You guys probably get asked this over and over, so apologies if I sound lazy etc.I'm a long-term invalid, had a medical emergency today, and money is a bit scarce.Also an AA member.
My 1980 2-owner Corona is nearing the end of its economic life but has only done 163,000 km.I don't think the top has ever come off the motor.I can get $1000 for it as a trade-in on:--
1994 1.6 litre Corolla from a dealer -- 257,252 km, good tyres, radiator and muffler/exhaust pipes might need attention within 2-3 years, plus I'd have to add a towbar or transfer the Corona's if it fits.Some plastic bits are in poor shape (one is in the boot) but that's probably not a big deal.I can get the Corolla checked by AA, or my usual garage for about $70.WOF 10 days ago, Licence expired 4 days ago.Priced at $4490 so $3490 for cash plus the Corona.Sounds okay to me, but I'm ignorant about such things.
Twelve and six months ago two different guys expressed interest in my Corona as they'd like to do it up.Dunno if they still want it, but I'll try to ask them this weekend.I've no idea what to ask and thought I'd be happy with $500, but a mechanic who's worked on the Corona reckons nearer $750 because it's worth $300 as scrap.The dealer might be happy if he can flick it on to one of them.
The Corolla is exactly what I want because it is just a later version of what I have, and the Corona has been cheap to maintain, just as the AA said back in 1984.
Help!
jmma,
May 26, 3:03am
To cheap for the Corona, $1 reserve it and to dear for the Corolla.IMO
kazbanz,
May 26, 3:21am
myself I'd invest a couple of k into my trusty corona and keep it
extrayda,
May 26, 3:25am
Why is the Corona nearing the end of its economic life! Rust! If it's anything fixable and not too bad, I'd fix it rather than spending a lot on a newer car with higher mileage that you already know is going to need work.
friendly_prawn,
May 26, 3:34am
Does any one know, is the Corona front wheel drive or rear wheel drive!
original poster, if it's rear wheel drive as I suspect then its worth a lot more than $750. If its driving ok with no problems, and its tidy and a manual then your probably looking at a minimum of $3000 upwards.
craig04,
May 26, 3:37am
1980 Corona is RWD
friendly_prawn,
May 26, 3:45am
thank you craig. If its rwd then dbb sounds like you not being offered very good advice. If your 1980 coronais in good driving order, its probably worth more than the car 1994 Corolla.
I cant help but wonder why the mechanic is quoting you such a low price for it. I cant help but wonder if his next step is to kindly offer to take it off your hands for you.
My comments are of course if your 1980 corona is in good condition.
cowboy110,
May 26, 3:50am
Personally dbb I think you'd be selling the Corona for too little and buying the Corolla for too much.There's probably better options out there if you've got the time and patience to trawl through the listings on Trademe or shop around the dealers.
friendly_prawn,
May 26, 3:52am
If you are going to insist on selling it, a $1 reserve auction on trademe might be the way to go. you may be surprised what you get for it.
aragorn2003,
May 26, 3:53am
you'll get more for your Corona putting it on here , being RWD makes it quite desirable to the right people
bubbles244,
May 26, 3:56am
one on the side of the road in fielding today for 1400 wof'd reg'd
grangies,
May 26, 4:00am
If your Corona still get it's WOF's every six months. Then you should keep it.
Give the 1994 Corolla a good drive, and I bet you wont be that impressed. It may be a little better than your old Corona,. But I doubt it will be anything amazing.
friendly_prawn,
May 26, 4:02am
if its tidy and a manual grab it and chuck it on trademe. You should double your money. :-)
mugenb20b,
May 26, 4:04am
Sounds like the car's an overpriced, expired heap of shit TBH. Can't comment on the Corona.
franc123,
May 26, 4:06am
On the face of it this transaction seems like a waste of time, you are forking out $3500 to exchange one old car for another. Unless the Corona has got an advancing rust problem or other wof/mech problems that are going to need attention all at once you would be better off keeping it, its not going to go down in value if its a goodun. As a runaround car you aren't gaining much, power steering and a few electrical bits and a bit more fuel economy! This Corolla is clearly a bit of a rough trade in that the dealer would have paid less than half of that ask price for, you could do a far sharper deal than that privately.
dbb,
May 26, 9:01am
Wow, thanks for the very useful replies.I'm very tired now but will get back here tomorrow.
