buying my first car.....

[Venuja Batheegama]

First of all I'm very new to forums and discovered it a few months back when i was searching about various old cars in the internet (like the datsun 510).....first of all i am a 20 yr old that loves cars (my technical knowledge on cars are however not that great) and i am looking into buying my very own first car and that's why I'm reaching out here. my budget is not that big (12 to 15 lakhs) and im searching for a more fun to drive manual car that i can learn from about owning and maintaining one but also something a bit reliable. any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!☺️

[Twin Turbo]

Hi, 

Things to consider, 

1. Purchase price

2..Insurance

3.Repairs

 

TT.

Edited February 7 by Twin Turbo

[matroska]

3 hours ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

and im searching for a more fun to drive manual car that i can learn from about owning and maintaining one but also something a bit reliable

that's a very interesting budget.  Off the top of my head

1. Corolla AE91 Sedan/ Corolla EE96 Wagon - Simple basic cars. The EE96 wagon comes with a 2E (1.3) Carbureted engine. So might need a good carb mechanic - a very rare species nowadays. The AE91, mostly JDM imports ,come with 5A(1.5) EFI engines, tachometers, and a 5 speed manual gear box.  Personally the AE91 is a pretty thing to look at specially with a nice set of alloys. (There are carbureted AE91's too). CE90/CE96  are the diesel variants, comes with 1.8 L 1C engine and occasionally 2C. 

2. Nissan B13 Sunny - AKA Doctor Sunny, basic and common car. The GA15 is a decent motor comes with a 5speed manual gearbox on the 1.5 L variant.( Go for the 1.5 L variant ) The diesel SB13, is a bit of a lazy dog, but supposed to be economical. Maintenance is a bit high on the diesels, but if you're a very new driver the diesels can be a bit more forgiving specially if you're a bit iffy on the clutch. (applies to all diesels) 

3. Toyota Starlet EP71/76 - Small, nippy and fun, comes with the same 2E 1.3 L engine as standard. 4 speed manual. I'd stick away from the 1N powered diesel ones, since engine parts for 1N is becoming quite difficult to find. 

Mazda BG5's are also in your budget, so are Corona/Carina AT170/CT170's, Nissan Bluebird U13's etc. B12 Trad sunnies are also at the lower end of your budget. 

 

 

[Venuja Batheegama]

7 hours ago, Twin Turbo said:

Hi, 

Things to consider, 

1. Purchase price

2..Insurance

3.Repairs

 

TT.

 

4 hours ago, matroska said:

that's a very interesting budget.  Off the top of my head

1. Corolla AE91 Sedan/ Corolla EE96 Wagon - Simple basic cars. The EE96 wagon comes with a 2E (1.3) Carbureted engine. So might need a good carb mechanic - a very rare species nowadays. The AE91, mostly JDM imports ,come with 5A(1.5) EFI engines, tachometers, and a 5 speed manual gear box.  Personally the AE91 is a pretty thing to look at specially with a nice set of alloys. (There are carbureted AE91's too). CE90/CE96  are the diesel variants, comes with 1.8 L 1C engine and occasionally 2C. 

2. Nissan B13 Sunny - AKA Doctor Sunny, basic and common car. The GA15 is a decent motor comes with a 5speed manual gearbox on the 1.5 L variant.( Go for the 1.5 L variant ) The diesel SB13, is a bit of a lazy dog, but supposed to be economical. Maintenance is a bit high on the diesels, but if you're a very new driver the diesels can be a bit more forgiving specially if you're a bit iffy on the clutch. (applies to all diesels) 

3. Toyota Starlet EP71/76 - Small, nippy and fun, comes with the same 2E 1.3 L engine as standard. 4 speed manual. I'd stick away from the 1N powered diesel ones, since engine parts for 1N is becoming quite difficult to find. 

Mazda BG5's are also in your budget, so are Corona/Carina AT170/CT170's, Nissan Bluebird U13's etc. B12 Trad sunnies are also at the lower end of your budget. 

