OT | Cars

[AussieBuck]

VL Commodore or GTFO IMO.

Ha, nice! Holdens are called Opels in Japan:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Commodore

Yeah the Nissan engine/gearbox is what made it a kick ass car. It was imported to bridge the gap between Australian engine generations but was still better than what the locals churned out years later.

[Elwood]

VL Commodore or GTFO IMO.

Ha, nice! Holdens are called Opels in Japan:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Commodore

Yeah the Nissan engine/gearbox is what made it a kick ass car. It was imported to bridge the gap between Australian engine generations but was still better than what the locals churned out years later.

I really enjoy stories like this

[SupremeHustle]

SupremeHustle, how about the Toyota 86, developed by Toyota and Subaru? It’s sold by Toyota, Subaru and Scion. Toyota 86 (Asia), Toyota GT86 (Europe), Toyota FT86 (Jamaica), Subaru BRZ (worldwide), Scion FR-S (US and Canada). What color do you like and are planning on ordering?:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_86



It traces its roots back to these:

Toyota AE86


Toyota 2000GT


Toyota Sports 800

I'm taking delivery today or tomorrow.

I have two kids, so the Toyota/Subaru was out right away, along with a bunch of other cars I'd rather have.

[th87]

Well, I need your help, guys.

I also have a 2001 Toyota Camry. Old and reliable. Until the other day, when the engine failed at 140,000 miles. Replacement will cost $4500 (with an engine with 37,000 miles).

The car itself is only valued at $3000-$3500 at best (before the engine went).

Other than this, the car is in excellent shape, and with the engine replacement, it could last a while.

My alternative is leasing an economy/compact (one of those $200/mo leases with little down up front). Total cost will probably work out to about $10,000 for 3 years.

So the total driving cost loss in leasing would work out to about $5500. The old car would likely need repairs over this time, let's say $1500, leaving about a $4000 loss.

What do you guys think?

[humanrefutation]

I think leases are terrible ideas, generally. You're putting thousands of dollars into something that you won't keep. It only makes sense for those who have limited monthly financial means and the lack of cash to put up front for a used vehicle.

If you can afford to fix up the Camry, I'd definitely go that route over signing a lease. That's especially true if you do a lot of driving, because leases generally come with mileage restrictions (10-15k a year, depending on how much you're willing to pay).

I'd also consider taking a gander onto the used market and seeing if you can find a newer vehicle. You could get a decent, newer-model car for $4-5k.

[Elwood]

th87, this is what I would do if I were in your shoes: You put on about 10,800 miles per year driving a car, 140,000 divided by 13 years. You are looking for a car to put on 10,800 miles per year. You can afford between $4,000 and $5,000 for a car (cost of engine with 37,000 miles or car valued @ $4k-5k, like humanrefutation suggests).

Is the unibody of the '01 Toyota Camry sound other than the lack of an engine? Any rust? How about the shocks / springs / exhaust / electricity / brakes / steering, etc.? If your answer is "yes" to the unibody and "yes, everything's fine" to the rest, toss in the replacement engine @ $4,500 (including labor?). If you need replacing or work done to unibody / shocks / springs / exhaust / electricity / brakes / steering, etc. of your '01 Toyota Camry w/o engine, then start shopping for a used car valued at between $4,000 and $5,000 (like humanrefutation suggests).

Forget about the value of your Camry, losses and lease for now... You need a car to put on 10,800 miles per year valued at between $4k and $5k. Good luck...

[th87]

Thanks a lot, guys. Much appreciated.

The unibody is fine, and no rust to speak of. $4500 includes the labor.

[Be Here Now]

Is the engine a 4 or 6 cylinder?

[Be Here Now]

Supreme, did you look into a Model S at all?

I buy and sell cars for a living...that car is on another level. Definitely would've been my choice.

[th87]

Is the engine a 4 or 6 cylinder?

4

[Be Here Now]

Is the engine a 4 or 6 cylinder?

4

Hmm. That's very weird. The 6 is more troublesome than the 4.

What did the mechanic say actually happened to the motor? My blind guess would be the timing belt snapped, but if you replaced that around the rec service interval that shouldn't be an issue. This motor is usually pretty bulletproof given you were good at getting the oil changed on time.

Also, do you trust this mechanic? $4500 seems high, but ymmv in DC. What I'm getting at is the motor should be fairly inexpensive given that it's a good, reliable engine on a very common car that had that same motor on many different model years. Due to that, I would think there would be a ton of them at salvage yards.

[SupremeHustle]

Supreme, did you look into a Model S at all?

I buy and sell cars for a living...that car is on another level. Definitely would've been my choice.

Shied away because of the cold winters here (Minnesota) but I have seen a few on the road. It's bigger than I like, too.

[th87]

Is the engine a 4 or 6 cylinder?

4

Hmm. That's very weird. The 6 is more troublesome than the 4.

What did the mechanic say actually happened to the motor? My blind guess would be the timing belt snapped, but if you replaced that around the rec service interval that shouldn't be an issue. This motor is usually pretty bulletproof given you were good at getting the oil changed on time.

