Sion

"Take a picture. I'd love to see that. If it has 520k miles (which I highly doubt) it had to have been rebuilt once or even twice or had another engine put in. Engines simply don't last that long, especially motors from the 80's. My dad has a 73 suburban that's reached 300,000 miles but only because he changes his oil religiously and gets it tuned up here and there, and back then motors were made with quality. I simply do not believe you. Sorry."

520k miles on an engine is rare, but not unheard of. and I can tell from experience that Toyota's engines, even in the early 80s, were of excellent quality. (as opposed to most american models, even many of those made in the last 10 years). one of the things you have to realize is that most Japanese engines are made to meet a much higher initial quality standard than domestics. that is why they tend to more expensive to buy and to maintain (ie replacement part costs). so I have no problem believing that car has half a million miles on the odometer.

now, you do have a point that the engine has most likely undergone at least one complete rebuild (or several partials). even under the best of conditions and maintenance, friction will eventually cause the need for bearings and whatnot to need replacement.


as to the initial question: is zztzed's 91 Grand Prix worth fixing? maybe. obviously, the first issue is why it hasnt been driven for a "year or two". if the transmission is really bad, then either a rebuild or replacement is in order. $1700 seems really high to me, but then again, I dont know what the cost of living in SC is like. around here (central Ohio) I know that you could have that tranny rebuilt for $300-$500. Or even less if you pull it out yourself. Or for a bit more, say about $1000, you could buy a rebuilt/reconditioned tranny from any one of half a dozen parts stores and have it installed (figuring $500-$700 for the tranny plus labor to reach $1k).

now, the question then becomes, what condition is the rest of the car in? if the body and frame are solid, and the engine is in decent shape, then it might be worth it. lets say that the condition of the car (other than the tranny) is a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being a junk heap, 10 being like-new). for $1k or less, you can have it on the road. but for that same money, you wont be able to buy a car in 5 condition. more like a 3.

on the other hand, if the car (less tranny) is only in 3 condition, then it would be a toss up. if less than 3 condition, junk it.

also, 150k on the engine sounds like a lot, but the kind of miles (ie highway versus city) as well as the maintenance it has recieved, factor heavily into the condition of the engine. I have seen engines at 200k that were in like-new condition because of proper maintenance. Ive also seen engines at 50k that were dying of neglect. my 92 NYer 3.3L has 185k on it and purrs like a kitten.

another question Id want to know is which engine is in it? 4 cylinder or v6? which v6?

as for Carfax, they dont give you maintenance records, only information with regard to it having ever been in a wreck or flood, etc.

there is an old saying "Better the devil that you know..." which applies in this case. Buying a used car (of any year) is always a bit of a gamble, because you dont know how the car was used or maintained. at least with the GP, you know the history of the car. you should factor that into the equation.

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I jus' want ta thank you...falettinme...be mice elf...agin...