 

 

  Im really sorry i forgot to mention im also more looking into a rear wheel drive car...😅 Considering that, is the ae91 a rear wheel drive car 🤔 because it does look very pretty with a nice set of alloys.. i am a fan of the look of the hb13 but I heard its a fwd car...and what about the reliability of these cars because my parents are a bit against the idea of an old car considering reliability issues but maybe i can convince them otherwise if its manageable 😁...

Ps: really appreciate ur support guys ❤️

[iRage]

18 minutes ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

 

  Im really sorry i forgot to mention im also more looking into a rear wheel drive car...😅 Considering that, is the ae91 a rear wheel drive car 🤔 because it does look very pretty with a nice set of alloys.. i am a fan of the look of the hb13 but I heard its a fwd car...and what about the reliability of these cars because my parents are a bit against the idea of an old car considering reliability issues but maybe i can convince them otherwise if its manageable 😁...

Ps: really appreciate ur support guys ❤️

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 ? 

[Venuja Batheegama]

1 hour ago, iRage said:

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 ? 

Ooh ok got it!😄 So if i take the reasons im more looking at a rwd car is due to a few reasons like

1)It seems cool to own one with all the cool stuff you could do like drifting etc etc but now typing this im not sure as to whether its essential because i dont see myself drifting per say but i would definitely like to learn 

2)Ive heard rwd cars have a better stability in cornering and overall handling since the weight is evenly spread(not 100% if its correct but thats what ive heard) and also in general has overall better performance (again not sure if it matters at this stage tho)

Im really sorry if im being inaccurate because im an amateur when it comes to the mechanical side of the car.... irrelevant but one more reason i would like to own a car is to learn about cars.

Thank you!😄

 

[iRage]

12 hours ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

Ooh ok got it!😄 So if i take the reasons im more looking at a rwd car is due to a few reasons like

1)It seems cool to own one with all the cool stuff you could do like drifting etc etc but now typing this im not sure as to whether its essential because i dont see myself drifting per say but i would definitely like to learn 

2)Ive heard rwd cars have a better stability in cornering and overall handling since the weight is evenly spread(not 100% if its correct but thats what ive heard) and also in general has overall better performance (again not sure if it matters at this stage tho)

Im really sorry if im being inaccurate because im an amateur when it comes to the mechanical side of the car.... irrelevant but one more reason i would like to own a car is to learn about cars.

Thank you!😄

 

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.

 

[iRage]

12 hours ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

)It seems cool to own one

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.

[matroska]

15 hours ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

is the ae91 a rear wheel drive car

nope it's not. The last common RWD car from the corolla was the KE7X series. (the RWD AE85 apart)

OK I get your RWD preference - there is a slight difference when you drive a RWD ( I used to have a RWD Lancer ) 

15 hours ago, iRage said:

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

One slightly non mainstream early  80's car is the Carina A60 (or a Corona AT140) : Body parts are a bit difficult to find for the Carina A60 - but it's one beautiful car (at least to me) and with the quad lamps it's as retro-cool as it gets. The mechanical parts will not be a huge problem. But cosmetic parts are - if you notice many A60's in Sri Lanka are without the front signal light lenses nowadays.  

If you want a relatively head-ache free common RWD Car that can run reasonably reliably for your budget there are two mainstream choices. 

1) Corolla KE72/74 wagon.

2) Mitsubishi Lancer 172A (Box model) 

prices of these cars vary from around 400,000 to 2 Mil depending on condition. your budget will fetch you a good specimen.  Many of these would be rust buckets painted up so you have to be very careful in sourcing one. 

Mechanical and body parts are not too difficult to find.  You will need to find a carb-competent mechanic.  The generation of Carb-competent mechanics are now in their 60's and retiring so that might be a challenge. 

