'85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

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ARCHINSTL
Goldie Forever
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My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
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'85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Not a T4WD, but nonetheless interesting:
http://bringatrailer.com/2017/06/21/per ... ta-van-le/
Some very interesting comments!
CL ad and more pix:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/6187087476.html
What the heck are new "tubes?"

Hey - it matches my Goldie and is her senior by a year!
OT, but - at the grocery store tonight, a lady asked what she was and how old she was. When I told her, she said I "Needed to get a life and a newer car."
I reallyreallyreally had to resist the temptation to give her a middle finger salute! ! !
Instead, I simply told the woman that SHE was older than Goldie by at least 30 years! She gave me a dirty look; can you imagine? :lol:
Actually, I do not think the woman was a day over 50 ... :P
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
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rer233
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Re: '85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

Post by rer233 »

Spark plug wires??
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
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Ace
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My tercel:: '83 DLX 4WD Tercel wagon 3AC

Re: '85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

Post by Ace »

That's a nice clean practical van. Does anyone here have personal experience with those? Wondering about how they drive etc.

I wonder if "new tubes" means new radiator and water hoses. Or exhaust pipes? That's odd lingo.

I was looking to buy a van during an extended visit in Australia eight years ago and the Toyota Liteace vans were the most common used vans in my price range. But I ended up getting a 1994 Toyota Tarago (US Previa), which is the next version of Toyota van, somewhat larger. It had rear wheel drive, 2.4L mid-engine, 5-speed manual, spacious interior, good weight distribution, drove really wheel. It had 385km on it but was essentially trouble-free and I got my money out of it on resale, after putting 9,000km on it.

The Tarago/Previa van was actually a bit larger than what I would prefer the next time around so I'm curious about the Liteace vans, although I'm not looking to buy any more vintage vehicles. The Sienna has gotten larger yet and has no appeal to me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I guess the smaller Toyota vans still made are not available on the US market?

I've adapted my 4x4 Tercel into a van of sorts by taking the rear seats out, years ago. For a while I also had the front passenger seat out so I could haul a stack of 8-foot lumber inside the car. It's also possible to fit smaller amounts of 10-foot pipe inside.

So a person who drives an older Tercel "needs to get a life and a newer car" in the opinion of some status-conscious materialistic airhead? What an incredibly stupid thing to say !!!
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Petros
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Re: '85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

Post by Petros »

maybe she knew that most of Tom's life was spent here on the forum.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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ARCHINSTL
Goldie Forever
Posts: 6369
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:52 pm
My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
Location: Kirkwood, a 'burb of St. Louis

Re: '85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Petros wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2017 5:36 pm maybe she knew that most of Tom's life was spent here on the forum.
:lol:
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
Jarf
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Re: '85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

Post by Jarf »

New Tubes - He only means that he has replaced the o-rings on the spark plug tubes, they get hard and brittle and leak, and most people forget they are there. (It'd be like saying you replaced the 1/2 moon seal, when you did your rocker cover gasket)

Vans are like T4's.
Useful beyond belief, reliable as hell and a blast to drive.
That said, mntce/repairs on a Turtle are WAY easier (and cheaper), but the van will hold 3-4x the kit.
The driving position is unequaled, the panoramic view (without obstruction) cannot be adequately explained with just words.

That particular van is exquisite, at least from the pictures, if its as nice in person, it would be a good buy.
While the price feels more than a little steep (to me), they're aren't many like that left and with proper care it will last many decades more.
I personally am more inclined to go with the 2nd gen vans (86-89) but if I didn't already have one, that one would certainly be on my list.

Putting the price into perspective, while I only paid $2500 for my 4WD, I easily have over $10K into it now (SHHHH, don't tell my wife)
The more I dug the more I realized that mine was regularly driven hard and put away wet, certainly not the case with this cherry.
Jarf
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Re: '85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

Post by Jarf »

As for how they drive, its wheel base is a few inches shorter than a T4.
The "buckboard" reputation they received is really only valid when it needs shocks.
It can get a little hairy on washboard surfaces if you don't slow down, but that goes for many vehicles.
Gas mileage is decent for something of that size, mine generally consumes about 10L/100km, 12L/100km in the winter with the hubs locked.

Most Vans will also have side door damage, the turning circle is so tight that its easy to misjudge objects on the far side.
Because the wheels turn under your butt, instead of ahead of your feet, you actually have to initiate a turn later than one would normally expect.
Doesn't take long to make the adjustment though.
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helipilot77
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Re: '85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

Post by helipilot77 »

These vans were also available with 4wd.
. / TOYOTA
./_| |/|/ |]
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Petros
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Re: '85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

Post by Petros »

I have driven them and worked on them. It is an odd sitting potion, out over the front wheels, which also makes rough roads uncomfortable because the vertical moment is exaggerated as compared to being between the front and rear wheels like you are in most other cars. the ride is kind of like the old VW micro bus.

I thought they were reliable, so the comments about being unreliable is I think untrue. Perhaps the reason people think that is they tend to put off routine maintenance because engine access is a pain in the rear. You have to remove both front seats, the center console, and 47 screws to get the large center hatch off of the engine bay. Than everything is easy.

They are an interesting little van with remarkable capacity, I think ideal for the Japanese market (heavy traffic and tight streets). the 4wd one is also an interesting variant, they are not really off road vehicles, but perhaps intend for use in 3rd world or remote areas where there are poor roads.

the later vans are much more practical and comfortable, but they because larger, heavier and not as economical.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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helipilot77
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My tercel:: 1984 SR5 wagon
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Re: '85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

Post by helipilot77 »

Here is a 4wd example in Denver.

https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/6188743459.html
. / TOYOTA
./_| |/|/ |]
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LOSTFISH
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Re: '85 Van AT on CL in SF, CA

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