My grocery getter OR How i learned to stop worrying and love the mediocrity (56K)

MattD1zzl3

2 Slow 2 Noisy
Joined
May 6, 2007
Messages
3,736
Location
Miamishire
Car(s)
1996 & 2003 Mazda Miatas, 1995 Chevy Camaro Z28
Oh well, after all the astons and cobras and project cars, i knew you were all bored and looking for something really interesting to look at. So lucky you, here i come with my first car, which i have owned for 5 years or so now, a 1997 toyota camry LE!

camry1.jpg

Look at that widdle face! Its like oliver 2!

I got this car in 2002 when i was 15 and living in Cleveland, Ohio. After a year and a half of saving, some old bag sold it to me for the princely sum of $8000. It had 20,000 miles on the clock and was actually in pretty good shape. 10,000 miles later it promptly decided to blow up its engine because the old owner didn't understand the novel idea that cars like it when you change their oil. A large chunk of change later (for a 16 year old) it was back on the road.

camry2.jpg

Hmm, Stupid stickers? Check! False badging? Check! Suspicious antenna??? Hmm...

Fast forward 2 or 3 years: i'm out of high school, being a lazy person i resign myself to move as far away as possible to disallow myself the possibility of being a "live with your parents" loser :lol: (Train of thought: Cortez burning his ships). So i randomly looked at a map and said "Miami! That looks pretty far away!" 1600 miles (2575 KM) later, in early 2005 i was a student in south Florida!

camry3.jpg

What? People still use CB radios? (In between seat and center console)

That was 2 years ago, i'm still here and getting my pilots license, dicking around and trying to save up for a second car (a 90's Chevrolet Camaro Z28, the V8 one), Thanks for reading my thread guys, i love my car and i hope you love it too. Sometimes maybe having a boring production car isn't such a bad thing, as a wise man once said: "Its basic, its basic motoring at its very best". Now i will leave you with what you are all surely screaming for, a view from the drivers seat.

camry4.jpg
 
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It was pretty much a new car condition-wise. It was only 4 or 5 years old, i think that is a fair price. (or so i thought until it exploded)

(and i'll be honest, i milked my parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents for about $2000 :D)
 
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Automatic slushbox FTL..

Wait, i have an auto lol

Nice car man! That was a good gen before they switched to boring rental car central with the 02-04 models.
 
http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicles/new/reviews/1997/solo9649.html

Here is a page of statistics (Of note: Same drag coefficient as a Konigsegg CCX), it was right around the $20,000 range when it was new.

I plan on spending $2500 on my camaro, they really are dirt cheap performance cars. (That, and they are as fast or faster than a brand new Mustang GT)
 
I assume not (i dont know what you mean to be honest), my top speed in that is a mere 115, my actual top speed runs were done in my friends impala (130mph) and Camaro Z28 (160mph or so, the speedo runs out around 155). I do tear down the freeway in the camry at between 80 and 100 usually. Not exactly blazing fast, but quick enough to get me where i need to go. :D
 
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I myself drive a 1995 Honda Accord. As "uncool" as that may seem, I have learned alot with my hands with regard to putting in the required wrench time.

My suggestion is to sell this car and just get the camaro and use that as the daily driver. An engine replacement is A LOT of work.
 
I love the CB. Do you have any particular reason for it? Say transporting 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta?
 
I love the CB. Do you have any particular reason for it? Say transporting 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta?

wwiip133.jpg
 
I assume not (i dont know what you mean to be honest), my top speed in that is a mere 115, my actual top speed runs were done in my friends impala (130mph) and Camaro Z28 (160mph or so, the speedo runs out around 155). I do tear down the freeway in the camry at between 80 and 100 usually. Not exactly blazing fast, but quick enough to get me where i need to go. :D

I just remember you commenting in the best driving roads thread about liking to highway cruise in straight lines n what not. I was hoping it wasn't in a Camry, lol. I did see a vid on the internets of a turbo Camry, same body style as yours, hang with a procharged c4 'vette. :lol:
 
Mmmmm, plastic wood! :p
 
Yeh, we're too cheap for real wood :p
 
I have!

plastic-bags.jpg


No wonder Toyota supports that hippy tree planting day!
 
Don't be so ashamed! Many people would have bought a newer, cheaper Hyundai but you made a good choice and bought a car! There's nothing wrong wi - wait - I just saw the "wood" trim... that is pretty shameful, actually...

Still... It's better than a Kia!
 
Marketing slogan:

Toyota Camry - "At least its not an accord!"

The wood actually looks pretty nice in person! For some reason it came out kinda orange-y in the pics, it isnt.
 
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