ilikewaffles11's Toyotas

[ilikewaffles11]

Looks good.

I wouldn't be to concerned about water getting into the main lights, just the bulb fitting from the amber corner light. Look at the amount of dirt behind it, water gets in there anyway.

The JDM cars have a massive hole in them too.

Interesting, didn't know that, thanks for that info as always. I have a spare harness for the lights in case water ruins the connector for the light, so not too worried.

Saves me a couple bucks from buying Japanese lights, although I have considered buying a set anyway. Though it's possible my friend still has the pair he bought and wants to let them go.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

I'm sure most of you checking this post have already seen, but yesterday I added another old Toyota to my collection. Yet another one of my highly sought after 1980s Toyotas, a 1986 Celica GT-S with a 5 speed manual, and it only has 85K on it!

The main reason I wanted this car so badly is because of the engine, the 2.0 3SGE which is the only model in the US which was ever available with it. So far I haven't been let down, and the engine is definitely a much better fit for the Celica than the 5SFE my 1990 has in my opinion.

Has some issues, a bit of rust most of it being on the front left fender but nothing too bad. Front right one also has some rust but not as bad, and the paint on the roof/hood/trunk is fading but it still looks alright. Wheels could use refinishing.

Interior is super clean, only thing inoperative is the switch for the passenger side door and the gas gauge, both of which I probably won't fix. Passenger window works from the drivers switch and as for the fuel guage I'll just use the trip odometer.

I thought 85k sounds a little bit low, but after looking at itore it seems accurate. Pedals aren't worn out nor is the leather on the steering wheel, seats are all really nice as is the carpet and even the leather wrapped shift knob is still pretty nice.

I wish the head and intake wasn't painted but.. Can't really complain too much, too difficult to find to be picky. The radiator looks pretty shabby and I wanna put Toyota coolant in it. Timing belt and all of that stuff has been replaced already, but it leaks oil from what looks like the valve cover which isn't a big deal. He put junk plug wires on it which barely fit so I wanna replace those and do a general tune up. Other than that, the biggest issue is from him putting a MAF sensor on it from a Camry which is what I'm assuming is causing it to occasionally run like crap and stall out when you start it.

And the other biggest thing is exhaust work, as the pipe going from the converter to the muffler has some holes in it and the converter flanges won't survive removal. I'd like to put an exhaust on it so will have to see what my options are before I attack that, but a friend said he'd teach me to weld on the exhaust for now.

Also want to get some performance tires but don't want to change the wheels out, but luckily I just discovered that Direzza makes a 14' performance tire called a ZII Star Spec. They're on the agenda just not sure when they'll happen.

Everything else is minor, needs front brake hoses, rear sway bar bushing, an alignment, headlights to replace the dumbass purple halo lights, and some trunk struts. Not bad.

After changing the oil took it for a drive, but quickly realized that there's no battery hold down j bolt keeping the battery secure while hitting a bump in the road on a spirited drive and having sparks fly out...

When I was younger I never cared for this generation Celica, but now I think it's my favorite as far as looks go. The front end is too cool. The big piece that says Celica, the pop ups, the wheels and the side skirts and wrap around spoiler and back into the interior with that steering wheel, the cluster, and the climate control layout.. So 80s, so good.

Wanted a lift back ideally but I'm not complaining. Notchbacks are lighter at least!

Now with this I currently have 3 Toyotas from 1986!

--

Ok, so now that I'm done obsessing over that, other stuff. Using this again because my Celica is broken

At work late at night to replace the Celicas front right wheel bearing when I suddenly remember after pressing the bearing out that I forgot to order seals. A friend gave a ride down to Autozone (ugh) 20 minutes before they closed where I managed to score some, so I come back and finish it up and start to put the knuckle back on. The ball joint decided it wanted to just keep spinning, so I was hitting it with an impact gun to no avail when suddenly this piece of the knuckle decided it actually didn't wanna be attached anymore and fell off.

I was very salty

So now I have a knuckle coming from eBay, had to buy another wheel bearing and made sure not to forget seals this time. Also decided to just go all out while I'm at it and ordered new ball joints for both sides, inner and outer tie rods so I can align it, and sway bar links. Have it all at work, just didn't get time this weekend to install.

Size difference

And sans my Celica which I didn't have at the time of taking this, had all of my cars out the other week, first photo of them together.

Edit: in the Celica excitement I forgot to mention I washed my truck and hosed the frame off. Looks good, first time washing it.

