iRage

AE91s are JDM imports. You are not going ot find an export model AE91. AE91 was the designation for a FWD Corolla/Sprinter E90 series with a 1.5L (5A series engine). Export markets did not get a 1.5L variant. Only 1.3, 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 (for petrols). Thus, AE91s are all JDM imports. That is because of the market preference at the time. On one hand it was a period where Lankans were afraid of anything more than 1.3L engines. So most of the pre-facelift ones were 1.3L variants which were DX, TX and XE grades. Only a very few pre-facelift SE trim levels came in to the country because of that (the SE trims were not offered with a 1.3L engine). If people wanted a higher trim they went for the 1.5L T150 series Carina/Corona. Then later on the government permit scheme was revamped and people wanted better imports for it, so more of the higher trim Corollas were imported with the facelift (rather than the Corona/Carina, for the same price of a SE Limited AE91 what you could get in terms of a CarCor was a mid range trim level) . You will also notice that there are more AE91s in general in the facelift than the EE90 trims of the facelift. My parents' friends who worked at Steel Corp at the time boat these in boat loads. A family friend who was a CEO got a SE Limited AE91 whilst his business partner got a Corona GX. The Corolla was more swanky than the Corona although the Corona had much more space and plusher seats (that was reminiscent of a velour sofa)

Not all AE91 sedans are EFI...the pre facelift came with the 5A-F carb engine. The 5A-FE made it to the AE91 sedan only with the facelift, or a mid cycle refresh before the facelift...I cant remember. The AE91 FX hatchback and Trueno/Levin did come with the 5A-FE from the start.

The thing is for a newbie driver and a first-time car owner....none of these old cars are going to be a pleasant experience unless he is willing to learn the ins and outs of motor mechanics or willing to spend countless hours in garages. Now...I know the OP says he wants to learn maintenance but to which extent is he willing to learn ? <This extends to all the cars we have been talking about. The exception would be the one or two Corollas and Sunnies that have been babied from day one with literally everything replaced preemptively on time..but those won't get sold and if they do will be way above the indicated budget> Yes the Carina A60 and Corona T140 are early 80s RWD cars that lasted till the late 80s but most of these cars are not in good shape. Same with the KE72 as well...to be honest...I would stay away from Toyotas and Nissans. These were common man cars which were not very well taken care of at some point in its life. Almost all of them were owned by the typical pump and drive till drop with 0 maintenance types. So even if you get one for the budget indicated the person buying it should be ready to dump some extra cash. So maybe some Mitsubishi or even Mazda (provided they haven't rusted in to a pile of dust) might be a good option. Since the latter doesn't not make our car owning public orgasmic they might be trading at a much lower and reasonable price point too. Now...here is the thing....for a newbie (at most he could have just driven for two years..legally) and first-time car owner...I don't think turning down potentially good FWD cars just to look cool by having a RWD is actually a sensible thing to do. Also, for a 20 year old...there really isn't anything cool about driving a bone stock Carina with an 80hp 1.5L 3A powered daddy mid-econo box or a bone stock KE72 1.3L 68hp cargo van. Only time they would look cool is if they are restored or restmod'ed <which is going to far exceed the budget and I don't mean just swapping out wheels>. The old FWDs, although quite uncultured and unrefined, still have an interesting feel to it (you can't deny that a decent Starlet from the 80s has a bit a mischievous kick to it or that an E80 Corolla's haunting understeering doesn't get rather addictive). And they still tick off the OP's main requirements of learning how to maintain and own a car and get experienced in driving. Now...the other thing is if 1.2 - 1.5 mil is the maximum budget...this whole discussion is going to be pointless unless the OP has some extra money stashed up somewhere for post purchase pre-emptive work and emergency maintenance work. If not the budget for the actual car drops down to 900,000 - 1,200,000 LKR. That pretty much restricts him to mid 80s cars....AE91s and B12s are out unless they are in bad shape and glancing at the quick site seems to be the case with Carinas and Coronas too..and KE72s...jeez. What has happened to car prices.

Since you are asking it has to be something outrageous like a Sunny/Pulsar hatchback or even a Corolla II/TERCEL...

In general...if you are looking at models from 2005 to 2007 then the engine differences are even less. As for the question of to or not to buy these days...only you can answer that. Each person's circumstances that dictate the choice is quite different. It wont be a hard decision either...no matter what ever you choose to do you can always make an argument against it.

Well...I do have a "Cool" RWD car...it is a pain in all the unsightly places to maintain. People show off how cool cars like AE85/86 Trueno/Levins and their built DX wagons and B211 Sunnae are, but hardly anyone talks about the pain of actually having to maintain these old cars to keep them cool...especially the cars that are old with hard to come by parts.

