84 SR5 in Colorado

[Jarf]

Victory Motors, Longmount CO

These guys have what looks to be a cherry 84 SR5, any chance we have someone in the group near by that could check it out?
Or know anything about the dealer?
Certainly priced high but if it is as nice as it looks….

I have seen so many lumps for sale lately it just isn't funny.
If I knew how to post links I would put some up just for a laugh.

05 subie wrx, best of everything, mint condition, low mileage, no rust only $5K (note: engine is blown)
04 Outback, loaded, 300K As Is $4000 , (note: typical subie rust)

Toasted engines seem to be the norm, something about a timing belt and 24 interference valves not too mention head gaskets galore.
Typical subie rust would seem to indicate any hole you can't put your fist quite into.
Argh
Took a 5hr round trip to see a low mile Suzy esteem wagon, hardly a replacement but, was billed as low mileage and rust free.
About all I can say is the instrument pack definitely displayed the advertised mileage of 155K, to bathe chassis was about 4x that.
Oh and the no rust part, that was best, I could only put 3 fingers into the hole in the LS rocker.
Dude says "oh, THAT" that's no big deal, wtf, good thing handguns are illegal up here!

So if we have boots on the ground in Colorado that can check it out, I may just have to catch a plane before the snow flies.

[BrownBadger]

Heres a link http://www.victorymotorsofcolorado.net/ ... tails.aspx

Price doesnt seem too high if it is as nice as it looks.

[Jarf]

Thanks BB

Dealership was closed by the time I saw the ad or would have already called.
Agreed, price is fair if its as nice as depicted.

Some burns in the pass seat and dents/dings all about but it certainly looks to be the cleanest one I've seen in a long time.
Clear burned off the roof seems common, but sure is a lot easier to deal with than rust.
Some underside shots would be nice.

Having someone do a recky would be even better, I'm willing to compensate accordingly, of course.
I would have to fly out ($500+), then beetle back 2500km in 2 long days of driving, I'd really like to be sure that it's the real deal and not just another pig in a poke.
If you know what I mean.

[irowiki]

wow she's a beauty!

[garyfish]

woah... VERY nice

[Jarf]

Got some more pics and it looks nice, a few issues here and there but nothing crazy.
Up here, these things would need attention right away, down there it'll probably last the way it is for years to come.
But being as I have no way to verify the mechanicals over the phone it makes it a tough call.

Someone should save it though.

[dlb]

looks like longmont is a suburb of denver, CO. there are several active forum members in CO but i'm not exactly sure where they are, and they don't check in that often so i wouldn't count on them seeing this thread. i believe highlander and hberdan are both from CO and have been on the forum for years so you might try pm'ing them. maybe try littered4wd even though he hasn't been on the forum in a quite a while.

good luck, the car looks really nice.

[irowiki]

It's like six hours from me, but I'm booked full atm.

[Jarf]

Thanks for the thought but given current circumstances it just doesn't make sense.

Got several shipping quotes back and while $1500 sounds reasonable, there are "additional" costs that kick the total up to $2200.
That number would exclude any duties that may be levied but does cover things like "customs broker fee" and AC surcharge...

Flying down is also out of the question as I would have to take my kid with me, so double the airfare.
While it would eliminate most but not all fees at the border, theres still $200 in fuel and food for 2 for 3 days.
I'd still be well into $1600, assuming of course, that absolutely nothing goes wrong.

Somehow, sinking $5-6K into a 30yr old car that while nice, isn't perfect, just isn't adding up for me.

[irowiki]

Oh I meant booked full of tercels so I can't buy it, but I could have gone up to see it.