 

[GDII]

Now for a GEN2 3SGE swap? Loving the painted engine!

GEN1 USDM 3SGE = 135hp.
GEN1-4 USDM 5SFE = 135hp.

Buuuut 40 more Torques!!! Win! The head design will be the reason for that.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Now for a GEN2 3SGE swap? Loving the painted engine!

GEN1 USDM 3SGE = 135hp.
GEN1-4 USDM 5SFE = 135hp.

Buuuut 40 more Torques!!! Win! The head design will be the reason for that.

I'm happy with the gen 1 honestly. It feels much peppier and it loves to rev, and once the TVIS kick in it really starts to sing. The 5S has more low end though, the 3S seems to make power at about 3800 but below that doesn't do much. But still, I love revvy engines and I had a blast driving it around today, and the steering feels a lot better than my 1990!

Extra torque is nice though! Also, personally not a fan of the painted bits, but not gonna bother. I am gonna finish painting the valve cover though as that's one of my favorite looking Toyota covers, but for whatever reason only the back has the black and red paint in the lettering. Also if I'm not mistaken Yamaha designed the head, as they do with most G style heads no?

 

[GDII]

WIN!!! Revvy is good and yes they don't really wake up until 3,800. I don't have TVIS in mine but rather ACIS which does a similar thing but quite a different system.

I'm not sure which heads Yamaha designed but the GEN3, 4 and 5 were. Not sure about the GEN1 and 2. The G means wide angle head where F means narrow. That has nothing to do with who designed it. The G head is more performance orientated and the F is for fuel efficiency. If you look at the way the intake and exhaust port angle is vs the valve angle you'll see the G heads have a straighter path therefore better air flow.

I hope you engine the car. 👍

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Well I didn't see the "new" Celica post before you posted it here, so I can say I was actually surprised to know you bought it! How do you still manage to track these slighly-worn-out-but-still-nice '80s Toyota coupes? And how do you still manage to buy ones which have rust?
Can I ste... er, I mean borrow your contacts list?

Joke aside, good buy. Seeing so many little issues with it is rather concerning, for me at least. They could team up and turn into bigger issues further down the line as you're hauling arse down American roads, but odds are you'll fix some of them as time and budget allows. Also, why won't you fix the passenger door switch? Never going to drive the car with company?

As far as the shape goes... I don't know, I'm a bit on the fence about '80s Celicas. When it comes to coupe shapes, it's things like the Curren that attract my attention moreso than older Celica-based coupes. But hey, can't go wrong with pop-ups...

 

[ilikewaffles11]

WIN!!! Revvy is good and yes they don't really wake up until 3,800. I don't have TVIS in mine but rather ACIS which does a similar thing but quite a different system.

I'm not sure which heads Yamaha designed but the GEN3, 4 and 5 were. Not sure about the GEN1 and 2. The G means wide angle head where F means narrow. That has nothing to do with who designed it. The G head is more performance orientated and the F is for fuel efficiency. If you look at the way the intake and exhaust port angle is vs the valve angle you'll see the G heads have a straighter path therefore better air flow.

I hope you engine the car. 👍

What's the ACIS do out of curiosity?

Yea, I know about the G/F head difference, but it usually seems as though the G heads are designed by Yamaha from what I've seen.

Well I didn't see the "new" Celica post before you posted it here, so I can say I was actually surprised to know you bought it! How do you still manage to track these slighly-worn-out-but-still-nice '80s Toyota coupes? And how do you still manage to buy ones which have rust?
Can I ste... er, I mean borrow your contacts list?

Joke aside, good buy. Seeing so many little issues with it is rather concerning, for me at least. They could team up and turn into bigger issues further down the line as you're hauling arse down American roads, but odds are you'll fix some of them as time and budget allows. Also, why won't you fix the passenger door switch? Never going to drive the car with company?

As far as the shape goes... I don't know, I'm a bit on the fence about '80s Celicas. When it comes to coupe shapes, it's things like the Curren that attract my attention moreso than older Celica-based coupes. But hey, can't go wrong with pop-ups...

Craigslist is my contact list! I check Craigslist everyday at lunch for 1990 and older Toyotas, so I usually don't miss any. Have had good luck lately with finding half decent cars on there!

I like problematic cars, cheaper and gives me something to do. Everything that needs to be addressed will be, some little things will be left alone. But main reason I'm not fixing the window switch is because it still works from the drivers side, and I hate taking door panels apart. Also not even sure I'll be able to find parts for it. Drive with company plenty but as long as it goes down from one of the switches I don't mind.

