Bought a 99 Toyota corolla for $250 cause they said it just stopped .come to find out it throwed a rod thru the oil pan.is it worth rebuilding or just put another engine in it?by the way the body is in great shape
I say just scrap it . Who know what else you will need to make this a dependable vehicle . I can guarantee you will have at least twice the amount of money in it then it is worth. And not a collector item at all.
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If the rest of the car is in good shape, the only economically sensible way to get it running is a used motor. Otherwise, the scrap value should be nearly what you paid for it. Or part it out for a better return.
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No, it’s not worth it. Besides the other unknowns, even a replacement engine has a good chance that it would need to be rebuilt from the start. These model years have a propensity to burn oil due to clogged oil return holes in the pistons and gunked up rings.
As for the original question, “is it (engine) worth rebuilding or just put another engine in it”, the engine can’t be rebuilt with a hole in the block, so another engine (or scrapping the car) are the only options. I’d be scared of a used engine from 1999. If it were newer and you could find an engine out of a wrecked car, it would make more sense. Probably time to send the car in my direction (scrapyard). I’d suggest removing the catalytic converter (if it’s still there) and selling it separately if you go that route. It might be worth as much as the scrap value of the steel.
If you do the work, buying a rebuilt and guaranteed engine from a reputable rebuilder can be a great way to get the car back on the road. My cousin did that in the 1960s with a Alfa Romeo Spyder. He had one with a great body and interior, but a lousy engine. He found a wreck with a good engine, bought it, and moved it to his car. He had several years of use out of it for not a lot of money.
I am going to go against the grain here. If you are capable of doing the work yourself, and the rest of the car is in good condition, replacing (not rebuilding) this engine could make sense. Depending on the mileage and overall condition, this car could be worth $2500 or more if repaired.
At a “you pull it” junkyard, a 4-cylinder engine costs less than $400 including the tax and “core charge”. I’d probably install new gaskets, seals, and a new timing chain kit, new belts and hoses, new motor mount inserts, etc. Figure another $200 or so for that.
Where? I couldn’t get that for a 2002 Camry in good shape.
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A 1998-2000 Corolla can sell for $700-8600 from a dealer. That’s a dealer, not just some putz on CraigsList. $2500 is perfectly reasonable. Sorry you couldn’t get more for your Camry.
To the OP: Your Corolla has a 1.8 liter engine. It’s likely other model years used the same one. That means you could potentially install an engine from a newer car.
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