Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

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Petros
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Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by Petros »

As most of you know, list member North of 64 has been looking for a good condition T4wd as a back-up to her aging '87 T4wd in Yukon Territory. She purchased, sight unseen, an '87 in Nebraska, as detailed in this thread; https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... 64+#p58253

I had offered to bring the car west to the Seattle area for the PNW meet, where North of 64 can join us, and drive it back to Dawson city, and in the process I could do any necessary repairs to deliver her a reliable Tercel in good mechanical condition. Another list member was planning on coming west and had also offered to tow it from Nebraska to Washington, and North of 64 made arrangements to have her purchase towed to me where I could work on it. However, those plans got changed when something prevented the person who planned to tow the car to make the trip west. North of 64 emailed and called me in a panic. She was resigned to abandon her purchase in Nebraska.

At this point in time, I was down in California visiting my parents and had planned to fly home on Tuesday June 18. I Told her not to give up so quickly, I can still fly to Omaha, and drive the car home. However I was not quite planning for a cross country road trip, so I scrambled to rearrange my return home. North of 64 bought me a flight to Omaha, and a night in a hotel, where the seller agreed to leave the Tercel.

In California, I arranged with list member Tercel4wdrules to borrow a few critical spare parts, and put together a tool kit for an 1800 mile road trip in an unknown 25 year old Tercel. I talked to the seller to learn some of the history, he seemed sincere but not very familiar with our Tercels, but he felt it would make the trip no problem. I also talked with Larry McGrath, since he was at a good stopping place on the return trip, to see if I can crash at his house, and to take a look at his engine swap. He was happy to accommodate me, and it turned out to be a great visit as well. I changed my plans and left California a day early so I would have more time for the drive home. Everything was set to go, despite the little time to plan such a trip.

So after an early dinner on monday with my parents, I was off to the airport and thence on to Omaha, Nebraska on June 18th. A place I had never been before and was looking forward to a solo road trip and another Tercel adventure. The first leg of the flight went well, but my connector flight in Denver was delayed several hours, putting me in Omaha about 1:40 am. Although the flight was uneventful, this was much later than I wanted to arrive since I had a long drive to Montana the next day. I had never been to the Denver airport, so I had some time to explore a little there too.

Than to add insult to injury, the hotel, which was not too far from the Omaha airport (2.4 miles according to my GPS), their shuttle driver was off sleeping somewhere, and despite several phone calls, I gave up and walked to the hotel carrying my luggage, which including the spare auto parts and my tool kit. I figured I could use the exerciser, it would be just as fast as waiting, and there was also a nice large park between the airport and the hotel. On the tiny GPS screen, it did not look to far a walk. Lo and behold, the city park automatic sprinklers came on a 2 am, right when I was walking through the park, who would have guessed. To make matters a little more frustrating, the handy detachable shoulder straps on my luggage ripped out and failed. I was not very happy by the time I reached the hotel at about 3 am, and I let the poor girl at the desk know about it. Not her fault I know, but I suggested she tell her boss not to pay the shuttle bus company since there were no buses running at all.

I finally got to sleep for a few hours, up at 7:45 am for a shower and the complimentary breakfast. During breakfast, I filled my pockets with rolls, fruit, yogurt cups and other things that I could use on the road. I figured since I did not get to sleep the whole night the hotel could at least supply with food for the rest of the day. Not bad food either, and it lasted me all the way to Montana.

So now I got the first look at the Tercel that North of 64 bought. The body was bit rough, lots of "road rash" dents and scratches. It had a "bi-focal" windshield, large cracks across it, but the tires all looked good, and the seller left it with a near full tank of gas. I knew from the pictures that the vacuum lines were all misrouted, so I pulled out my handy Tercel vac diagram and quickly discovered there was no way to make it correct. The previous owner had bought a new re-manufactured carb from National Carburetor and tried to install it. It was the wrong carb, there were missing vac ports and it could not be made to run properly. I fixed what I could, nearly all of the ones that were connected were mixed up. The receipt from National was in the car, it only listed "'87 Tercel" for the carb, which is where they screwed up. The '87 wagon is a completely different car and engine from the 87 sedan and hatch back. It should be returned. But the seller said it ran okay it just would not idle below 1800 rpms. I tried messing with the various adjustments and I plugged up the loose lines, to no avail, something in the vac system was not working properly, likely the mixture control or the high altitude compensator. Anxious to get on the road (and out of that hot and humid area ASAP), figured I could mess with it some more at Larry's place Wednesday morning. So I check the fluids, started it up (thankfully) and off I drove.

