Marlon's Mom

Well, let's see... If memory serves, it was a 1979 manual that I purchased for $1800 in 1986 from the original owner, who had every piece of repair/service paperwork from the day he bought it, and none of it was massive-failure related - it was all oil changes and general upkeep stuff. It had less than 100,000 miles on it (as I recall it was about 72,000). Before buying it, I had it checked out by a master mechanic friend of the family, who took it to his shop and tested it, drove it, and pronounced it good to go.

Now, mind you, I'm VERY conscientious about vehicle maintenance and upkeep.

Six months into ownership, the engine blew. Lovely. Six months later, the radio ceased to work (sometimes, if you whacked the console, it would kick in). Meanwhile, the paint began to blister and rust found its inevitable way into the metal (areas on the hood and around the rear window). A few months later, the radiator died. About a year after that, the heater stopped working. After it finally passed away on the 10 freeway in LA, I sold it to a mechanic for $300, who figured he could work on it on the weekends and give it to one of his kids.

Does that work for ya?

Again, I know my experience is an anomaly, but after all that, I wouldn't accept a FREE Toyota. I'm sticking with Fords and Chevys from now on - haven't ever had a lick of trouble with either.