 

 

[iRage]

1 hour ago, matroska said:

nope it's not. The last common RWD car from the corolla was the KE7X series. (the RWD AE85 apart)

OK I get your RWD preference - there is a slight difference when you drive a RWD ( I used to have a RWD Lancer ) 

One slightly non mainstream early  80's car is the Carina A60 (or a Corona AT140) : Body parts are a bit difficult to find for the Carina A60 - but it's one beautiful car (at least to me) and with the quad lamps it's as retro-cool as it gets. The mechanical parts will not be a huge problem. But cosmetic parts are - if you notice many A60's in Sri Lanka are without the front signal light lenses nowadays.  

If you want a relatively head-ache free common RWD Car that can run reasonably reliably for your budget there are two mainstream choices. 

1) Corolla KE72/74 wagon.

2) Mitsubishi Lancer 172A (Box model) 

prices of these cars vary from around 400,000 to 2 Mil depending on condition. your budget will fetch you a good specimen.  Many of these would be rust buckets painted up so you have to be very careful in sourcing one. 

Mechanical and body parts are not too difficult to find.  You will need to find a carb-competent mechanic.  The generation of Carb-competent mechanics are now in their 60's and retiring so that might be a challenge. 

 

 

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.

[matroska]

26 minutes ago, iRage said:

decent Starlet from the 80s has a bit a mischievous kick to it or that an E80 Corolla's

Exactly this is why i suggested the Starlet - and yes an e80 corolla/sprinter has the same kind of feel to it. 

26 minutes ago, iRage said:

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.

OP's RWD obsession aside, I'd still always recommend the AE91, given it's EFI and relatively modern so it's easier to live with. 

Prices of all these took a nose dive last year but with the leasing rates going down many  are buying cars and generally prices have risen. However the demand is there for Newer cars, ideally hatches with auto gearboxes - the vitzes, peroduas, suzukis, Honda Fits ... You might see AE91's listed for 1.8M but they are just hovering there for months. Someone I know sold his AE91 which was in really good condition for 1.35M after advertising it for 1.55 - IF OP is persistent enough he can get a decent car for his price. 

Anyways OP will need to have some buffer for repairs - they will come for sure.

IF budget constraint is there - a left field suggestion might be a diesel since they're a lot cheaper - ideally something with a 2C engine. But of course they come with their separate set of problems. 

[iRage]

3 hours ago, matroska said:

I'd still always recommend the AE91, given it's EFI and relatively modern so it's easier to live with

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.

[matroska]

35 minutes ago, iRage said:

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.

Yup which is why I said 

On 2/7/2024 at 2:21 PM, matroska said:

The AE91, mostly JDM imports ,come with 5A(1.5) EFI engines

I think the brand new imports   were EE90's : 1.3 carb engines. (heck even the tercels as far back as 1998 that were imported brand new had 2E's) 

I've seen more EFI AE91's than Carb AE91's locally - yes as you mentioned the car launched with the 5A-F (the toyota jp brochure mentions the 5A-F not the FE) The same applies for the Carina/Corona AT170 series, older models come with the 5A-F carb, while majority available locally have the 5A-FE. 

[Venuja Batheegama]

13 hours ago, iRage said:

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.

 

Thanks @iRage for the very elaborate explanation on the matter of stability and control on the fwd vs rwd configurations, very much appreciate it😊!! Giving much thought to my interest in a rwd car and also considering the fact both of you mentioned its clear that a rwd is a bad choice considering my budget.

Edited February 8 by Venuja Batheegama

[Venuja Batheegama]

13 hours ago, iRage said:

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.

 🥲

[Venuja Batheegama]

20 hours ago, matroska said:

nope it's not. The last common RWD car from the corolla was the KE7X series. (the RWD AE85 apart)

OK I get your RWD preference - there is a slight difference when you drive a RWD ( I used to have a RWD Lancer ) 

One slightly non mainstream early  80's car is the Carina A60 (or a Corona AT140) : Body parts are a bit difficult to find for the Carina A60 - but it's one beautiful car (at least to me) and with the quad lamps it's as retro-cool as it gets. The mechanical parts will not be a huge problem. But cosmetic parts are - if you notice many A60's in Sri Lanka are without the front signal light lenses nowadays.  