Also, do you trust this mechanic? $4500 seems high, but ymmv in DC. What I'm getting at is the motor should be fairly inexpensive given that it's a good, reliable engine on a very common car that had that same motor on many different model years. Due to that, I would think there would be a ton of them at salvage yards.

Yeah, that's why I got the 4 specifically to avoid this issue.

Mechanic said it's a broken wrist pin. I'm betting it happened because of a sudden oil leak that I didn't notice (on a long, frantic drive because of a family emergency). So yeah, it's my fault.

I don't know if I trust this mechanic. I live in DC, and the engine died on me just across the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I had it towed to the local Pep Boys, and then AAMCO, who made the assessment. Unfortunately, I'd have to defer to him, because I had to come back to DC, and I can't really shop around for other mechanics.

However, do you think I should find an engine on Ebay or something (going for about $1000), tow the car down here, and take it to my local guy? Is it a pretty seamless fix that I can cut corners in this way?

[TroyD92]

4

Hmm. That's very weird. The 6 is more troublesome than the 4.

What did the mechanic say actually happened to the motor? My blind guess would be the timing belt snapped, but if you replaced that around the rec service interval that shouldn't be an issue. This motor is usually pretty bulletproof given you were good at getting the oil changed on time.

Also, do you trust this mechanic? $4500 seems high, but ymmv in DC. What I'm getting at is the motor should be fairly inexpensive given that it's a good, reliable engine on a very common car that had that same motor on many different model years. Due to that, I would think there would be a ton of them at salvage yards.

Yeah, that's why I got the 4 specifically to avoid this issue.

Mechanic said it's a broken wrist pin. I'm betting it happened because of a sudden oil leak that I didn't notice (on a long, frantic drive because of a family emergency). So yeah, it's my fault.

I don't know if I trust this mechanic. I live in DC, and the engine died on me just across the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I had it towed to the local Pep Boys, and then AAMCO, who made the assessment. Unfortunately, I'd have to defer to him, because I had to come back to DC, and I can't really shop around for other mechanics.

However, do you think I should find an engine on Ebay or something (going for about $1000), tow the car down here, and take it to my local guy? Is it a pretty seamless fix that I can cut corners in this way?

Always leave your vehicle with someone you trust. I've always done my work on my own, because I don't trust any of the local mechanics (or I'm really cheap....probably that one lol). I would definitely get a second opinion from someone else too.

[th87]

Hmm. That's very weird. The 6 is more troublesome than the 4.

What did the mechanic say actually happened to the motor? My blind guess would be the timing belt snapped, but if you replaced that around the rec service interval that shouldn't be an issue. This motor is usually pretty bulletproof given you were good at getting the oil changed on time.

Also, do you trust this mechanic? $4500 seems high, but ymmv in DC. What I'm getting at is the motor should be fairly inexpensive given that it's a good, reliable engine on a very common car that had that same motor on many different model years. Due to that, I would think there would be a ton of them at salvage yards.

Yeah, that's why I got the 4 specifically to avoid this issue.

Mechanic said it's a broken wrist pin. I'm betting it happened because of a sudden oil leak that I didn't notice (on a long, frantic drive because of a family emergency). So yeah, it's my fault.

I don't know if I trust this mechanic. I live in DC, and the engine died on me just across the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I had it towed to the local Pep Boys, and then AAMCO, who made the assessment. Unfortunately, I'd have to defer to him, because I had to come back to DC, and I can't really shop around for other mechanics.

However, do you think I should find an engine on Ebay or something (going for about $1000), tow the car down here, and take it to my local guy? Is it a pretty seamless fix that I can cut corners in this way?

Always leave your vehicle with someone you trust. I've always done my work on my own, because I don't trust any of the local mechanics (or I'm really cheap....probably that one lol). I would definitely get a second opinion from someone else too.

Yeah I may just do that.

They are charging $2900 for the engine. The defense is that it only has 37,000 miles on it (one year warranty), and that it's in good condition. Not comfortable paying that much.

[SupremeHustle]

Great car so far. Love everything except for the incredibly horrible voice recognition.

[Newz]

Great car so far. Love everything except for the incredibly horrible voice recognition.

I blame your voice.

[JimmyTheKid]

My wife just bought a 2015 Subaru Forrester aka baby mobile. I have car envy. Its a gem.

[SupremeHustle]

Great car so far. Love everything except for the incredibly horrible voice recognition.

I blame your voice.

I forgot to turn on the "Sexy voice" recognizer. I'm good now.

[For Waukee]

This bump probably isn't warranted, but with the limbo of the bucks offseason upon us, I thought I would ask for some help. I've been looking to purchase my first car for awhile now. What I've come to realize is, it's harder than I thought to find a good car when you don't have much money to spend.

Anyhow, with that said, does anyone have any insight about late 90's, early 00's Subaru Outbacks? Look like good utility cars, which I love, but would appreciate any other info I can get about what to look for and what to stay away from.

Thanks in advance.