Purchased a 1997 Manual Vienta Touring

[Fizza]

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to the forum. After some searching I recently managed to pick up a 1997 Vienta Touring for just $3700 on the road. I bought it privately and from the onset I exercised a considerable amount of caution due to the low price. It was advertised for around $4300 but I somehow managed to bargain it down.

For $3700 it included the following:

RWC and full 12 months registration. It was a one owner with a fully documented service history serviced every 5000km.

The car has done 180,000km. He had the major service done not so long ago and has put a brand new battery and four brand new tyres. Car has never been in an accident and has always been garaged. Hence all these enticing things combined were the very things that caused me to be a little suspicious at the beginning. However rather suprisingly it turned out not to be the case as the guy seemed quite genuine and very organised. The car also actually turned out to be in excellent condition both inside and out. When test driving the car I took it for a real spin and onto the freeway as well. The gearbox is tight and precise while the engine is velvety smooth right throughout the rev range. At cruising speed the cabin is hush with no perceptible sound from the engine. It seems to really come alive more in the midrange.

For this particular model it comes with driver's side airbag, ABS, keyless entry, CD player, leather streering wheel, leather gearknob, leather handbrake, upgraded sports suspension and rear spoiler. This generation Camry's fit and finish is actually quite good. My brother has the generation 4 camry 2.2 and somehow the interior plastic fit and finish and trim doesn't seem to be quite as good as the generation 3. However this is only my subjective perception.

My only cause for concern is that despite being reliable I hear that these 3VZ-FE engines do need careful attention with regards to its head gasket. Is blowing the headgasket something that is inevitable with these cars after 200,000km or as long as I service the car properly and keep a careful check of coolant levels etc it shouldn't really be a problem? So far this seems to be my only worry in which I would like to hear your opinions. Also all things being equal how is the fuel consumption compared to the auto 2.2 litre camry of the same generation and how much should I expect from a full tank.

I have posted a pic for those who may be interested in seeing what the car looks like. I'll post more pics in the near future.

Thanks and look forward to being a part of the forum.

Fizza

[Jaaassseeee]

Congratulations on your purchase, I have to admit...for a 1997 version of your car you got quite a bargain! I've seen those things sell for close to $8,000 believe it or not.

I own the exact same model as you, albeit a 1995 version of it in auto. 3VZ-FE Vienta Touring Series 1995.

I've clocked up 210,000km + on it, and haven't blown any gaskets. I find it a very reliable car as long as you look after it well. A service and minor tune up every 5,000km or so will do wonders in extending the life of your car.

What I have found with this car though is that it tends to have little niggling problems after a certain age. My car has over heated a couple of times, once due to the radiator not functioning properly (which I had to replace for $450) and one because I forgot to give the radiator hoses a little bit of a squeeze to get the air locks out. Given the age I suspect most cars would start to play up, but if you have a general knowledge of how a car operates you'd be able to solve the problem.

Most recently (a week ago) the car started to stall for no reason, so it had to be garaged for a couple of days while I took a look. In the end I found that (due to age) the hose connecting the airbox to the engine had cracked, and the computer thought because of the increased airflow it would increase the fuel flow as well. As a result, it burned too rich in fuel (I found this out when I pulled the spark plugs out and saw a lot of gunk on the tip...). So I ended up replacing that air hose, buying it at toyotawrecks for $70.

It's little things like that (amongst a few others) that I've come across. Like I said though, nothing serious.

Fingers crossed your car stays healthy and obedient. Give her good services regularly and she will give you plenty of years of joy.

Cheers,

Jase

[Gibbo]

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to the forum. After some searching I recently managed to pick up a 1997 Vienta Touring for just $3700 on the road. I bought it privately and from the onset I exercised a considerable amount of caution due to the low price. It was advertised for around $4300 but I somehow managed to bargain it down.

For $3700 it included the following:

RWC and full 12 months registration. It was a one owner with a fully documented service history serviced every 5000km.

The car has done 180,000km. He had the major service done not so long ago and has put a brand new battery and four brand new tyres. Car has never been in an accident and has always been garaged. Hence all these enticing things combined were the very things that caused me to be a little suspicious at the beginning. However rather suprisingly it turned out not to be the case as the guy seemed quite genuine and very organised. The car also actually turned out to be in excellent condition both inside and out. When test driving the car I took it for a real spin and onto the freeway as well. The gearbox is tight and precise while the engine is velvety smooth right throughout the rev range. At cruising speed the cabin is hush with no perceptible sound from the engine. It seems to really come alive more in the midrange.

For this particular model it comes with driver's side airbag, ABS, keyless entry, CD player, leather streering wheel, leather gearknob, leather handbrake, upgraded sports suspension and rear spoiler. This generation Camry's fit and finish is actually quite good. My brother has the generation 4 camry 2.2 and somehow the interior plastic fit and finish and trim doesn't seem to be quite as good as the generation 3. However this is only my subjective perception.

My only cause for concern is that despite being reliable I hear that these 3VZ-FE engines do need careful attention with regards to its head gasket. Is blowing the headgasket something that is inevitable with these cars after 200,000km or as long as I service the car properly and keep a careful check of coolant levels etc it shouldn't really be a problem? So far this seems to be my only worry in which I would like to hear your opinions. Also all things being equal how is the fuel consumption compared to the auto 2.2 litre camry of the same generation and how much should I expect from a full tank.

I have posted a pic for those who may be interested in seeing what the car looks like. I'll post more pics in the near future.

Thanks and look forward to being a part of the forum.

Fizza

I drive the same, they are a great package and great value... 3-4k is about right... (I paid 1.5K perfect condition)

head gasket, just don't worry at all... change out the radiator hoses, (if needed) and watch your temp...

when it gets hot stop, new gaskets are easy to fix and it's good for another 200K... simple.

consumption: fill the tank, after 3-400 K re-fill and see how many ltrs into the milage... every driver & car is different.

I get about 10lts/100k...

I reckon they sway about like an old boat... for less than 200$ new sports rear sway bar... and that's it...enjoy.