At freeway speeds it drove fine, except for the lack of radio (I brought a portable to listen to, I set it up on the dash). The fastest way to Montana from Omaha had me driving east into Iowa, than North to Sioux Falls, where I picked up Instate 90. The weather was clear, hot and humid, but the country side was beautiful lush farm land with occasional rolling hills. I have never driven though the area before and was looking forward to seeing the country. Omaha in the daylight was nothing special as far as I was concerned, another modern city, but this one was very hot and humid in June. I messed with the airconditioner controls, but I could not seem to get cold air. It turns out the AC worked fine but it did not seem to on the road. With the windows rolled down it was not too hot in the car, and the AC would just lower the fuel economy anyway.

The route West on I-90 was uneventful, in some ways being on I-90 it was comforting. I-90 ends in Seattle, it drives westward from where I was, through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington, up over the Cascade mountains to end right at Puget Sound in down town Seattle. Even though it was almost 2000 miles away, it was a familiar hwy, and it joined me, far from home, alone in an unfamiliar place in an unfamiliar car, to my home neighborhood. If I just continued to drive west on I-90 I would be home in 25 hours and about 1800 miles.

As I settled into the long drive, enjoying the scenery, I started looking over the inside of the car making a list of things I knew that needed to be fixed: missing heater control knob, missing radio, cracked windshield, missing window crank knob, missing dome light cover...lot of little things. but one thing I noticed within the first hour looking at the dash, the rpms were too low for the speeds I was driving. My GPS indicated true speed, and the speedo was under about 5 mph, and the rpm was about 400 too low for an '87 that should have had the 4.1:1 diff in it. Than I remember the seller telling me both the trans and the clutch were replaced. OH, NOOOOOOO!!! They put in the wrong ratio trans!!!!

That would account for the speedo being so far off (this is the first Tercel4wd I have driven that indicated less than true speed, most show more than true speed). So they also installed the old, and incorrect, speedo gear. Just to verify, I gently pulled the 4wd lever back, on a straight hwy it should slip right in and out again. No such luck, the spline shaft was buzzing at me and it would not allow me into 4wd. That means the drive shaft was turning at a different speed than the transmission. What a PIA! that means I would either have to change the trans or change the rear diff before I can let North of 64 return to North of 64!

I was not NOT pleased, that is a big job, and one I was not planning on having to do. I tried to call North of 64 on my cell, and discovered another very annoying thing about my T-mobile phone, they have no coverage in the midwest. I could not make any calls at all! I could make emergency calls, so I tried texting, and it seemed to work (text go out on the dial-up frequency, so it will work in any network). Later I found I could make and receive calls when near a large city, on a "borrowed" network, but it would not allow me to call to Canada, which was not true when in my "home" network. Oh well, North of 64 was going to have to wait until tonight for the bad news (little did she know).

I stopped for gas much sooner than I should have, but I did not know if the tank was full when I left Omaha. I got about 220 miles out of that tank. I filled up somewhere in South Dakota, used the restroom, bought a few energy drinks, and was back on the road. The temp was considerably cooler in South Dakota, very pleasant weather, light breeze and very attractive green hills, many topped with pine trees. Very pleasant driving conditions, excellent highway and great scenery.

South Dakota is experiencing an economic boom, there are new oil deposits recently discovered there, and the overall tax rate, and the unemployment rate are fairly low compared to the rest of the country. Even so it was hard to tell, the population density is very low (one of the lowest in the country in-fact), and there are no large cities to speak of. But it was interesting to me to listen to the local news on my portable radio, local politics and issues important to the people of the state. I liked a lot of what I saw and wondered what it was like to live there, likely waaaay too cold for my comfort in the winter, but a very nice place to be in June.

