To fix or part out...

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
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SirFoxx
Top Notch Member
Posts: 335
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 5:42 pm
My tercel:: 1981 Toyota Tercel w/ 7age

To fix or part out...

Post by SirFoxx »

Hello--

I need some help on a serious decision regarding my '85 and '88 wagons. A few days ago, I had the transmission go out on my '88 wagon. I haven't pulled it yet, but I have a pretty good idea as to what happened. The bearing that holds the shaft with the gear that transfers power from the input shaft to the rest of the tranny went out, caused the gear to wobble around, and presumably destroyed that gear, the input shaft, and the gear below it. There is someone on the facebook group that had exactly this happen, and said he has replacement parts if I decide to go this route.

Aside from that, lets talk about the good and bad of the '88 (left wagon with paint peeling, dlx).

The good:
  • CV's and front + rear axle seals, bearings
    7ac engine (7afe bottom end, 4ac head)
    Replaced shift fork bolt for 3rd, 4th gear
    Countershaft bearing in tranny
    New tires
    Sway bar bushings, ball joints
    New shocks + struts
    New windshield
    Weber 32/36
    Installed working A/C
    SR5 tach cluster
    New radiator + hoses
The bad:
  • Body has multiple rust holes in fenders, rear quarter panels
    Transmission went out
    Bumper supports are rotted
    Exhaust was poorly made and installed
    Drivers side window regulator shot
    Engine uses oil (mostly due to the 500k mile 4ac head I used)
    Rack is worn out
    Paint was poorly applied
Now for the '85 (right wagon in pic, sr5 wagon)

The good:
  • Body is nearly rust free
    Windshield frame is rusty
    Less mileage
    SR5 variant
    Transmission doesnt make any odd noises
    Engine in decent shape
    Seems to have been cared for better than the '88
    Factory exhaust in good shape
    Has roof rack + mounting hardware
The bad:
  • All windows, except rear quarters and hatch, leak
    The brown interior smells like mouse pee
    Seats have a slight green tinge to them
    Headliner has piss stains, is sagging as well
    Wipers blow fuse constantly (when we got the car, the ash tray was full of 20A fuses for this)
    A/C needs recharge (still has factory r12 with some gas still in the system)
    Has been in a front end collision (dented fenders, bent hood)
    Hood latch cable broke
    Engine doesnt idle right regardless of factory aisin carb vs weber 32/36 (will most likely start another thread about this issue)
    Needs suspension work
    Broken speedo cable, stripped speedo gear unit (though i do have a replacement gear)
    Radiator is rotting, thermostat missing
I guess the question is, is it worth fixing the '88 again, or should I part out the '88 and make the '85 the nice wagon? I know most people would hate to see another tercel wagon bite the dust, but I feel like I'm chasing after something that isnt worth it in the end with the '88. Every time I fix something on the '88, I get to drive it for 1 week, then something else breaks. I think in the 11 months that I've owned it, I've only put ~1000 miles on it. If I parted the '88 out, I could make the '85 a very nice wagon, cosmetically and mechanically. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Image
1988 DLX 4wd Tercel Wagon w/ weber (RIP)
1985 4wd Tercel SR5 (RIP)
1986 Base 2dr Hatch (RIP / PARTS)
1986 DLX 4wd Tercel Wagon with ???
1985 DLX 2dr Tercel Hatch w/manual swap
1981 2dr Toyota Tercel w/7age (RIP)
1981 3dr hatch Toyota Tercel w/Turbo 4AGE
1981 3dr hatch Toyota Tercel SR-5
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Rednecklawrence
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Posts: 135
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2015 1:52 pm
My tercel:: 5.5 Tercels total... Not enough

Re: To fix or part out...

Post by Rednecklawrence »

where do you live? I might be interested in the '85
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Petros
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Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: To fix or part out...

Post by Petros »

it is not really worth pouring time and money into a car with a rusty body and frame. thought rust can be fixed, to do it properly is costly, and unfortunately these cars just are not worth enough to justify rebuilding a rusty Tercel.

