We have lost one of our own.

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
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Mattel
Highest Ranking Member
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: We have lost one of our own.

Post by Mattel »

I wish there was a way we could express to his family what he meant to us all. Like our cars. Tom was reliable, solid, thrifty, colourful and sometimes a little temperamental. Your photo of him Chris showed that he looked exactly like I imagined he would.
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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LowBuckCanuck
Top Notch Member
Posts: 395
Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2017 12:32 am
My tercel:: 1986 DLX 4wd Wagon "Jenny"

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by LowBuckCanuck »

Saddening to hear. Tom was always a great help in my (relatively brief) time on this forum.
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NWMO
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1615
Joined: Wed May 20, 2015 1:08 pm

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by NWMO »

Mattel,

Tom’s daughter contacted me via his email and I provided her with a link to this post, hoping to let them know what Tom meant to us all. I can’t say if she has used it, but she does have it.

Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
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ARCHINSTL
Goldie Forever
Posts: 6369
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:52 pm
My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
Location: Kirkwood, a 'burb of St. Louis

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Hello all! This is Tom's daughter Molly. It is so nice to see your kind word about my dad. He certainly loved his Goldie. My cousin Matt will be taking Goldie, per my dad's wishes - I'm not sure if he is going to keep her, or sell her, But apparently my dad gave him all the information for this site.

Interestingly enough, my daughter came out of work on Wednesday night, and sitting right out side her work was another gold Toyota Tercel. Looked just like Goldie (without his homemade political bumper stickers). Just another sign he is still watching out for all of us!
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
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NWMO
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1615
Joined: Wed May 20, 2015 1:08 pm

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by NWMO »

Thank you very much for sharing Molly, may your family find comfort in these difficult times.

Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
larry mcgrath
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 606
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:23 pm
My tercel:: 83 tercel v20 B/T (The ROCKET)98 toyota t100
Location: Wilds of Montana

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by larry mcgrath »

Sad to hear of his passing his imput to the forum will be greatly missed. Larry
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Petros
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Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by Petros »

I am already missing his presence on this forum. I do not think it will be the same without him.
'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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NWMO
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1615
Joined: Wed May 20, 2015 1:08 pm

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by NWMO »

Without a doubt, Tom was a jewel. While he hasn’t posted yet, Tom’s nephew (and new owner of “Goldie”) is now a member.

Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
SpaceyPuppy
Newbie
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue May 20, 2014 4:24 am
My tercel:: 1984 Toyota Tercel DLX 4WD Wagon, white
Location: Australia

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by SpaceyPuppy »

I'm shocked to read of Tom's sudden passing. While I never spoke to him personally, I found much wisdom and knowledge from his countless posts on this forum which have helped me keep my Tercel going.

For such a tight community as T4WD, his presence will be missed. His legacy will carry on through his posts and invaluable knowledge and humour.
My car:
1984 Toyota Tercel DLX 4WD Wagon
Plans:
FIND A NEW DOOR. :x
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Yaut
Top Notch Member
Posts: 120
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2019 5:34 pm
My tercel:: 1985 Toyota Tercel 4WD automatic, lifted 1.5", 15 inch wheels

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by Yaut »

I'm sorry to hear this. I have been off the forums for quite some time. He was very knowledgeable and very helpful.
'88 Toyota Tercel SR5 4WD (red)
'87 Toyota Tercel DLX 4WD (white)
'86 Toyota Tercel DLX 4WD (white)
'85 Toyota Tercel DLX 4WD (tan)
'85 Toyota Tercel DLX 4WD (white)
'85 Toyota Tercel SR5 4WD (white)
'84 Toyota Tercel SR5 4WD (dark orange)
Matt_M3
Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2019 8:26 am
My tercel:: 1986 Toyota Tercel 4WD "Goldie"

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by Matt_M3 »

Tercel4wd community. Tom Maher (ARCHINSTL) is my beloved uncle. My cousin Molly (Tom's daughter) shared the news of his passing as it caught his family very much by surprise. Reading all of your comments about how much he meant to all of you is easing thought that he will not be with us. His memorial service will be in St. Louis on 7/2 if any of you should be in the area. Uncle Tom meant a ton to me as he taught me how to drive a stick, gave me my first job at his bike shop, shuttled me to BMX races and always one of my biggest supporters and ignited my passion of cars. I will certainly miss him, but he will live on with me as he gractiously gifted me Goldie. She is now safe with me in Atlanta in my warehouse and just got a bath and cleaning since Tom had not been driving her daily for a few months. I have had so much fun exploring all the modifications and advice this board shared with him to keep her on the road. I have not laid out a long term plan for Goldie other than basic maintenance, but she is being kept next to some spiritual cousins like my Defender 110, K5 Blazer and a few odd ball cars that I have adopted over the years. I would welcome any advice and feedback on Goldie. Please share and thank you for all the kind comments about my Uncle! Rest in Peace
Hteverow
Member
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 3:35 pm
My tercel:: 1986 SR5
Location: Maine

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by Hteverow »

Hi Matt, it's nice to see Tom's family on the forum even though he's not anymore. First of all, I'm sorry to hear the news. I can't claim any connection to Tom, but he contributed hugely to this forum in a truly wonderful, erudite, and warm manner, and I learned a lot from his posts and admired the way he used his brain. I'm glad to hear that Goldie will continue to be treasured. The best advice I can give you is to search the forums and follow your uncle's advice when you've encountered a problem--and to make sure Goldie will continue to be driven and enjoyed! I hope you and your family are holding together. Rest in peace, Tom.
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NWMO
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Posts: 1615
Joined: Wed May 20, 2015 1:08 pm

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by NWMO »

Hey Matt,

With the memorial service on a Tuesday I am sure I won't make it, but I will be thinking of your family. I placed the front engine cover behind the front seats not long ago. I don't know if Tom had the bolts that hold it in place or not, but if you lie down in front of the car and hold the cover up, it will be clear where the bolts are needed. He had the habit of saying difficult to find parts were made of "unobtanium" :lol: and had wanted the front cover for some time. He will be missed. We look forward to getting to know you.

Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
tercel4wdrules
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1201
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 11:23 pm
My tercel:: None
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by tercel4wdrules »

I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of such a prominent member of the forum. Although I never met him in person, he had such a warm persona and we exchanged correspondence electronically. I was hopeful that one day we could cross paths in person if I was ever in that part of the country. Those that have been on this forum from the beginning would know his massive contribution to this site was a great gift he bestowed upon us. Rest in peace, Tom, you will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family.
2015 Honda Fit EX "Malachi"
2001 Toyota Corolla CE "Eugene"
hberdan
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 522
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2005 8:46 pm
My tercel:: Sold my 1987 Tercel Dlx 4x4 Wagon but miss driving it everyday. I don't miss working on it, though.
Location: Colorado!

Re: We have lost one of our own.

Post by hberdan »

I do not check in very frequently, but had a chance to view the forum today, and am sad to hear of his passing. Like many others here, I communicated directly with Tom on more than one occasion; he was always friendly and helpful.
"I'm high on the real thing: Powerful gasoline, a clean windshield, and a shoeshine."
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