I just love angular 1980s Japanese cars with pop ups, have really grown to love these 4th gen GT-S'.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Craigslist is my contact list! I check Craigslist everyday at lunch for 1990 and older Toyotas, so I usually don't miss any. Have had good luck lately with finding half decent cars on there!

I like problematic cars, cheaper and gives me something to do. Everything that needs to be addressed will be, some little things will be left alone. But main reason I'm not fixing the window switch is because it still works from the drivers side, and I hate taking door panels apart. Also not even sure I'll be able to find parts for it. Drive with company plenty but as long as it goes down from one of the switches I don't mind.

I just love angular 1980s Japanese cars with pop ups, have really grown to love these 4th gen GT-S'.

That's... one very strange contact list, to say the least.
Joke aside, I guess it's a bit like every other website where you can buy cars; many jokers with their turd beaters (there are Craiglist memes for a reason, haha), but also quite a few diamonds-in-the-rough if you know where to look. And you look there very often...

Well, you're a mechanic, it's not like those issues are brand new to someone so experienced with 1980s Toyotas... And considering most of those issues won't break the car right away anytime soon, I guess there's a a place and a time for them to be fixed. Might want to look into that Camry thing though, that never creates anything good. Quoting a joke from a Facebook group you and I know, "it's always a f:censored: Camry"...
Also, thanks for clarifying the window switch thing, wasn't aware the Celica came with passenger window switches on the driver's side.

The garage you have sure doesn't lie about that part, does it...? Even the pickups are (somewhat) angular!

 

[GDII]

What's the ACIS do out of curiosity?

Yea, I know about the G/F head difference, but it usually seems as though the G heads are designed by Yamaha from what I've seen.

ACIS is Acoustic Control Intake System.
It effectively makes the intake runners longer or shorter depending on engine load, engine speed and throttle position.

This explains it well and shows RPM vs throttle position and when the VSV switches it on and off. Similar to the T-VIS control.
http://turbomr2.com/MR2/Reference/TVIS/TVIS.htm

This shows the 3SGE runner length change. The chamber to the left of the intake plenum in the photo is the 'longer' runner chamber. You'll see it on my car too but looks a bit different.

 

[SVX]

ACIS is Acoustic Control Intake System.
It effectively makes the intake runners longer or shorter depending on engine load, engine speed and throttle position.

This explains it well and shows RPM vs throttle position and when the VSV switches it on and off. Similar to the T-VIS control.
http://turbomr2.com/MR2/Reference/TVIS/TVIS.htm

This shows the 3SGE runner length change. The chamber to the left of the intake plenum in the photo is the 'longer' runner chamber. You'll see it on my car too but looks a bit different.

The 4AGE had something similar, correct?

 

[GDII]

The 4AGE had something similar, correct?

Some of the 16 valve 4AGE engines had T-VIS.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

That's... one very strange contact list, to say the least.
Joke aside, I guess it's a bit like every other website where you can buy cars; many jokers with their turd beaters (there are Craiglist memes for a reason, haha), but also quite a few diamonds-in-the-rough if you know where to look. And you look there very often...

Well, you're a mechanic, it's not like those issues are brand new to someone so experienced with 1980s Toyotas... And considering most of those issues won't break the car right away anytime soon, I guess there's a a place and a time for them to be fixed. Might want to look into that Camry thing though, that never creates anything good. Quoting a joke from a Facebook group you and I know, "it's always a f:censored: Camry"...
Also, thanks for clarifying the window switch thing, wasn't aware the Celica came with passenger window switches on the driver's side.

The garage you have sure doesn't lie about that part, does it...? Even the pickups are (somewhat) angular!

Yea, lots of junk to sort through, but you occasionally find some good deals on there. Makes it worth dealing with all the idiots!

Yup, will be fixed in due time. Have so many projects at the moment it's hard to keep up!

Yup! I love it, probably my favorite era of Japanese cars, though there's tons of 90s cars I wouldn't mind owning..

ACIS is Acoustic Control Intake System.
It effectively makes the intake runners longer or shorter depending on engine load, engine speed and throttle position.

This explains it well and shows RPM vs throttle position and when the VSV switches it on and off. Similar to the T-VIS control.
http://turbomr2.com/MR2/Reference/TVIS/TVIS.htm

This shows the 3SGE runner length change. The chamber to the left of the intake plenum in the photo is the 'longer' runner chamber. You'll see it on my car too but looks a bit different.

