New Toyota

[Slomo]

Here she is gentlemen. The all new to me 1993 Toyota Carolla DX wagon. Yes she is a beauty, has OBDII and gets 32 miles per gallon. Had to park the Cruiser for awhile with it's 10 miles per gallon. It will save me about $300 a month and it will pay for itself in 8 months or so. I already began the "mods", ditched the stupid Pep Boys hub caps, tagged the back with an American flag and a SCORE sticker, took out the stinky air freshener, and took off the annoying padded sleeve on the drivers shoulder belt. The previous owner was kind enough to install a JDM Toyota built low mileage motor, new CD head unit with Ipod capability, new tires all around, and an alarm with keyless entry.

Now the big question, should I put a SoCal 80's sticker on her?

I will now do a pre-emptive strike against Kevin who will most assuredly harras me.

 

[85 SA Toy]

WOW..... Sweeeeeetttt!!!!


So when do you plan on driving the cruiser now???? Once or twice a year when you go wheeling?????



That should relieve the pain at the pump!!!!!

 

[Slomo]

I will still drive it around town now and again. This will just give me more money to be able to wheel. Now if I can just find the time.

 

[bluto]

Cool- if I squint real hard that Corolla looks like a morphed 80!
Awesome steal Mo - comes with Teflon wheels too underneath the hubcaps! Ditch the flimsy plastic bumpers - youre going to need steel with these crazy CA drivers all around you! You going to fix that rear wiper for the times it rains in SoCal?

Am I going to be the last holdout in getting a car for a daily driver? Im not daily driving the 80 as much since using the Montero Sport to go to work some times. Gives me 2 - 3 more mpg than the Cruiser - still a 4wd truck tho. ;p

Edit - main reason Im using the Montero is that the lifted 80 barely fits in the new Hospital garage Im assigned to. Just dont want to take a chance in some whacked out construction worker that snoozed on the job on one of the levels of the garage.

 

[Bluetribal]

Sure a SoCal 80's sticker but maybe you can find a sticker that reads "My Other Ride Is A REAL TOYOTA" instead.

Well for me it looks like I will still hold out as a Daily Cruiser Driver but I too will be saving some $$$ next month. I will be starting a new job that is only 7 miles from home compared to 16 miles that I am driving now, not to mention the 30-45 min in commuting I will save! So 14 miles round trip compared to 32 should save me around $130-$150 each month....

 

[cruiserruf]

how about a sticker that says "SOCCER DAD"?

 

[sdnative]

93s had OBDII? I know it wasn't mandated until 96, but apparently toyota put it in some cars early... Just not my 80...

BTW: nice move on the car. Very practical, a little geeky, but practical.

 

[LandCrusher'70]

I dig it. Didn't even know there was a Corolla wagon.

 

[Brentbba]

I will still drive it around town now and again. This will just give me more money to be able to wheel. Now if I can just find the time.

Boy do I understand this comment! Nice find and mpg Mo. ABSOLUTELY yes on the SoCal80's sticker. PM me with your address again and I'll send you one gratis! $100 to fill up the cruiser weekly vs $50 every two weeks on my Miata, so I understand the math!!!

 

[SOCALFJ]

Right on Mo, nice MPG man!

 

[smittycrusher]

I see that it is prepped for some hub cap spinners. Maybe add a 2 inch body lift and fabricate some 24inch hubcap spinners! Good call for a commuter. If my commute wasn't only 4.5 miles, then I would be all over a commuter corolla, civic, WAGON, etc. Nice find!

Smit

 

[Newps]

Mo excellent score. I too recent purchased a daily driver and parked the 80. In my case it was for two reasons, the gas mileage was one. But more so the wear and tear daily driving was taking on the 80. I have about 185,000 miles on her now. I want to keep this rig forever as my wheeler. If I continued to drive it everyday I would run it in to the ground. These rigs are not cheep when it comes to normal maintenance. The other huge benefit you can go crazy on the mods because it’s not a daily driver! 37-inch mud terrains who cares! It’s really nice to know you do not have to get all the work done that day because you have to dive it Monday morning. If there’s a delay in parts who cares!

 

[PabloVTA]

dude, it's a wagon, it's got steel wheels, a useless roof rack....it's the mini-me of 80's!

Slap a big 'ol sticker on it and call it good!

Way cooler than my 92 sentra I'm using....241K on the clock and the clutch is gunna need replacing this month, but I still get 34MPG.

you can haul some serious stuff in that space.

you could always throw a RTT on it and some sliders for giggles.

 

[e9999]

yup, never used my 80 as DD. Just not the best way to go for me. I like to keep it fresh for expeds in the middle of nowhere.

congrats!

 

[SOCALFJ]

Just filled up the cruiser for our next trip - $218.00 and i had a couple gallons already. This doesnt include the NATO cans on the rack or the trailer.


Now i remember why it's not my DD too. lol

 

[Brentbba]

Just filled up the cruiser for our next trip - $218.00 and i had a couple gallons already. This doesnt include the NATO cans on the rack or the trailer.


Now i remember why it's not my DD too. lol

Regular and subtank. OUCH!!!

 

[redcheetah]

Damn I thought I was one of the few that had parked the cruiser and started daily driving a more economical car. I see I am not alone. I now only drive the cruiser about 50 miles a week and thats only if I have to. Last week I kept it at around 25 miles.
I wish I could say I was saving the truck for wheeling, etc but I haven't been wheeling in a few months. When is the next socal80s run - Big Bear anyone?

 

[RAYJON]

perfect car, wagon to haul stuff and great mpg... as info I think that year of corolla has a timing belt... may want to check just to make sure and change it every couple of years other than that you will get tired of that thing before you wear it out...good score... If it wasn't for my 8 mile comute I would be doing the same thing...

Side note.... Had a freind with one he bought new when it got to 320k he gave it to his neighbors son and bought a new one... there was nothing wrong with the car... he was just tired of it and wanted a new one....

 

[Slomo]

Awesome steal Mo - comes with Teflon wheels too underneath the hubcaps! Ditch the flimsy plastic bumpers - youre going to need steel with these crazy CA drivers all around you! You going to fix that rear wiper for the times it rains in SoCal?

I checked ARB doesn't make a bumper for the Carolla.

The rear wiper looks funny in that picture because the window curves back in toward the body there. I actually works. Everything works on it. Typical Toyota.

93s had OBDII? I know it wasn't mandated until 96, but apparently toyota put it in some cars early... Just not my 80...

Oops. Meant OBD I, I just typed the OBD II out of habit.

I dig it. Didn't even know there was a Corolla wagon.

I didn't either, figured if I was going to go practical I might as well go REALLY practical.

 

[Boston Mangler]

I will now do a pre-emptive strike against Kevin who will most assuredly harras me.

Why would i do that? Ohhhhh, you mean from this post from a month or 2 back.....

I never said it didn't make sense, just said it wasn't for me and I was willing to pay the extra $ to have the enjoyment of driving my Cruiser everyday. Of course that was $1.50 a gallon ago.

Smart move Mo! Glad to see you are coming to your senses!

In all seriousness, you chose a great car, and with proper care you will get 250k+ out of it!

Blows my mind more folks arent doing this.

It will save me about $300 a month and it will pay for itself in 8 months or so.

I agree 100% and the funny thing is, folks still argue its not worth it, those that say the math dont work out, obviosly dropped outta school in 3rd grade cause they didnt know their colors!