I was supposed to take pictures of the '87 Tercel in front of the hotel, but I was so frustrated from the previous night's delays I was too flustered to think about it. So I had to take some pictures now that I was more relaxed and enjoying the drive. I am sorry I did not, because it would have made a nice "bookend" photo to the whole ordeal.
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Last edited by Petros on Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
'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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Petros
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Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by Petros »

'87 blue 010.jpg
It turns out the gas mileage was really bad, about 22 mpg. No way it should be that low, I get less than 200 miles before the low fuel light comes on the dash, and at best about 230 miles per tank. It was going to cost a lot extra to get the car home at this rate. and I considered where the gas could be going.

If it was really running that rich it seems it would have other symptoms and run crappy. It ran fine, except for the 1800 rpm idle. Was the extra fuel causing the fast idle? Could be. I thought through all of the scenarios, and at the next stop I pulled some of the vac lines to disable the various devices that would make it run too rich, and I also advanced the distributor timing "by ear". Those things improved the power, but it did not appear to have any effect on the fuel economy. Adding to the frustration was that I could not drive it a short distance and measure the fuel economy, I essentially had to wait for the next fill up. The fuel gauge was no help either, it did not even register the upper 1/3rd of the scale, it was only accurate at about halfway down. fortunately the lower part gauge worked, as did the low fuel light, so I had plenty of warning before I ran out of of fuel. I recalculated the mileage in my head assuming the speedo error was the same as the odometer error. The cable is spinning slower than it should be for the same distance the transmissions is driven. If the error is the same, I calculated about 14 percent, than at best the fuel economy was only about 24 mpg. Still way too low. Where was the fuel going? would it wash down the cylinder walls and ruin the rings? was it plugging up the catalytic converter? That would be a costly repair, may be Elizabeth (North of 64) does not need one in Dawson City, Yukon.

Advancing the timing seemed to help some, but it had to be the carb causing the problem. I received the old carb in the back of the car, I thought I would try it out when I get to larry's.

Other than the fuel economy, the whole drive was uneventful.
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'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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Petros
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Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by Petros »

Another thing I discovered along the way, the window washer did not work. I was picking up a lot of smashed bugs on the windshield driving though all that farm country, I had to really work to get it off at each gas stop. I also notices I had quite an insect collection on the radiator, some of the bugs were quite large and scary looking.

The hwy took me through Rapid City, and than Sturgess South Dakota, home of the infamous Harley gathering every summer. Nothing seemed to help the fuel economy, it was making me take extra fuel stops, adding a lot of time and expense. I hope it was not doing any damage to the engine. I checked the tires, and even jacked up several tires to see if a brake was dragging at one stop. Even if it was the wrong carb, it was very similar, could it mess up the economy by 50 percent?

At least it was not consuming any motor oil, it did not even use a half a quart for the whole drive home. That means the crate engine the previous owner installed is in good condition.
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'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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Petros
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Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by Petros »

Nothing seemed to help the fuel economy, and there was nothing I could do further at the short gas stops. I had to get to Larry's before it got too late and my endurance gave out. I was driving about 17 hours after getting only about 4 hours of sleep, so I needed a good nights rest and that was not going to happen in the back of a Tercel. The temperature was really getting chilly too, Montana was still quite cold, with occasional freezing nights still this late, the first day of summer in fact.

Montana was also beautiful, mountains and forest, and excellent hwy ways. Larry warned me about deer on the hwy, and that would certainly ruin a perfectly good drive and the Tercel, so I took some a "5 hour" energy drink, plus some Monster drink, and eventually a few caffeine tablets. I saw no deer, but I did make it to Larry' place by 1 am. After some 17 hours of driving, snack food, left over hotel breakfast, 5 gas stops, and heat, humidity, plus mountain driving and heavy rain. I was ready for sleep.
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'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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Petros
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Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by Petros »

I will finish the story later, but I just got a text from North of 64. She is heading back to Dawson City, Yukon, left my place this morning at about 9:30 am loaded with supplies, a tool kit and some spare parts. She texted me that she is at Cashe Creek, BC (not far from Kamloops) for the night at about 9:38 pm. Only 1,592 miles to get home! She reports all is well with her and the Tercel.
'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)
North of 64
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My tercel:: "Bones" 87 SR5 4wd wagon
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Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by North of 64 »

Hi all, just thought I would check in from Ft Nelson, BC. Good day today, enjoying the free internet and coffee and bum rest at the Tourist Information Centre here. It is early so I may press on for a few more hours.

