AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

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Mattel
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AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by Mattel »

I love point number two about people accidently leaving the Tercels in 4wd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgNugsFRCSE
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by helipilot77 »

they lied when they tested it on the greased slope and said the Tercel couldn't drive up the hill because it had a center differential. but you could clearly see smoke pouring out from the front passenger tire.
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Mattel
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by Mattel »

Yeah. I couldn't work out what the narrator was saying about the tercel sending all it's power to the wheel with the less grip. Tercel had a lot more grease and who knows about the tyres and it seems like they really revved it up and dumped the clutch
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ARCHINSTL
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Now, this might sound dumb, but understand my ignorance about the myriad of 4WD systems...
In our cars, given the test in the video - why didn't all 4 wheels spin, with the front two eventually hauling the car up the slope, even with the rears spinning?
I thought (cut me some slack here) that with the "unsophisticated" system we have, all 4 wheels would spin at the same time (if all 4 are pointed straight ahead).
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by timothygodden »

Our cars have open diffs power follows the path of least resistance hence the passenger wheel burn out due to the drivers weight. However we have no central diff which means power is applied evenly to the front and rear diffs and the spin the wheels accordingly, all thing being equal all the wheels would spin together but real world conditions don't usually allow that. The drive obviously did a hard roll back, dumped the clutch and punched it, and they were not using EL.
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by Mattel »

There was a lot more grease on the track when the Tercel was on the ramp as well.
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by oldfaithful »

Yeppers! That ad was so wrong about the Tercel, I've had mine on solid ice with either just the back wheels or just the front wheels and it drove away like they were all on dry pavement, and another thing how often do you see an Eagle 4WD on the road compared to the good old Reliable Terc, if memory servese correctley, those AMC's where a nightmare with mechanical problems,so I think the Old Turtle can DANCE CIRCLES around the competition, not the other way like the ad says. :lol:
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by Petros »

still lots of 4wd Tercels on the road, AMC eagles? Not so much.

Tercel also got much better fuel economy, and will likely get you to your destination, the Eagle will leave you walking half the time. Tercel4wd actually has more room inside, cargo and passenger.

And if this car was so superior, where is AMC today? Toyota only has become the largest car maker in the world. AMC, zippo.

It was this kind of false comparisons and deceptive marketing why AMC, Chrysler and all of the US makers have no credibility, and are always wanting government bail outs when no one wants to buy their crap. No one trusts the US makers. The number one and two best selling cars in the USA today? Toyota Camary and Honda Accord, best selling truck: toyota.
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by Mattel »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feat ... yte9Qdn5og Reminds me of this propoganda / sales video for Subaru Australia in 1985. skip to 12:12 to see the Tercel comparison. Looks like the Tercel had car tyres and they dumped the clutch again to promote wheel spin
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by oldfaithful »

AMC =All Most a Car
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by NWMO »

Hey all,

I thought the Subaru add was reasonably praising the Tercel, though they prefer their rig. They also pointed out the Subaru did not have an EL as it was primarily NOT an off-road vehicle. Not sure about the spin out on wet grass?

I don't follow the AMC ad as well. I would expect 2WD mode to pull the car right up unless it was hecka steeper than it looked. Doesn't seem like a burn out would be necessary.

While the AMC has gone the way of the dinasaur, there appears to be an active group of folks similar to us still driving the Subarus.

Chris
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Mattel
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by Mattel »

I think the Subaru one was pretty funny, he deliberately dumps the clutch with road tyres on both the grass and in the creek. rather than mud tyres and then he says about the Tercel that 'its a fair bit taller' and then that he feels a bit unsafe. what a load of rubbish I think the other video in that series shows him drowning a subaru in the same creek. and then pushing it out in his underwear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReiOmtL45hU
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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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by Petros »

notice also that they allowed the Tercel to roll back so the front tires were on the steep part of the ramp, the AMC tires stay up on the flat. Clearly they cheated, they need to have the cars starting the climb from the same position. The Tercel is way lighter and has much lower gearing with the extra low, it should have climbed right out onto the level part of the pavement, but instead they allowed it roll backwards down the ramp before they applied power to the wheels.

The comparison is bogus, and one reason why AMC no longer exists. once the customer buys their products, they learn very quickly their advertising was false, and tell everyone they know. Sales sink and soon everyone at AMC, including the cheaters that make their advertising, are unemployed. Meanwhile, Toyota is at an all time high for employment, including in the US plants where they make toytas.
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Re: AMC Dealers 1985 comparison test. Eagle vs. Tercel

Post by The Professor »

NWMO wrote:While the AMC has gone the way of the dinasaur, there appears to be an active group of folks similar to us still driving the Subarus.

Chris
There sure is! I'm not sure what the sales numbers were for the Tercel vs. Subarus of a similar vintage, but between the USMB and a handful of Facebook pages, there is a fairly thriving community. We even have an old-school-based car show that has been running for nearly 20-years-old at this point. Heck, we even have an "aftermarket" for our cars that ebbs and flows. At one point not too long ago there were two different companies making custom wheels in our goofy 4x140 mm lug pattern!
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