1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

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The Professor
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My tercel:: 1987 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon
Location: Western Washington
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Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overlanding Project

Post by The Professor »

Glad you opted to get the matching spare! Murphy's Law and all that...
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
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AugustusFerdinand
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Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:06 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel SR5

Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overlanding Project

Post by AugustusFerdinand »

Great to see the progress and looking forward to seeing the new shoes on the Terc.

Thanks for the spacer info too, I've got a set of 15x6.5 +43 vintage Enkeis going on my T4WD when she's road ready with intent on shodding them in 205/70/15 Geolanders. Still building the new engine at the moment and it's been too darn cold to work on anything.
1983 Toyota Tercel SR5 - 7AGE swap in progress
señor.tercel4wd
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Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:12 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overlanding Project

Post by señor.tercel4wd »

*UPDATE*

Finally got my '83 Tercel running again after its maiden voyage from Eugene, OR to Los Angeles CA back in October 2019.

The plan was to finish the registration process since it holds an out-of-state salvage title (CHP VIN Inspection, SMOG, Brake & Lamp Inspection) but I had an impromptu knee surgery in December hence the delay. After awakening her from her slumber, I though some maintenance work was in order (suspension, brakes, fluids, & emissions) as well as a few extra mods. I had been stockpiling parts for 7 months so it felt good to finally install everything.


Yakima 1A Rain Gutter Towers and DIY 48" Round bars
This entire setup runs for $350 + taxes & shipping. I decided to just put it together myself finding a decent used set of towers and a hardware store. I found the 4 towers (with SKS locks and key!) on eBay for $68. I bought 10 ft of epoxy covered 3/4" gas pipe at Home Depot for $28 and the had them cut it into two 48" sections. They're pretty stout compared to the Yakima 48" vinyl coated round bars (which run for $100). I removed the stickers, gave the pipes a light sanding with Scotch-Brite General Purpose Scouring Pad, cleaned with rubbing alcohol and then painted them with a Rustoleum textured black rattle can ($5 at Home Depot). The finishing touch was the Yakima end caps from the 86" round bars ($10 from amazon).
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Brake & Lamp Inspection
It was a breeze since I swapped all the incandescent 194, 1156 and 1157 bulbs with LED bulbs (NIGHT AND DAY difference!). I had my dad helped me rebuild brake drums, replace the brake lines and bleed the system. If you go back a few pages, you'll find the parts list and cost breakdown on page 1 of this thread.
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CA Smog
The car didn't have a Catalytic Converter (just a pipe) I ordered the Walker 87171 CARB Cat from RockAuto. It bolts up to the front but is short about 6 inches. My dad and I asked for an estimate and we decided that with that money we would rather just fab something up ourselves with a 90 Flux welder from HF and some 2" x 18" pipe from O'reillys. We took a grinder to the old cat and took off the flanges and I attempted my first weld. No leaks, booger welds and all. I took it to a SMOG shop and she passed on the first try.
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Abra-Cadaver Lift.
Pretty straight forward. All of the components were purchased from RockAuto and the total was about $200:
2x Gabriel Strut Mount (142247)
2x KYB Strut Bellow (SB103)
2x KYB Strut Insert (363037)
2x KYB Shock Absorber (343162)
1x MOOG Coil Spring Set (CC247)
1x MOOG Coil Spring Set (81043)
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Windshield
Ordered one, just waiting on the delivery... Next day turned into a week... (DAMN YOU COVID-19!!!). I went to my local Pick Your Part (Wilmington, California) and went to the windshield installing joint next to it. I paid $125 (installed).
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Last edited by señor.tercel4wd on Thu Sep 24, 2020 12:42 am, edited 5 times in total.
'83 Tercel SR5 Wagon Overland Build Thread >>> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14880
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NWMO
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Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overlanding Project

Post by NWMO »

Looking great Senor!