That's pretty neat, never heard of that before. I've always been curious what that chamber was though, now I know!

The 4AGE had something similar, correct?

Some of the 16 valve 4AGE engines had T-VIS.

To narrow it down, blue and red and black tops had TVIS.

 

[GDII]

To narrow it down, blue and red and black tops had TVIS.

So Blue Top, Red and Black Top 'Bigport' but then Toyota took it off for the Red Top 'Smallport'. Then they went ITBs on the Silver Top and bigger ITBs on the Black Top.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Yea, lots of junk to sort through, but you occasionally find some good deals on there. Makes it worth dealing with all the idiots!

Yup, will be fixed in due time. Have so many projects at the moment it's hard to keep up!

Yup! I love it, probably my favorite era of Japanese cars, though there's tons of 90s cars I wouldn't mind owning.

And all the jokers with their meme ads too, haha. But considering what you have found over the past few months, you have avoided those with flying colors. Look at all the solid condition Toyotas on your driveway!

Haha, I can see that. Too much fun overall to focus on one single Toyota...

You and me both regarding that '90s thing... Especially when we're talking about JDM cars. Not so much Toyotas (unless we're talking about things like a Paseo or an EP91 Starlet because quirky tastes, haha), but definitely late '80s to early '90s. Too bad finding most of those things where I come from is stupendously (not a word?) hard...

 

[ilikewaffles11]

So Blue Top, Red and Black Top 'Bigport' but then Toyota took it off for the Red Top 'Smallport'. Then they went ITBs on the Silver Top and bigger ITBs on the Black Top.

Yup! Always forget that they used ITBs on silver and black tops though, pretty cool.

And all the jokers with their meme ads too, haha. But considering what you have found over the past few months, you have avoided those with flying colors. Look at all the solid condition Toyotas on your driveway!

Haha, I can see that. Too much fun overall to focus on one single Toyota...

You and me both regarding that '90s thing... Especially when we're talking about JDM cars. Not so much Toyotas (unless we're talking about things like a Paseo or an EP91 Starlet because quirky tastes, haha), but definitely late '80s to early '90s. Too bad finding most of those things where I come from is stupendously (not a word?) hard...

Yup! Lots of junk to sort through but definitely worth doing. Lots of good finds on there so far.

Not enought time or money haha.

It's not too easy here, but theyre around of you look hard enough. I like other Japanese cars from these eras, but there's so many just from Toyota that I'd like to own to keep me occupied for quite some time. On the plus side, I've owned/own a lot of the cars that I really lusted after, so for a while I won't have to make any impulse purchases when they pop up on Craigslist..

Not sure what I want next, will wait a while although when I sell the truck I'm gonna need something for the winter. If Subaru SVXs aren't ridiculous for insurance, I'd like one of those as I've wanted one for a while, but if I could find a cheap beat up Corolla/Tercel/Camry/Previa Alltrac I'd be fine with any of those. Assuming none of that works out.. Might be rocking a beater Camry/Corolla with some snow tires slapped on.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Yup! Lots of junk to sort through but definitely worth doing. Lots of good finds on there so far.

Not enought time or money haha.

It's not too easy here, but theyre around of you look hard enough. I like other Japanese cars from these eras, but there's so many just from Toyota that I'd like to own to keep me occupied for quite some time. On the plus side, I've owned/own a lot of the cars that I really lusted after, so for a while I won't have to make any impulse purchases when they pop up on Craigslist..

Not sure what I want next, will wait a while although when I sell the truck I'm gonna need something for the winter. If Subaru SVXs aren't ridiculous for insurance, I'd like one of those as I've wanted one for a while, but if I could find a cheap beat up Corolla/Tercel/Camry/Previa Alltrac I'd be fine with any of those. Assuming none of that works out.. Might be rocking a beater Camry/Corolla with some snow tires slapped on.

So it seems, there are people holding out for the sort of offers you find so easily on a place like Craigslist... It's something else, certainly.

Haha, but certainly there's a lotta love for all of them, right...?

Well, you would be amazed with how few Daihatsus you can find for sale in Portugal... You'd have an easier time tracking a Ferrari F355 down. Even used beat-up and late-gen Starlets show up only a few times each three months or whenever... Tough job, tracking cool and quirky everyday cars down, haha.

