is buying a toyota tercel 1992 a good idea?

jArEd

now this will be my first car ever, i found this little blue toyota on the internet and im interested, but the problem is that the engine has been replaced with a 1994 engine, and the owner says the gasket needs to be replaced, now i know a little about cars but not that much. please help me out!

spazzman

if its going to be your first car, dont make the mistake of buying the first car you see. their are millions of cars out there, dont be stuck buying one that needs work...it will never see another mile and end up in the junkyard..buy a honda, they will run for 40-50 years

Ryan M

I've never liked the Turdcel's because they had 1.5L engines with 2 valves per cylinder, and really cheap interiors. The repair work alone will probably cost as much as an early or mid-90's Ford Probe SE (4-cylinder, 16 valves).

HOLEY MUFFLERS

the original 3EE motor had three valves per cyl.































but since the engine has been replaced and still needs gaskets (we don't know which ones they are referring to) it could be costly.















----------















if it's still a 3EE motor (identified by the label on the cam cover "12 valves"), be advised,















http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_E_engine#3E read the last part.































if it has been upgraded to the 5E motor, those are good engines.































regardless of the cost of the vehicle, or which engine it now has, since the engine has been replaced, i would take this to an ASE mechanic and have the leaks checked out first. if it's a head, intake, front or rear main gasket, you're looking at 200+ buck repair bill. and the big Q is why are they bad. all that should have been addressed prior to install.















the cost of an inspection is well worth the money.















since your likely not a proficiant mechanic and it's your first car, i'd find someone local for a cheap used car. you can see and touch it. stay away from the internet.































owner 89 tercel 3E. completely rebuilt by me. 35/44 mpg.