Picked up a Free Camry, now what?

Through some vagaries of fate and extended family, I was offered a "free" 2003 Camry. Expecting the worst but realizing that almost any 2003 Camry was gonna be better than my current 2004 Ford Exploder, I bought the ticket and took the ride to south florida.
Sometimes you just win, I mean everything goes right...2003 Camry 53,000 miles XLE with every option except NAV and adjustable pedals. It has the single option I really wanted and didn't dare even ask about, the BBS wheels.I drove it 600 miles home and after some seafoam in the gas tank, its smooth as ...well ... a toyota.
The big question is .... now what? My only real fear is "sludging". After sludge wtfpwn'd GRM's toyota; I worry that my standard "drop a can of seafoam in the oil for 500 miles do a change" BMW service plan is not enough. Is there something better?
I thought that this car would be boring and appliance like, but the damn thing has a front factory strut bar a half decent suspension and did I mention the BBS wheels? I have actually fallen pretty hard for this car and want to treat it right.

damn, you're making me start to hate bbs wheels.......time to trade my RA's for some OZ's.

Good score. Unless the thing was short hopped a lot or just never had the oil changed, I wouldn't be too worried. I'm not sure I would do the Seafoam in oil treatment, because it could make it worse if sludge is present. If really worried, remove the oil pan or valve cover and take a lookabout. I would do some close interval oil changes and then go to synthetic on a reasonable interval.

4 cyl or V6?

Those Camrys may be a little dull, but they are excellent cars. An XLE w/ 50k on it for free is truly a great score. My sludge treatment would be a flush like you recommended (or ATF), then just run synthetic with reasonable change intervals.

Timeormoney wrote: My only real fear is "sludging"....

I had an old F-100 once that had more sludging than oil ! Replaced what I could with 50/50 light oil and kerosene; I was going to cure it or kill it.

I don't think I'd do that to a low mileage Camry. Just drive it and flush things out often.

Free cars always dirde better don't they?

Dan

150 shot

Just don't rev it past 5K or try to take a corner with it.

Isn't that kind of like getting a free dose of the clap?

Run it til it dies, or you pass it off on another relative.

oh and shotgun?

Sell it and buy a Miata

Run synthetic oil in it, service the trans, cooling system, and power steering, enjoy having transportation that just works whenever you need it.

I heard those engines are hard to find in good order, maybe part it out?

Bryce

I currently drive the 2003 Camry v6 that has been in the family for years. I change the oil religiously at 3000 miles and have yet to see an issue. Granted the car only has 89k on it.

Nashco wrote: I heard those engines are hard to find in good order, maybe part it out? Bryce

I reiterate: Shotgun?!

golf clap, tells us about your new microwave next !

kidding aside this sounds like you've got a great low miles car that should just click off the miles with minimal issues

Flip it, but something more interesting?

Tannerite?

I have a 97 Avalon with the ill-fated 3.0 V6.

It has 219,000 miles.

OH NOES THE SLUDGES!

drive it... enjoy it... and let all the haters hate... you won't have a car payment for the next 10 years.... you can deposit it instead into a toy car fund...

And this is why I truly love the GRM board. Its got the V6 with all of ~190 HP out of 3.0 liters with a redline that is so low I had to look twice to make sure I was reading the gauge correctly. Its truly a white appliance that should let me work on fun stuff instead of the daily drivel. I will follow the advice and just do my normal BMW thing of keep the interval changes short until you basically are changing out "clean" oil then goto 5k on synthetic.
I was sorely tempted to do the clean it flip it, get something interesting...but I have interesting sitting in the garage right now and it needs to be the one flipped for something less interesting but made of more obtanium parts. A 1987 M6 is a fabulous car but lots of little E36 M3 will drive you bonkers and it needs to be the one that goes to a new home.
And the BBS rims on the Toyota rock.

oldeskewltoy wrote: drive it... enjoy it... and let all the haters hate... you won't have a car payment for the next 10 years.... you can deposit it instead into a toy car fund...

This right here. I'd let a Camry leech off my soul if it were a free one with the right options.

it's got to be better than that soul-sucking corolla I rented last year.

Beige on beige with plastic interior.

Pics?

Drive it until you get sick of it or it dies. Maybe tweak the suspension a bit to make it a bit more fun to get around it.