[84sr54wd]

I just thought everyone would like to know, I bought this car from Victory in CO this week. I am so excited and cannot wait for it to be delivered. I live in Virginia a couple hours South of Washington DC. The story is that I am now 36 years old and my father bought one of these same cars bran new when I was 6 years old in 1984. My mother had the copper colored little 1983 tercel hatchback automatic. When I turned 16, my dad gave me his '84 tercel 4wd wagon and it was my first car ever...and I drove it for a bit less than 2 years before getting a bran new 1995 Jeep Cherokee Sport to go off to college with (which I still have in my collection and it is in mint condition). The '84 tercel 4wd wagon was sold by my father in 1995 for 2k to a local buyer. I wish I knew what became of it. I loved that little car, it was an awesome vehicle and I have so many good memories with it. Ours was in the family for at least 12 years. I have always been casually looking for another as I now own a 9 soon to be 10 car collection...and have thought how cool it would be to get my hands on another excellent example of this car to cherish. I found this one in Colorado and had to have it. Did a lot of thinking and logistic examination and long story short, bought it 3 days ago. I am beyond excited about it as I feel I have been able to find one of the last of the best examples of this car left out there today. I cannot wait to clean her all up, fix anything that needs some work and go for a nostalgic cruise. It will be stored indoors only and will be well taken care of. Looks to me like the paint and body are so good that it would be a crime to paint it and undo the originality of it...especially since it's new home will be indoors only.

From the pics of it that I have careful examined about 100 times over (LOL), it appears that the rear deck board / package tray is missing. I am already getting prepared to have to make one or try to locate one (next to impossible). I am presently talking to another forum member about the specs to make one. I am going to rely on some of you guys for help once I get it and need information from those of you that own one of these rare birds. Hope you all enjoy the story!

[ARCHINSTL]

WAY TO GO! And - Welcome to the Club!
Have you read the story of Bryan Thompson and his finding the exact T4WD that his family had when HE was a little kid? Check it out here! https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5528

As in my profile, I had the first T4WD in STL back in late '82; when my daughter occasionally rides in "Goldie" now, she often says it reminds her of all of the long trips we took in "Whitie" going to bicycle races all over the Midwest from '82 until '85.

As to finding a luggage cover - have you thought about putting out a "looking for" post on eBay or Craigslist (that may not be the correct topic title, but you get the point)?
While a real long shot - talk to your local Toy dealer; who knows, maybe there is still one kicking around in a warehouse somewhere. We have several Parts catalogs kicking around on the site for correct numbers.
Tom M.

[84sr54wd]

Tom, that is an awesome story.....I'd just love to know where my 84 from all those years ago is now. I'd even love to go see it if in a salvage yard somewhere nearby. For all I know, it could be behind someones barn 10 minutes from where i currently live since i am in the same area as I was in 1995. I will check that story you told me out when I get back from lunch. I will def. be hanging out on the forum....I'm beyond excited....cannot wait to see an 18 wheeler pull up in front of my house with this 84 SR5 on board meeting her new owner and her new home. Very sentimental about it.

[ARCHINSTL]

Some states maintain title records from long, long, ago.
Oddly, troglodyte Missouri does. I enquired of the MO Dept. of Revenue a few years ago (to list it on our VIN Thread) and it came up with the VIN number - but nothing else as to Whitie's fate after me (in '85).
You might check VA's similar licensing department - and even your County's tax base. If you don't know the VIN, check with whichever insurance company you last used - they keep info forever.
Where are you located in VA?
Tom M.

[Petros]

unfortunately the fate of many econo-boxes from the '80's is that most of them have been to the wrecking yard, and than to the crusher, and recycled into something else many years ago. They can either rust out, or get wrecked past the point is not worth fixing at all, the scrap metal it represents is worth more to the owner than the value of the car, or sometimes even the parts on it. Many wrecking yards do not keep them very long because the demand for parts is so small for cars that old. They may become collectable at some point, but that has not occured yet. though very nice examples with rare low miles have been going for remarkable sums, one pristine example with only 30-something thousand original miles sold on E-bay for $10,800 a few years ago. Still not in the "collectable" catagory, which means there is no profit in restoring them for resale, but they may reach that point some time, when replacement parts are impossible to get. I have rebuilt mine several times over, and have done it for others, but that is because we happen to like this car enough to do it.