1990 Toyota Camry

LX Wagon

6 Cylinder 2.5 Liter

Automatic

JT2VV22W8L0112465

Clear

Gasoline

Power Windows

First off, I encourage bidders to examine and drive this car. I'm confident of higher bids if you do. It is located 67 miles north of Cheyenne, 167 miles north of Denver on I-25 at Wheatland, WY, 82201. No shipping or offer to ship is included in this auction but once paid for you could take delivery here or I could drive it to you in the mainland 49 states for $1.00 a one way mile. A 20% payment via paypal within 72 hours of closing will seal the deal. The balance could be cash or check but neither the car nor title will be released until the check clears. This 1990 Toyota Camry wagon has a V-6 engine and automatic 4 speed overdrive transmission. It has been driven 147,xxx miles and is in unusually good condition. I purposely sought a Camry wagon when I found this one and have tried to make it functionally perfect with the intention of keeping and driving it another 150K miles. This car is strong, quick, solid, comfortable, economical, and quiet. Driven gently, it gets close to 20 mpg in town and around 30 on rural 2 lanes. The tires are two pair of more expensive all-season radials. The front tires are so new they still have their mold whiskers. The rears have most of their tread remaining. The interior has such civilized touches as power windows, locks, and mirrors, tilt, air, and cruise. The driver's seat has extra adjustments that include height, lumbar support, and a variable tilt headrest. The car has not been habitually smoked in and isn't stinky. The exterior is not quite so nice but is straight and presentable. It looks exceptionally good from across the street or in traffic. The Camry is an important chapter in Toyota’s rise to become the world’s largest car manufacturer. In the ’80s the automotive press reported that Toyota, already leading Asian and African markets and becoming well-established here, intended to capture Volvo’s North American market share by meeting or beating every Volvo standard for safety, quality, fuel economy, durability, coach work, interior quality, amenities, styling and price. The Camry roll-out did all that except Toyota initially got one half of one star fewer than the 5 possible in US government crash test ratings. Volvo’s branding emphasized crash worthiness. Independent evaluators agreed that Toyota had matched or surpassed Volvo in every regard except the government’s side impact crash test. Toyota immediately rectified this short coming by adding side-impact door beams which earned it the 5th star and all-important accolades from Consumer Reports, an independent member-owned testing and evaluation organization whose subscribers were almost exactly the Volvo demographic. These details impressed and stayed with me because I grew up in automotive towns in the '50s and '60s, worked in both Chrysler and GM factories, and lived for more than 2 years in Tokyo. Because I admired Toyotas I noticed this car gliding through Casper traffic several times over the years carrying an impeccably-groomed family I imagined to be Chinese. Several years later this car was advertised by the father of a 16 year-old who'd had it just a few months. Why Dad sold her car I never knew but she certainly appeared glum about it. Wyoming is big, dry, open country. This is a town of 3,500, 67 miles from the next town larger. Rust isn’t much of a problem here but keeping a completely reliable vehicle is a serious concern traveling vast empty spaces in harsh and unpredictable weather. That is the real reason I favor well-maintained Toyotas. When I bought this car several years but less than 5,000 miles ago, it sat in my driveway for a couple of years while I tried to use up another Toyota wagon that had 220K on the odometer. Two mechanics with whom I trade work fixed most of the problems and annoyances; alignment, muffler, brakes, worn tires, battery, a mysterious hidden vacuum leak, and a few burnt out bulbs deep in the dash. There are still several defects in this car: the power antenna retracts but requires help to extend fully. The mast is slightly kinked and needs replacement. New ones are still available through Toyota for less than $50. There is a spot of rust-through about the size of a 50 cent piece at the bottom of the passenger’s side front fender. You can see it in the photos. There are “issues” with the paint on the hood and tops of the fenders. Those issues are revealed in the photos, too. The pinstriping is tatty but easily set right. There are two dings, one that could be covered by two fingers at the edge of the roof, the other the size of a thumb print on the passenger's side rear door. I took this car out on the highway recently when I moved it from the driveway to nearby storage. Although the cruise control seems to function correctly, the dash light indicating it is off stays on. About the suspension: the front sway bar needs new rubber bushings. The old ones sometimes creak or clunk going over uneven surfaces and, while the struts and constant velocity joins are fine, the front coil springs have become pretty soft, lowering the front by an inch or so and allowing the car to bottom out more easily than it should when negotiating a dip. The alignment shop said new coils are about $50 each. That’s about it for demerits except it has automatic shoulder belts in the front. They are irritating when the weather is bad, you’re eager to close the door, and your arms are full, at least until you learn how to avoid being buffeted about by them.Wyoming has no emissions testing. Out-of state buyers might want to bring a copy of their state's standards. There is a skilled, honest, young mechanic here who could check it out for you but I see no sign of problems such as leaking, smoking, or fluid loss. This car runs Mobil 1 synthetic oil and doesn't seem to use a quart between oil changes. The car has just had fresh high dollar plugs including the back bank of cylinders which is hard to get at. My reasons for selling: My family situation has changed in the years since I bought this car and I'm heavier and less flexible now. Four door cars this size have become a problem to me. Leg and head room in this car are OK for people up to 6'-4" but the longer doors of the 2 door Toyota Yaris I now drive are easier for me to get in and out of.