No...that is not entirely accurate. It doesn't mean that a FWD car is unstable. Each has its pros and cons... Let's get one thing straight and out of the way...you are not going to be drifting...not in a 70s run down RWD Sunny or Lancer or Corolla. Yes you can get the rear wheels to break traction but then you are just sliding whilst hammering the hell out of your engine and burning out the clutch in the process. As for handling...either one can go either way. FWD cars have torque steer (the steering pulling to a side whilst accelerating) and can understeer (that is if you come to a corner too fast then the car doesn't turn as much as it should). SO before you know it the car has crossed the opposite lane and driven off the edge opposite to the corner. RWD cars can have understeer too (ex. AE86 understeers like crazy...only thing is if you have the balls to you can step on the gas even when the car is understeering and driving off the road and make the rear spin out and turn the understeer in to an oversteer). Now..RWD can oversteer..that is come in too hard in to a corner the car turns too much as the rear end of the car spins out. Before you know if you are doing 360 degree spins in a corner in traffic. Also, RWD cars when accelerating can have front lift-off, that is the weight of the car shifts on to the back wheels and the front loses grip that you can't steer. RWD cars do have its benefits over FWD but that would mostly be when you are pushing the car to its limits. So...as you can see...for you..for daily driving...it is not about FWD or RWD that is going to make a car work for you or be safe and stable...it is your driving ability and knowing how to drive sensibly. I reckon what you would want is a car that has a good driving feel (that is what every car guy wants and what every non-car guy has not realised yet). That can either be a FWD or RWD car. As a newbie driver and car owner I feel a car from the late 80s, early 90s would be more easier for you with easier steering, braking, etc...Cars like the AE91, FB12, Grand Civic etc..although FWD still feel pretty nice to drive because of the light weight and pretty much non-electronic steering, etc...but then these cars do tend to do things like understeer more than a FWD car from the 2000s or later. Now...don't forget...if you are looking at a RWD car then you are looking at something from the 70s (even the loved DX wagon from the 80s is still based on a 70s car with updated metal work). Compared to a FWD car from the late 80s or even 90s....there is significant improvement in technology (suspension, braking, steering, safety). Also, if you are lucky and can stretch your budget a little bit you might be even be able to pull off an AE91 of B12 sunny that is EFI. These are much more liveable than a carburetor engine.

No..the AE91 is not a rear wheel drive car...it is front wheel drive. The reality is for your budget and the class of car you are looking at you are going to be stuck with FWD cars. In the 80s most mainstream cars went FWD so that is what you will have to deal with. If you really want RWD for your budget then you are looking at avg to below avg KE72 (i.e. DX wagon) or something older like a flat/l light lancer, KE70/50/30 Corolla, B210/310 series Sunny. The older the car is the more mechanically challenging it can be as for your budget you are looking at below average condition ones (due to the JDM craze and cult following these models have sort of gone up in price). The biggest question I have is...why do you want a RWD car ?

They are both the same car....in Japan the model was called Axela and in export markets it was called Mazda 3 (or 323 in earlier models...had even names like Familia, Protege). They are pretty good cars. Underrated because it doesn't have a Toyota badge on it. Now...although I said they are the same car..they are not as well. Because of market differences the engine and transmission options available are different (e.g. the Japanese model Axela might be a Hybrid or come with a SkyActive engine whilst the export model 3 might come with a non SkyActiv engine). Same goes for trim levels and the accessories/features available, upholstery materials used, etc.... For the most part they are pretty nice cars. Much more interesting to drive than the common Axio, Premio/Allion. There are no catastrophic design flaws in it either...so a lot depends on how well the car has been maintained. Finding parts won't be as easy as a common Axio/Premio/Allion for which even Brother Johnny who has a parts shop down the road will have original Chinese duplicate parts. But there are shops that carry Mazda parts. The agent support can be a bit of a hit or miss depending on who the agent is (who is the agent these days ?) Suspension wise it is a bit stiff which gives it the more sharper drive...some Lankans do not like that as they prefer the pudgy cloudy ride. The seats are nice and firm but I find it a bit slippery and slidey.

That car has always reminded me of Cheddar Cheese ..like the sharp kind

Well...sometimes you do need a little bit of humor in your life...so why not ask Might give you a heart attack that then slowly turns in to giggles Well...when I said get a few other quotes I was hoping it would be from anywhere other than Ster**ng When a doctor cuts out a kidney when you go in to get your broken arm fixed, you don't ask the same doctor to fix your broken arm would you ?

Yes ! Ford Transit it is ! Over to you

Remaining within the shores of SL....here you go... okay...a second picture to make it easier... Had a bit of an unsavory reputation in the West but remains a symbolic and much-loved vehicle of a nation. I believe it still holds the record for the most number of models/variants that it can be had in.

Now you have your answer on what to do. Only thing I would add is get some reviews on their workmanship and also get a quote from one (atleast) or two places more.

Quite alright. Considering the current circumstances of the auto environment in the country, perhaps we should expand the quiz to include models outside of Sri Lanka as well. However, accompany this with some reasonable clues/hints? That way anyone can actually do some research and figure out what the car is. Can be a pretty good learning experience as well (about the cars). Regulars : What do you say ?

