patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

I have a few vehicles at my house that I'm planing on fixing this summer.

I have a 98 Sentra 5sp. 4 door that runs on 3 cylinders. It's my Aunts old car and I know it well. It's a fine car but it started burning oil and now it runs on 3 cylinders. I think it has a burnt exhaust valve, but not sure. I can get a used head for 54 dollars from our local junk yard, or for 154 a complete long block. Thinking it would probably be easier, faster, and cheaper overall to just buy a different engine and swap them out. It would likely be cheaper because I won't have to buy a engine gasket kit for the new motor, though I may swap out the front and rear main seals and anything that obviously leaks, like a valve cover gasket or whatever. Motors are plentiful for this car at the local yard. Car also needs a power steering rack. I'll swap it out for a used one when I pull the motor. The car is otherwise fine and looks great, drives great, cold A/C, and gets 40mpg. Car has like 310K miles on it, motor and transmission has around 120K. I told someone I would sell it for 1500 when it's fixed and now I have several people that want it, one girl called me today said they had 1500 cash when I got it fixed. She wanted it. Seems like I could probably get 2K for this car pretty easily. I got it for free so I'll only have in it whatever the new (used) motor cost and my labor.

Also have a 91 Toyota Cressida. It also needs a motor. I've known this car a while as well. It was the nicest 91 Toyota Cressida on earth till the owner ran it out of oil, then drove it 5 miles home with the oil light staring him in the face. Car still runs and drives but knocks, taps, bangs, rattles, etc. Car also had an intermittent transmission problem. Sometimes it would hang up in 1st. gear. They changed the transmission fluid and the problem went away for 10K miles, then came back right before they ran it out of oil. I'm not sure if I'll swap the transmission for a used one for 55 dollars from the pick and pull, or just change the fluid and see if that does it. After running it with no oil the car sat in their backyard for about a year and one day a tree limb fell on it. The limb trashed the hell out of the rear drivers side door, but nothing else. Had it hit the roof it would have easily totaled the car. It needs a door and engine, maybe a transmission. Also got this car for free.

Then I have an 86' Trooper 2, but I'll never sell it. It's my mud truck. It's worthless to most people, but to me it's worth 5K (probalby cause I have 5K in it ).

So what should I do with these cars? I'm gonna get them going this summer. I have like 10 people that want the Sentra, so it would be easy to sell. I'm sure it's value is going up as gas prices go up. I really don't know what it's worth. It's mile'd out at like 310K, but the car drives fine, looks great, interior is super clean, paint is nice, etc.

The Cressida I'm kind of thinking about keeping. I could sell it too, but it's the "4 door Supra". 7MGE, 4spd auto, RWD. I'm tempted to keep it and turbo it one day, though that day would be after I finish college. Should I keep it around or sell it too?

johndoe

iTrader: (5)

i'd sell what ever is unused by you. money in your pocket is better than cars rusting away. That or demolition derby.

Newbsauce

iTrader: (2)

sentras are amazing DDs... food for thought

boostinboy

if i were you i would keep the Cressida! and drop a 7m-gte! it pretty much a plug and play.

Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

Agreed if your not driving them often....sell.

It is very worth the laugh and memory to drive a car into something....so if you could, do it....its worth at least $1k for the fun factor.

Vash-

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

I never drive them since they need motor work. I don't like the Sentra. Nothing wrong with it I guess, but I'm not a big Nissan fan and it's wrong wheel drive and under powered. The Cressida I do like a lot. I've thought about pulling the motor and transmission and putting a hot 302 I have in it. But I hear those 3.0L 7MGE's have potential, so If I were to fix it and make it fast I'd probably just build that. But yeah short of fixing them I won't be turboing or motor swaping the cressida for a V8 for at least 2-3 more years. Might sell the Sentra and keep the Cressida a while and decide what to do with it. It's such a nice car. Power every-damn-thing. Very comfortable car for road trips, and gets around 23-25 highway.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

miatamoxie

iTrader: (1)

I have the same issue, except that my 3 cars that are sitting around are all 924 turbos in various states of dis-repair. I'd say keep the Trooper since it is worth more to you than you could get for it, and get rid of the others.

Zabac

iTrader: (39)

Pat, fix the Sentra asap and sell it for 2K, i kow you can get that much out of it, junk yard motor ftw.
Find a used supra motor and tranny and drop it in there and sell on one of the toyota forums for at least 2.5K.
Run the trooper off of a cliff, j/k.

Use money from cars sold to fund the miata turbo.