May purchase a '96 Corolla.

[algae]

Hi all,
I'm new to this forum and am hoping you experts can help. My daughter is purchasing her first car and we have found what looks like a very clean '96 Corolla with 151,000 km on it.
I'm taking it in for a mechanical inspection tomorrow but I'm wondering if you know of any specific issues with this model (timing belt, etc.) that must be attended to or I should closely look for.
Any opinions or insight would be appreciated.
Thanks
Gary

[sauravcool]

i just got myself a 96 corolla. it is a eonderful car. it can take one hell of a beating. the one i got was from my aunt and let me tell you it was not all that well maintained. i got an engine and tranny oil change other than that i havent put any money into the car. the only problem i have heard of about this car is sludging. all it is, is the engine oil loosing its lubrication. but it is a older car so the engine ware is more than most of the newer cars. my recomendation is as soon as u get the car(that is if u get it) get one of those sludge cleaners and do an oil change with it. if i remembver it correctly, the direction to use a sludge cleaner are to dump the whole bottle, can, whatever in the engine and turn the engine on for 5 mins and then so an oil change immediately. i recommend Mobil 1 either the high milage or the fully synthetic. the fuly synthetic could make engina leaks if there are any. but if there ar'nt than MObil 1 all the way it will prevent more ware on the engine. also put in prolong, it chemically bonds to the block and reduces friction. they give a lifetime warrenty on the engine till the time the car is not used to race and u get the prolong booster every oil change. well thats too bad for me cause i race my corolla (yes, i race my stock 100 HP corolla). i would recomend the mechenic to look at the sparkplugs, fuel injectors, brakes and regardless you should put in a full fuel system cleaner. i was told by a friends father who is very experienced in cars, that when u get a used car put in so many detergents in the engine to clean it so it barely starts. ok, that is a over exagaration but its a good point... there is no way to know how well the car was maintained. oh yeah every single person i have talked to tells me the same thing, these engines are knows to take a beating so long as u dont mod it heavily for example put on a turbo, bore out the engine block to 1.8L from 1.6L. I'll say if u r getting the 96 corolls anything under $2500 jump on it unless ur daughter is planning to race this car in which case this car is very underpowered and has horrendeous body roll.

[deadring]

i have to agree with sauravcool, my previous 91 corolla was beaten like i didn't want it to finish the day... but every morning, it would start up burn a few civics on the way to work, and get me home.... it still works today but i sold it coze rust was gaining too much space and it was getting badly out of shape... but with a cone filter till the day i got it, it would do 120 MPH on the freeway...


now the one i have now has 200 000 miles on it, still has everything original , goes very well.. it's not as fast my my old one coze of it's carburated and has high mileage... but its clean, goes well, and has AC working.

i would prefer a beat up corolla to a an american car anyday

[brypro63]

I have always purchased Holdens back in the years. A friend mentioned these 1996 Corollas to me. I bought an EX driving instructors Toyota Corolla 1996 model sedan. When i took it for a test drive, I thrashed the hell out of this car. And it was great. Of course it had to be White in colour..I got mechanic to give it a full service when I purchased it. His report at the end was,- "Mate, these Toyota's never need looking after. The'res nothing wrong with this car!" I've had the car for 4 years and it has been great with no problems at all. In my opinion , they are economical and are extreamly reliable. Great investment for your daughter's first car.

[93rollaracer]

I have a 93 and nothing has gone wrong that is out of the ordinary. I've had to replace the fuel, tranny fluid and brake lines and the radiator is about to go, but that's because it's winter 6 months out of the year and the salt kills the car. Other than standard aging, it's a beast.