Well, with you being a mechanic, having a SVX would be a great way to learn the Subaru craft, haha. Problem is, their values are probably on the rise with their neo-classic status... Is it even possible to score a nicely-loved-but-not-perfect SVX for cheap?
That aside, I will be honest; I'm digging the Previa idea. You don't hear much from GTP members about living with a Previa, haha... Plus, didn't they come with a supercharger? Or that another MPV?

 

[SVX]

Well, with you being a mechanic, having a SVX would be a great way to learn the Subaru craft, haha.

Not really. Far more exclusive, so parts are more expensive than an equivalent Impreza or Legacy, not to mention bespoke as it's a flat six. It's about as hard to work on as a turbocharged equivalent of those, as well.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

So it seems, there are people holding out for the sort of offers you find so easily on a place like Craigslist... It's something else, certainly.

Haha, but certainly there's a lotta love for all of them, right...?

Well, you would be amazed with how few Daihatsus you can find for sale in Portugal... You'd have an easier time tracking a Ferrari F355 down. Even used beat-up and late-gen Starlets show up only a few times each three months or whenever... Tough job, tracking cool and quirky everyday cars down, haha.

Well, with you being a mechanic, having a SVX would be a great way to learn the Subaru craft, haha. Problem is, their values are probably on the rise with their neo-classic status... Is it even possible to score a nicely-loved-but-not-perfect SVX for cheap?
That aside, I will be honest; I'm digging the Previa idea. You don't hear much from GTP members about living with a Previa, haha... Plus, didn't they come with a supercharger? Or that another MPV?

Of course, but unfortunately sometimes not enough time to go around for all of them!

Huh, that's interesting. Glad we don't have too much of an issue here, just need to be patient.

SVXs are actually dirt cheap unless it's a pristine one, even then it's not worth a whole lot. Most half decent ones sell from 1-2k, main reason Id like one for winter duty. But yup, Previa had an available supercharger! Love how back then you could buy a mid engined, supercharged, AWD minivan.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Not really. Far more exclusive, so parts are more expensive than an equivalent Impreza or Legacy, not to mention bespoke as it's a flat six. It's about as hard to work on as a turbocharged equivalent of those, as well.

Still, it teaches you about working on a boxer... It's not a common Subaru boxer, but it's a boxer nonetheless. Plus, if you start by working on something more complex than an Impreza engine, that might help if you move down the proverbial tree further down the line.

Of course, but unfortunately sometimes not enough time to go around for all of them!

Huh, that's interesting. Glad we don't have too much of an issue here, just need to be patient.

SVXs are actually dirt cheap unless it's a pristine one, even then it's not worth a whole lot. Most half decent ones sell from 1-2k, main reason Id like one for winter duty. But yup, Previa had an available supercharger! Love how back then you could buy a mid engined, supercharged, AWD minivan.

Time is your concern? Looks like you're quite loaded to deal with Craigslist offers if that's the case...

Well Daihatsu never really sold all that much in Europe. Their brand image was mostly invisible to car owners, who just opted for better-known JDM cars like Toyotas and Suzukis. I think the car they sold the most was the Terios, because that's the car that pops up more often in used car searches. Patience might produce different results, but it has to be one hell of a good patience...

Is that so...? Guess people still don't think much of them for prices to be much higher than "winter beater duty" status. A shame, but hey, means you can get one for cheap. Although as SVX (the GTP member, not the car) said, most of the SVX's (the car, not the GTP member) parts are bespoke, so don't get yourself in more trouble than what it's worth with a basket case...
And yes, supercharged MPVs aren't common, but they're so awesome in my book, haha. Shows you just how bold Toyota was back in the '90s. Shame that boldness meant that the Previa was actually a bad seller against the local (ergo, the American) competition... Most of what made the Previa cool was eventually ditched to make it work as a sellable car, haha.

 

[SVX]

Still, it teaches you about working on a boxer... It's not a common Subaru boxer, but it's a boxer nonetheless. Plus, if you start by working on something more complex than an Impreza engine, that might help if you move down the proverbial tree further down the line.

Terrible car to learn with.

 

[Anathema]

Terrible car to learn with.

Agree 100%. Unless you're insane, then I could also suggest a don't actually consider this VW Vanagon - it's what I learned boxer engines on, kinda why I'm ass-backwards at doing anything remotely competent in any 'normal' cars.

