Vienta 1996 CSi- Seeking advice on a damaged car

[GlobeSon]

Hi Folks,

this is a odd post, but thought I can bank on you guys for advice.

I own a Toyota Camry Vienta V6 1996 CSi model that got into an accident and damaged one rear wheel. The cost of repair is significant and not worth the value of the car. The car is still registered.

If I sell the car to a wrecker I get < $250....it sucks because the car has a good engine, gearbox, new tyres and battery, good motor, good A/C, windscreen and all window glasses are good. It starts first time, everytime and runs smooth

Since the car has a good engine (going good at 250K km), I can buy a cheap car of similar year and try to use the good parts from my car in it. Does this sound like a viable option (both-economically and risk wise)? I do not have a mechanic background, but am a techie and willing to try my hands with the wrench. I checked on ebay and there are quite a few cars available with a good body and blown up head gasket/engine available at <$500. Is it possible to just read through the manuals and replace the engine reliably (with a few days of hard work)? What all Camry models(years) can I use my car's engine/gearbox etc?

Or...finally, is it best to get rid of the car and buy another(for about $1800...thats my budget) without mucking around too much with it?

Any advice in this regard is highly appreciated.

[curry__muncha]

Can be done, but will take ALOT of time and effort. (and tools). Probably not worth it tbh.

Try a different wrecker and/or mechanic. What part of the rear wheel/suspension is damaged?