95 Camry Rehab

135 is not a real lot if its been maintained in oil and driven easy, or driven hard its trash. Does it burn oil, was oil changed regularly. A pollution test, compression, transmission and body will determine if it is worth keeping. Tires, struts, ball joints all wear and its normal maintenance, not rehab. Were all maintenance items taken care of on time, how is the cooling system, clean or dirty. If it runs good get prices on repairing basic items. You dont say what has been changed to know what should be done.

Call it maintenance or rehab, the check list is pretty good. I like to keep cars, and my ex likes to trade cars. The average Joe is not going to replace struts on all fours when they see the cost. But I do. Brakes are not expense till yo need rotors and/or drums. A radiator is reasonable, but add installation, hoses and belts, your near $400. Let's leave the list short, but it applies to every available service job. The cost of shop maintenance on high milage cars can approach the resale value, and certainly the insurance value in case of loss. You're better off in a Camry, but never immune.

Let's say I do brakes, radiator and struts in the past year. My daughter borrows the car and totals it. She says the accident in not her fault, sorry. Your put $3000 in maintanance and the insurance company offers you $4000. Let's skip the collision and comprehensive coverage issue on a 10 year old car for another day. Effectively, you have $1000, maybe $2000 to start shopping for your next car.

I keep cars. I maintain them. Oh, I like stimple cars, and that helps a bit when they get old. A fly by wire hi tech Avalon or Prius is a tougher maintenance issue than my 1995 Corolla Wagon or even my newer Tacoma.

I'd keep the Camry and fix it. But generally, or my money, my 95 Corolla goes in a few years. My 04 Tacoma should be good till 2019 or so, if I last that long. Good luck.

Cars are a bad investment so I keep mine to, 135000 isnt much on a maintained engine,and putting in a few thousand will get you many years of running,

Struts are normal maintenace - I believe they are shot at 80k but others argue that they last til they leak (they don't realize they have slowly debilitated over the years!). If you can do the work yourself or find inexpensive but good labor it really pays to keep and older car you like. Struts are $400 for parts, Slack in drive train? Add engine mounts and new CVC joints and may new sway bar bushings. I still have an '85 Yotas PU and my daughter is driving my '90 4Rnr. Our state has a yearly personal property tax on vehicles so old is cheaper each year too! Add new radio speakers to list -- OEM ones were NG from day one.

Here's my list from a 1994 4 cylinder with 140,000 miles in superb condition.

1/5/06: lubrication service, Mobil 1 5W30, 140,083, air filter replaced

9/02/2005: 135,342, 9/01/05, RH axle replacement (differential service

- ATF plain Mobil 1)

4/21/2005: lubrication service, 130,088, air filter replaced

11/19/2004: replaced IAC valve, drained and repl. radiator coolant, adjusted throttle stop and throttle positiion sensor idle @ .024", cleaned throttle body, new throttle body and IAC gaskets.

11/18/2004: 5k maint., 125,092. also adjusted accessory drive belt tension

7/21/2004: adjsuted throttle cable

6/14/2004: 6/12/04: Major Servicing: 120,124 miles: Replace: timing belt, crankshaft oil seal, oil pump oil seal, oil pump O-ring, camshaft oil seal, idler bearing, idler tensioner bearing, timing cover gasket set, valve cover gasket, ck valve clearances, PCV valve, PCV valve grommet, oil cap gasket, distributor O-ring, distributor cap, rotor, distributor packing, spark plug wires, spark plugs, fuel filter, air filter, ck. battery, oil pan gasket, transmission pan gasket, water pump, thermostat, radiator cap, gas cap, differential service, engine moving control rod, accessory drive belts: power steering pump, A/C - alternator, alternator brushes, ck. chassis mounting bolt torque, set ignition timing `````````````````````````````````````````````` Also, back when needed, replaced front struts, sway bar bushings all around, and radiator. First place to start with maintenance is fluids: coolant (Toyota red & distilled water), brake fluid, transmission fluid, differential if separate, and power steering fluid.

Thanks for all the inputs that are coming in. My plan is to make a list of things to have done (once did my own work, including overhauls, on everything from Fords to Fiats, but am seventy now and getting lazy).

Want to try to pay the labor on "getting in" only once... Do what's needed and wind up with a car that will run for awhile. This Camry has had an oil change every 3,000, periodic trans service, timing belt, etc. It regularly gives us 30+ mpg at 80 mph and takes us where we want to go in comfort (believe it or not, our previous car was a Caddy).

Not interested in roadside breakdowns, or in waiting for things to break before fixing them, hence the idea of preventive work.

Again, thanks.

Cheers!

Roger wrote previous car was a Caddy ``````````` Mine were Cadillac and Mercedes - currently planning to keep the Camry forever, especially having accumulated the necessary tools and replacement procedure knowledge. In my view the Camry ('94 Japanese manufacture, 4 cyl.) is built as well as the S class sedan I had - the difference is that you're reaping the economy of volume production rather than paying a premium for exclusivity and cutting edge engineering. Now if you want to drive over 100 mph regularly, the Mercedes is the way to go, but I live in the U.S. Regarding Cadillac, last time (long ago) I test drove a new Cadillac, the plastic wood grain door panel on the demo was already worn through to base color, and the salesman looked at me like I was an idiot when I inquired about the functional value of a "landau roof".