UPDATE 3/15/17 – Many people inquired on this one, but Steve didn’t get right back to everyone because he wanted to fix an issue with the sunroof before selling it. Apparently, he ordered a new cable for it, but the part never arrived. He has it closed and sealed, but it still needs the part replaced to be functional. As such, he has decided to lower to price to $1,500!
FROM 3/2/17 – I know, ’90s commuters aren’t always the most exciting, but this particular 1990 Corolla is a bit more interesting than most of the tired and worn out ’90s imports we see kicking around. It isn’t a low mileage car by any means, but it’s actually in really great shape inside and out. Oh and it’s an SR5 Coupe, so it has a 5 speed gearbox to row through, a 16V engine and a very reasonable asking price of just $1,800 $1,500! Reader Steve E out of Eugene, Oregon has decided to part ways with it, so if you would like to make this Toyota your new cheap daily driver, be sure to message him via the form below!
From Steve – Very well-kept unrestored SR5 coupe. Long term ownership before my purchase. Came from northern California in 2010, owner moved to Oregon. It has 230k miles with no sun damage inside or out– kept in garage or carport. It definitely shows the pride of ownership the previous owner had.
Body Condition – All panels have the original VIN stickers. Paint, decals and striping still in very nice condition. Minor parking lot marks and gravel chips only — door edges and leading edge of hood show the most wear. Zero rust even in trunk spare area. Glass is good as well.
Mechanical Condition – New clutch master and slave. Radiator also has been replaced, also serpentine belt and water pump. Matching radial tires all around on the special order Toyota alloys from West Germany. Brakes good, exhaust quiet — drives like it should. Wipers, heater, fan, headlight buckets all work correctly. Left sunroof cable just detached — new original Toyota one is being shipped and will be repaired. Unrestored under the hood, engine etc not detailed. No leaks or odd noises.
Interior Condition – Simply amazing: seats, door panels, carpets, dash, headliner all in good trim. Radio even works well.
I’m truly impressed with how nice this Toyota is, especially with so many miles. Clearly someone took incredibly good care of it, I just hope the next owner does the same. Unlike most American classics, I don’t see there being many people wanting to restore a 1990 Toyota in 10 or 20 years. The only way something like this will still exist going into the future is for ones that are still in nice shape to be maintained and cared for! Given how well these were built, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still on the road in another 200k miles.
Nice car but far from a barn find
I worked at a Yota dealer when this was new. My favorite for sure. Loved the handling, power, and design (even over the celica). Great little car. A sure testament to the quality of Toyota at that time, and, even more… What taking care of a vehicle will do. 230k miles and it looks better than some with 30k on them!! Thanks for sharing. Wish I could own it…
I only ever saw one of them come through the dealer. Pretty rare from what I have seen.
Once peak muscle car is behind us, my generation will be looking for the sport coupes of its youth. I would expect Celicas, Sciroccos and SR-5s like this one to catch up in value! Would buy it for my daughter, but wrong coast!
These were very nice cars when new, and it looks as if this one still is. I can remember enjoying the rev-happy engines in these, as well as pretty decent handling. Price seems very fair, too!
IMO, this was one of the last Corollas to which the word “exciting” could be applied with a straight face….
This body style was also offered in a GTS performance version with a nice factory body kit and rear spoiler. I recall seeing most of them in red, black, or white.
Back in the day, I raced one with an 88 Fiero Formula V6 5-speed. The Formula left it behind from a standing start, but by the end of the quarter the Corolla was wound out and closing fast. These were underrated little cars…….
Very nice. The current and previous owners have obviously enjoyed and loved it. It shows. One nice thing the seller points out is that all panels are original as evidence by the vin stickers. That is a real plus. What is there not to like here?
I would pull the oem wheels and put in safe keeping and add a set of Avid tuner wheels to bring it to the now and maybe change the stance. A still fun and reliable car that would generate and get respect by the many appreciating 30 somethings who are into Asian rides.
I wish the seller luck. He should have no trouble getting his asking price. If it were mine I would start at $3500!
This is one nice 230k miles car. It looks better than many 40k cars I see daily. This was a well engineered car that was pretty much bullet proof. ( as the mileage here testifies) the shifting was so smooth I was able to shift through the gears without using the clutch, assume driving vehicle. Unfortunately it is again on the wrong coast!
Wow! This won’t last long. A really nice car and a great price!
Nice information about the recent maintenance, but I’d be most interested to know when the last timing belt was done.
This era were front drivers, correct? The prior years were RWD, and the GTS version – with the 4A-GE engine – are now like the Hemi of drift motors I understand. I had one of those from 86-98 and you couldn’t keep the rear end stuck to the pavement if it even looked like rain was coming.
Interior looks GREAT for an $1800 car! I like the clean lines of the early 90s Honda and Toyota imports. Someone will get a good deal IMHO.
At that price it would leave you enough money to throw at maintenance and repairs as they came up to use this car for a couple more decades. Toyota did a great job with this configuration. The owner sure loved this car.
Good Lord, this is tempting.
No kidding! Do it, Jeff — for $1,500 how could you go wrong?
Keep walking, mister. don’t look back.. Hey, you, go the other way, there’s nothing to see here..
Go, Jeff, Go!!! Heck, we bought a Fiat a couple of weeks ago–prove that you’re smarter than I am (no offense, Josh!)
If it were local, it’d be a no-brainer. For a “why the hell not” purchase, however, I’d have to get it without needing it shipped.
ROAD TRIP!
that cars a steal at that price, mileage means nothing..
If I weren’t all the way across the country and my current Saturn was dying, I’d give this a hard look-see………
For god sake, this is 7 years ago (the seller). How can I get it removed from the listing?