'The Terrorcel'

Post about yourself, your Tercel, or your Tercel projects in here, share pictures of your Tercel, or post trip threads!
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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: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by Petros »

when the charge light comes on it usually partially illuminates the bake low light. as stated, first check your fan belt. if that is good put a volt meter on the battery, car off, should show 12-13 volts (if battery is good), and after you start the car the voltage should go up to 14 volts. A simple way to test this is to use the head lights, at night turn on the head lights (best if up against a wall or garage door), and than start the car, the lights should get noticably brighter.

If the alternator is not working and it is not the belt, check you have clean contacts on the battery terminals and at the ground strap and all of the battery connections. If that is okay it could be either the alternator or the voltage regulator (if your car has a separate voltage regulator). time to replace one or the other, most parts stores (NAPA, AutoZone, etc) will test your alternator for free, remove it and take it in. Of course you also have several different cars it looks like, you can swap parts out until your light goes out.
'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)
tercelebr8
Top Notch Member
Posts: 110
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 2:02 pm
My tercel:: 83 4ac

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by tercelebr8 »

Shaved the head, it was warped. One of the rings is stuck now... 4ac swap is now underway, engine out of both cars, " junior mint " and " fry sauce " are undergoing extreme surgery...

It will be back, on 15' alloys w the 4ac, and mr2brake booster and brake upgrade!
tercelebr8
Top Notch Member
Posts: 110
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 2:02 pm
My tercel:: 83 4ac

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by tercelebr8 »

4ac has been swapped.
Mr2 brakes just got here.
Im taking a sporty direction.. It has been decided. Don't worry petros, I'm not gonna 'slam' it.
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tercelebr8
Top Notch Member
Posts: 110
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 2:02 pm
My tercel:: 83 4ac

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by tercelebr8 »

Got some Mini Cooper wheels on! 205/17 r40s..

300$ for wheels and brand new tires!

What do u all think? I like the looks for sure...
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jessy
Member
Posts: 28
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2014 4:47 pm
My tercel:: 84 sr5 weber carb AKA the "weed wagon"

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by jessy »

I have a weber carb on my 84 sr5 and as of a day ago I got 35.08 MPG 60/40 free way / in town start and stop, but I wood like to drive cheaper (of corse)
nash fuel has duel fuel kits for 20r's but ther web site clames that they work on the weber 32/36's (wich is what i have on my 84 ) I done the math and the kit wood pay for it's
self in 2000 to 2500 miles so I thank it wood be good to get some time if i have $900 to my name sometime!
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irowiki
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Posts: 3463
Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2013 10:02 am
Location: Farmington, NM

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by irowiki »

Say what?

35 MPG is already really good, you're not going to be able to do much better.
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)

Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!

87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
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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: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by Petros »

kind of an odd place on the forum to discus economy, and as Irowiki pointed out, that is as good as anyone ever gets in Tercel4wd.

You might try an experiment with premium fuel, it may cost less per mile. I have found in mine to run mid grade with the timing advanced a bit. It works something like this: 11 gal of premium might cost $2.20 more to buy, but I get a 33 more miles per tank, which is less than buying another gallon of regular gasoline, so the per mile cost is actually lower. You burn less fuel, put out less emissions, and get better fuel economy to run with the higher grade fuel with the spark advance as far as you can run it without getting ping or pre-ignition. this also means your engine will last longer, less wear and tear on the head gasket and exhaust valves.

when you make the comparison try and use similar diving conditions to gauge if it is worth switching to higher grade fuel. with my current engine configuration I find the mid grade and the premium give about the same economy, but better than regular. So I always fill up with mid grade.
'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)
tercelebr8
Top Notch Member
Posts: 110
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 2:02 pm
My tercel:: 83 4ac

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by tercelebr8 »

Its a fun car, and i am moving to Hawaii... Any reasonable offers i will consider, pm me pls.
4ac swap.. Bye lame 3ac! Sooo much more fun!
New shocks all around, felt a real long true screech around a mountain turn the other day!
Mini wheels almost new tires 205/40/r17 no rub. The business...
Full stereo upgrade w two 6x9s, wired for sub
Complete! All floor mats, everything!
Light rust bubbles beginning; if i don't sell her for the right price, i will take care of it all, w a 4age swap mr2 brakes, the works... And the sleepercel will be born

Rare. I don't know of another of this color besides terceljons?

I will post in the for sale, soon . . . Still driving and loving and potentially regretting letting go.
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dlb
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Posts: 7305
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:03 pm
My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by dlb »

tercelebr8, which island you moving to? we visit kauai every few years.
tercelebr8
Top Notch Member
Posts: 110
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 2:02 pm
My tercel:: 83 4ac

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by tercelebr8 »

Maui.. Paia is the town. I doubt I will actually sell the tercel as well, if I could get the gf to drive stick it would be on a boat so fast.
But we watch a pair of old dogs that are now in Hawaii, oddly enough on the same island that my gf is opening a shop on! We watched them for 6 months while the owner was having them quarantined, and in that period her boss decided to open her second business in Maui! Too strange!
So, to drum up some island interest, I bought a 64 ranchero.. We can island hop, it's an automatic so she can drive(I felt like a real big truck would have been a real big wreck) it's low enough to the ground that the dogs can get in and out, and I'm getting a couple mopeds to throw in the back, and island cruise !

But I'm leavings my toyotas on the mainland as of now.. I need that kind of reliability stateside!
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canoeontheriver
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Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 1:25 pm
My tercel:: 1983 SR5 4wd Wagon
Location: Pineville, Mo

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by canoeontheriver »

Hate to burst your bubble but my son has a 89 Toyota he was getting 30 miles per gallon installed a hydrogen unit He built and is getting 44 miles per gallon on regular gas it really works if it is setup right
A Human Being on the path of Life, Truth, and Love.
Hercel4wd-87
Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:04 pm
My tercel:: 1987 1,5 3a, 4wd manual. Not yet mods

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by Hercel4wd-87 »

Great tercel! Had to take your rocktercel picture for my default screen backgroud. Thanks. Good miles for you and tercel!
terceldude
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 917
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2005 4:04 pm
Location: Wellesley, MA 02481 USA

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by terceldude »

Love it! :) Take good care of it as well! :)
K-Business
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helipilot77
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Posts: 382
Joined: Tue May 03, 2016 9:03 pm
My tercel:: 1984 SR5 wagon
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: 'The Terrorcel'

Post by helipilot77 »

Don't mean to revive your thread and stir up memories but I got myself some 17" Mini Cooper wheels and tires today and thanks to your report, they fit perfectly. Thank you!
. / TOYOTA
./_| |/|/ |]
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