1984 Toyota Corolla SR5 1.6 liter 4AC from North America

Summary:

You can't kill this car!

Faults:

Clutch replaced at 280k miles.

Shocks, struts, brakes replaced, 2007, timing belt replaced, carburetor rebuild 2008.

Air conditioning compressor died in March 2012.

No other major repairs. Original engine.

General Comments:

Original owner gave me this car with 201k miles. I've put 82k miles on the original engine

Noisy interior, but a great car for Los Angeles. Averages 28 miles per gallons city.

I've put in 3k dollars in repairs since I owned the car. It's a car I can actually work on.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 8th October, 2012

1984 Toyota Corolla SR-5 4WD 1.5 in line 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Fantastic!

Faults:

Nothing major has ever happened to this car. TLC and required maintenance have kept this baby running like an inexpensive, but good and dependable wrist watch.

Oil, lubes, tuneups, brakes, alignments and tune-ups have kept this car running great. It burns about 4 oz of oil at 2,500 miles when I change the oil anyway.

It's not the prettiest car on the highway, but it sure rewards you when you pull up to the pump, particularly in these days of counting pennies.

I have been offered a thousand dollars for my Toy, and almost fell on the ground laughing. I only have good things to say about this car except that there are those types of girls who might not be too impressed with the lack of options, such as a moon roof or a stereo, which would make you go deaf in 6 months anyway.

All I have to say to the Toyota Corp is BRAVO.

General Comments:

Nothing major has ever happened to this car, just general maintenance has kept us both happy.

I wouldn't sell this car for $2,000. It is a lot of fun to drive, and the gas economy is near to incredible.

If I could afford another SR-5, I would buy it in a NY minute. Gas and oil changes, and this car will keep you on the road.

And, no, I do not work for Toyota and swore that I would stick to American autos. If you can find one that's fairly clean and runs good, buy it. Think about it later.

Happy 4 Wheeling!

Don Cortez, Colorado.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th September, 2010

9th Oct 2012, 09:21

If anybody offered me $1000 for an '84 Corolla with 235K miles on it, I would fall on the ground laughing, too.

With the $1000 in my hand, that is.

1984 Toyota Corolla DX Automatic from North America

Summary:

A magnificent machine

Faults:

Radiator was replaced at 290,000 miles.

Transmission was replaced at 480,000 miles with a used transmission.

A couple of water pumps were replaced, but I believe none since 2002 (the time of my first entry).

At 542,500 miles (in March 2010), something in the fourth cylinder broke, so the 4-cylinder vehicle has now the equivalent of 3 cylinders. Consequently, the engine has a roughness when idling and the vehicle accelerates more slowly from a stopped position, but the absence of a cylinder is not noticeable during highway driving, and it still effectively climbs local hills.

Rust has been removed, and prior to 2002, several body panels were replaced.

General Comments:

The vehicle shows aging, but still requires very little maintenance. It is very remarkably reliable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th August, 2010

1984 Toyota Corolla Base 1.6 Carb from North America

Summary:

Toyota engines from this time never die, it's the rust that gets you..

Faults:

Nothing has really failed on the car since I've had it. I simply have added and fixed parts that were in disrepair. Nothing has outright failed though, and it's been great to me.

Changed spark plugs at 130500 miles.

Changed air and fuel filter at 130000 miles.

Rebuilt entire drum brake system at 141500 miles.

Fixed exhaust pipe rattling at 130500 miles.

Front left CV joint was ripped when the car was bought, so replaced at 133080 miles.

Front left strut was damaged on purchase, so replaced both front struts at 133080 miles.

Changed alternator belt, checked valve clearances at 137400 miles.

There was a hole in both rear wheel wells that was allowing water to enter the car. I filled them in with water proof expanding foam, sanded it down then laid a layer of silicone over the foam and then painted it. It is a temporary fix, but is working perfectly.

General Comments:

Bought the car for $300.

Including insurance gas and all parts etc... the car has cost me a total of $2519.71 to date (6/2/09).

Its averaging 34.12 MPG. I'm sure it could be even better if the carb was rebuilt, vacuum lines replaced and cylinder compression replaced to spec.

The car is cheap and never fails on me. I wish it wasn't getting eaten alive by rust. When this one goes, I will try and find another one from Arizona or elsewhere where it has no rust damage.

They are excellent cars, and I suggest them to everyone.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd July, 2009

3rd Jul 2009, 13:03

Totally agree, I had an '81 SR-5, and it just kept going and going, until the body rusted to pieces.

Too bad the car manufacturers don't know how to make engines anymore.

3rd Jul 2009, 16:36

They do, but legislation has forced them to keep adding complications to meet increasing emissions or environmental requirements. Of course they'd prefer to use cheaper iron rather than expensive aluminum alloy for heads and blocks, or a simple carb rather than computer-controlled piezo injection. Anything that squeezes more mileage or cuts emissions -- including plastic impellers on the water pumps. That's why those Corollas can only average 8 km/L in the city, while a V6 Holden Commodore weighing twice as much can do the same mileage now. But modern engines aren't as tolerant of neglect as older, simpler ones.