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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
August 2002
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Buying a Rolla - what 2 look 4?
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Fri, 02 August 2002 01:04
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Hey hey,
Ive convinced a friend of mine to buy an early 90's rolla as its perfect for her price range and Ive heard how reliable they are.
Can anyone help with what I should be looking for when I check out cars? Spots for rust, how to tell if they have been thrashed, a limit on the K's on it (Im guessing 120 to 140 thousand)? Any specific engine or gearbox signs I should be looking for?
She's determined to buy through a dealer (add 2K!) and not private.
Any help appreciated!
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Location:
Coffs
Registered:
May 2002
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Club Member
Location:
Sydney, NSW
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Buying a Rolla - what 2 look 4?
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Fri, 02 August 2002 18:27
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Hey Dude... Good choice with the Rolla...
Just like with any car, start the car and listen for any unusual taps or knocks... Check around the gearbox, sump, rocker covers and the oil filter section for any signs of leaks... A small leak may indicate a need for a new gasket... An early 90's Corolla could have anything up to 200,000 kms on the clock... But then again one of my Mum's friends has an 89 Rolla with 25,000kms on the clock... Original owner and no bullshit!!! What model are you after??? SX, GTi or the lower class ones??? Rust... Hmmm... I'd check all the doors, at the bottom where the water runout hole things are... Check that they're not clogged up with crap cause that will obviously cause rust... Check around the entire hatch area, especially the hinges... Also, have a look around all the windows and the window seals... Mainly where the windscreen meets the roof... When I was looking for my Corolla, I went to every car dealer in Sydney and only found a few... None of them were decent... They were all very rough looking with dodginess all around them... I kinda like the dealer satisfaction of knowing that if anything goes wrong with the car, you have a warranty... Whereas (what happened to me) if u buy privately, you could get a real lemon... A few weeks after i got mine, the bottom end went in it... I was pissed off... But if she wants to get it from a dealer, thats good... they are old cars now, so maybe it's good to have a warranty for a while...
Hope this helps and good luck finding a Rolla...
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Location:
Gosford NSW
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: Buying a Rolla - what 2 look 4?
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Mon, 05 August 2002 13:33
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As far as the km's go, I have a 93 seca with 227000km on it and still going strong, my brother has a 92'model with roughly the same k's.They have a long life if they've been looked after and you continue to do so. We service them every 5000kms and there have been no major problems so far(touch wood).look at the service history.Make sure you check under the spare tyre as well, I found a little rust there in mine, and around the rear window, mainly surface stuff where water pools.
good luck.
ps I too like the idea of dealer warranty.
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
August 2002
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Re: Buying a Rolla - what 2 look 4?
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Tue, 06 August 2002 00:57
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We checked out a 92 corolla hatch on sat morn - tinted windows, 2.5" exhaust with resonator, new 185's and 120,000 on the clock.
Built to look and sound fast, not go fast... Funnily enough it was through a private buyer not a dealer, but the NRMA inspection happens on the weekend. If the inspection is OK she's gonna buy it!
Fun little car to drive! (first time Ive driven one) handles a hell of a lot better than my wifes 96 charade - not as quick in a straight line though.
Thanx for the advice - appreciate it.
Cheers.
Rivmasta
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