I would use it as a parts car and put all your effort, parts and time into the one that is not rusty. It may mean pulling out the whole inteiror and giving it a good washing, and washing the bare metal inside the car, before you put it all back together.
'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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SirFoxx
Top Notch Member
Posts: 335
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 5:42 pm
My tercel:: 1981 Toyota Tercel w/ 7age

Re: To fix or part out...

Post by SirFoxx »

Petros wrote: Mon Oct 30, 2017 2:47 pm it is not really worth pouring time and money into a car with a rusty body and frame. thought rust can be fixed, to do it properly is costly, and unfortunately these cars just are not worth enough to justify rebuilding a rusty Tercel.

I would use it as a parts car and put all your effort, parts and time into the one that is not rusty. It may mean pulling out the whole inteiror and giving it a good washing, and washing the bare metal inside the car, before you put it all back together.
The frame is about the only thing clean about the car. The rest is pretty much rotted. I may swap the black dash / interior from the '88 in for the brown interior on the '85, and try to find a set of black Toyota adjustable bucket seats. The current sr5 ones have no squish left in them. Plus, I like the adjustable feature the sr5 ones have vs the dlx seats. We'll see!
Rednecklawrence wrote: Mon Oct 30, 2017 7:42 am where do you live? I might be interested in the '85
I'm in Kansas City. I plan on making the '85 the nice wagon, unless you were to offer me a decent chunk of change for it, or have an all trac wagon with a stick you'd be willing to trade. If you feel like you want to continue discussing this, please pm me!
1988 DLX 4wd Tercel Wagon w/ weber (RIP)
1985 4wd Tercel SR5 (RIP)
1986 Base 2dr Hatch (RIP / PARTS)
1986 DLX 4wd Tercel Wagon with ???
1985 DLX 2dr Tercel Hatch w/manual swap
1981 2dr Toyota Tercel w/7age (RIP)
1981 3dr hatch Toyota Tercel w/Turbo 4AGE
1981 3dr hatch Toyota Tercel SR-5
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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: To fix or part out...

Post by ARCHINSTL »

@ SirFoxx -
IF you decide to part out the '88...please post what could be available.
Which color is the interior?
I am in St. Louis, so ... Also, member NWMO is just a little North of you (whether in MO or KC) and could be interested.
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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Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: To fix or part out...

Post by Petros »

no, sorry. I have too much no my plate now. Best take the two, and make one really good one out it.

BTW, it is not diffiult to add extra padding into an other wise good seat. If it is the nice SR5 seat, it is fairly easy to get it apart, pull off the fabric covers, and rebuild the foam to give you extra support in the lumbar area, and in the seat, and put it all back together.

If the vinyl seats are shot, not worth putting any effort into them, find replacements.
'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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SirFoxx
Top Notch Member
Posts: 335
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 5:42 pm
My tercel:: 1981 Toyota Tercel w/ 7age

Re: To fix or part out...

Post by SirFoxx »

Petros wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2017 1:51 am no, sorry. I have too much no my plate now. Best take the two, and make one really good one out it.
Hrm?
If the vinyl seats are shot, not worth putting any effort into them, find replacements.
The '88 has cloth bucket seats, though they are not adjustable. Only damage is on the driver's seat, typical foam missing on the edge from getting in and out repeatedly over the years.
ARCHINSTL wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2017 1:50 am @ SirFoxx -
IF you decide to part out the '88...please post what could be available.
Which color is the interior?
I am in St. Louis, so ... Also, member NWMO is just a little North of you (whether in MO or KC) and could be interested.
Tom M.
I will. I still need to decide what I want to keep first. The '88 has a black interior, which I love. The '85 has a brown interior. I have been in contact with nwmo, we have been in the talks about a motor for his tercel.
1988 DLX 4wd Tercel Wagon w/ weber (RIP)
1985 4wd Tercel SR5 (RIP)
1986 Base 2dr Hatch (RIP / PARTS)
1986 DLX 4wd Tercel Wagon with ???
1985 DLX 2dr Tercel Hatch w/manual swap
1981 2dr Toyota Tercel w/7age (RIP)
1981 3dr hatch Toyota Tercel w/Turbo 4AGE
1981 3dr hatch Toyota Tercel SR-5
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