1989 Toyota Camry.... Your thoughts/experiences?

[AngelSentFromUpAbove]

I've been looking to buy a used car for the past couple of months, but I'm really scared of getting a lemon. My cousin's neighbor is selling a 1989(90?) Toyota Camry for $2000. 4 Cylinders/ 4 Doors/ Automatic Transmission. I'm seriously considering buying it, but I can't find any reviews out there.

Can anyone share their thoughts or experiences with me? Would I be getting a good deal?

Thank you!

(BTW, this is my first car!)

 

[b0mbrman]

My Mom's had an '89 Camry for years and it's never given her any problems...sorta pisses her off since my parents agreed to wait on buying her a new car until the Camry stops running

 

[KEV1N]

THIS CAR RULES! So reliable! I've taken this up to Tahoe a bunch of times, and it's only 4 cylinder. Very fun to drive. By far the most conservative looking Camry, but has a pretty sporty suspension. I have mad '89 Camry pride.

 

[cressida]

my friend has one .. it's very reliable, he bought it used for around that price too.

 

[d33pt]

those are one of toyota's most reliable cars... especially with the 4cyl engine. my parents have one with the v6 and it's been really reliable too.. as long as nothing is leaking and obviously broken you should be able to get 300k miles from that thing easily

 

[ckkoba]

Yups, I agree wtih all the people who gave this car a thumbs up. As long as that engine's okay, you'll be cruising around in this car for a while!

 

[Chrono]

camry am own

 

[Thegonagle]

Well, it's an old, $2000 car, so it's going to need some TLC every so often to keep it dependable. If it's in fairly good shape, has no current pressing issues, and it's had regular maintenance, it should be a decent $2000 car. Toyota Camrys have always been a good choice as far as quality and longevity are concerned.

 

[Thegonagle]

For some reviews, go here, at Cars.com, and click on car reviews. They've got a ton and a half of old reviews of various cars archived there.

 

[HamSupLo]

those camry V6's haul some serious ass.

 

[AngelSentFromUpAbove]

Thanks for all of your replies.

I have another question....
What is the difference between the Camry and the Corolla? They look very, very similar on the outside and inside.

Once again, thanks for all your help... So far, things are looking up...

 

[StageLeft]

Good car.

 

[chickendinner]

i had an 87 it kicked ass, great MPG and it ran til 250K

 

[Jzero]

Ugly as sin, but reliable and peppy cars.

The Camry is a bit higher-end than the Corolla. Kinda like the difference between an Accord and a Civic for Hondas.

 

[RossMAN]

$2,000 seems kinda steep but Toyota's do run forever if properly maintained. Remember it's a 13 year old car.

How many miles does it have?

The Corolla is one step down from the Camry.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Go for it..that car is rock solid.

My buddy has a '88 Camry 4-cyl with power everything...has 287k kms on it...yet still runs like a dream. Its not exactly fast nor is it fun to drive..its a good highway cruiser though. Very comfortable.

Just make sure the power windows work...for my friend's Camry his power windows don't work all the time and neither does his A/C...thats the only thing wrong with it.

 

[AngelSentFromUpAbove]

I'm not sure how many miles it has, but my cousins (who know a thing or two about cars) told me that the car had 2 previous owners, no visible damage on the outside and inside, and is in pretty good condition considering it's age.
My cousins are going to talk to the owner for me sometime this week and they're going to let me know if the car is worth taking a look and a spin this weekend.

 

[AngelSentFromUpAbove]

*midday bump*

 

[Zenmervolt]

It's all been said. Camry is to Carolla as Accord is to Civic. The Camry shouldn't give you any trouble if it's had decent care. The late 1980's were a great time for Japanese cars. Just make sure that it's had its timing belt taken care of regularly. If the timing belt breaks you can say hello to major valvetrain work. Chances are that the car will be a good buy for the $2,000 price range.

ZV