my dilemna: I have a 1994 toyota camry xle with 177000 miles, runs good, but needs a paint job and reupholstering which will cost $1300 total, or.. I can buy a 2005 toyota camry le with 80000 miles for $11000.
What should I do, buy the 2005 camry or keep my 1994 with 177000 miles and spend $1300 on cosmetics? Is it worth spending the additional $10700 for the lower mileage car??
I would say no.
But hedge your bets: find a *good* mechanic that works on Toyotas and have him go through your car from stem to stern. Pay him a few hundred bucks for this. Have him evaluate the engine, the transmission, the chassis, the suspension. Look for rust. Evaluate all the accessories--A/C, power steering, brakes, cooling system, etc.
Further, have Blackstone Labs do a full oil analysis for both your engine and your transmission. It's all done via mail.
Evaluate the results of that thorough evaluation against your decision. Let your mechanic evaluate how long your current ride has before you'll need to put REAL money into it.
If all is well, a little paint and upholstery is no big deal. Consider it maintenance, just like oil and tires.
I have a friend with a 97 Corolla, he's working on hitting 500K miles. Yeah, he's repainted (or replaced) the hood because of stone chips and whatnot, and he does his maintenance, but it's on the original engine and transmission AND interior. Oh, except for the radio--he used a cassette adapter to plug in his ipod, and the cassette deck finally crapped out a few months ago.
Damn Toyotas.
He doesn't hesitate to drive this car everywhere.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.