A friend sold me his 149k mile 2005 Camry for 250$. Too good to say no, as I need some reliable transportation with 4 doors.
So after years of interesting cars, I have my first beige automobile! And I like it!
It needs new tires, already did an oil change and cleaned it. It's got the 2.4 engine it which is actually reasonably powerful, but I normally drive a car with 63 hp! I hear they sometimes burn oil, so I'll watch out for that.
It makes a sort of weird noise when it's cold, and you come to a stop and turn the wheel, sounds like water bubbling behind the dash, no clue what it is.
It is the least exciting car I have ever owned, but I still enjoy pitching it into some turns. And it actually has working AC, auto-down windows, keyless entry, wow! Luxury! Overall, I'm thrilled!
I will give you $500 for it. With shipping I would still be ahead here in MA.
Sure you aren't missing another number on there? Because for $250 that is awesome no matter how beige. 
Duke
MegaDork
4/5/19 3:47 p.m.
And it's even griege, not 'Retirement Gold'! Nice score.
See if you can double the HP with $250 worth of nitrous
In reply to dean1484 :
Wow! I think I did well here. I actually had to talk my friend up, he originally wanted 100$ or was going to donate it. He's a busy guy and just didn't want to hassle with it.
This is the second time that being "the car guy" has payed off. People love to give me their old cars!
Sound of bubbling in the dash sounds like air in the cooling system. Google how to burp the air out. Cheap to try .. and rules something out if I’m wrong.
In reply to OHSCrifle :
Thanks, I’ll give it a try.
The heat also doesn’t seem to blow very hot. And when you come to a stop it seems to get worse. It’s odd.
CyberEric said:
In reply to OHSCrifle :
Thanks, I’ll give it a try.
The heat also doesn’t seem to blow very hot. And when you come to a stop it seems to get worse. It’s odd.
Low coolant level can cause that condition. Ask me how I know. 
Nice score. Clean it, buff the headlights and drive it.
Those are quiet and get excellent gas mileage. They are a perfect appliance.
In reply to CyberEric :
You sir, are today's big winner!
I was lucky enough to have a 2002 Toyota Avalon that we added 30k miles to in one year and then netted $300 less than what I paid for it. I thought that was winning. You have a car worth $2,500 on just about any day (maybe more - - maybe a lot more.) Even if you make some investments into it, you'll never put in enough to outpace it's value.
Rings go bad. Change oil every 3k and it seems to help. The 2.4 dislikes the 5k changes the factory callsout.
If the coolant level is good, I've had a partially clogged heater core give me the no heat when stopped. When stopped at idle the water pump isn't making as much flow/pressure which can slow/stop flow through the heater core, resulting in no heat. Higher rpms still force enough flow through that the heat works.
Maybe a plugged heater core isn't allowing all the air to be flushed resulting in bubbling in the heater core?
Thanks guys! I definitely feel fortunate he basically gave this to me. I plan to change the oil every 3k as I had heard about the rings on these motors.
The coolant is topped off, so maybe it's a clogged heater core. I'll look into that.
I have to admit, I like owning a car I don't have to think about, and don't really care about. All my other cars have been cars I LOVED, so there was a lot of attachment to them being just right. Less worrying, especially at this price.
If it’s low on coolant and has the 2azfe make sure the head gasket is good. There was some range of early 2000 4 cylinders that had bad block castings and would pull the head bolt threads out of the block. Giant pain in the ass but not impossible fix but it’s similar to the northstar time-sert job drilling and tapping and setting steel inserts.
I bought an 01 highlander with the issue for a grand and still managed to clear 4K when I flipped it.
Damn! Why can't I find people like your friends? I'm looking for this exact scenario, as I've got a 15 year old at home who will soon need a car.
Man I'd have paid at least $275 for that. Well done. Never thought I'd ever be in any way jealous of someone buying a Camry.
Don't forget to bleed the brakes.
Automagic or 3 pedal? Probably change whatever oil is in the transaxle part. Flushing the cooling system may help with your gurgling, crappy heat.
Do you have to burp a Camry radiator? Answer likes to be nose up a bit to keep air out when you change the coolant. I need to do mine. Fairly astounding how much more anti freeze it takes on the wife's truck than my car.
It’s an auto (I was shocked to learn they made these with a MT).
The brake pedal does feel a bit soft, so I plan to bleed them at some point.
Just picked up these universal wheels for $180 with some Michelin’s. I figured at that price it’s worth seeing if they’ll fit. Seller claims he had them on Camry. They’re going to need hubcentric rings. Does anyone know where to buy them and how to get the right size?
In reply to CyberEric :
TireRack should be able to help with hub rings.
Amazon has both plastic or metal hub rings. Both are cheap. You'll have to measure.
The internet tells me that the Camry hub is 60.1 mm
If I were to bet, I would bet that the aftermarket wheels are 73.1 mm so measure them up to see if that seems likely. If it is then $6.75 on Amazon with free Prime shipping
73.1 mm is 2.877953 inches or 2 7/8"
Congratulations. You're dead inside. 
I always wondered, when you drive a soul killing appliance vehicle long enough, do you get to where you have no reflection in a mirror, like a vampire?
