[calry]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I'd post the vehicle details here as well (good or bad, your choice).

Because once the auction ends, we won't be able to refer to the listing.

So, it ended...and didn't. Of course the high bidder was a feedback zero (0) who didn't get back to me at all even after repeated outreach. The next two high bidders were feedback zero (0) and ones (1), so they are a bit suspicious too. Don't know if I am going to go the "second chance" or "relist" routes. I might just put up a classified on Craigslist for fun.

I still only have three posts here so I still can't post links. Thus, I am posting the full listing in all its glory below.

One running, white 1996 Toyota Corolla with an inspection sticker valid through February 2014 which needs work. I took very good care of the car with my aim to get it past the 300,000 mile mark (it is now at 305k and change). It was my daily driver until a few weeks ago, when I decided to finally let go after my 300k triumph. The majority of the miles are highway miles (around 85 percent highway since my daily drive is 100 miles). I have also been hypermiling the car for the last 50,000 or so miles and will have some data to share with you as well (see more below).


What is wrong with the car now? I hope you will see that this is unlike most eBay car descriptions; it is a warts and all write up with everything I can possibly think of regarding the vehicle. While I am making every attempt to give you a complete description, warts and all, this BY NO MEANS is this a GUARANTEED complete list; you are buying the car “as is”. The list, in no particular order:

• Front brakes need serious work – they are making a grinding sound even when not braking. Rear brakes were just done 5,000 miles ago.

• OBD Code P0401 is being thrown by the engine resulting in a check engine light. This code is for EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve fault, a part of the emission control system. When the car has sat for more than a couple of days, the engine is rough on initial start. Have driven it this way for two months without incident and does not pose mortal threat to the vehicle.

• The right side wiper washer squirt nozzle is less enthusiastic than the driver side nozzle, and it sometimes works its way out of its seating.

• Front bumper cover is cracked in two places but is otherwise intact, and does not shake, rattle or roll. For some uplifting news on this item, see the “What you also receive” list below.

• Passenger side exterior door handle piece has cracked off, preventing mere mortal passengers from opening the door. I, however, have developed a technique for opening it as if the handle is still in place. While that technique probably doesn’t interest you, see “What you also receive” list below for some good news on this item.

• Headliner has been removed because it began to fall and all of my efforts to attractively reattach it failed. While I don’t even see its absence anymore, I suppose you will.

• Also since we purchased the car at 17,000 miles, in winter, the transmission hesitates slightly (an extra second seems like an eternity on an automatic transmission) when shifting early in ride. Transmission behavior has NOT changed AT ALL since purchase 280,000+ miles ago.

• Perhaps calling the car “white” is inaccurate. The paint, while still on the car, is really at least two colors – one on the replaced panels from the accident (see below), and another on the panels remaining on the car. And while the car has most of its paint, it has begun to lose its clearcoat on one side of the front end. The car is remarkably free of rust, though, considering its age.

• Car does use more oil than a newer car, although the exhaust is clear and has only a slight off odor.

• All four radio speakers are impaired. While the radio can technically still be listened to, the audio quality is very poor.

• The stereo is just a radio / cassette combination – no CD player. Also the volume knob has come off so it is harder to turn the volume up or down, again, for mere mortals.

• Trunk liner had some clean motor oil spilled on it on the left side. However, it is black and barely shows.

• Trunk light was removed a long time ago – I think I recall that I was worried that the switch to turn it off might not be working and drain the battery so I removed it. I don’t even know if there is anything wrong with it.

• Front driver side mat has all nubs worn off of it, preventing it from staying in place. Also the prong sticking up the hold it in place isn’t working

• Airbag light comes on, sometimes. Airbag has never deployed.


It has been in one accident in which the front bumper, three or so body panels, and at least one door needed work or to be replaced. That was done in October 2002, around 40,000 miles. I have noticed no difference in how it has driven, performed or sounded in the 265,000 miles driven since that point.