See that is the thing...once you open it up and if the previous service guys said there was sludge then cleaning it up is going to take more than just changing oil and seeing what is happening or just replacing a piston ring and walking off. Playing the devils advocate here: But then again, the new guys seem to take it to the extreme right at the beginning which is also a concern. In a way it is fine but in a way, it is also them trying to just do everything and anything under the sun to fix an oil burn and get the car running and out the door and not waste time. What if you don't have to go to the extent of replacing the piston rings? What is if it is just a small oil seep into the cylinders? You would have done that for nothing. Are they willing to first do a proper diagnostic and work progressively? Which by default will start off by cleaning out the sludge (depending on the extent of the sludge this can either be fixed with a simple flush or may require taking it apart). Then do the repairs that are just needed? But then if the engine is torn apart for a clean you will have to replace the seals and gaskets anyway. Which means now the only thing untouched would be the piston rings so might as well do that. Now if the cylinder walls are out of spec then replacing the piston rings are going to cause more issues. Also, shop around. See what one or two other garages quote as well. Also try to see if you can get some reviews on the new place. Remember, if something is too good to be true that is a problem.

Bristol board... I mean Bristol uhh..fighter car thingy...but do we have any of them in Sri Lanka ?

Yes (well kind of...will take it anyway) ! Over to you ! (technically) There isn't an Alfa Romeo Aztec. Alfa had a concept car called the Carabo which was showcased at Paris (or Geneva) motorshow in the late 60s..67/68-ish ? It was named after the inspect Carabidae. Since the design house Bertone designed it, it was also known as the Bertone Carabo. Fiberfab, in the early 70s made a kit car inspired by the Alfa Romeo Carabo. The car was called Fiberfab Aztec 7 (they had several other products called Aztec before that...I suppose this was the 7th). Because of the links to the Carabo, people also call it Fiberfab Aztec Carabo.

One could say that This is a pretty good hint One can say it uses the same base of a popular Euro brand...its roots are linked to a concept car of another European brand which has a reputation for turning in to a pile of rust. Look more in to it

Here you go...it created quite a stir when it was up for sale sometime back...

Okay...so questions...if there isnt a significant oil burn are they suggesting you leave it as it is ? Even after they said the engine has sludge in it ? About the repair cost and Toyota specialist... It is hard to give a price without knowing what the issue is. You need to take it to someone who will actually do the work and tell you why its leaking oil and give a quote for that. Not someone who is going to base everything on a hunch. If you follow the second path it is going to lead you to a situation where you take it to the garage hoping to fix it for 100K but in reality costs twice as much and you getting broke, pissed off and at odds with the mechanic. The oil burning/loss can happen for many reasons (see previous posts). The reason would significantly impact what the cost of the repair would be. If it is just 1 piston ring then fine..100K. But you hardly replace just 1 piston rings...you replace all. Then if there is sludge, which apparently there is, then that needs cleaning as well. Then when you open it up there might be other issues that should be addressed if the car is to be properly fixed...all this amounts to time and time costs money. If you are going to fix it..fix the whole thing once and for all. Garages will say naha mahaththaya danata prashnayak naha..ohoma thiyamu. But you are the one who gets shafted with a crappy car. S So even if you have to pay a garage to diagnose the problem get it done and get a proper assessment and quote. these are machines. Mechanicals. It is not (for the most part) swing in the dark sort of thing.

What @Hyaenidae said. If you want to know the exact condition then the easiest might be to call the RMV or government hotline and ask what that condition number is (despite these departments being inefficient they can be surprisingly helpful).

You are not going to find a 9 seater SUV. They are all either 6,7 or 8 seaters. The only SUV you will get with 9 seaters would be a troop carrier like Land Cruiser 70 or Ford Everest sort of vehicle These are proper offroading vehicles so if you are looking for creature comforts (because most people buy SUVs for the looks and "luxury") these models won't work. With a van you are left with something like a HiAce or Caravan/URVan wagon/mini-bus. There are HiAce/Caravan cargo vehicles that were originally 5 seaters converted to 9 or 10 seaters. These vehicles are not safe as the rear passengers do not have seat belts. Also when they fit the rear seats locally they don't do a proper install so incase of an accident the seat just rips off the floor board. If you want to carry 9 people safely..your best, and possibly only, option is buy a minibus/MPV/wagon like the HiAce/Caravan.

Looks like a C330 series Cedric (the Gloria had a different light bezel except for the van which borrowed the front end from the Cedric van which was the Cedric front-end...)

Yes....I think all our forum members (old ones at least) are well aware of the dirty deeds of this shop. Sadly they are not the only one. They also are well known. They offer the warranty work on imported second hand vehicles from Japan, etc... The Sterling warranty could and would have been a good thing. There are instances where they have actually honored warranty replacements, etc.. However, they progressively screwed themselves up. Partly because they were backing up and being backed up by the crooked car sales people and brokers, partly because they seem to be hiring clowns like the service manager you described. So yes..I am, sure the Malabe people have some kind of understanding with them as well. This is not what I meant. This is an indication of your oil level going down. This are visible indicators. Seeing oil smoke, smelling it. Okay...so if there is no large amount of smoke then there is a chance the oil is not getting burnt up in the cylinders (I said might). Is the smell stronger on the engine side or the tail pipe side ? Again...your first order of business should be to find a proper garage.