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."
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BaileySims
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My tercel:: 1983 Tercel SR5 4WD
Location: Texas
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Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overlanding Project

Post by BaileySims »

Did that test pipe come off to replace the cat?
WAGON MAFIA.
Blood, sweat and beers.
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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: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overlanding Project

Post by Mattel »

Did your mechanics love your car? I always get a great reaction with mine when it sometimes goes to the shop to be fixed.
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
señor.tercel4wd
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Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:12 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overlanding Project

Post by señor.tercel4wd »

NWMO wrote: Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:19 pm Looking great Señor!
Thanks NWNO! It's so fun to wrench on an older car. Just need to setup my CHP VIN check appointment. They're SUPER backed up atm because COVID-19. They told me it will be 2-4 weeks out...
BaileySims wrote: Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:23 pm Did that test pipe come off to replace the cat?
BaileySims I took off the pipe to replace it with a CARB legal Cat just to pass SMOG. I intend to swap it back in later to free up some horses.
Mattel wrote: Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:19 pm Did your mechanics love your car? I always get a great reaction with mine when it sometimes goes to the shop to be fixed.
Mattel they did. They couldn't believe it was 4WD and super good on gas. They had never seen one lol
'83 Tercel SR5 Wagon Overland Build Thread >>> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14880
señor.tercel4wd
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Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:12 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overland Build

Post by señor.tercel4wd »

*UPDATE*

I got the windshield a week after that last post but more importantly... I FINALLY GOT PLATES FOR THE CAR! :D

ANTI-RATTLE INTERIOR DASH BEZELS

I pictured myself driving along an interstate with hundreds of miles to go and a squeaky interior. Honestly, the shear thought of it drove me crazy. So I got work! I took a roll of felt tape and a pair of school scissors (safety first) and I cut thin strips. Then I stuck it on all the plastic-on-plastic contact points of the dash bezels (radio, steering column, speedometer, inclinometer, speakers). I still have to hunt down a few more but I ran out of felt tape lol...

Felt Tape
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01 ... UTF8&psc=1
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AUDIO SYSTEM

Technology is one of the things that constantly changing, but for the better. While I'll miss the vibe from the old tape deck, it's not a convenient way to deliver media by today's standard.

I got an Alpine CD Bluetooth head unit and paired it with an small Alpine Power Pack Amp to squeeze as much juice from the new speakers as possible. I didn't want to make new holes, so I went with OEM sized speakers. With that said, sound quality is by no means "OEM". I opted for the Kicker CS series 4" for the front and 5.25" for the rear. This combination produces a more refined sound but honestly, anything would be better than what I had before lol...

I'm very happy with the result. IMO everything blends in well and the new tech doesn't look out of place. I able to tuck the amp directly behind the radio. I zip-tied all the cables to keep everything organized.

Alpine Head Unit CDE-172BT
https://smile.amazon.com/Alpine-CDE-172 ... 217&sr=8-2

Alpine 4-Channel Amp KTP-445A
https://smile.amazon.com/KTP-445A-Alpin ... 555&sr=8-3

KICKER CS Series CSC4 4" Speakers
https://smile.amazon.com/Kicker-46CSC44 ... 543&sr=8-2

KICKER CS Series CSC5 5.25" Speakers
https://smile.amazon.com/Kicker-46CSC54 ... 531&sr=8-1
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LED TURN SIGNAL HARNESS

Let's be real, you're not doing anyone any favors on the road with those 'candle light' incandescent bulbs. LED is the way to go. They're brighter and they draw less juice than your OEM bulbs. WIN.

There is one setback though, hyperflashing. If you just swap your OEM bulbs with your new fancy LED bulbs they are going to blink rapidly. It's safe to leave it like that but if it bugs you (like me) you'll need to create a harness with some Resistors from either Amazon or eBay. Do yourself a favor and don't use the supplied red splicers. They suck. Use heat shrink. Then find a place to mount them because the resistors get super hot. It will melt your plastic panels.

Resistors
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

1156 LED Amber Bulbs
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1
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HEADLAMP CONVERSION

You have 3 options when it comes to replacing your 5x7 headlamps (they each have their pros and cons, google it 😉)

1) Sealed-Beam
2) LED
3) Halogen Conversion

Ultimately, I opted for a pair of HELLA Vision Plus Halogen Conversion Headlamps. These are a HUGE improvement when it comes to light output and maintenance. For those 'period correct' sticklers, you'll still be able to rock the OEM look. Once you install these them, you won't need to disassemble the entire headllamp assembly to replace your headlamps, you can just swap out the H4s.