We purchased this car from my wife’s grandmother in 2001 or so don’t remember exactly when with around 17,000 miles on it. She lived in Florida so it was a sunny state car driven by a grandmother up to that point. We are the second owners (unless the AutoCheck finds that there was a first owner for a short time), and we have put all the miles on it from around 17,000 onward. All core systems are fine; air conditioning and heating work great. It is a non-smoking car. The car has been on a trickle charger for the last month to insure that the battery stays good.

Besides the car described above, you will also receive:


• One new bumper cover, unpainted or primed, but otherwise able to be used to replace existing cracked bumper cover (Costs about $100 shipped on Internet, lots more from a car parts store)

• One new passenger side door handle to replace existing cracked door handle (Costs about $35 shipped on the Internet, lots more from a car parts store)

• TWO replacement donut temporary wheels (rims and tires) for the car

• Six (6) tires with varying amounts of useful tread on them to use as replacement tires (two are very good). You can take all, some, or none at your discretion. You are not obligated to take these tires if you do not want them. I have used partial tread tires to extend the time between tire purchases and to replace flats for all my cars since I started driving a gazillion years ago.

• Car jack and all associated parts for changing tires

• Toyota manual for the car

• On the car is a set of Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) tires which have been driven lightly for 20,000 miles. They are rated for 80,000 miles (Cost $90 each online, not including mounting)

• Three of the four tires have moon disc wheel covers which improved gas mileage – one popped off at some point (Cost $25 each online – so $75 for the three)

• Copies of most repair, oil change and replaceables (tires) records I have kept for the vehicle (minus personal information). A minimal quantity of records may be missing because of filing loss or work done with cash by the Oil Butler and others.

• A spreadsheet with those same costs entered by date with some additional descriptive material. Neat to see how much was spent on a car during its usage.

• Video showing the car passing the 300k mark (visible but not as clear as I like because I hit a bump just when it crossed the mark). Will be available in some video format and/or YouTube.

• A spreadsheet with mileage data for most fuel tank fillups. This will include gallons, price, calculated mileage, and some estimated data about speed, load, etc. Again, due to filing loss, receipt fading, partial tank fills and cash fill ups, not every fill up will be available. See below why one might be interested in this.

Many cars, including my own as I discovered, are amenable to hypermiling. For those who don’t know, hypermiling is the act of preparing and driving a vehicle using techniques that maximize fuel economy. After driving at the speed of traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike (around 85 mph / 137 kph) for many years, I decided that to get the car to 300k miles, I would need to slow down. In addition to slowing down, I removed the roof rack, emptied the car of excess payload, and drove with more care e.g. accelerating more slowly from traffic lights; I was able to increase my mileage from 28 miles a gallon to 38 miles a gallon (sometimes more, seldom less)! Not every once in a while, but for most fillups! And no, I did not drive like grandma to get that mileage – I dropped to 70 mph / 113 kph highway (most of my driving was and is highway) and careful driving for the rest of it did that. Summer tanks of gas get better mileage than winter tanks, and your mileage will vary based on things like driving habits, mix of city versus highway driving, weight carried and things attached to the outside of the car like roof carriers and bike racks. Overall, this car has the potential to treat you very well on the mileage front.

It is easy to get attached to Toyotas, they are such reliable cars. While surficially uninteresting and lacking adrenalin oompf, I still find that gaze in admiration when I see another close model year Toyota Corolla to my own. I beam in pride at the mileage the car can get. I secretly smile at the car’s insane reliability. I dream of one day being able to buy American cars as good as that of many Japanese models. While I cannot make performance guarantees for this specific car, Toyota Corollas even later in their lives can be fantastic vehicles.

Testing, bidding, closing and transfer details: Still registered, insured and available for viewing and/or test drive; please arrange with me ahead of time. I have set the reserve at somewhere around the value of everything you get with the car and a minimum amount for the car (I like a little mystery sometimes). Be sure you know your state’s requirements for taking possession of a vehicle. Deposit required within 72 hours of bid closing. Final payment due within seven days of transaction. All towing, shipping via third party or something besides driving it away is the responsibility of the purchaser; please share the details of these arrangements at the close of the auction.

If you have any questions, email me and I will email fairly quickly. You can also call me, Karl, at 732-993-5556; I often won’t pick up right away but leave a message with your name, number and a brief message and I will get back to you as soon as I can.