Toyota Cressida Problems

Booming noises like you describe are often caused by the exhaust, so check the exhaust system to make sure all the mounts are in place and in good condition. Compare the exhausts on both of your cars to identify any differences that might contribute to the noise.

THE trade would probably value the vehicle about $6000. You might get $7000 if you are patient enough to wait for the right buyer to come along. Though the car has done only 50,000km, whereas a similar car driven regularly would have done almost 200,000km, it is still 15 years old, and time takes its toll. There is every chance the buyer may have to spend money on it to get it into top running order. Having said that, the Cressida really was a quality car, and anyone who appreciates just how good they were would probably jump at the chance to buy it. The best way to sell it is through the classifieds.

THE Cressida is a sturdy, well-built and reliable car with few problems. But it's now an old car and old cars are more prone to break down, no matter how good they were when new. Most Cressidas will show more than 200,000km on the odo, so you're taking on an old car in the last stages of its useable life. It's like adopting an old dog. It might be a nice thing to do, but you have to be prepared for the vet bills that inevitably come with an old dog. If you want to buy a Cressida, shop for a car that has done few kilometres and been serviced regularly.

The 1983 Cressida was designed to run on leaded Super when new, so should be run on LRP lead replacement fuel now. LRP has an octane rating of 96 which is slightly lower than the 98 octane Super available before 1986, but should still be the best bet for your car. If you hear the engine pinging on LRP, it's a sign it needs a fuel with a higher octane rating. If this happens you could then add a commercially available octane booster which will fix the problem.