Most famous Tercel 4wd driver?

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Mattel
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My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Most famous Tercel 4wd driver?

Post by Mattel »

From below. Cycling Champion Eddy Merckx drove one and it is currently being restored in Belgium.

Other famous people I can think of is Bob Moog the music synthesiser inventor and Stephen Bradbury (the winner of Australia's first Winter Olympics Gold medal winner).

from the UK Toyota site @Can you remember the last time you saw a Toyota Tercel 4WD? Yet here are two of these rarities in the same room. The white example was driven by bicycle racer Eddie Merckx in the punishing Tour de Belgique off-road rally and is awaiting restoration, while the brown metallic car is another vehicle originally sold by Holvoet and repurchased for Dominique’s collection.@

https://blog.toyota.co.uk/toyota-people ... -collector

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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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splatterdog
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Re: Most famous Tercel 4wd driver?

Post by splatterdog »

Good question, and you probably covered it. The awesomeness of these cars stealthily flies under most people's radar, for sure anyone famous by today's standards. Anyone else "famous" that owned a T4 probably cured a disease or invented something useful. A quick search only reveals this post. Maybe someone else with notoriety had one before they hit the big time. I would say there's a good chance they look back at their old s***box fondly. Owner satisfaction usually runs very high with these..
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: Most famous Tercel 4wd driver?

Post by Petros »

Eddy Merckx is a legend in the cycling world, he now has a line of famous and expensive racing bicycles, and a whole line of clothing and accessories. many of the records he set as a racer many decades ago still stand to this day. Every year they speculate if the current up and coming young racer "will break Merckx record". so far, no one was even close. he has super powers.

That white T4wd appears to be getting new paint, with masking on the door trim. it also appears to have a "real race car" hood attachment, for clip pins. wonder if the engine is modified, and how.
'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)
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Mattel
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Posts: 1788
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:11 am
My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Most famous Tercel 4wd driver?

Post by Mattel »

Petros. That is true. Merckx is revered in cycling circles especially in Europe. I've been lucky to meet Australia's winner of the Tour De France Cadel Evans while surfing.
Splatterdog. You are correct I believe. most of the owners are more engineering and practical and fly under the radar and are not out for fame but it seems that these cars do touch people who have had one. I always like to hear the anecdotes of past owners of our cars.
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
User avatar
Mattel
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Posts: 1788
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:11 am
My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Most famous Tercel 4wd driver?

Post by Mattel »

Image

Here's Bob Moog. Looked like he had a 2wd wagon. I learnt about him from listening to the Beastie Boys when I was young.
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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splatterdog
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Re: Most famous Tercel 4wd driver?

Post by splatterdog »

I did get a very tiny touch of fame out on the frozen lakes with the Icehawk this winter. When I wasn't scouting quiet areas fellow ice anglers had to check it out and almost every snowmobile passing by did a double take with some stopping for a pic. Hopefully that's the closest to paparazzi I ever get!
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Most famous Tercel 4wd driver?

Post by Petros »

I saw a picture of climbing legend and founder of Patagonia outer wear, Yvon Chouinard at his home in Wyoming. there was a corrolla all track parked in front of the home. a picture made it on to our forum here:

viewtopic.php?t=14108


he seems to like toyota, here he is with a Toyota wagon he coverted to be an electric vehicle, looks remarkably like a Tercel:

Image
'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)
Erikwi
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My tercel:: 1988 stock auto
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Re: Most famous Tercel 4wd driver?

Post by Erikwi »

lead acid batteries? why? seems like such a terrible impractical way to do it.
you spend so much time and money engineering something to go electric then use lead acid?
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: Most famous Tercel 4wd driver?

Post by Petros »

Erikwi wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 4:58 pm lead acid batteries? why? seems like such a terrible impractical way to do it.
you spend so much time and money engineering something to go electric then use lead acid?
that picture was from the '80's I think, it was the available technology at the time. High tech batteries were rare and costly than. it was questionable economics than, and now, you had to add 1000 lbs worth of batteries to get 100 mile range on a warm day.


and it is not really "zero emissions" as they falsely market electric cars. it just means the fuel being burned to power the car is done in a remote power plant rather than under the hood. a battery is a storage device, it does not make the power that drives the car.

I think he was experimenting with off the shelf technology to explore the feasablity of it. And perhaps virtue signaling before it became a social trend.
'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)
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