A local Toyota $tealer has an 81 244DL for sale up here in Canada. The car has a mere 116,000 kms(72k miles) and it's pretty plain.

They've had it for quite a while, but obviously not many would oay for an inflated, basic 244 with an SU carb, and 3 speed BW tranny.

I recall my dad's 81 wagon (back in 92) requiring an engine rebuild when he bought it. The mileage was a mere 160kms (100k miles). Over the years I thought it was just cause the car was generally a POS that it needed so much attention (I was only 17 at the time), but the more I learnt about cars, I had assumed that the too rich fuel mixture was thinning out the oil causing premature engine rebuilds. Is this a safe assumption? as I think that the SU's weren't as efficient as even the worst FI system on any car.

The car looks fantastic in the dealer pics, and would serve as a great around-town car for my GF and I, tho I'm sure I'd need to do quite a few things to get it back up to snuff(new fuel and vac hoses, new bushings due to rubber rot, and possibly a new wiring harness, as this car was probably a 1 owner car) . The big selling point for me is the sunroof (a/c is an over-rated option IMHO).

The dealer wants about 4,000CAD for the car. I'd obviously talk them down from their pedestal, and offer them what I think it's worth (if I decide to go ahead with it). How muhc do you guys think it's worth?

Is this a reliable engine? everywhere I go I hear about how great the B230F is, as well as the B23's. Yet nobody seems to really rant and rave about the B21A's. Maybe it wasn't my dad's horrible maintenance schedule that killed that car, but rather it's poor design?

Thanks in advance!

P.S. are some of IPD's upgrades for the engine applicable to this fuel setup?