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Wouldn't it be nice if Toyota did something like this for owners of its older cars...

6K views 54 replies 15 participants last post by  rty 
#1 ·
That something be like say the BMW Classic Center.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/08/bmw-opens-up-classic-center-to-customer-cars-establishes-dedica/

I know this is not entirely new news, but this BMW Classic Center has already completed the restoration of a 3.0 Csi which is a bit more recent.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/25/bmw-classic-center-completes-3-0-csi-restoration-for-lucky-owner/

I personally wouldn't have chosen to convert it to an automatic since I doubt a 70s automatic drove well, but that car looks as close as brand new as can be. Just the idea that BMW wants to preserve as many of its older cars is already a sign of a company that cares about its current owners regardless of how old their cars are and some may have never bought a car at a BMW dealer.

As someone with a Toyota that's quite old, because I like my car so much I decided to keep it stock despite the advantages of modifying it. This means becoming friendly with a Toyota dealer to get as many stock parts as possible, this can be expensive. However even this isn't enough, quite a lot of the parts on my car are..."obsolete" on a Toyota parts catalog. This means using used parts, since my car has a bad habit of killing aftermarket stuff(latest being a power steering pump).

Remember how during the recall early this year, Toyota was actually calling upon the 20+ year old cars and happily claimed how many of these cars are still alive in ads. If Toyota doesn't support these cars I doubt many of them will be alive in the near future. I don't know how anybody can support running a 70s Toyota even if they didn't rust to death. This kept me from even considering buying a 1982 Corona I saw for sale(great price for something impossible to find), for a car even older than mine and nearly extinct on the roads that it may be impossible to run it as that car has even fewer parts sources than mine.

Re-manufacturing parts is probably the most useful thing that Toyota can do to ensure long life even in the aging cars. It would piss me off to have to stuff my Cressida in the garage because its no longer drivable because Toyota no longer makes some part and there's no availability of used or aftermarket parts.

I'd love to see a Toyota version of the BMW Classic Center, even if its just relegated to parts manufacturing since I intend to keep my car for a very long time. Any of you feel the same?
 
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#2 ·
Yes, I agree with you 10000000000% and have wanted them to do this for a long time. A lot of the parts for my car are discontinued. Ford does it too and even builds body panels for old Mustangs and Broncos - maybe even more. Spare parts are usually where a lot of big $$$ are I'd imagine. Toyota really needs to get on this, especially as more and more of their older cars are becoming collectable.
 
#3 ·
YEa. I have a toyota that is pretty recent, but I know a friend that complains he has to shop online when searching for certain parts for his car as most of the parts are already outdated. definitely should do something about this, after all it ain't like a software we can just update when a new version is out
 
#4 ·
Toyota (or Japanese makers in general) don't understand this, but then again, old Toyotas are usually not well cared for by the owners. Most people are not emotional with their Japanese imports in comparison with Domestic or European cars.

It's like comparing a Swiss mechanical watch to Japanese quartz watch. There's much more history and emotional attachment behind one but not the other.
 
#6 ·
Toyota (or Japanese makers in general) don't understand this, but then again, old Toyotas are usually not well cared for by the owners. Most people are not emotional with their Japanese imports in comparison with Domestic or European cars.
I didn't know this was the same case for other Japanese automakers. I know Hondas seem to die earlier here because of how expensive they are to repair. That said, this of course means the long term reliability is meaningless if their lifespan is indicated by parts availability. I still don't understand Toyota's rationale behind not offering to re-manufacture parts. I almost makes me want to say "Don't buy a Toyota, you honestly can't keep them forever even if its good. Instead buy a popular GM, even if its bad you can keep it forever".
 
#7 ·
Yep. Toyota really needs to do something about that. A lot of the posts on Japanese Nostalgic car are related to parts and them being hard to find. I really hope Toyota gets in on this. Maybe if more start doing it we might see a movement.
 
#8 ·
I agree about the "classic center" for Toyotas. When I was into older Toyotas we get some new parts from Japan and mostly from Taiwan. Some of the parts are a bit hard to source out but they're new. They just have to put all those parts in one place for enthusiasts to have access to.
 
#9 ·
I rarely get new parts from Toyota Japan, the last pieces were trim pieces. Most often my car gets new stuff from California's Toyota parts inventory, strangely often one of the last of those items in stock. I wouldn't have an issue of where the center was(although logistically makes the most sense in Japan) so long as they stick to Toyota factory specifications, I'm still amazed at how many 24+ year old parts are in my car. I wouldn't expect it to be cheap but if they have even a 20 year lifespan, it then looks like a bit of a bargain.
 
#16 ·
I don't think that Toyota really gives a crap about owners of its older cars.

They're in the business of earning profits from the sales of new cars and by discontinuing or restricting availability of parts for older models, they would be fufilling their best interests of having them gems fall apart as quickly as possible in order to increase its turnover.
 
#17 ·
This seems to be an area where Japanese car makers fall down in general--not just Toyota.

