- Seller: Jeffrey B
- Location: Northglenn, Colorado
- Mileage: 207,700 Shown
- Chassis #: JT2SV12E3G0489392
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 2S-ELC 2.0L
- Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
From California to Reno, Nevada, this 1986 Toyota Camry has been a western car in the same family for most of its life. It’s now located in Colorado, for sale by the third owner after he bought it from the original owner’s granddaughter a few years ago. They say it’s rust-free, and that’s no small feat for a car encroaching on four decades old. The really interesting part about this car is that it has a five-speed manual. The seller is listing it here as a Barn Finds Auction!
The Camry is fairly far down the list of “best-selling vehicles” now at #8, but it’s still considered the best-selling car-car, as in a car, not a pickup, not an SUV, not a CUV, none of that nonsense. It’s a car. Another fun fact? The Tesla Model Y is reportedly the world’s best-selling vehicle. The Ford F-150 is still the undisputed king in the U.S., but the Camry is in the top ten and the only “car.”
Toyota has been making the Camry for over four decades now, and they know how to do it. They even made them at the Subaru factory in Lafayette, Indiana, until 2017. Some of you may remember that I had a 1984 Camry Liftback a couple of years ago and it was a fantastic car. Toyota made the Camry first-generation Camry from 1982 until 1986, and they showed up in the U.S. in the spring of 1983.
The interior looks fantastic, yes, even under the dash-mat. It must have been there to protect the dash and appears to have done its job. Please see the seller’s photos at the bottom of the listing. Manual controls abound here. This wasn’t a loaded Camry, but the original owner’s granddaughter, who got this car in her grandfather’s estate, used it as a daily driver and did all of the recommended maintenance. It has just over 200,000 miles on it now and doesn’t need anything but a muffler and maybe rear shocks.
This Toyota is powered by a 25-ELC, a 2.0-liter inline-four with 95 horsepower and 118 lb-ft of torque when new. Backed by that five-speed manual, this would be a fun car to drive, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more reliable commuter and useful car for this money. And the seller states that the A/C even works and blows cold! Get your bids in on this 1986 Toyota Camry five-speed here at Barn Finds Auctions!
Bid On This Auction
69 Toyota bid $1,300.00 2024-07-14 13:52:02
mrgreenjeans bid $1,050.00 2024-07-13 23:08:37- 69 Toyota bid $800.00 2024-07-13 21:13:35
- mrgreenjeans bid $550.00 2024-07-11 22:55:33
RivieraByBuick bid $300.00 2024-07-10 10:03:32
Gerald bid $50.00 2024-07-10 09:56:58
Man, you’d have to have been living under a rock not to know how much this car changed our opinion of Toyotas. Until Toyota shifted gears to mostly AWD vehicles, the Camry right from the get-go was a hit, and still is. Not sure why that was exactly, it’s nothing special, just a slightly bigger econobox, but perhaps due to the lack of US competition, a Ford Tempo or K car were the closest ones. This car cost just over $9grand, almost $2grand more than the dismal Ford Tempo or a K car. Certainly the Camry was the better car. Regardless, by 1985 Toyota sold over 128,000 Camrys and never stopped. They recently celebrated their 10 millionth Camry. Can’t argue with that. Miles getting up there even for a Toyota, but entirely possible and not just the Asian cars either. A neighbor has a Ranger with an amazing 430,000 miles, never opened up, so it can be done. Great find, again, like most, they all withered away. Nobody kept a rusty Toyota.
I sold these when they first came out … they were “on consignment” back then – we only got so many and they sold for $1100 over sticker – presold … supposedly GM bought one just to scrutinize the transmission … I sold one to a woman who had never driven a five-speed but she bought it because an automatic wasn’t available … selling Toyotas in the early 80s paid the mortgage …
Drs. Deming and Juran + A willing audience of Top management at Toyota = “The Machine That Changed the World”
The Machine That Changed the World is a 1990 book about automobile production, written by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Roos.
It is the result of five-years research by the International Motor Vehicle Program (IMVP) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), aimed at finding success factors in the global automobile industry.[1]
The book traces the history of “craft” and “mass” production methods, and notes how Toyota found flaws and wastage with these systems, eventually developing lean production. The dissemination of lean methods from Japan to the wider world is discussed.
This book made the term lean production known worldwide, and is described as a classic[2][3] or a “mainstay”.[4] Business Week described it as “the most readable book on the changes reshaping manufacturing”.[5]
I had one of these when I lived in Cally in the mid/late 80’s. Definitely was no head turner in the respect of being “hip” n the 80’s era by no means. Reliable it was, very peppy as well for that lil 4 popper under the hood.Of course I was blessed to hve the 5 speed manual as well.Loved that car until it’s untimely death of freeway pile up on the 105 and was re-ended so hard it buckled the frame beyond repair.
Insurance paid double what I had in it,yet still would have rather had the car for @ least a few more years.All in all GREAT piece of history if ya ask me
At 200K, this car still has plenty of miles left in it, most likely.
Check out Murilee Martin’s list of super high mileage junkyard finds. Several Toyotas, including a Camry, at the top of the list.
https://www.murileemartin.com/Junkyard/JunkyardGallery-300kMileCars.html
Nice car. Although I was way too young at the time to drive a car, I remember when the Toyota Camry was first intro’d to the car buying public. My parents drove a 1985-86 Camry.
