BEHOLD: altoid's Crapries await inside!

altoid

I donated for the custom title. Suck it.
Joined
Jan 1, 2010
Messages
2,332
Location
Los Angeles, California
Car(s)
‘14 Mazderp3, ‘22 Checkpoint SL 5
O hai.

What follows is a very brief introduction to the two vehicles I have owned so far.

First off, meet Cameron, a 1996 Toyota Camry LE which served as my learner car, and then eventually became my first owned car as well, for a whopping eight months. My journey in this 4-cylinder autotragic beast began when I acquired my learner's permit on December 31st 2003, continued through my obtaining the full license in May of 2004 and occasional drives when home from college for the ensuing few years until it was given to me by my parents in April of 2006, and ended in December of the same year when enough emissions-related parts failed to make it unsmoggable without spending well over $1000 on parts and labor.

I only have a few pictures, all from the last day I could call her mine. The one with my reflection is the closest I can get to a valid proof pic. Beats nothing:


She was good to me during our short time together. Reliable to the bone, reasonably frugal, and impotent enough to keep me alive. Fairly decent sound system (though radio/tape only), plethora of room, four doors, etc. She was even pretty before some assmuncher lost some wooden boards from his truck, which then bounced off the ground and into my bumper in several places.

Cameron was succeeded by Karen, who was merely paler and two years younger, but otherwise basically identical.

This is the proud daily driven racecar in question on her first day in my possession:


When I moved "back" to Los Angeles from San Diego, one of the first few weeks I lived here I received a present from an unknown benefactor:

The bin belonged to some dude a few houses up the street, who thought it was stolen. Ah well, it gave me an opportunity to mend something:


Here are some random photos in which Karen appears:


Each of those comes with a story, but I'm too lazy to type them out right now, so ask and you shall receive.

Here she is in good company for the famed 12/27/2010 Azusa Canyon run (which cost me a set of brake rotors):


These were taken just today, out of boredom:


And finally, proof:


Karen's next big task (aside from surviving the next month or so of regular driving) is an AutoX session, if I can manage to do one before I replace her. I'm not entirely sure if it'll happen, but if it does, it shall bring many lulz, what with my silly paint scheme plans and all.

Happy, coco?
 
LULZ!
 
Oh, and YAY AUTOCROSS!

Seriously, autocrossing a big boat is epic lulzy win.
 
So what happened to the 96? You sell it on at enough of a loss that someone else got it past smog?

My first car was a '90 we've still got that would uhh... in no way pass smog or inspection if Kansas actually had those things. Still a totally reliable car though. Thats awesome that you've done some fun driving in it!
 
Someone hooning a Camry? I approve. They're admittedly a guilty pleasure of mine, well all but the current gen car that is a shell of it's former self in terms of quality. <_<
 
So what happened to the 96? You sell it on at enough of a loss that someone else got it past smog?

My parents took it back and donated it for a $500 tax write-off, and I received the 98 they planned on selling. They would've gotten around $4k for it at the time, so in effect they gifted me almost $8k worth of cars in 2006. :love: $8k worth of Camries, though.
unamused_blink.gif
(Still :love:.)
 
My parents took it back and donated it for a $500 tax write-off, and I received the 98 they planned on selling.

I'm guessing by the looks of one of the pics, they got a 07 Camry LE as a replacement? :p

The important thing is that the Camry is reliable... for the most part. :cool:

BTW nice Camry or shall i say Crapry :lol: Did you do anything to the trunk (like the ding) other than replace that broken tail light?
 
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I'm guessing by the looks of one of the pics, they got a 07 Camry LE as a replacement? :p

Yep, which was subsequently traded in (+ ca$h) for a 2010 LE. :lol:


The important thing is that the Camry is reliable... for the most part. :cool:

I bolded the key bit.
unamused_blink.gif



BTW nice Camry or shall i say Crapry :lol: Did you do anything to the trunk (like the ding) other than replace that broken tail light?

Nope, never did. I might get some touch-up paint for that ding and a few other places when I try to unload the car. Or I might not. Doubt it'll increase the selling price by much.
 
Heh, people told me that Nissans were reliable, too...
 
People told me that pre-1980 Land Rover's are rust buckets. Shit, never mind.

Looking forward to the AutoX pictures.
 
So, I discovered today that I do, in fact, own a jack. Oops.

https://pic.armedcats.net/a/al/altoid/2011/05/21/jack.jpg

Now, you all must be dying to know why I would even care. I mean, it's not like I'm eager to do work on my Crapry, right? Well, my fuel line cover disconnected in the rear, so I needed a bit of extra wiggle room for my arm whilst installing these amazing DIY mounts:

https://pic.armedcats.net/a/al/altoid/2011/05/21/flprot.jpg

IBcoolstarrybra
 
altoid!

Someone brought a beige Crapry to autocross today! It was AWESOME. It's a sign!

