My Terc Trio

[Highlander]

So, I finally got around to getting all three of the Tercs in the driveway at one time. From left to right, the '83 SR% (Yo-deux, Yota the second), the '85 (Yo-trois, Yota the third), and the latest '85 (Yo-d'or, Gold Yota).

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This pic is of our old and first '83 (Yota) - this is what happens when you meet someone at a combined 90mph with a terc. And people wonder why I like them Now it's just donating organs, er parts to the rest..

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[GTSSportCoupe]

Nice tercs! Looks like the one in the accident stood up pretty well considering the speeds involved. I wonder how safe these cars really are. My wife and I just had a kid, and so now I am more concerned about these things. I love my terc, but have been wondering about safety differences compared to newer cars?

[Highlander]

Concerning the safety of these cars, we brought both of our daughters home from the hospital after they were born in the white one, (the eldest is 14 now) and we drove up and down 18 miles of canyon with all of us in it for 10+ years. The accident was someone coming the opposite way in the canyon spinning in front of me around a blind corner. My speed was ~45 mph, his was ???, but the limit is 45, and he was probably going faster than that. I was wearing my seatbelt, and came away with body aches, a bruised sternum and a soft tissue wrist injury. Essentially, I walked away. The terc was rusty in the fenders, and weak in the floorboards, but took the impact and kept it away from me. I SWEAR BY THESE CARS . If I'd been in a newer car with an airbag, I would have had my glasses broken into my face, not to mention the flash burns that most people get from them (remember that it's an explosive charge that inflates them). IMHO, They beat the stuff out of almost anything currently made for durability, safety, economy, and ease of maintenance. How many Subarus can you name that get 30mpg? I can't name any, and they cost ~$20+k!!

[GTSSportCoupe]

Thanks Highlander, it's good to hear the thoughts of someone who has had the unfortunate experience of being in an accident. I've never heard anything bad about tercels in accidents come to think of it. My first car was actually a 3-door hatch 83 tercel, and I was t-boned in it at one point. I think the person who hit me was probably only going 30mph, but my car stood up very well. They hit the front quarter and drivers door of the car. I was a little sore, but also walked away. Unfortunetely my tercel was totaled.