If you want a relatively head-ache free common RWD Car that can run reasonably reliably for your budget there are two mainstream choices. 

1) Corolla KE72/74 wagon.

2) Mitsubishi Lancer 172A (Box model) 

prices of these cars vary from around 400,000 to 2 Mil depending on condition. your budget will fetch you a good specimen.  Many of these would be rust buckets painted up so you have to be very careful in sourcing one. 

Mechanical and body parts are not too difficult to find.  You will need to find a carb-competent mechanic.  The generation of Carb-competent mechanics are now in their 60's and retiring so that might be a challenge. 

 

 

I do really like the looks of the carina A60 but i couldnt find a decent specimen from the search i did occasionally on carinas except for one that was restored and sold for 13 lakhs (unfortunately was too late for it 🥲)

Adding onto the lancer box model,a few hours back i made a call to a lancer box Ad that i saw and the owners claims the car to be in a very reliable and clean state as well as to have no tinkering work to be done either...this sparked an interest in me to check it out too and the pictures on the Ad seem legit too. However the owner is asking for around 13 lakhs for it which is more in the high range for these cars i believe so i would like to ask if thats worth it..however one slight thing that was a bit unsettling was the fact that the owner didnt know the mileage of the car and said the meter showing the mileage was broken(mentioned that he didnt try fixing it since he didnt want to mess up the meter panel) however he mentioned that the car had no oil leaks and drives well too and all repairs have been done .Ill attach the Ad too incase you all are curious, hope you all can give me some insight on it 😅

<SORRY : Had to remove the picture as it is against policy to post advertisements from another site...you can remove all watermarks or cut out just the photos of the car and copy and paste the description though - Your friendly moderator..iRage>

Edited February 9 by iRage

[Venuja Batheegama]

8 hours ago, matroska said:

Exactly this is why i suggested the Starlet - and yes an e80 corolla/sprinter has the same kind of feel to it. 

OP's RWD obsession aside, I'd still always recommend the AE91, given it's EFI and relatively modern so it's easier to live with. 

Prices of all these took a nose dive last year but with the leasing rates going down many  are buying cars and generally prices have risen. However the demand is there for Newer cars, ideally hatches with auto gearboxes - the vitzes, peroduas, suzukis, Honda Fits ... You might see AE91's listed for 1.8M but they are just hovering there for months. Someone I know sold his AE91 which was in really good condition for 1.35M after advertising it for 1.55 - IF OP is persistent enough he can get a decent car for his price. 

Anyways OP will need to have some buffer for repairs - they will come for sure.

IF budget constraint is there - a left field suggestion might be a diesel since they're a lot cheaper - ideally something with a 2C engine. But of course they come with their separate set of problems. 

Im looking into AE91s as well forgetting my bias to rwd cars 😄

[Venuja Batheegama]

10 hours ago, iRage said:

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.

The points made here are very valid since even though im interested in learning about cars and maintenance i would like to have a little piece of mind too without straight up jumping into a lot of work that would probably frustrate me 😅. And definitely will have to leave some cash for maintenance....im not sure if stretching my budget more is realistic either 🫤.

 

 

 

 

[iRage]

13 hours ago, matroska said:

The AE91, mostly JDM imports ,come with 5A(1.5) EFI engines

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.

 

13 hours ago, matroska said:

I've seen more EFI AE91's than Carb AE91's locally

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)

  

[iRage]

9 hours ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

a rwd is a bad choice considering my budget.

I wouldn't say a bad choice...just that you are limiting yourself.

 

9 hours ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

However the owner is asking for around 13 lakhs for it which is more in the high range for these cars i believe so i would like to ask if thats worth it.

sadly that is the current situation. The good ones are going to have price tags more towards the higher end of your budget. Negotiate and see what can be done....if you are buying on cash and you can make quick payment, etc...will be to your benefit. Now...most importantly...once you pick a car you like go get it checked at car checks and get a proper report. A car might look good from outside but deep inside might be a pile of crud. Whether it is worth it or not...only you can answer the question. Personally I don't think any car in SL is worth the price we pay for it and we need to use the heck out of it to recoup what we spend on it (yes..yes..people say they bought their car for 6 mil and now can sell for 12mil..but really ? when you factor in cost of maintenance, lost opportunity cost, devaluation of the currency, etc...have you really made 6 mil ?)

