My First Car (see the replacement here)


Photos taken in 1999 Photos taken in 1999 Photos taken in 1999 Photos taken in 1999


Purchased in `91, it has performed flawlessly for almost 11 years. I have included a log of repair costs (not counting regular maintance, tire replacement, brake pads etc). It is mostly for my records, but anyone who wants to buy this off me someday (if I ever sell) will be able to see what has happened. ** Update: US Customs would not let me keep the car when I visited the US on a temporary visa. I was forced to sell it. See below **

Date Incident Final Cost
summer 1991 Purchased car after 3/4 of a year on the Toyota parking lot ($8600 + tax-freight). Brand new. 16 km on the odometer. No options. No light in trunk or glovebox. This allowed me to get one at the same price as a ``fully loaded'' Pontiac Firefly. (Incidentally, I wanted an `86 Camero. My parents didn't want me driving something so unreliable and sprung for the difference.) $10500
summer 1991 Needed sunroof (wasn't a factory option). Went to Speedy Autoglass. Got the biggest one that would fit on my roof. Hasn't leaked ever. $200 installed
summer 1991 Needed stereo. Went to audio place and got cheap Clarion cassette deck. $100 installed
fall 1991 Parking at Saint Mary's University is a deathtrap. It appears that a big truck (like a rental moving truck) has backed into the front of my car. It has crumpled my hood, and smashed most of the plastic around my grille and headlights. No note of course. I am blind with rage. Toyota sends me to Coachworks (who are the best!). Not even a year old.... $800
summer 1993 Needed better stereo. Went to audio place and got better Sony 100 W cassette deck. Alpine speakers (4.25'' front 6x9'' rear) $300 installed
summer 1995 Needed better stereo. Must play CDs. Went to audio place and got better Pioneer 4x45W (dual pre-amp) deck. Pioneer speakers (4.25'' front 6x9'' rear). Oooooooh! Sweet sounds. $500 installed
summer 1997 Cracked front exhaust pipe, apparently a common problem for Tercels ($400 estimate at Toyota). I was short on cash and Speedy Muffler `King' estimated $150. I went with Speedy. They jury-rigged a part into place. Next time I went to Toyota for regular maintanance, the pipe busted when they tried to remove it to inspect something. Argument ensues: Speedy claims Toyota broke the part; Toyota claims it was installed incorrectly. All I know is that it wasn't broken when I went to Toyota. Toyota produces the part and show me the jury-rigging. I bring the part to Speedy. They admit screwing up and refund all my money. Toyota offers to fix charging my only labour (free $250 pipe). Lesson learned. Never go to Speedy! $150 installed
winter 1997 First rust bubble. Right rear wheel well. Must fix. Hurts to look at it. I go to Dundas Valley Collision. Very good work. The also fixed a door ding no charge ``while they had the tools out''. Begin annual Rust Check program. No further developments. $300
summer 1998 Punctured oil pan. Not really a pan at all, as I was expecting. It is actually the bottom of the engine! $450 installed
summer 1999 Right rear parking break cable breaks. Toyota says $400 (they need to replace all three, one strong one will break the others... blah, blah, blah). Firestone says $150. They only want to replace broken one. Makes sense. $150
summer 1999 Left rear parking break cable breaks. Toyota was right. I go back to Firestone (I can't face the Toyota guys). Once the front one goes, I'll have lost money doubting Toyota. $150
winter 2000 The muffler goes (my dad claimed that he had never had a car that the muffler lasted more than 5 years. He was a GM guy though). Well, actually, the muffler was fine, it appears that the bolts that hold the muffler pipe to the intermediate pipe rusted out, and took the ends of both parts with it. Replace muffler ($120) and intermediate pipe ($200!). $400 installed
winter 2000 My shifter is sticky. My mechanic friend says that salt can gunk up the rods. It is not clear what he means exactly, but he says that it might go away in the spring when things warm up. I'll wait and see. I think my right rear suspension is going. It creaks. Nothing yet.
spring 2001 Hmmmm. This is not a great day. I had my 156000 km service (filter changes, inspection, etc $100). Looks like my brakes have had it. The disks are rusted. This chewed up the pads. The rotors have been ground so many times that there is not enough left to salvage. Looks like about $300 for all the parts (pads, disks). In addition to this, my water pump is leaking quite badly ($266 water pump). I was reluctant to get the brakes fixed, since they still work fine, but when I went back to see them for myself, little pieces of the disk were falling off from the rust. Brakes are important. Cooling is important. I'll get both fixed today.

ps. They lubed up my shifter, no charge. My rear suspension is fine. It was dirty. Rain fixed the creaking (see above)

$800 (including scheduled service; ugh)
fall 2001 Argh. My suspension finally needed replacing. The point where the shocks connect to the body of the car rusted out. The only thing holding my suspension to my car was the weight of my car. If I had hit a jump (just speaking hypothetically mom) they could have popped out. Replace struts (springs fine). $1000
Summer 2002 My car does not meet US "standards" (such as they are) so I have to export my car back to Canada or else US Customs will come and take it and have it destroyed and then send me the bill. I'm too angry to talk. I'll let you know what I get for it. ????
July 15 2002 The book closed yesterday. I sold my car to a Toyota Dealership in Stoney Creek. I wanted $1200, I got $900. Not great, but I wasn't in any position to organize a private sale. The Customs forms estimated the value of it at $2800, so that hurt a bit. I was told that it is likely that it will end up being a gift for the Service Managers wife. I couldn't have asked for a better retirement home for the poor girl. -$900
Totals Sums of left column divided by 11 years = $14900 = $1350/yr
+ insurance, + gas

If they had more horsepower, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another when (if?) the time ever arises. Oops, enter the hideous Toyota Echo. Looks like I gotta buy the 2000 Celica GTS instead!