On 1 Nov 2005 15:36:53 -0500, Traci
<UseLinkToEmail DeleteThis @www.autoforumz.com> wrote:
>I am looking at a 1991 Toyota as a starter car for my daughter - it
>has 400,000 miles on it. Am I crazy to even think about it? Also
>does anyone have a step by step guide on what I should be looking for
>when buying a used car? I am a single woman with a little experience
>about motors. I can pull the oil cap to see if it is smoking, things
>like that. Any more advice?
I would be wary of buying a car with that many miles on it only
because you don't know the service history and maintenance work that
has (or has not) been performed. If the seller has complete records,
or is a relative whose word you can trust on things like that, that's
one hurdle passed.
If you check the car yourself and think it's a good deal, you still
need to go get it checked over thoroughly by a local mechanic that's
an expert in older Toyotas - you might spend $50 to $80 on it, but the
inspection can save you a whole lot more. Compression and leakdown
tests, pre-test the emissions on a smog machine, look over the body
and suspension for imminent problems, check the brakes and axles, etc.
And if there are major problems brewing either pass on that car, or
get one hell of a bargain price on it figuring you will have to fix
those items yourself soon.
Toyota's will keep running well long past 400,000 miles, you can
drive them effectively forever if they are well cared for - but that
means jumping on $500 maintenance items like a new timing chain and
chain guide kit as they come up /before/ they become terminal. (The
slack timing chain wears through the inside of the timing cover and
dumps coolant into the oil on the 20R and 22R motors, and then you
have a big mess to fix.)
Systems and parts will wear out, that's normal - just fix them and
keep driving. It might need a manual transmission rebuild at 500,000
and a new steering gearbox at 600,000...
And eventually you'll have a million miles on it and it'll be due
for an engine overhaul. Then you get it back on the road and start on
the next million miles.
But let the little repairs go for too long, then they break and
cause major damage, and suddenly it's cheaper to scrap the car.
IMHO the only real reason to scrap a car is if it rusts out from
under you, or it does not meet your needs any more (as in a growing
family). If the car does what you need it to do (get you and your
stuff from Point A to Point B and back) and you can still get repair
parts for it, keep driving.
--<< Bruce >>--
--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.
>> Stay informed about: looking at Toyota w/ 400,000 mls 
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