Barnin Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Hi, I'm about to purchase a 1990 Toyota Dolphin 21 ft auto transmission V6 3.0 efi with 26,000 miles on it. The Dolphin is immaculate, I'm just concerned about the engine, I've heard not so good stuff about the V6 3.0 and was wondering if anyone had this motor? Any problems? What you think about the purchase? I'd appreciate all input. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Get the vin first and call Toyota and see if the head gasket recall has been done. Also I assume you have inspected it in person not just pictures. I looked at a couple of Dolphins recently that didn't look anywhere near as nice as the pictures. Other than that the v6 needs proper care and maintainence but plenty of people are very happy with them. Timing belts and valve adjustments need to be done when recommended. Sounds like a very nice low mileage rig. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Its not reliable by toyota truck standards but by other car standards its great. Iit has a remarkably low power to gas displacement ratio. In fact the l6 in my 89 bmw is 2:5. Liter and has 170 hp 170 ft tq. For a car made in the 90s it seems out of place. But take care of it and it will certainly make 150k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunneys Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I have a 89 Dolphin with this engine. It has not had any problems in the past (I'm the 3rd owner) and it still runs 100% The 3VZ, 3.0L V6 engine is not the best Toyota engine, however it is still a Toyota engine so better than most. Problem areas for this engine are the head-gaskets and the drivers side rear valves because of the stupid stock header design. Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 hard to say what I would do without knowing the purchase price. That being said; I tend to be leery of low mileage vehicles at that age; why? because they have sat. They sat sat sat. This would imply to me that corrosion may have set in on some things that didn't get lubed had they been running, that fuel destabilized or gummed int the lines, tank etc To me the magic number is 60k-75k. old enough to have been kept moving periodically and broken in but not so old that its chain is slapping or in your case belt. Sadly most people that sell things very low mileage tend to want to raise the price due to the lack of miles. While that theory works in NADA or KBB it should be considered a possible blemish if the vehicle is 22 years old. 1181 miles per year average isnt a lot. My guess is it sat for a while; but how long? with 26k only the owner might have not replaced anything at all; but by now almost all of it needs replacing. Check tire dates; they will still look new but if 22 years old they are deadly. same for hoses and anything rubber. Check for dry rotted belts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Even though everything totem said is right, that low mileage is less desirable, and it often just means it sat broken down, could even be a lemon... Other people will stiill want it so its more desirable. People who like higher mileage cars are smarter but they also want to spend way less. People who think lower mileage is better are usually car ignorant but spend more for it. So its a good investment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Extreme low mileage on an Rv usually means it was bought by people retireing and then their health failed before they got to use it very much. Then it sits because they keep thinking they will get better or they just ignore it sitting in their driveway. Doesn't mean it wasn't cared for unless sitting can cause damage. Still always pays in the long run to have a mechanic inspect it. Just in case you haven't heard there are lots of scams on the internet. Don't believe anyone who says it will be shipped. Only 90 dolphins I could find on craigslist with that mileage were scams. Hope yours is local and real Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 I bought an '88 Escaper with 30,000 miles last year and am very happy with it. Mine has the 22RE engine which is a good thing. I have repaired some things that are age related but nothing that was worn out. I got mine for a great price because it had a couple of problems that were misdiagnosed. My friend and I spent about 2 hours looking at it before I bought it and found that some of the expected repairs were easy. They thought the fan clutch needed replacing and were told that it would be $400, the belt was just loose. They were told that the unexplained rattle under the hood was a bad water pump and I found that the air conditioner idler pulley was loose and hitting the crankshaft pulley. Take it to a mechanic and spend the money on an evaluation. You could end up getting the Toy of your dreams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Often low mileage vehicles on a used car lot are accident reconstructions that have just sat unmoving for years. They use whichever speedometer is lower. Legally too. Low mileage isnt good, it means most of the rubber parts probably rotted and the fluid allowed corrosion. unless it was stored properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 As part of any per-purchase inspection, take a large piece of cardboard to put on the ground. Use a good flashlight and slide around underneath and look at frame, drive train, brake and fuel lines, water tanks, fuel tank straps, plumbing, wiring, etc. We looked at a GMC Class C that was immaculate, very low mileage, sat on a gravel lot at the "lake" for most of its life. When I looked underneath, the frame was completely rusted thru in places. I could literally take a screwdriver and push it thru the frame. Brake lines and fuel lines were rusted. I don't know how this guy made it from the lake to his house. John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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