9 hours ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

that was restored and sold for 13 lakhs

That is a bit cheap for a properly restored Carina A60....last I saw one getting changed hands in a user group the asking price was around 1.6 <people were joking about the price>.

9 hours ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

however one slight thing that was a bit unsettling was the fact that the owner didnt know the mileage

You will not know the mileage of any car in Sri Lanka. 99% of the cars have their meters rolled back before sales or have had it rolled back at some point in its life <emission reports can be faked>. So rather than being worried you should be grateful that the owner is being honest and not trying to palm off some low mileage number on to you for more money.
So...don't believe a single word when it comes to mileages. Do some basic math....an econo box bought for use is going to have done anything from 8000-12,000km a year (average it at 10,000km). A 40 year old car can very well have done 400,000km. Rather than the mileage focus on what you see at hand...condition of the engine, transmission, body, suspension, electronics, etc...if the engine, transmission has been rebuilt/refurbished how has it been done (this might be hard to verify unless it is with the owner who did the rebuild). This is why a proper professional checkup is important than ever before.

As for fixing the meter....it might be something simple like a broken little sprocket somewhere (these things are mechanical with a cable running to the gearbox or whatever and then physically getting turned so these little components break). Worst case scenario it needs a new speedometer. But be careful when you remove it...40 year old plastics are very brittle and you don't want a neanderthal with a screwdriver screwing it up. 

9 hours ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

im not sure if stretching my budget more is realistic either 🫤.

Well..it is what it is....so you should get the best car possible for the budget you have. So please do not restrict yourself to FWD or RWD. Also..look at offbeat brands like Mazda. Even something like a Ford Laser of the period which was a rebadged Mazda
 

Edited February 9 by iRage

[matroska]

11 hours ago, Venuja Batheegama said:

his sparked an interest in me to check it out too and the pictures on the Ad seem legit too. However the owner is asking for around 13 lakhs for it which is more in the high range for these cars

Kind of high.  Last december there was a mint condition Lancer for 1 Mill in Ratnapura doing the rounds in the groups - but then prices went up. There's another restored Lancer box model, fitted with doors and internals from a GT(mind you Lancer 17X series GT's hardly ever got here) asking 1.6 M. Those of course do not move. If someone is in a hurry they will sell for a reasonable price. So don't be afraid to bargain. 

You should not excessively worry about something like mileage on a car twice as old as you ... 99% of the time if you buy a Lancer Box model the mileage on that is' gonna be wrong. So ignore the mileage, get the car properly checked if you're going for something like that. 

 

2 hours ago, iRage said:

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).

 a bit OT @iRage : I do vaguely remember as a kid of adults having the sentiment 1.3 was the perfect engine capacity this was in the 90's. But what  I noticed was that with the Trad Sunny B12 - the majority of the cars are HB12's - was it again the availability of higher trims  that made them go for the bigger engine variant?

[iRage]

21 minutes ago, matroska said:

a bit OT @iRage : I do vaguely remember as a kid of adults having the sentiment 1.3 was the perfect engine capacity this was in the 90's. But what  I noticed was that with the Trad Sunny B12 - the majority of the cars are HB12's - was it again the availability of higher trims  that made them go for the bigger engine variant?

If I remember correct as used cars in Japan the B12 was considerably cheaper than the Corolla （although brand new prices of the Trad Sunny were higher than the Corolla). But yes...people preferred the EX and Super Saloons as opposed to the GLs and GLis and Standards. I think it is mainly because the Ministries and the Police got a whole bunch of B12s (I think they were 1400cc) that were base trims (although the interior was pretty decent for its time since they were export models). The average person wanted something that looked and felt a bit more than the general spec government issue.

