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3A-C Power · Post by **3A-C Power** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 8:03 am

Yeah, I'm a deserter...
I got a 92 Corolla All-Trac SR5 this weekend. It's in very good shape with very little rust and it looks and drives fantastic.

It's nice to drive a car that just shifts into every gear - shifting is more just a matter of repositioning the shift lever - and does not need a carb rebuild because it doesn't have a carb.

However: on a car to car level, comparing both cars of equal condition, the Tercel is better. The size and shape are more practical and the Tercel seems to have more room inside even though it's smaller.

The Corolla is an SR5 and has power everything, and sure enough it already needs fixing. The left power mirror and the right front window switch are screwed. Fortunately this is a quick and easy junkyard replacement.

It drives very smooth and fast, in fact, it's hard not to go fast when you're used to the Tercel. You only notice from looking at the speedometer, because it doesn't get louder or more unstable.

For all the luxury you pay a price in fuel mileage - that is if your Tercel was running right. I was pushing 36 mpg in my Tercel, and now I'm down to 27 in the Corolla's first tank. That was going 120 average over country roads on my way back from Ottawa to Toronto. I hope that speed was a big factor and when I go down to 95 as usual, I can at least break 30 mpg.

The full-time 4WD is another downfall - it sucks mileage all the time while the open centre diff makes sure the traction isn't that much better. If it's going to use this system, it should at least have an LSD centre diff to make it worthwhile. I'm thinking of taking the rear driveshaft off and running with the centre diff locked (it's electronic on the Corolla) for pure FWD, just to see what effect it has on mileage. Maybe there's a way to replace the centre diff with a transfer hub.

I'm still looking for a mint 83-88 Tercel wagon. With the $3250 the corolla cost, I could have probably made the trip down south and bought one, but the corolla was available here and now, and I was tempted. That grey 2-tone wagon that sold on ebay a few weeks ago was nice - if I'd have known about the tranny failure then, I might have sprung for it.

jetswim · Post by **jetswim** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 8:21 am

Congrats on the new car. I was just looking in the TRI-AD and saw a few all-tracs for under $2000 so I was wondering how they differ. I'm lucky my Tercel has not given me any problems yet besides a leaky gas tank/filler spout!(knock on wood) I'm surprised to here that there is more room in a Tercel as the all-trac looks bigger to me. After owning one car from the 90's I'm never leaving the 80's cars again.

3A-C Power · Post by **3A-C Power** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 8:56 am

My corolla was in the tri-ad. It's the one that says "SR5 1992 Toyota Corolla 4WD 5-Speed rust proofed since new..." from Ottawa.

GTSSportCoupe · Post by **GTSSportCoupe** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 9:25 am

Congratulations!! That is awesome! I really like those cars.

I've heard it rumored that Cusco makes an LSD that you can put in the centre diff of your AE95...if you want to spend $900+ and have full time awd that is.

Can you post pics of the car?

3A-C Power · Post by **3A-C Power** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 9:42 am

I wouldn't spend $900 on a centre diff but maybe if there was a used one.
What I really want is the 6 speed tranny from those ae115 Sprinter Carib wagons. The blacktop engine that goes with it would really suck gas but I want that tranny. The all-trac has lower ratios than the regular ae92. In fact they're lower than the AL25. Maybe its just the differential gearing and I could switch it to improve mileage.

If you find me a mint Tercel wagon on vancouver island maybe we can do a trade. Don't get me wrong I love the all-trac, but if I could choose just one car, I'd settle for a Webered or Suzuki EFI'd 3A-C Tercel with a rebuilt tranny.

There's a custom tranny shop near where I live that would be willing to look at the Z54 tranny. These guys build race trannies and stuff - I mean they make their own gears and shafts and engagement mechanisms. They make a kit for the AE86. I'd like to send them one of my dead Z54F's and have them quote whatever they think is necessary to make it good.

GTSSportCoupe · Post by **GTSSportCoupe** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:46 am

3A-C Power wrote: I wouldn't spend $900 on a centre diff but maybe if there was a used one.
What I really want is the 6 speed tranny from those ae115 Sprinter Carib wagons. The blacktop engine that goes with it would really suck gas but I want that tranny. The all-trac has lower ratios than the regular ae92. In fact they're lower than the AL25. Maybe its just the differential gearing and I could switch it to improve mileage.

If you find me a mint Tercel wagon on vancouver island maybe we can do a trade. Don't get me wrong I love the all-trac, but if I could choose just one car, I'd settle for a Webered or Suzuki EFI'd 3A-C Tercel with a rebuilt tranny.

There's a custom tranny shop near where I live that would be willing to look at the Z54 tranny. These guys build race trannies and stuff - I mean they make their own gears and shafts and engagement mechanisms. They make a kit for the AE86. I'd like to send them one of my dead Z54F's and have them quote whatever they think is necessary to make it good.

I see lots in excellent shape here, but rarely do they come up for sale. And when the good ones do come up for sale, they are pricey (like around $3000 CAD). I will start keeping an eye out for you though.

Man, you could swap a 20V so easily into your AE95. You could also swap in the 4agze that came in the AE101 GTZ (it has the notch on the block you need).