tranny flushes, the car still shifts like brand new, the tranny whine is still the same as it was the day i got it (with 28,000 miles on the clock, orig. miles might I add) and I can still break 8 seconds to 60mph ( i think the fastest ever was 7.8 sec - 60mph) Overall, i can say this car has treated me very well, despite a blown exhaust donute 3 times, the car being louder than a Panzer tank lol still, i love my rolla...it carries about a third of it's weight in stereo equipment, never let me down.

1991corolla4afe · 12-01-2009, 12:00 PM

7.8 seconds 0 to 60 on a 3 speed auto with just a cone filter? Must be one hell of a cone filter you got there!

xxgmsmgxx89 · 12-01-2009, 12:05 PM

guess so, ill put up a vid today if i go out for lunch...that 7.8 was with a bare bones car tho, no seats, carpet, stereo, speakers, panels, dash, and my buddy's evo battery in the trunk...ive since been enjoying a more cadillac ride lol

1991corolla4afe · 12-01-2009, 12:09 PM

Any idea how much weight gutting the car gets rid of? I've been thinking about doing it for a while.

xxgmsmgxx89 · 12-01-2009, 12:16 PM

i dunno, but putting in a small battery (its about 3 inches wide, 8 inches long, and about 6 inches high) and relocation plus gutting made the car a lot lighter feeling, around turns, and in accel/decel. i could whip it around corners faster than normal, although it was loud as fkcu as far as road noise is concerned. but the car cornered a lot flatter and turn in didnt require the car to "catch up" with itself