Yesterday, I spotted this '89 Cressida at the local market. It was gorgeously bland and in great shape. I rode in one about 18 years ago. It was packed with five guys. We were literally racing another car by taking a shortcut through the hills of Oakland. The biggish sedan was surprisingly a lot of fun.
Are there any issues to look out for?
A very underrated car. Grandma's car to look at but with good refinement, great drive train, and competent handling.
ReplyDeleteWheels magazine in Australia compared the last version available here (pictured) to various similarly priced competitors during it's life, and (from memory) it always came out on top. Wheels saw it as the forerunner to the LS 400.
10 years ago I spoke to people who'd had to repair blown head-gaskets, and such repairs were often mentioned in for sale ads.
Maybe I should start looking again...
@Adrian: From our friend Tim:
ReplyDeleteThe last generation we had here [in the US] was the 1989-1992 body style. They basically share the same running gear as the third generation Supra, the motor being the 7MGE unit. The lower end of the engine is basically foolproof. It's the topend that causes issues: be advised that head gaskets are a known problem for these engines, and with higher mileage come other issues like valves that need to be adjusted using shims. Vacuum lines and hoses are aplenty and become brittle with age. Auto trans. on these cars are not known for problems.
Lots and lots of little rubber bits and rubber gaskets need attending to after 20+ years, so budget for some issues or leaks to pop up.
Also be sure to check out for cooling or radiator issues. Besides mechanical, these cars had lots of electrical gadgets and servos on or under the dashboard. My Cressida did have these problems after I sold it to my parents.