Toyota Carina II 1.6GL, 38000 miles - help with market value

May 30

Hi there,
I'm wondering if someone can help.

I have a Carina II 1.6GL which has been in a garage for the past 10 years. The car has a full service history and was mostly serviced by a Toyota dealership, then for 3 or 4 years it was serviced & MOTd by a local garage (the Toyota dealership was too far away for my Mum to manage) before being SORN in 2014.

Photos and videos of the car are here Toyota Carina II 1.6GL
The arches are not in good condition, but other than that I think the car is in OK condition.

Can anyone tell me what its market value might be?

Many thanks in advance.

May 30

Hello, and welcome to the club George.

I am sorry but guessing not great value to it, stood for 10 years,no MOT, and crusty arches.

Having said that, there may be a collector who would like a Carina like that, and be willing to put the work into it.

I onlysee it at around £500 to an enthusiast.

Is it a runner?

May 30

Hi Paul,
Thanks for the warm welcome and your honest assessment of the car's value. I really had no clue if I should be paying someone to take it away or if it was worth something, so your help's greatly appreciated.

You're right about the condition of the arches, but the car was a reliable runner before it was stored in the garage so I'm hopeful someone would like it. Looking at the car, the tyres are a bit deflated, but speaking to my brother-in-law he reckoned there was no reason why it shouldn't start after giving the Battery a bit of a charge. I'm no mechanic though and kinda nervous about starting it after it's sat for so long.

Thanks again for your help 👍

May 30

Well,if you were wondering whether to pay someone to take it away, there is nothing to lose by pumping up the tyres, checking the engine oil (any in it) , coolant in the radiator, drain and a can of new petrol in ,and jump starting it to see if it starts and moves.

It's possible the engine may be rust seized, and the brakes also, sometimes unsiezed by a hammer, but if it does run that makes it a possible for someone to work on who is keen.

Depends if you have the time to potter about and try that really , good luck though, it's good to see an old car saved if possible.

May 30

It will definitely be of value to someone. For obvious reasons, 80's cars are getting harder to source. The condition of your mum's car looks really good for the age. The rust, as far as I can see, does not look bad. So, don't just scrap it, but post it with plenty of pictures on multiple places; on here, Facebook (join some enthusiast groups), and eBay. If you can get some photos of the underside, a video of the engine starting and running, that will help. You might be surprised in the interest.

The fact that you have the history, the original tools, user manual, original stereo, nice seats and it is in generally original, unmolested condition, are all desirable. The protective plastic from factory is still there on the doors for goodness sake 🙂 All that and the very low mileage makes it rare and more valuable (even if the Carina is not the most sought after model).

Price depends on how quickly you want to sell it. I'd go in at £2500 and gauge interest. At worst you have to go down in price. If you are lucky you'll have to see who bids highest. I'm pretty sure you could go double that in price and still sell it. It might just take a little longer to find a buyer. Or you could put it on auction straight away and let the punters decide.

May 31

Thanks for your insightful advice and encouragement, Paul & APS. It's good to hear there may be more value in my mum’s car than I initially thought.

I’ll definitely take both your advice and will try to get some good photos, especially of the underside, and a video of the engine starting and running. Many thanks again for all the helpful tips.

May 31

If you can get the engine running and manage to move the car in gear, you could sell it as a 'rolling restoration'. It'll be worth more with a new MOT. Bear in mind it's approaching 40 years old and will soon be tax, MOT, and ULEZ exempt. It depends on your circumstances and how much time/finances you're willing to part with. It appears to have been very well looked after before being stored. It looked immaculate with a clean interior & engine bay, spare wheel looking unused, all wheel trims attached and even the pedal rubbers in good condition.

Is there any damage to the paint or bodywork from being stored after 10 years? The worst arch is the N/S front, but the rest don't look too bad. Check the condition of the coolant hoses before attempting to start, and check for any leaks if you do get it running. Wind the front windows down slowly if you feel any resistance. The driver's side glass slipped out of their runners on my '84 Carina II on one occasion when I owned it during the late 80s.

Despite the import quotas on Japanese cars at the time, I found it much better in terms of quality and reliability than the mainstream alternatives: Ford Sierra, Vauxhall Cavalier and Austin Montego.

June 4

Hi G Baird,

If you check your inbox, i have sent you a message with my contact details. I collect/restore these old Toyotas and it would be great to save your mums car. 😀

June 4

I just wanted to say a thank you to everyone who has helped and thanks to the folk who have gotten in touch enquiring about the car. I hope to get to the car on Thursday to charge the Battery and see if it will start. I will keep you posted.

June 4

You are welcome, and you may get a much better offer than my guess at a value.

Good luck with getting it going, makes it a lot more attractive, and not to rain on your parade, but if the Battery has stood all that the uncharged it will probably be kaput.

Not able to take any charge, so if you can get your hands on some thick jump leads (ie not the thin short cheap ones, they just fizz and burn out) or a spare fully charged Battery from any car, that would give you a chance.

But don't forget the oil and fresh petrol check,it wouldn't hurt to remove the spark plugs and dribble some oil in the cylinders before attempting to start either.