My father had a hatchback version of this car back in about 1996(?). He had to have a rebuilt engine installed in it that I believe cost about $500 on the R & R, and I believe the engine cost was around $1,800 (?). I believe it ran Ok after the engine was swapped, but he did not keep it too much longer afterwards. He sold the car because he wanted a newer Maxima he found. I was referring to the 1986 Camry. Gerald
Gerald, I bought a really nice one a few years ago, I can’t believe cars like that are still out there.
https://barnfinds.com/scotty-gs-garage-1984-toyota-camry-liftback/
I like the early model, 1983-84 Camry.
Nice little car its at the same mileage I would be selling it to.
at the end of the 1983 model year, dad bought mom a new Camry for christmas. she’d been griping for a new car for quite a while, unhappy with just about everything on and about her 1971 vw bug, but most especially the due to the noise it made while she was driving it. dad bought her a white camry, just like this one, white with a blue interior but automatic. christmas morning, after all the gifts had been opened, dad told mom to look out the window, one last gift for her. flabbergasted (as only a mom could be), and with tears filling her eyes, she said, “oh, henry! you bought me a volvo!!!”
we still crack up over that one!
Looking at high mileage cars reminded me of a 1978 Datsun B210 with a 4-cylinder engine & 4-speed manual transmission. I replaced the clutch, the battery, & the tires on it and was using it to drive to work. I ended up buying it back from my father that bought it from me to drive it over two states away from where we lived ( B’ham,AL to New Iberia, LA ) for several months. I bought it back, and sold it to a co-worker that drove it to work. I had loaned it to a friend for a while that needed a car to drive before I sold it the second time. It may be still running today, if it has not rusted into pieces! It probably had over 400,000 miles on it. Gerald
The first generation Camrys (83 to 86) were typical 1980s fare. Boxy people movers. Who knew by now that they would become one of the most reliable cars on this planet? My wife and I bought a 2010 back in August of 2009 and we are still driving it today. Good investment.
Bob we have 2, just too good to let go – 2011 XLE at 298k and 2001 LE at 210k, both look like they have maybe 35k on them.
I find it interesting that my wife’s 2000 Toyota Echo has a 1.5 litre engine with 108 hp and 127 pound feet of torque! It has a tic less than 200,000 miles on it. She bought it new.
You can praise these Toyotas till the cows come home, as many here are doing, and it would all be true. Past 50 yrs they’ve been putting all other manufacturers in the dust. I don’t keep track like I used to. But here lately I’ve been reading they’re making a move to all electric in the near future, and I can’t help but think it’s a mistake . If it’s true. Hope it’s not. Progressive policies will be industrial downfall.
@MGM- Bad pun, but Toyota has pumped the brakes on the all-Electric mania. They are being quite careful about going all-in on EVs. That is why they are #1 in my book.
So true, MGM!!
Interesting. I’m just about to finish a resto on a 1985 Camry for a sentimental family member. One thing I’ve found is not that many parts are still available across the parts counter for these 39 yo cars, and they vanished out of the junkyards a decade ago. Most parts have to be ordered online, if you can find them. A set of tail lights for this car run $700+. Being a Southwest car did save it from rust but every bit of rubber on it dried up, and there’s a lot of rubber on it. The gas tank filler neck hose crumbled in my hands. Right now I’m looking for a brake booster because the rubber seal in it is shot. If the rear shocks for this one are bad, then the fronts ought to be replaced too. $164 for the set of four, online.
For Toyota Parts, try Rock Auto.com. I found replacement headlights for our 2000 Echo for $13.00 each.
Thank you William for your reply. I did find some few things on Rockauto for the 85. No joy when it comes to headlights & tailights lens tho. Only the bulbs.
One thing about the older Toyo’s, the car tended to wear out around the engine. Almost like a diesel truck. They don’t build them like this anymore.
I have the next newer generation Camry in a sunroof DL, 5 speed with 200,000 miles and the interior looks like new. That one is a ’90. Also a 91 ALL-Trac with an automatic with around 230,000. Solid, well built little economy cars whether they were built in America or in Japan. How they can construct seat fabric which will outlast the sheet metal is amazing. That little all wheel drive unit is one of the most tractable cars in winter snow and ice, and is comparable to the Subaru in many respects regarding safety in bad weather. GREAT cars…….
Well….I remember seeing “Pearl Harbor Survivor” plate frames on these…nuff said.
My father bought an ’89 brand new, it was the first car in our family with AC and power windows, but it still had a 5 speed. The gearbox packed up at 175k, and when Dad told me he was getting a new gearbox, I told him he was crazy. The car got to about 310k before the chassis was too rusty to pass a Maine State inspection. He had had several Corollas, and the Camry felt like a big step up.
Wait – 310k in Maine? That is a testament for sure.
My parents had one that went 300k on the original clutch ( and I just sent my dad this listing). They gave it away with 340 about 2 years ago after feeling like it would be too difficult to sell. Oil changes and a water pump or two. That was about it. I think maybe new shocks at 300k too.
Not sure why this showed up in the daily email today instead of earlier than an hour before the auction ended….
It was in the email a week ago when the auction started and again today as a reminder.