 

[SVX]

Agree 100%. Unless you're insane, then I could also suggest a don't actually consider this VW Vanagon - it's what I learned boxer engines on, kinda why I'm ass-backwards at doing anything remotely competent in any 'normal' cars.

N/A Legacys are good. Learn how to quickly do head gaskets

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Still, it teaches you about working on a boxer... It's not a common Subaru boxer, but it's a boxer nonetheless. Plus, if you start by working on something more complex than an Impreza engine, that might help if you move down the proverbial tree further down the line.



Time is your concern? Looks like you're quite loaded to deal with Craigslist offers if that's the case...

Well Daihatsu never really sold all that much in Europe. Their brand image was mostly invisible to car owners, who just opted for better-known JDM cars like Toyotas and Suzukis. I think the car they sold the most was the Terios, because that's the car that pops up more often in used car searches. Patience might produce different results, but it has to be one hell of a good patience...

Is that so...? Guess people still don't think much of them for prices to be much higher than "winter beater duty" status. A shame, but hey, means you can get one for cheap. Although as SVX (the GTP member, not the car) said, most of the SVX's (the car, not the GTP member) parts are bespoke, so don't get yourself in more trouble than what it's worth with a basket case...
And yes, supercharged MPVs aren't common, but they're so awesome in my book, haha. Shows you just how bold Toyota was back in the '90s. Shame that boldness meant that the Previa was actually a bad seller against the local (ergo, the American) competition... Most of what made the Previa cool was eventually ditched to make it work as a sellable car, haha.

Honestly not huge into Subarus, I like all the older stuff but there's not too many that I really have a desire to own. So learning about Boxers isn't a huge necessity.

Yea, never enough time to use and enjoy them all!

The biggest thing I think is that they're not particularly valuable but they're expensive to own of they haven't been maintained well. The transmission is its main weak point, and because it's so heavy it likes to go through ball joints, brakes, and suspension components from what I've read, and parts can be difficult to find and pricey. So probably doesn't help its cause any.

Unfortunately, as they were also bulletproof. Very over engineered vans. I've read stories from people who would disable vehicles for the cash for clunkers program who have said that they absolutely could not kill Previas no matter how hard they tried.

Agree 100%. Unless you're insane, then I could also suggest a don't actually consider this VW Vanagon - it's what I learned boxer engines on, kinda why I'm ass-backwards at doing anything remotely competent in any 'normal' cars.

I'd actually like a Vanagon, but not enough to pay the ridiculous prices I see them for.. They seem simple enough to work on though.

Also would probably prefer a water cooled one, but also don't really wanna have to do head gaskets on it.

 

[Anathema]

I'd actually like a Vanagon, but not enough to pay the ridiculous prices I see them for.. They seem simple enough to work on though.

Also would probably prefer a water cooled one, but also don't really wanna have to do head gaskets on it.

Ours is a water-cooled. We've done the headgaskets before on it, hopefully if the fuel system rebuild actually works I won't have to deal with any more major problems.

N/A Legacys are good. Learn how to quickly do head gaskets

Interestingly enough, there is a '99 Legacy wagon not 2 miles from my house, 116k miles, very little rust from what I could see underneath. Tempted to get it, as I've wanted one since I started driving, but would have to sell the 240 (which may be gone by the end of June anyway). I'll see if it's had the headgaskets done, the guy had documentation of all trips to the mechanic.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Ours is a water-cooled. We've done the headgaskets before on it, hopefully if the fuel system rebuild actually works I won't have to deal with any more major problems.



Interestingly enough, there is a '99 Legacy wagon not 2 miles from my house, 116k miles, very little rust from what I could see underneath. Tempted to get it, as I've wanted one since I started driving, but would have to sell the 240 (which may be gone by the end of June anyway). I'll see if it's had the headgaskets done, the guy had documentation of all trips to the mechanic.

I can't imagine they're very problematic beyond the head gasket problems, they seem pretty simple and reliable otherwise.

 

[Anathema]

They are; like with most older cars without a major following, the problem is finding parts for them.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

They are; like with most older cars without a major following, the problem is finding parts for them.

I like old Toyotas, I'm used to it by now.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Honestly not huge into Subarus, I like all the older stuff but there's not too many that I really have a desire to own. So learning about Boxers isn't a huge necessity.

Yea, never enough time to use and enjoy them all!

