I guess I've been a member before as my email allready had a userID signed up under it. I've got the memory of a goldfish with ADD so anythign is possible.

I just bought a Gen1 Diesel 1CTLC Camry. It's the 1984 model and is the bone bottom-line model. It doesn't even have the right-hand mirror from the factory. The trim inside is cheapo nasty shower-curtain-thin crap compared to my '94LE. I see that the '85 and '86 models have an improved-looking 1-piece headlight lamp instead of the twin sealed-beam POS's of the '84. I also have a cracked windshield so my thought is to buy an '85 or '86 Gen1 with a nicer inside trim and replace all the junk with nicer stuff, put on the better mirror, yank the windshield, lights/blinger units and grill. Mine is almost zero rust (West Coast car) but the hood has some dentage. If the hood is nicer on the new one I'll pull that too. I'm going to line the whole bottom of the car with Hurculiner and make the the car two-toned black on the bottom and silver on the top (stock color).

I saw a Gen2 Camry at an auto shop that looked like it was going to be scrapped. Pulled in and the owner said they were going to have it picked up in a couple of days when they got around to it and less busy. They said I'd have to give them 150 for it as the junkers would give them $125. I'm pretty sure the 14" wheels of the Gen2 would not fit as the 14" wheels on my '94 do not either.

Would the headlight and grille assembly fit? This car had power locks/windows but they looked kind of different. Probably would fit either. Did the Gen1 ever come with power locks/windows? Did it have a nicer trim level inside where the plastic on the headliner wasn't as thin as shelf-paper and the foam underneath as sloppy as the arms of a fat old lady?

I want to have a second full set of rims for REAL snow tires. I guess I'm stuck with the 13's. The Diesel has a 5-bolt pattern. Does the normal Gen1 have a 5-bolt pattern or is this some oddball unit that I'll never be able to find wheels for?

The diesel is strong. It has more power than my '95 4-cyl. I drove it back from Seattle to Wisconsin for a total of 2002 miles and got 37.5 MPH but I held 75 the whole way -even up the mountains without any problem. Thing probably could have cruised 85 but I didn't wan to push it with an unknown engine until I could check on it better.

Cruise control and A/C don't work. I wonder how much work it will be to find another compressor for the AC to fit? Can I get a newer-style refridgerent compressor or a rebuild? I'm not even sure what the laws are on rebuilding the older types.

Any thoughts about what I might be able to find for upgrade parts on a newer Gen1 or even a Gen2?