[Venuja Batheegama]

10 hours ago, iRage said:

I wouldn't say a bad choice...just that you are limiting yourself.

 

sadly that is the current situation. The good ones are going to have price tags more towards the higher end of your budget. Negotiate and see what can be done....if you are buying on cash and you can make quick payment, etc...will be to your benefit. Now...most importantly...once you pick a car you like go get it checked at car checks and get a proper report. A car might look good from outside but deep inside might be a pile of crud. Whether it is worth it or not...only you can answer the question. Personally I don't think any car in SL is worth the price we pay for it and we need to use the heck out of it to recoup what we spend on it (yes..yes..people say they bought their car for 6 mil and now can sell for 12mil..but really ? when you factor in cost of maintenance, lost opportunity cost, devaluation of the currency, etc...have you really made 6 mil ?)

That is a bit cheap for a properly restored Carina A60....last I saw one getting changed hands in a user group the asking price was around 1.6 <people were joking about the price>.

 

i see...will do a proper check up from car checks if i find a car that im really interested in!

 

[Venuja Batheegama]

11 hours ago, iRage said:

 

You will not know the mileage of any car in Sri Lanka. 99% of the cars have their meters rolled back before sales or have had it rolled back at some point in its life <emission reports can be faked>. So rather than being worried you should be grateful that the owner is being honest and not trying to palm off some low mileage number on to you for more money.
So...don't believe a single word when it comes to mileages. Do some basic math....an econo box bought for use is going to have done anything from 8000-12,000km a year (average it at 10,000km). A 40 year old car can very well have done 400,000km. Rather than the mileage focus on what you see at hand...condition of the engine, transmission, body, suspension, electronics, etc...if the engine, transmission has been rebuilt/refurbished how has it been done (this might be hard to verify unless it is with the owner who did the rebuild). This is why a proper professional checkup is important than ever before.

As for fixing the meter....it might be something simple like a broken little sprocket somewhere (these things are mechanical with a cable running to the gearbox or whatever and then physically getting turned so these little components break). Worst case scenario it needs a new speedometer. But be careful when you remove it...40 year old plastics are very brittle and you don't want a neanderthal with a screwdriver screwing it up. 

 

oh ok got it! @iRage . Apparently the meter of the box resets to 0 after crossing 100,000km( heard it from a few box owners i called) and therefore the mileage is anyways going to be  a mystery. 

[Venuja Batheegama]

11 hours ago, iRage said:

 

Well..it is what it is....so you should get the best car possible for the budget you have. So please do not restrict yourself to FWD or RWD. Also..look at offbeat brands like Mazda. Even something like a Ford Laser of the period which was a rebadged Mazda
 

well i did search up for some ford lasers but unfortunately didnt find any good ones yet....but will continue to search for sure

 

[Venuja Batheegama]

8 hours ago, matroska said:

Kind of high.  Last december there was a mint condition Lancer for 1 Mill in Ratnapura doing the rounds in the groups - but then prices went up. There's another restored Lancer box model, fitted with doors and internals from a GT(mind you Lancer 17X series GT's hardly ever got here) asking 1.6 M. Those of course do not move. If someone is in a hurry they will sell for a reasonable price. So don't be afraid to bargain. 

You should not excessively worry about something like mileage on a car twice as old as you ... 99% of the time if you buy a Lancer Box model the mileage on that is' gonna be wrong. So ignore the mileage, get the car properly checked if you're going for something like that. 

 

@matroska can you give me some more info on this lancer with GT internals and as to whether its still available because i can for sure check it out....are GT cars significantly difficult to maintain( considering parts and etc etc) and also one more thing i would like to know from any one of you is , what does it mean for a car to have a tin body...is that simply coating because ive seen a lot of Ads claiming the car has a tin body and therefore no tinkering work to be done( including  a few lancer boxes ) 

ps: Really appreciate the support guys @iRage, @matroska, @Twin Turbo🖤