1990 Toyota Corolla Dx Makes Me Feel 20 Again! - Pre-1997 Toyota Corolla and Geo Prizm

I just bought a 1990 Corolla from an elderly friend for $100.00 He was just about to call the JunkMan, so I offered him $50.00 more then the junkman.

Car has 22,000 miles on it.. Yup that is not an error. He drove it to and from the Supermarket. I even tried to get his daughter to take the car but she thought it was to old. Ha!. Never say die to a Corolla!

It needed a new muffler just one little piece, an oil change.. and a few other minor things. That cost about $385.00. My mechanic a most wonderful honest guy thinks the car is the bomb.

My DD has it for her school car. She was less then pleased to have it. I imagine the roll down windows and the manual locks have something to do with it. Or maybe it is that now she has to pay for gas and insurance.

But I am so happy.. I owned a corolla and a tercel in my early 20-30s and driving this car makes me feel like I am 20 again.

Cherry

default_laugh

Congrats - that is amazing mileage on that car. I'd almost be worried that the car didn't get driven enough. But good to see another Corolla owner come to the board. Welcome default_biggrin

It might still have the original timing belt--definitely need to check it asap. Is it a carbie or fuel injection?

It might still have the original timing belt--definitely need to check it asap. Is it a carbie or fuel injection?

What? carbie or fuel injection.. It is a corolla DX automatic 4 door. Does that help?

Cherry

What? carbie or fuel injection.. It is a corolla DX automatic 4 door. Does that help?Cherry

The type of fuel metering used - either a carburator or fuel injection. I'm about 99% sure that is it fuel injected - since all the Corollas (North American Market) started using fuel injection exclusively for the 1990 model years.

texasrolla makes a good note about the timing belt - but if the mechanic checked it over well - should have made some mention of it to you or determined that it was recently changed. Usually they are good for 60K miles, but given that the car was not driven that much - doesn't mean that normal maintence at set mileage intervals can be ignored. If anything, a low mileage vehicle can have more problems than a Corolla with 300K miles, if routine maintenance issues were not addressed.

Bikeman982

Hi I just bought a 1990 Corolla from an elderly friend for $100.00 He was just about to call the JunkMan, so I offered him $50.00 more then the junkman.

Car has 22,000 miles on it.. Yup that is not an error. He drove it to and from the Supermarket. I even tried to get his daughter to take the car but she thought it was to old. Ha!. Never say die to a Corolla!
It needed a new muffler just one little piece, an oil change.. and a few other minor things. That cost about $385.00. My mechanic a most wonderful honest guy thinks the car is the bomb.
My DD has it for her school car. She was less then pleased to have it. I imagine the roll down windows and the manual locks have something to do with it. Or maybe it is that now she has to pay for gas and insurance.
But I am so happy.. I owned a corolla and a tercel in my early 20-30s and driving this car makes me feel like I am 20 again.
Cherry

That's a great 6th generation Corolla with very low miles.

I used to have a 1991 and 1992, but had to give them up due to failing CA emission testing.

Since then, I have been getting 7th generation.

Betcha it's injected. Had an 87 Nova (Corolla clone). Still had a carb, but the Corolla was injected.

What a great find. If no rust, this is a treasure. No gadgety crap to cause grief.

I'd love a car like that. Think of the saving on insurance and, in many states, annual property tax.

Let your mechanic do a complete maintenance check. Flush & fill tranny, radiator, and replace brake fluid. Be sure tires haven't dry rotted. Check engine drive belts and be sure timing belt is changed.

This sounds like a real find - and for the piddling price you paid - Bravo!

Only 22k miles for just $100!! Wow, that's a steal. How is the exterior on it? was it garaged? I would love to see what one of those old 6th gen Corollas looked like when they were brand new. I see them alot on the streets, but with all the rusts, dents, and probably miles a 17 year old car would normally accumulate.

Bikeman982

Betcha it's injected. Had an 87 Nova (Corolla clone). Still had a carb, but the Corolla was injected.
What a great find. If no rust, this is a treasure. No gadgety crap to cause grief.
I'd love a car like that. Think of the saving on insurance and, in many states, annual property tax.
Let your mechanic do a complete maintenance check. Flush & fill tranny, radiator, and replace brake fluid. Be sure tires haven't dry rotted. Check engine drive belts and be sure timing belt is changed.
This sounds like a real find - and for the piddling price you paid - Bravo!

You can get a break on annual property taxes by having an old car?

This thread is incomplete without pictures. We want pictures, we want pictures, we want pictures default_tongue

I will try and take a photo of the car. It was not garaged, and it was beneath a pine tree so it has pine needles everywhere. It can cleaned.

Tires are good no dry rot on it.

I think if you have an older car in your driveway they are less likely to increase your property taxes. The assesor merely walks around and takes photos of the houses. If they see an older car older, stone walk and unkempt bushes they assume an older person lives there.

Cherry

Bikeman982

I will try and take a photo of the car. It was not garaged, and it was beneath a pine tree so it has pine needles everywhere. It can cleaned.Tires are good no dry rot on it.

I think if you have an older car in your driveway they are less likely to increase your property taxes. The assesor merely walks around and takes photos of the houses. If they see an older car older, stone walk and unkempt bushes they assume an older person lives there.
Cherry

So that would be appraiser bias based on the year of the car in your driveway?

Does your property taxes go up if you have some antique cars, or if you drive a new vehicle?

In NC, the county bills you property tax annually based on the current retail value of your vehicle. They use a lookup service based on VIN#, but you can appeal if high mileage, etc.

Old cars pay very little property tax.

License fee is a flat $30 per year here.

Bikeman982

In NC, the county bills you property tax annually based on the current retail value of your vehicle. They use a lookup service based on VIN#, but you can appeal if high mileage, etc.
Old cars pay very little property tax.
License fee is a flat $30 per year here.

NC has a very strange way to assess property tax.

I bet they go by the newest car, if you have more than one vehicle??

To Bikeman 982 - I think Bob Levine is talking about PERSONAL property tax - We have it in VA - That's the state taxing your cars, boats, trailers, things like that. Has nothing to do with real estate taxes. It's one of the reasons why none of my five vehicles are newer than 10 years old, and why I drive a 6th generation ('90) corolla with 268K..and I may fix another '90 up for my wife to drive. Eventually I may move on to a 7th generation Corolla, which I find more pleasing to the eye and actually gets better gas mileage. My '90 is not taxed due to it's age and mileage. For example, a '95 with over 100K would be taxed very little ( prob. under $30. annually) or possibly not at all (In VA).

Some people HAVE to have new cars, ...I don't. To each his own, but if you drive a new $35,000 Expedition in VA, you WILL pay a high personal property tax on that vehicle!!!

That is correct for NC as well as VA. Thanks.

Property tax in MA is an annual (or quarterly) tax on your home and land.

Excise Tax in MA is an annual tax on each motor vehicle/trailer. ..basically a road usage tax.

Sales tax in MA is 5% on everything but food and clothing at the point of sale.

And then we have State and Federal income taxes.

That is correct for NC as well as VA. Thanks.