There are two categories of vintage cars that are nearly 40 years old. The first category is commonly known as “scrap cars,” meaning that they are extremely old and have many patched-up details, making them suitable only for providing shelter from rain and sun. The second category is collector cars, which have most of their original details still intact and are less damaged, making them easier to restore and more valuable. It is harder to find cars in the second category as not every car owner takes care of their vehicle for decades.
Mr. Tran Thanh Tung’s 1986 Toyota Camry, as mentioned in the article, belongs to the second category. It is not easy to find a 37-year-old Camry that still has most of its original details. Sometimes, it’s a matter of fate.
Mr. Tung with his 1986 Toyota Camry on the first long-distance trip after purchasing the car
Currently, Mr. Tung resides in Da Lat. He has only owned the 1986 Toyota Camry for 5 months. He has used it for approximately 2,000 km on long-distance trips. Mr. Tung is unsure of the car’s total mileage before he bought it since the odometer reading can be easily altered. At present, the odometer shows around 245,000 km.
The challenge of owning a desired “vintage” car
“I used to own a 2017 Toyota Vios. It was okay, but I didn’t like it because the design was very common. You could see many of them on the road, and there was nothing special about it. That’s why I decided to find a unique car,” Mr. Tung shared when explaining his reason for selling his 2017 Vios in order to switch to a 1986 Camry.
Mr. Tung said that the Camry has contributed to Toyota’s brand recognition. It sparked a strong desire in him to own one. After researching various generations of the Camry, Mr. Tung found the 1986 model to be the most satisfying choice. The design of the 1986 Camry impressed him because it resembled the cars he had seen in Japanese movies.
He believed that he liked it, but finding one was difficult. Mr. Tung had searched everywhere and looked at dozens of Camrys from 1987 to 1989, but most of them had undercarriage problems, engines that weren’t running smoothly, and many details that were not original.
The current car came to Mr. Tung like fate. He shared that someone in his area knew he was looking for a car, so they recommended a 1986 Camry. This car was brought to Lam Dong province. The previous owner was the second owner of the car.
The initial car had many scratches on its exterior
When Mr. Tung purchased it, the car’s paint had worn out, but the essential parts, including the engine and undercarriage, were still in good condition, and most of the car was in its original state. The previous owner mentioned that the engine had been rebuilt 3 years ago and has been working fine since.
Mr. Tung bought the car for 60 million VND. At that time, many people criticized him for paying such a high price for an old car.
“Upon purchasing it, everyone asked if I had paid 15 million VND for the car, as though I had bought scrap metal,” Mr. Tung shared.
However, for Mr. Tung, that amount of money wasn’t expensive because it is extremely difficult to find a car that is nearly 40 years old and still in such original condition.
Easy-to-find items with nothing broken in the car
After purchasing the 1986 Camry, Mr. Tung refurbished it. The total cost of refurbishing the car exceeded 40 million VND, mainly for repainting the exterior, replacing the floor mats, shock absorbers, and tires, as well as replacing the transmission oil, engine oil, headlights, upholstering the seats, and installing other accessories.
Mr. Tung also personally redid some parts of the car
In general, the car was mostly refurbished externally, while the internal engine system remained smooth without any issues. This is an advantage of purchasing a car that is still in its original state. According to Mr. Tung, the vintage Camry is like a “sturdy pot and stone poultice”.
“Although it’s called a vintage car, the replacement parts are readily available. Many members of the scrapyard group have spare parts for sale. If I need something, all I have to do is post about it on the group, and I can easily find it,” Mr. Tung added.
The car after refurbishment has a more eye-catching interior and exterior
Unexpected experiences
After completing the refurbishment of his 37-year-old Camry, Mr. Tung immediately embarked on two long-distance trips. The furthest trip was from Da Lat to Phu Yen, covering approximately 700 km round trip. The second trip was to Phan Thiet. After 5 months of usage, Mr. Tung’s car has covered approximately 2,000 km, mostly for traveling purposes.
During his travels, Mr. Tung was pleasantly surprised to receive compliments from many people about his newly acquired car.
“When I parked in Tuy Hoa, everyone came to see the car and asked if I dared to drive it all the way from Da Lat. They praised its beauty and called it a tiger car. Everywhere I went, people came out to see the car and complimented it,” Mr. Tung shared his unforgettable experience of taking a vintage Camry on a long-distance trip for the first time.
Sharing his driving experience, Mr. Tung assessed this “old” Camry as still being steady and agile. It could reach about 80 km/h in second gear alone and remained stable even when traveling at over 100 km/h. When comparing it to the 2017 Vios he used to drive, Mr. Tung mentioned that the vintage Camry provided a more stable driving experience but with less noise isolation. This is understandable for a car that is over 37 years old, even though it belongs to a higher segment.
“People who traveled with me on recent trips told me that the car may look old, but it drives really well, and everyone who catches a glimpse of it compliments it,” Mr. Tung shared.
After successfully acquiring his desired vintage Toyota Camry and investing time and effort to make it beautiful, Mr. Tung expressed his intention to continue using the car for a long time.
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