My first Tercel

[tercel_iceland]

Greetings from Iceland..

I've been browsing the site for a while now but this is my first post.

I just bought my first Tercel 4wd. It's a 1.5l '87,has an electric sunroof and not much more.. Well, less is more I've had it for about a month now and I think this car kicks ass! I haven't gone much off-road but I've explored its rallying capabilities well So far nothing has broken down, a big step up for me (used to have a BMW), even though it has seen some brutal driving.

I don't have any real plans but a few ideas for it that might be fun to do. First, it's a bit rusty. Nothing serious but enough for me to be considering painting the whole lot with the same stuff they use on land movers and payloaders (that stuff lasts for aeons) and in bright yellow Maybe some new wheels. I saw some 14" aluminum rims but when I called the guy they were sold.

But the biggest dream of all is an engine swap. I've heard that all a engines will "fit" and what I want to do is get a 7afe engine and put a 4age head on it. But I wonder: will the swap be a big problem, the 7a being transversal and all. Is there anything else to be worried about then the motor mounts? Will the engine fit on the gearbox? I read that the clutch and flywheel are a bit different.

I'm guessing you want pics but I don't have any at the moment but I can fix that when I feel like it

[MootsMan]

Welcome !! Tercel4wd.com has become quite international !! It's cool meeting and getting to know guys from all over the world that own and drive these cars.

So how cold is it there at different times of the year ?? and how does the Tercel perform during extreme cold ??

[tercel_iceland]

It can get pretty cold, maybe -15°C (5°F). I haven't had it long enough to see such cold weather but from what I hear from other Tercel owners, it should never fail to start and run. I'm also told it is one of the most fun cars to drive on snow

[dcn]

-15C? We get that here when it's cold out. The only thing I notice in cold temps like that is the battery seems a little sluggish, and I drive sorta gently till the temp gauge gets moving up. The car takes its gas fine and stuff. It's business as usual for me Moots. I use a block heater when I can also.

Welcome to the boards tercel_iceland!

[Mickey_D]

Don't worry about the cold. Mine was the ONLY car to start out of 20 or so in the parking lot when the temps hit -40. I ended up jump starting several others and giving those we couldn't get running a ride home. I didn't get too many derogatory comments about my little rusty turtle after that!!

And yes, they are an absolute BLAST to drive on the slippery white stuff. Rather weird though as they will understeer with the gas applied, but oversteer on deceleration.

[GTSSportCoupe]

My old fwd 3AC tercel was able to start at -35C (-30F) with out too much trouble. It did protest a bit, and wanted to warm up before going anywhere though. The weber I have on my current tercel doesn't do as well in cold weather. It'll start, but it takes a few tries.

[tercel_iceland]

Like I thought; our Canadian friends have seen A LOT more cold than I ever have.