"Bones" is running like a well oiled machine and better today than yesterday. Mid day yesterday I pulled into a fairly major British Columbia town called Quesnel. It was the first Canadian Tire store I had seen from the highway and pulled in because I knew I could buy a cushioned pad to wrap around the seat belt which had been rubbing my neck raw for many many miles; a $4 item. While in the store I wandered back to the automotive repair section with the current flyer in hand. One of the very few mechanical/maintenance jobs Petros and I didn't get to (and it wasn't really necessary) was an oil and filter change. Cdn. Tire was able to fit me in immediately for the $39.00 special. (Petros, this is a cheap oil change here in Canada!). Once up on the hoist the mechanic noticed that the inside tread on both front tires was dangerously worn. We knew that the alignment was "out" before I left but I don't think either of us realized how "out" it was. So one alignment, two new tires, an oil change, several hundred dollars and two hours later, Bones and I were back on the road.
You know if I can get some body work and paint job somewhere between here and Dawson City (1600KM), Bones will be near new.

Having a great time, love the new tunes on my Ipod as suggested by many of you. Will check in later.

N 64 in Bones
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Petros
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Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by Petros »

That is great, one of the front tires would not likely pass inspection anyway because of the curb damage. Might as well get it done now anyway. the alignment should also save you some fuel costs as well, although it did not feel off by much, I knew it was worth checking, we just did not have time to fit it in when you were here. $39 is a reasonable price for an oil change.

Check your fuel economy, it will be interesting to see how much improved it is with all the work we did to it.
'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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Mattel
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My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by Mattel »

Fantastic story you guys, well done on saving another one Petros! epic road trip!

I'm going to be finishing my Masters of Architecture in a couple of years and if there is still a favourable exchange rate I'm thinking of getting over there and meeting you guys in Washington.. Buying a T4wd for $1,000 and heading down the coast to Mexico for some surfing or snowboarding depending on the season.. do we have any other surfers on the forum that might be keen? Cheers!
Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
88 Corolla 4wd Wagon 5speed, All power options, Fact Sunroof, Diff Lock, 14" SX Alloys, Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, Tow Bar, 210,000kms
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Petros
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Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by Petros »

You are welcome to stay with us, and do any repairs or up grades on any Tercel you buy at our place. I grew up on southern California beaches, and like everyone else I knew, would spend summers surfing and diving on the California coast. It was fun but I was never that good a surfer, I spent more time climbing and skiing in the mountains after high school.
'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)
DuB.wEasEl
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My tercel:: 83 4wd Sr5
Location: Sequim, WA

Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by DuB.wEasEl »

Surf here rocks.. PVT points everywhere... The ultimate "seek and ye shall find"
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83 Tercel SR5
81 Isuzu I-mark, Diesel (42mpg on used motor oil, tranny fluid, fry oil, way oil...)
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Mattel
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My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by Mattel »

Thanks for the kind offer Petros, It feels like a long time till then but. I need things to look forward to and since joining this forum I've really been interested in getting to North America. Not only for the spectacular scenery but also because of all the folks here on the forum have I guess changed a few assumptions I had about America (I guess we only hear about the worsd things of most countries). Be great to meet up!

If it looks like happening I'll be in touch and if there are some other members that would like to do part of the trip that could be fun as well!

Dub. those beachies look excellent. I'm an hour away from Bells Beach so I get to surf that a bit although it is to crowded most of the time. water about 15degrees c here. I'm thinking yours would be even cooler? cheers!
Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
88 Corolla 4wd Wagon 5speed, All power options, Fact Sunroof, Diff Lock, 14" SX Alloys, Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, Tow Bar, 210,000kms
DuB.wEasEl
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Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by DuB.wEasEl »

5.4.3 rubber in winter, 3mm gloves and 7mm boots! warmest I have surfed is 62F (15,16), most of the time just below 50F(9,10). Summer you can get away with 4.3 on warm days, but booties always or you cant walk after your sesh..
83 Tercel SR5
81 Isuzu I-mark, Diesel (42mpg on used motor oil, tranny fluid, fry oil, way oil...)
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Mattel
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My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by Mattel »

ouch - that would thin out the crowds a little!, some of my friends have surfed in Norway, sounds very similar! Does the swell decrease much in Summer like it does here? T4wd. prob one of the best surf wagons ever!
Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
88 Corolla 4wd Wagon 5speed, All power options, Fact Sunroof, Diff Lock, 14" SX Alloys, Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, Tow Bar, 210,000kms
DuB.wEasEl
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Location: Sequim, WA

Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by DuB.wEasEl »

Hit and miss in the summer..we do get some nice 1-2ft 18-25 sec goodness about twice a month.
83 Tercel SR5
81 Isuzu I-mark, Diesel (42mpg on used motor oil, tranny fluid, fry oil, way oil...)
North of 64
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My tercel:: "Bones" 87 SR5 4wd wagon
Location: Dawson City, Yukon

Re: Road Trip! T4wd Recovery for North of 64

Post by North of 64 »

I am back home in Dawson City, Yukon with Bones.

Just did a Google Map of the route "Bones" took from the seller Adam in Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska beginning June 18th, through to Larry McGraths place in Montana to Petros place in Arlington, Washington to the PNW Tercel meet in Lake Godwin up to my arrival home on July 5th and the grand total mileage is 4103 miles plus another 50 miles of running around. More mileage driven in 16 days than the previous owners put on in the last two years.

On his 2000 mile roadtrip from Omaha, Nebraska to Arlington, WA Petros had come up with an extensive list of items the Tercel needed. Everything from the major; the 4wd doesn't work to the very minor; missing cover on the dome light. I'm happy to report that we knocked off every fix on his list and then some. Bones may not look like much from the outside but barring a mishap, she should last for years

June 26th, 2012 - Roadtrip to Yukon Day 1
Petros and I parted ways in Arlington about 9:30 am with both of us feeling like Bones was road ready. I usually make the first day of any roadtrip a fairly short one, sometimes just an hour or two away from my departure point. That gives me a chance to check out the car and make sure that I haven't left anything critical (like my passport or wallet) behind. By 11:30 am I was at Blaine, WA doing the export/import paperwork and back on the road headed North by 12:15. Anyone that doesn't consult and follow the explicit online vehicle export instructions deserves any border grief they experience.

Choosing a route that avoided the congested areas as much as possible kept my stress level to a minimum. Though born, raised and learned to drive in cities, my last 20 years have been lived in a town without a single traffic light so it takes some miles for me to get my city driving face on.

I was happy to be on Hwy 1 driving through the Fraser Canyon on roads familiar to me. It was stunning to see all waterways and especially the Fraser River so swollen. Many years ago my sister guided for Kumsheen Rafting in the Fraser Canyon and I got to go along for the exciting and wet ride.

This drive brought back some really nice memories of that trip and of later trips spent combing areas further north in search of the elusive Matsutaki mushroom and of days when we couldn't find mushrooms to sell and had to cut and sell Salal for gas money. We abused a little 70s or 80s vintage Subaru 4wd wagon in those days and had many mechanical issues with it as I recall or maybe they were issues because we had so little money to put into the car. Most of those stories you hear about making big money picking mushrooms are pure myth. However it is a great way to spend a couple of bush weeks in the fall and one day I'll take my son mushroom picking.

I stopped at a scenic pullout near Lytton for a stretch. Much as I love my Tercels I won't pretend that they're comfy on a long drive. The weather was lovely with clear skies and a warm breeze and I took this opportunity to install the rear speaker components I "picked and pulled" from an 85 SR5 in Arlington. That 85 supplied many of the parts Petros and I replaced over the previous three days including the last mud flap. Petros made sure I had a complete toolkit before I left and from home I had packed a tire pressure gauge, multi-bit screwdriver and my don't leave home without them baby vice grips, so roadside adjustments/repairs were covered at least tool-wise. I also repacked the car, flopped down the seats and rolled out my sleeping bag and foamy in preparation for sleep. I had invested more money into Bones than I had expected to, so sleeping in the Tercel would help recoup some of the additional and very worthwhile expenses.

However when I gassed up in Cache Creek about 8:30 that evening I learned that a clean, safe bed could be had for $60. No Tercel sleep for me that night! The proprietors at the Good Knight Inn gave me the seldom-used wheelchair accessible room away from the highway and overlooking a small but fast flowing river. I forget that I am and look like a middle aged woman and after eleven hours in a Tercel, I probably looked crippled as I walked to the Front Desk. I took a long hot shower, logged onto this forum, texted Petros who would be worried about Bones if not me and called it a very good night.
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