YOU MUST HOON YOURS ZOMG.
 
I recently made the decision to keep the car until I rid myself of student debt, which means likely at least until the end of 2014. That means I'll have to actually spend some money on her, since small shit's failing left and right.

Here's a short list of the things that annoy me the most:

  • The driver's side lock is broken. As is the trunk lock. It's maddening.
  • Citro?n-like suspension. In a bad way. I'd wager it's still all stock stuff from 1997...
  • Propensity for the front wheels to go out of alignment about 5 minutes after being properly realigned.
  • Huge windshield crack. Probably won't do anything about it, though.
 
I recently made the decision to keep the car until I rid myself of student debt, which means likely at least until the end of 2014. That means I'll have to actually spend some money on her, since small shit's failing left and right.

Here's a short list of the things that annoy me the most:

  • The driver's side lock is broken. As is the trunk lock. It's maddening.
  • Citro?n-like suspension. In a bad way. I'd wager it's still all stock stuff from 1997...
  • Propensity for the front wheels to go out of alignment about 5 minutes after being properly realigned.
  • Huge windshield crack. Probably won't do anything about it, though.


1. Locksets are cheap on eBay and not terribly hard to replace. However, what is the mode of failure you are experiencing on these? It may be as simple as a stupid $1 plastic clip went snap, crackle, pop.
2. RockAuto has upgrade Sachs Supertouring struts for this thing for $57 each on the rears and $63 each on the fronts. Have to swap springs and such over. If you don't want to do that, there are complete bolt-in, no spring compressor needed, ready to go strut assemblies (with a new spring and mount) from Moog (who, IIRC, were the suppliers for the US Camry factory at the time) for $116 from RockAuto.
3. That may be a result of crappy/ruined front struts. Replace those and your problem may go away.
4. A good windshield not-from-China for that thing can be as little as $150.
 
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1. Locksets are cheap on eBay and not terribly hard to replace. However, what is the mode of failure you are experiencing on these? It may be as simple as a stupid $1 plastic clip went snap, crackle, pop.
2. RockAuto has upgrade Sachs Supertouring struts for this thing for $57 each on the rears and $63 each on the fronts. Have to swap springs and such over. If you don't want to do that, there are complete bolt-in, no spring compressor needed, ready to go strut assemblies (with a new spring and mount) from Moog (who, IIRC, were the suppliers for the US Camry factory at the time) for $116 from RockAuto.
3. That may be a result of crappy/ruined front struts. Replace those and your problem may go away.
4. A good windshield not-from-China for that thing can be as little as $150.

1. Key won't turn in either direction ? same issue with both of the broken locks.
2. I'll have to figure out what I really wanna' do, and some of that will depend on the actual condition of my suspension parts.
3. Definitely something I won't tackle until the suspension's sorted out.
4. Yeah, but that's still $150 and then I have to get it installed.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, reposted from mah Facetubes:

Usually, when I see a car I consider nicer than mine, I imagine myself owning it. Be it an orange supercar or a white hot hatch, I generally wish I drove something else. This is especially the case with what one might call enthusiast-friendly cars.


Essentially, I envy a lot of people.


But tonight something odd happened.


I found myself driving through a dark, empty parking lot, and I saw a Datsun 240Z parked in the middle of it. No one inside or anywhere near the car. I couldn't resist, so I parked and got out.


As I crouched down for the shot, I saw myself behind the wheel and imagined what I would do differently about the exterior were the car mine, as I always do. But it only lasted for a moment.


As I got up, I distinctly felt that this was someone else's car, someone else's pride and joy. And as I walked back to my Camry, I felt somehow connected to her. She was *mine*, and that was very important at that moment. I didn't want the Z instead.


I enjoyed the short drive home more than perhaps any other I've ever taken. One and a half miles of harmonious cooperation between my machine and myself. Right now I'm genuinely happy with what I have.


It took me six and a half years, but I think I like my car a little bit.


Even if only for tonight.
 
No, that windshield would be $150 installed. Just had mine done on the Ford and your Camry one (being extremely common) was listed on the same price sheet.

As for the locks - go to Walmart or Vatozone, buy SeaFoam Deep Creep, using straw on can hose down of the internal workings of the lock through the keyhole. Repeat once or twice a day for a week, checking lock function immediately after applying. Remember to wipe off the key and any excess that's leaked back down the door.
 
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As per my Miata thread (http://forums.finalgear.com/post-your-car/modesty-altoids-2004-miata-57391/), my Camry needs a new home.

Instead of spending money on repairs and then dealing with tire kickers offering me $200, I think I'm going to donate my car as is. I'm currently thinking about http://www.purpleheartcars.org/ or https://carshelpingveterans.org/ as potential recipients. I really like the idea of the old gal serving someone who served me ? definitely better than becoming some teenager's first car only to get driven into the ground in a year. This seems like a better way to go.
 
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