Tercel4WD.com

After I bought my '83 Tercel in 1984, I remember having an issue with that plastic auto-adjuster sometimes slipping a tooth before it engaged positively. I adjusted the spring so the toothed sections made better contact and never had to deal with it again. Otherwise I suspect it would have been more...

VIN etching is a theft deterrent. I hadn't heard of it before but some quick Google research brought up info like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIN_etching

Russian built SUV's in Canada? Interesting. Apparently they became somewhat popular in Europe but it surprises me they made it to North America.

I used to sometimes talk to other Tercel drivers if I happened to be next to them in a parking lot with my Tercel. I would typically ask them how they liked the car and if they had had any major problems with it. My car is still relatively low mileage for the age so I wonder what kinds of problems t...

Today, a guy knocks on my door, wearing a ball cap and with a few front teeth missing. "Hi, how are you!" My first thought is that he's another unwanted door-to-door salesman, and I just glare at him waiting to see what he will say next. "Do you want to sell your car?" Referring ...

This is a shot in the dark, but you might take another look at your engine mounts. You said you replaced a bad mount a while back. Maybe another mount is bad or failing, or the replacement mount too soft, and vibrates only under hard acceleration at speed. When you had the exhaust pipe incident, may...

It's certainly not safe for highway driving so it IS crazy. If/when it busted loose the car would be all over the highway, endangering others. It's not even a good quality 2x4. It would be OK only for a parts car that stays parked.

I came across this interesting story (from over four years ago) while looking for information about something else. Wondering how things turned out in the long run for this car. I have to say, it sees like a huge gamble to buy a car sight unseen at a distant location. What seemed like a "good b...

I wouldn't be too sentimental about it if it has multiple issues with engine and transmission etc and it seems like too much time and money to fix more things. Retire it or unload it, unless you enjoy working on older cars to squeeze more miles out of it. But I'm not clear about whether it might jus...

I have done very little to my '83 Tercel over the last couple years, just basic maintenance. It's reliable and economical, only 137,000 miles so it might outlast me at the rate I drive. One of the best investments I ever made; I bought it in 1984 when it was only a year old. It has been a two-seater...

I have to lube my window mechanism every so often (roughly 5-year intervals?) or it gets hard to crank and risks busting the cranking unit. It's mainly the sliding parts of the window scissors mechanism that bind from dust accumulation etc. For easier servicing I cut some strategically-located holes...

Muffler shops typically weld the mufflers in, which makes it less handy to replace yourself later on if you're not a welder. Some muffler shops play the game of insisting that you need to also replace the entire tailpipe etc. I got tired of that with with my short-lived "lifetime guarantee"...

Suggestion: cut/slit the headliner in an "X" pattern across the sagging part. Fold back the corners to see what's in there. Use a construction-grade contact cement to glue it back up. Follow the glue instructions to let it dry, then stick the parts together. Not the most aesthetic repair b...

Just curious why it is necessary to replace the springs. Where they sagging?

Yeah still working as of 1-30-2017. Apparently this is a not uncommon problem on various older cars. It would be nice if the ball joint bushing parts could be more standardized so new replacements that fit correctly aren't so difficult to find.