Is it a bad idea to daily a car from 1989?
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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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!
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
If the wheels stay on the ground, that is. They have little rollover protection.