The Corona has lots of rust, bondi in places, a shimmy in the front wheels (might have just lost a weight), radiator fins are like wet tissues, clutch is dying but has been for many years (the pedal has a very short travel to grip), one piece of chrome trim has broken away although I think it might just be plastic, interior clock is kaput, ignition key only works occasionally (new key obtained from the original is good, but the bit on the steering column is obviously worn), most wheel-clip-ons are missing, one rear-window winder is stuffed, numberplate light surrounds have been rusty for 20 years and impossible to replace, spent $600 on the brakes last Xmas -- a small fortune for me, headlights and dip lights are faulty but legal, it used to go through more water than oil, but that's reversing now.
So no, it's far from in good nick.I wouldn't buy it for $500, but I'm just a tyres, water, oil, and polish guy.I don't have the skills or ability to do it up, and live rurally, so need a car all the time.
On the plus side I have a full record of all repairs, trips, etc. if that's useful to anyone.
So perhaps I really should ask those do-up guys what they might offer rather than tell them what I'd like.
Am not really in a position healthwise to cope with an auction here.I have that terminal disease Oldfartitis now.I'm not in a hurry either.
I've heard of a "tidy mechanically but needs a good cut and polish" Corona or Corolla going for $2,500 privately, so will look into that too.
dbb,
May 26, 9:14am
The original owner of the Corona was an old bloke who lived in Feilding.It doesn't even have a radio, let alone stereo.
I was looking for a good car in Wellington in 1986, and with the hills, lights and salt air, many were in far poorer conditon than Manawatu cars and much dearer.So I decided to come up to Palmy and Feilding one weekend, and on having a last look at a dealer near where I lived, saw this Corona in impeccable nick, so grabbed it.Cost about $9,500 after spending $400 on odd bits and jobs, but that was a good price then.
friendly_prawn,
May 26, 4:20pm
oh andI dont know if you know or if anyone has mentioned it but if the old girl is a coupe, its worth even more. Trademe $1 reserve it. some ricer will grab it to bung a rotaryand cutties in it.
kdcentralni,
May 26, 4:53pm
I'd quit it ask the dealer for $1500 trade in and cut it loose, I've owned 5 of those St Corona's 1.8's, they are not as desirable for the boy racers if you look at the KP60-61 they are the same. KE20-35 are where it's at for the older stuff for those young guys. That corona is just an older car now.
friendly_prawn,
May 26, 5:21pm
yes and the models you mentioned are less desirable than a gtr skyline
thejazzpianoma,
May 26, 5:26pm
Agreed, you could get something decent, close to 10 years newer with half the KM's in nice condition for that.
mugenb20b,
May 26, 5:28pm
That's right. I mean, I like Toyotas, but not at that price and condition. For $4k or so, I'd be looking at a car made after 2001.
thejazzpianoma,
May 26, 5:32pm
And a pretty decent one at that! I have had two of that model Corolla, they were the bees knees back when they were new but are nothing special to write home about now. Most have been abused by now and reliability/running costs are not as good as what you can get for the same money 10 years newer. You are just paying a fortune for an old, under featured and not very safe or even overly economical vehicle.
kazbanz,
May 26, 7:58pm
Again dbb with the list you have given I don't see 2k worth of work. Most of it is relatively minor cheaply fixed.
gammelvind,
May 26, 8:21pm
Looking at the asking price versus what is selling, there is a huge gap between people expectations $3 - $4k and the $500 - $1000 that people are bidding.
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