Cars - For Car Enthusiasts

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Is it a bad idea to daily a car from 1989? (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I have a coworker who's looking to sell his car, a 1989 Toyota Corolla. I know the basics of looking after a car, but a car that old is almost foreign to me, because I'm from a state where cars rust out.

I figure Toyotas are pretty reliable and so is the 4AG engine, but I don't want to end up with another money pit. What should I look out for, or should I just avoid it altogether?

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[–] danwardvs 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I daily a ‘93 Miata. It’ll likely kill me in an accident due to no safety features. Anything rubber has a potential for failure with age. Belts, hoses, seals, gaskets, may leak and require service. It’ll take more maintenance than a car from say, 2005. That being said - I’ve never been stranded. Maintenance is dead simple, this era of basic EFI is dead simple. No stupid electronics, space under the hood to work. It’s totally doable for a daily as long as rust can be kept at bay and you have some mechanical knowledge. Put a new stereo in there and drive it!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Honestly, a 93 Miata is probably one of the safest old cars on the market. I've seen multiple Miata owners come away from head on collisions where the doors still open and close

[–] danwardvs 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If the wheels stay on the ground, that is. They have little rollover protection.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Fair enough. I can agree with that.