Re: 1991 Camry wagon - good deal?

It's in the Pacific Northwest. Cars around here seem to rack up
incredible mileage compared to the Northeast, probably because they
don't salt the roads.

I haven't seen the car yet. I'm just trying to get a sense of whether a
Camry with 190,000 miles is too much trouble. I'm probably going to
take it to the shop for minor things like brakes and oil changes. The
question is whether I'm better off spending maybe $2,000 for a 1997
Ford Escort wagon with 100,000 miles, or $1,000 for a Camry with
190,000.

SB


Hachiroku ãƒ?ãƒ?ãƒ*ク wrote:[color=blue]
> On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 06:48:51 -0800, skybearer wrote:
>[color=green]
> > I'm looking for a older station wagon for local errands, and I like
> > Toyotas. Someone is selling a 1991 Camry wagon with 190,000 miles, for
> > around $1,000. The owner says it runs well, but it has some rust on the
> > body.
> >
> > Is this a good deal? I'm looking for a cheap car that will last for a
> > couple of years without needing too much maintenance. Is 190,000 miles
> > too much?
> >
> > SB[/color]
>
> Where are you? Location plays a big deal in value.
> When you say rust, How Much? Did you look underneath? Is the underside
> rusty?
>
> Do a compression chack on the engine. Pull the plugs, get a compression
> tester, and crank the motor for a few seconds. Even a motor in fair
> condition should hold ~100PSI, ~125 is very good. Check the Oil Pressure,
> with a gauge if you have to.
>
> Brakes work? No shuddering? Squealing? Look at the air filter. Lift up one
> side of the car in the front and grab the wheel, and try to move it back
> and forth. If it moves more than about 1/4# then tie rod ends or Rack
> needs work. Whe was the timing belt replaced. Should have been about
> 10,000 miles ago, or right about NOW! Is the brake fluid gummy looking or
> light brown?
>
> How much work are you planning on doing yourself? Can you handle brakes,
> shocks, and the minor things? Does it have a current sticker?
>
> I'd offer $750 for the car. It may have 50,000 or so left in it; if it has
> been PROPERLY maintained it may go 100,000 more.[/color]