Picking up a relatively low mileage 90’, need some advice

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Anonymous

Guest
Picking up a relatively low mileage 90’, need some advice :)

I come from a heavy background in RX-7’s (FD) and 1.8t GTI’s and finally decided to pick up an Celica Alltrac as my new ‘fun’ car. I looked around for a little and came across a 1990’ with 70k on it in PERFECT shape. One owner, PRISTINE paint, never seen snow, only driven in the summer on weekends. All in all a dream alltrac. The car is currently at a dealership and is being sold by the owner of the dealer (he’s the original owner of the car). Car is being sold with a 12 month, 12,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty that includes everything sold with, in and on the car (engine, body, rust, etc).

Now I’ve been looking around online for a while and have decided to buy the car. My question is what should I do to the car as soon as I get it home with regards to reliability. Obviously I’ll need to change the oil, oil filter and coolant flush but what else needs to be done? Timing belt? Any seals? Hosing? Remember, the car only has 70k on it and was rarely driven.

Thanks again!
 

suprakid95

New member
wow...thats pretty pricey i piked up my 90k mile on chasis 2,500 on a rebuilt motor for 2k....but had problems with my parents about it
 

RIalltrac

Active member
dude thats alot, I picked up my 90 like 3 years ago with 75k on the clock, car was mint other than one spot on the roof where it was faded from the sun. The car had a newer motor in it, although I didnt realize that at the time of purchase. I also bought it off a lot and it came with a one year unlimited mileage bumper to bumper and I only paid 5k for the car. I might cough up that much for a mint 93 with 50-60k on it.
 

jprine01

New member
Kinda does seem like allot, but then again if its is really perfect and it has a warranty I guess you are not going to find other alltracs like that. I bought my 90 for 4000, with nearly 145k on the clock, and it wasnt in perfect shape at all, it really lacked regular maintmence. Now barely a year later and i spent about 13k into it.. (rebuilt engine, stand alone ecu, wheels/tires/bushings/swaybars, etc, etc) and im not done.

If it doesnt leak a drop of oil, then your crank seals and whatnot are ok.. Thats a problem with these cars, you have to pull the engine to change them. But other then that on my car i blew a couple of coolant hoses, including the "hose from hell" basically a coolant line that runs under the turbo, it has a heatwrap on it to protect it but it still breaks from the heat over time. I dont know if its a miles thing or a age thing, because yours is only 1 year newer. Might want to change all the hoses, and just normal stuff like cap/rotor/filters/plugs/wires. Everyone agrees that the oem wires and plugs are the best.

The rear diff mount (you will find tons of threads about it in the syspension forum) always goes, but you probably test drove it?? and if it doesnt make any type of clucking sounds, then this bushing is still good. It will clunk when you go reverse/first if its bad.. sudden change in torque.

The car is pretty reliable overall, engine is solid as is the car. Just after the age and miles you start needing stuff like new bushings/struts/wheel bearings.
 
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