The little wagon I just got rid of was my first Toyota but I've owned several Nissans and one Mazda.

I picked up a mint condition '85 Sentra wagon a few years ago. 46,000 original miles and it looked two years old, not twenty. I drove that thing home feeling like I'd stolen it. I didn't own it long though. One of the reasons I got rid of the car so quickly was that parts were such a PITA to find.
 
#20 ·
I just don't see what Toyota has to lose in this, they have more to lose if they don't. I may have to reconsider buying any new Toyota because even if I love the thing to death, if I know its impossible to keep it running at age 30 that's a bad thing to me. Its forcing you to treat the car as an item to be disposed. It may not be a problem for most people, but I dislike the idea of buying anything with a expected life span, I consider it bad value(I didn't buy a new flatscreen TV because they can't be fixed, I still use CRTs). If you can tell I hate the idea of a disposable society, I just find it funny its technically the most environmentally friendly position.[/QUOTE]


Sales. Toyota like any other auto company is in the business to make money. If the majority of people did not turn in/sell their cars for new ones, Toyota would not have been the world's largest automaker.
 
#24 ·
Sales. Toyota like any other auto company is in the business to make money. If the majority of people did not turn in/sell their cars for new ones, Toyota would not have been the world's largest automaker.
I don't see this happening if they opened up access to discontinued parts. For the regular person, there is a limit they're willing to spend once a car reaches an advanced age mostly repair costs over the car's actual value. This idea would only appeal to those who are willing to go beyond this point and at this point aren't interested in a newer car. If this was GM or Mercedes, the choice is up to you whether you want to continue investing in a car that might not produce any ROI or whether to instead not repair and opt for another vehicle. Not being given this choice is what I find most distressing about Toyota's idea of not supporting its older vehicles.

My favorite Camry...

IIRC this is the last Camry they offered a manual for every trim level. How nice would it be to get one of these with a V6 and a manual? Certainly a lot more desirable for me than a new Camry SE with the V6. If you hate FWD, this Camry is available in All-trac trim. You certainly don't get this choice in any Camry today.
 
#33 ·
It's getting harder and harder to find parts for my MKII MR2 at the dealership. It's almost always special order from one of the many warehouses Toyota has in the U.S. - but sometimes the part has to come from Japan, which can take a week or more.

I'd love to see more parts available, but it's sort of a lost cause. Japanese owners don't keep their cars for long and the turnover rate there is high, as opposed to the U.S. where we hold on to cars a bit longer.

Many times I've been seeing "unavailable" in the parts catalog for older models. Not a good sign. :disappoin
 
#42 ·
Some parts they did have up until a few years ago. I priced a new dashboard for my '84 and a U-joint back in 2007 or so and they still had them in stock. Don't know about the U-joints, but in that time until now the dashboards are gone, so somebody out there wanted some. Parts supplies tend to usually dry out at 20-25 years, but for more common cars like the older Camrys and Corollas, finding parts for those shouldn't be a problem.
 
#43 · (Edited)
I actually emailed Toyota about this awhile back, and here's the response I got...

Mr. 84Cressida,

Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

We are sorry to hear of the difficulty you are experiencing in finding parts for your Cressida.

New Genuine Toyota Parts are only sold through the Parts Departments of Toyota dealerships. However, we do not continue to offer parts indefinitely for older vehicles and therefore, it is extremely unlikely, due to the age of your vehicle, that new parts are still available for your vehicle.

You may wish to check with salvage yards, auto recyclers, aftermarket suppliers and enthusiast groups to determine if they have the part for your specific vehicle. However, we cannot vouch for any parts not purchased through a Toyota dealership and we do not warranty any parts not purchased through a Toyota dealership.

We appreciate your interest in a rear wheel-drive sedan. Toyota has not announced any plans to introduce a rear wheel-drive sedan. We are, however, aware of consumer interest, and consistently strive to remain competitive in today's market.

We do not offer a heritage section, of the kind you described, on our website. However, we appreciate your feedback. It is through communications such as yours that we become aware of the reactions and expectations of our customers and are able to review and improve our website.

We are sorry; the MyToyota section of our website does not accept the VINs of vehicles as far back as 1984, hence the error message you received.

We are happy to hear of your overall satisfaction with the vehicle.

Your email has been documented at our National Headquarters. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us via email or by calling 800-331-4331 800-331-4331. We are available from 5 AM to 6 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday and from 7 AM to 4 PM, Pacific Time, on Saturdays.

**** ********
Toyota Customer Experience
Mind you, I'm not complaining about the C/S. It was a very timely, imformative response.
 
#44 ·
Mind you, I'm not complaining about the C/S. It was a very timely, informative response.
If Toyota wants to be remembered for the cars that got them where they are today, they need to focus and embrace those older cars. This is something that American and European car companies do well it seems.

IMO, Japanese car companies have yet to embrace that concept. It might be the cultural difference. In Japan, after a certain mileage, most cars are pretty much "disposed" of as required by law. I think the psyche in Japan is that cars ARE appliances, so preserving them doesn't make sense.
 
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