I wasn't diggin' the warm 4000k bulbs the units came with so splurged a bit and I replaced them with a pair of Daywalker LED bulbs (6000k and 2500 lumens) from @Amazon. After swappin' the bulbs, I noticed that I only had access to the low beams. So then I tried one halogen bulb and one LED bulb, the high beams turned on. These bulbs have a stronger low beam than most (I compared the output to HELLA bulbs). Then when I replaced the high beam indicator bulb with an LED in the speedometer, and BOOM I was able to run both LED bulbs with access to low/high beams. I added a pair of ceramic extensions because the bulbs do get warm and these do not have fans.

🌃 and 🌇 difference.

HELLA Halogen Conversion Headlamps
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

H4 LED Bulbs 6000k 2500 lumens
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1

T5 LED White Bulb
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1
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SPEEDOMETER, INCLINOMETER, AC LED OVERHAUL

I just can't stop driving the #T4WD at night now 🌌

It all started while I was taking apart all the dashboard bezels for the much needed audio upgrade. I was curious to see if something could be done about the candle light situation for the AC, speedometer, and inclinometer. It was just so dull... To my surprise, I found a bunch of halgon bulbs with a green condoms on them 🤣🤣🤣

Initially I wanted to keep the "OEM" look, so I ordered some green LEDs from Amazon but then I found that they were too bright and shade was off (wasn't warm enough). I had some left over amber LEDs from the fender running lights so I went out on a whim to test it out. BEST THING EVER! I love, love, LOVE the Amber LEDs!

They're so much easier on the eyes and they pair nicely with my brown interior! Honestly, it's been one of my favorite mods this summer 🧡🧡🧡

194 LED Amber bulbs
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1

T5 LED Amber bulb
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1
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'83 Tercel SR5 Wagon Overland Build Thread >>> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14880
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splatterdog
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Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overland Build

Post by splatterdog »

Resistors defeat the low amp aspect of led's, get an electronic flasher.

How is your beam pattern from the Hella's with led? Everything I've heard is that they don't do as well as the full 360 you get from halogen. I put Hella 80/100 watt bulbs(cheap) in mine and am very happy. High beam is like my old KC Hilites! Have them aimed a tad low, so low beams don't ever get me flashed.
señor.tercel4wd
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Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:12 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overland Build

Post by señor.tercel4wd »

splatterdog wrote: Fri Aug 28, 2020 4:44 pm Resistors defeat the low amp aspect of led's, get an electronic flasher.

How is your beam pattern from the Hella's with led? Everything I've heard is that they don't do as well as the full 360 you get from halogen. I put Hella 80/100 watt bulbs(cheap) in mine and am very happy. High beam is like my old KC Hilites! Have them aimed a tad low, so low beams don't ever get me flashed.
The LED strips on the bulb are placed on the faces of the triangular prism. You can kinda see the cutoff in my previous post.

These bulbs are odd in that the high beams are very uneventful at first glance but when I compared the light output of the low beams to the standard HELLA bulbs and I thought these LEDs were brighter. Think of it like this, again no actual data just observations:

LOW / HIGH
65% / 35% LED
35% / 65% HELLA

When the low beams are are turned on they kinda look like this \ / and when the high beams are turned on the the top half of the prism turns on. For me it was preference in the temperature scale 4k vs 6K, I wanted a cooler temp.
'83 Tercel SR5 Wagon Overland Build Thread >>> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14880
The Professor
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My tercel:: 1987 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon
Location: Western Washington
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Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overland Build

Post by The Professor »

splatterdog wrote: Fri Aug 28, 2020 4:44 pm How is your beam pattern from the Hella's with led? Everything I've heard is that they don't do as well as the full 360 you get from halogen. I put Hella 80/100 watt bulbs(cheap) in mine and am very happy.
Aftermarket LED bulbs installed in a halogen reflector will never have the quality of beam pattern of a halogen bulb in a housing designed for that light source. Not sure why OP didn't just go with a full DOT-legal LED replacement lamp. Yes, they're more expensive, but the improvement in beam pattern and night vision are worth the trade-off in cost.
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
señor.tercel4wd
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Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:12 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overland Build

Post by señor.tercel4wd »

Super Pro Front Sway Bar Mount Bushing Kit

While driving around town I noticed that there was be a loud metal-on-metal sound while going through large dips. I pulled over and took a look under the car and immediately noticed that my sway bar bushings were shot.

