mx32, good for a first car?

[Cooperjs]

Edit: Well since this is my first i might as well introduce my self. My name is Cooper Im 17 and from Adelaide i have got a real soft spots for Japanese cars especially Toyota's, Nissan's and Datsuns. I hope to be getting my first car soon and i think a Toyota would be a great choice, i am mainly into the older Toyota's and Datsuns as i think they just simply look sexy! For my first car i have mainly be looking for anything that is rear wheel drive and manual and that has some power to it. I ride Bmx bikes so i think a hatch back would be a great choice if not a 4 door. I love Toyota ae86 but they are quite expensive so have resorted to either a old cressida or ra60/65.

Hey guys i have been thinking of getting a mx32 cressida for a first car. I absolutely love the look of a mx32 but not sure how reliable they are. If i were happen to get one, are manual conversions hard? as this is something that i would like to do later down the track if i get one.
My second option is a ra60/65 but i have only managed to find ra60's :/ but any who, can the lights on a ra65 swapped over to the ra60?
Just wondering which one could be the better option would definitely prefer a mx32 over the ra60/65 but i still love the celicas!

Thanks in advance
Cooper

[z_brutalis]

Hi cooper asking somone what you should buy for your first car will stir a variety of responses from people stating their opinion welcome to the forums firstly.

In before I stir a shit fight this is just my opinion.

Owning a classic car or certainly a car of that age could potentially be an expensive process despite the often low asking price of the inital purchase.

Both cars are great and have a ton of options available but in saying that you need to consider supply and demand on parts, they did not sell anywhere near as many as they did say a corolla so if you were to damage the car what would cost you 50bucks to repair on a ae82 or ae92 could potentially cost you a lot more.
While toyotas are renound for reliability both cars are nearly 30 years old and finding one that will not cost a fortune to maintain will be no small task
I cant personally speak for reliability as I have not owned one personally but id imagine they would have been good back in the day.

My honest opinion would be to look into a twincam seca for your first car there are a ton of parts available for them as any parts can be sourced from any corolla of the same age which there are tons of them.
There are a lot of aftermarket ones and they are respectably fast for what they are not to mention the 4age is somewhat unkillable of an engine. And handle really well for a fwd car. And can be found cheaply in roadworthy condition.

The bottom line is you should probably consider tbhose cars as a long term project to build up into somthing while knocking about in an ae82 or ae92 twin cam seca

But at the endof the day this is just my opinion do whzt you feel is right foryour first car.

[Cooperjs]

Thanks for the reply and i think you are right about that ill consider something else but are the more modern cressidas be a better choice like a mx73? Those corollas are nice and might consider them but would prefer something rear wheel drive with some power, if i didn't really care i would have a picked a ke70 or something but just about every single one of them are thrashed.

Iv probably worded "what car i should get" wrong, what i meant to say is Is this a good choice has anyone else had experience with these cars and can they be reliable and are parts easy to source?

[sundee]

Any toyota is a good car...
When buying an old car, just budget around $1000 - $2000 more so you are not left with a car needing some TLC.
Cheap buying prices are appealing, but something needing repairs can become dangerous and unreliable.

I daily an mx73 cressida, every car I have owned since my very 1st at 17 have been made before 1986, the 1st 2 were before 1972!!
A mini and dato 1600.

I personally think old cars are awesome. It makes you learn the basics of mechanics and electrics, you can do DIY repairs and learn a lot. It's the reason I know what I know today.

Cars pre 86ish have character, I'm a big fan just like most guys lurking these forums.

SO, just do your research, choose a car and search for its common faults and where rust is likely to form.

Mx32's are not a common sight in AU, but for any toyota, parts are easily had and had not expensive.

Buy what you want, love it, hate it for 5 mins when it breaks, then spend 5 days fixing her up.
Maintain it and it will love you back.

Manual conversion depends on availability of conversion parts, auto - manual are all the same, gearbox, tail shaft, pedal box, hydro clutch conversion and a few other small things..

Toyota... Un breakable ... Mostly

[MoNsTaR]

theres not much more to say that hasn't been said, only thing i should add is with the toyota M series engines, they are nutorious for headgasket issues, I havent had experience with the 4m which is found the the mx32 but i have been in 2 cars with 5m's that have blown head gaskets and 1 car with a 7m.
that being said, many people i know have had these engines and never had any issues. personally id put a 1j or 2j in it and be done with it haha.
mx32's are one of the coolest 4 door family cars ever!

[Jimmee1990]

Only reason M series Toyota engines have head gasket issues is due to not having enough tension from the factory, and only really an issue for 7M anyway unless you're getting them too hot. I say go for it, older cars are simple so if you want to learn how to work on cars they're a great starting point.

[KurtHS]

Get an RA60/65 or MA61, easier to get parts for than an MX32 and more aftermarket support/info out there for them. Heaps better base than a KE70 as well.

My MA61 can skid pretty good standard.

[Seventy]

Yeah RA65 is an awesome base, I've had one myself and they are just so fun with suspension work, wheels and tires done. They dont have heaps of power but they're good for what they are, but an MX32 aint gonna be no power house either.
Although in SA RA65s are pretty hard to come by, RA60s pop up more often. The RA65 lights and indicators would go on a RA60 but the bumper, grill and end of the bonnet are different. Also the RA60 will be 2.0ltr carby instead of 2.4ltr EFI and have solid axel rear instead of IRS

[Cooperjs]

Been eying down this MX32
In very good condition but im wondering would a manual conversion in one of these be hard, would they be the same conversion as the mx73?
I'm thinking i might get a mx73 instead of the mx32 just because parts would probably be easier to source and they are still a sweet looking car!

I totally agree with you on the conversion and how they are definitely one of the nicest family cars out there!


Would love to get a ma61 they are such a nice car, i remember a few moths ago there were a couple on gumtree going for sale non turbo manual that were only 2-4k
Im trying to stay away from the RA60, they really don't appeal to me if i found a RA65 i would be all over that! hahaha

Would you be able to change over the grill, bonnet and bumper? or do they have different mounting points?

Cooper

[joeschmo_57]

Any things possible with a welder.

I have this feeling that its every car enthusiasts right to have a fixer for a feat car.

Mine was a ke70 bought from the forums of rollaclub, when it wasn't so vicious. Had a noisey cam, revved to a million with its 4k. Unreliable and uneconomical. But fuck, it was fun and full f learning.

Buy something with no logic, that you simply desire.Buy something that keeps you smiling. You have your whole life to get a reliable econo box.
You don't aim to lose your virginity to the plain Jane do you?