Yeah, that happens with older cars. You can easily spend way more than the car is worth and still not fix everything. Years worth of contaminants probably killed the a/c compressor.
There is no way to tell if the alternator is "original", it could have been changed with a new or used oem part. If it looks old as hell and says toyota on it, it probably is original. They are some tough alternators though, I would test it before replacing it. Make sure the battery and wiring are in good shape, they both affect the life of the alternator. I'm pretty sure my alternator is original and it works perfect.
The brakes on these cars are a breeze, and pretty cheap if you stay stock. In Chicago we go through brakes too often, it sucks.
|