OEM bushings were out of the question because of the slight damage to the frame on my rig. The damage caused the rubber bushing to distort and cut their life significantly. I didn't want to constantly find myself replacing the bushings due to premature wear. Polyurethane was the answer, enter SuperPro.

My installation process was a bit more involved because of the front end damage and the lift 😅 The holes for the sway bar brackets wouldn't line up. After a little finessing, the winning combination was suspending the front end on jack stands, raising the sway bar with a floor jack and using a large screw driver as a crowbar to pry the sway bar brackets into place.

They cost about the same as the aftermarket $25 OEM replacements from Rockauto vs $30 Super Pro Poly Kit 💸🙌🏼

Front Sway Bar Mount Bushing Kit (SPF0979-21K)
https://superprousa.com/products/spf097 ... r-bush-kit

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'83 Tercel SR5 Wagon Overland Build Thread >>> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14880
señor.tercel4wd
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Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:12 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overland Build

Post by señor.tercel4wd »

X-Bull Recovery Boards & Rhino Rack Brakets

Now that all of the mechanical stuff has been replaced, I can FINALLY start outfitting the car for some overlanding expeditions and car camping.

P.S. The Rhino-Rack mounting brackets, X-Bull 4WD recovery tracks were bought from 2nd hand from Amazon.com Warehouse Deals 😉

Rhino Rack Pioneer MaxTrax Side Mount Brackets
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01 ... UTF8&psc=1

X-BULL New Recovery Traction Tracks
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1
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🔻 DIY mounting pins FTW 💪🏼

This was a fun little project. Honestly save yourself the $50 from buying the MaxTrax pins, buy the hardware and use the rest on GrubHub. You're welcome 💅🏼

Here's the shopping list: eye nuts, 100 mm bolts, flat and lock washers, aluminum spacers, and nylon washers. All the hardware is stainless steel and M8. You can order everything from Amazon if you're too lazy to go to Lowes or Home Depot 🤣
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'83 Tercel SR5 Wagon Overland Build Thread >>> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14880
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AugustusFerdinand
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Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:06 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel SR5

Re: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overland Build

Post by AugustusFerdinand »

señor.tercel4wd wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 1:36 am Super Pro Front Sway Bar Mount Bushing Kit

While driving around town I noticed that there was be a loud metal-on-metal sound while going through large dips. I pulled over and took a look under the car and immediately noticed that my sway bar bushings were shot.

OEM bushings were out of the question because of the slight damage to the frame on my rig. The damage caused the rubber bushing to distort and cut their life significantly. I didn't want to constantly find myself replacing the bushings due to premature wear. Polyurethane was the answer, enter SuperPro.

My installation process was a bit more involved because of the front end damage and the lift 😅 The holes for the sway bar brackets wouldn't line up. After a little finessing, the winning combination was suspending the front end on jack stands, raising the sway bar with a floor jack and using a large screw driver as a crowbar to pry the sway bar brackets into place.

They cost about the same as the aftermarket $25 OEM replacements from Rockauto vs $30 Super Pro Poly Kit 💸🙌🏼
Looking good and glad to see someone else with these. I ordered a full kit of everything Super Pro makes for our cars straight from AUS. The only one I'm lacking they don't specifically list for our cars, but I'll find out once I have the car back in the air, is for the manual rack bushings.
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1983 Toyota Tercel SR5 - 7AGE swap in progress
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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: 1983 Tercel Wagon 4WD SR5 | Overland Build

Post by Mattel »

This is looking great. Thanks for the updates. If you need assistance getting things mailed from Australia you are welcome to get in touch with me.
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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