The biggest thing I think is that they're not particularly valuable but they're expensive to own of they haven't been maintained well. The transmission is its main weak point, and because it's so heavy it likes to go through ball joints, brakes, and suspension components from what I've read, and parts can be difficult to find and pricey. So probably doesn't help its cause any.

Unfortunately, as they were also bulletproof. Very over engineered vans. I've read stories from people who would disable vehicles for the cash for clunkers program who have said that they absolutely could not kill Previas no matter how hard they tried.

Besides, we all know your true Japanese love is in another castle... But owning one or two classic Subies wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Imagine living with a BRAT... Cheap and cheerful, surely?

Oh I wish I had your car budget, never mind the time, haha.

Definitely all good reasons to be wary of cheap SVXes. I've read about the transmission issues, as it had to be bespoke to match the engine and doesn't exactly do that job well all the time. The "suspension & brakes" story I'm not so familiar with, but it's another good thing to keep an eye out for if you're buying a SVX to drive frequently... Hence why it's probably too tricky to buy one for Winter beater usage.

Classic '90s Toyota right there, haha. The Corollas from the same era are also noticeably hard to kill, at least from what I gather in my own country. At least other people trying to make money from junked Previas would waste their time trying, so much for a quick buck...

 

[SVX]

The biggest thing I think is that they're not particularly valuable but they're expensive to own of they haven't been maintained well. The transmission is its main weak point, and because it's so heavy it likes to go through ball joints, brakes, and suspension components from what I've read, and parts can be difficult to find and pricey. So probably doesn't help its cause any.

Not to mention bearings! We've had to do those on our one.

Definitely all good reasons to be wary of cheap SVXes. I've read about the transmission issues, as it had to be bespoke to match the engine and doesn't exactly do that job well all the time. The "suspension & brakes" story I'm not so familiar with, but it's another good thing to keep an eye out for if you're buying a SVX to drive frequently... Hence why it's probably too tricky to buy one for Winter beater usage.

Nope, the four speed is the same four speed that you'll find in any other Subaru pre 2003 (?). Same design used for around thirty years, from the Leone, to the Legacy, to everything really. Story goes is that Subaru didn't have a manual that could withstand the torque from the EG33, so the trusted automatic went in. Manuals in SVXes don't really make sense anyway.

I think as long as you don't beat on it super roughly, the transmission should last - but a cooler should prevent any potential issues anyway.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

Besides, we all know your true Japanese love is in another castle... But owning one or two classic Subies wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Imagine living with a BRAT... Cheap and cheerful, surely?

Oh I wish I had your car budget, never mind the time, haha.

Definitely all good reasons to be wary of cheap SVXes. I've read about the transmission issues, as it had to be bespoke to match the engine and doesn't exactly do that job well all the time. The "suspension & brakes" story I'm not so familiar with, but it's another good thing to keep an eye out for if you're buying a SVX to drive frequently... Hence why it's probably too tricky to buy one for Winter beater usage.

Classic '90s Toyota right there, haha. The Corollas from the same era are also noticeably hard to kill, at least from what I gather in my own country. At least other people trying to make money from junked Previas would waste their time trying, so much for a quick buck...

Haha of course. A Brat would be awesome, but good luck finding a decent one for a reasonable price.

Everything else wrong with it is mostly down to how heavy it is. Brake rotors warp easy and pads wear quickly, suspension wears out, and wheel bearings like to go early from what I've read. But basically why I'm hesitant on buying one and would rather buy a Toyota.

Corollas are pretty solid, but I don't think quite as much as a Prev. One of the interesting things on a Previa is that because the engine is located under the drivers seat, they knew nobody would check the oil level so they made an oil reservoir which automatically tops the oil off if it's low. Not sure how it works but always thought it was interesting!

Not to mention bearings! We've had to do those on our one.



Nope, the four speed is the same four speed that you'll find in any other Subaru pre 2003 (?). Same design used for around thirty years, from the Leone, to the Legacy, to everything really. Story goes is that Subaru didn't have a manual that could withstand the torque from the EG33, so the trusted automatic went in. Manuals in SVXes don't really make sense anyway.

I think as long as you don't beat on it super roughly, the transmission should last - but a cooler should prevent any potential issues anyway.

Yup I've heard it eats wheel bearings! Something else to look forward to.

I've heard mixed things about longevity. Some say it's fine with a cooler and will last significantly longer than without, but I've also heard that if it's ever starved for fluid even once it'll halve the life of the transmission. I'd assume with a cooler and not driving it hard you'd be fine, unless the previous owner abused it.