[Neidermeyer]

Before you sell find a REAL MECHANIC ,, you can check the cylinder bore visually through the spark plug hole using a borescope just as you would with a rifle .. if the bore is good and doesn't have deep vertical gouging you have either a head problem or stuck piston rings ,, for stuck rings or leaking past valve guides go get some AUTO-RX at auto-rx.com ,, it WILL clean the ring lands and drainback holes and the valvestem seals etc. etc. if they aren't physically damaged this will fix the oil consumption problem.

Worst case if it is a head is a simple head replacement ,, maybe $1500 if you have a mechanic do it or $400 as a DIY using the best parts.

[Neidermeyer]

NEW HEAD from a reputable rebuilder $125

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/00-01-02-03-04-05-06-07-08-TOYOTA-COROLLA-CYLINDER-HEAD_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2ea9dac81aQQitemZ200418183194QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Gasket sets and head bolts are equally cheap ..

This is a $250 weekend project ,, not a catastrophe.

[MarkL]

Worst case if it is a head is a simple head replacement ,, maybe $1500 if you have a mechanic do it or $400 as a DIY using the best parts.

Thanks for the advice. But I think that sinking so much money into a car with a BB value of around $1000 and 178,000 miles just doesn't make sense. As I mentioned, it also needs a new clutch and new tires, so that will add about another $500-$800 to the bill. Plus there's the pain and difficulty getting in and out of the car.

Mark