Is this worth buying? It's local and cheap..

[TuffGong]

I was thinking of using this car for some parts on my 84' that don't affect the drivability...then sell it to my friend on the cheap and then he can work on it.

What do you guys think? I'm gonna look at it today. Is the tranny basically fubar?

1986 Toyota Tercel SR5 4WD (crested butte)

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Reply to: sale-927060286@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-11-20, 11:06AM MST



I have a 1986 Toyota Tercel SR5 4WD that runs. I drove it all last winter around Crested Butte and to and from Gunnison (30 min away). I also drove it down to Colorado Springs and up to Boulder last winter and had no trouble with it at all. I have a motorcycle so it sat all summer in one spot and was only started 2 times so it is not driving as well as it did in the spring. The body is in good condition for this age model and the interior is in very good condition for this year.

The car....190,000 miles. 4WD works better than 2WD. 1st gear in 2WD does not work but due to it being 4WD I started it in 4WD low (its a lower than 1st gear for 4WD conditions/Crested Butte all winter) and got it rolling, then shifted to neutral and then shifted it to 2WD and got rolling down the road. This worked great to drive it in 2WD if I needed to go on any dry pavement or long distance.

This is a good little car that needs some love and it could be a great little gas saving 4WD for the mountains and dessert. I am open to any offers or trades just be reasonable. The car does run and drive but I think it should be tuned up before you plan on driving it further than Gunnison. I am parting with it because I've been offered a truck for the winter. Thanks Jason...

Cheers

[hberdan]

Yes, sounds like the tranny is gone. Mine acted the same way--when I lost 1st gear, I could start up in EL, shift into 2nd gear and into 2wd. But that won't last forever, the tranny is on it's last legs.

[Neu]

My 2 cents, I've been on a "dieing" tranny for 5,000 miles now. I have 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th gears, along with reverse and extra low.

I dont shift into 3rd gear because it doesn't like to come out of 3rd if I do, so I just avoid it. 2nd to 5th gear shifts aren't fun. They make you look stupid, but hey, I'm still pulling 27mpg.

Dont buy that car though.

[Petros]

It looks like a good parts car, but the trans is almost done. Realize the front and rear diff are different ratios than your '84, but almost everything else would be interchangeable. If you can find a good '85 or newer trans cheap, you would have great deal.

[gervin]

Sorry if I missed it but how much does he actually want for it?

[TuffGong]

This car's tranny is pretty beat...str8 pipe for a muffler. There is $50 worth of parts or so I would like from it though so I'm going to offer an old gary fisher mtn. bike that's in great shape to swap some stuff from my car to his that won't affect the drivability.

We'll see...he wanted trade or 2hundo for the whole thing.

[TuffGong]

Wow,

I ended up trading him an old Gary Fisher bike for it...Drove 15 min's to my house and the Cat just about BURST into flames. Red hot. Someone must've stole his exaust during the summer while it was sititng b/c it was haxsawed off after the catcon. and my friend said he would see two foot bursts of flames come out while driving behind me as I switched gears.

Guess I should have towed it with a towrope or something...

What should I should I keep from it before I sell it for scrap?

I'm taking all the lights & marker lights that are good. The rear shocks are aftermarket and are a bit stiffer than mine. I might try to take up the floor upholstry as its way cleaner than mine. I would like to swap out all door panels if possible. I'm going to be taking the passanger light plastic and metal housing from a recent 'icy stream crossing' and not sure what else. The rear bench seats and backs are good but not as nice as mine.

Any ideas?

My front brakes just started to make a bit of fuss when braking from highway speeds and his look way nicer than mine. I'll take fotos of the engine. It's not looking to good but I'm not an expert.

Thanks for reading

If anyone needs parts from the 86 I'll see what I can do before it gets scrapped for metal.

[takza]

I'd remove whatever you can find room to store...underhood parts...lights...front fenders if no serious rust.

[Petros]

If the engine is in good running condition, I would save that complete. If not save the distributor, alternator, starter and carb. off of it. Save the radiator if it is any good. Save the drive shaft if the U-joints are any good. The brake master cylinder and power booster are good to have too, as well as the heater core (though that is more work to get to). It is also nice to have a spare head (if you are not keeping the whole engine) so you can take it to a machine shop to have it rebuilt, then when you are ready you can swap it out with your old one at your leisure.

Also consider the tires, the fuel gauge sender unit (easy to remove from the tank), and the outside rear view mirrors (also easy to remove). The rear view mirrors can get whacked any time you leave it parked, even when you are careful. And if the bumpers are any good, it is worth keeping those in case you mess up yours, clean ones are getting hard to find. It also might be worth keeping the whole rear hatch if it is in good shape, or at least the glass out of it (removing the hatch is easier than removing the glass). Also save the tires if they have tread, those are worth at least $100 alone.

Most of these parts are things you will need sooner or later.

Once you have done that, fill the hulk with any scrap metal you have laying around and tow it a scrap dealer (they will want you to drain the oil out of the trans and fuel tank, if not remove them). You will likely get $50 or more for it just in the scape metal value.

[Neu]

Or, find a guy online who will tow the car for you. We bought a car for 75 dollars (old chevy cavalier I think, or a celebrity) and some guy bought it and towed it away for 150, he payed US 150 dollars for a heavily messed up car. We made 75 dollars off of it!

So that's a possibility.

[Petros]

I tried that around here in western Washington state twice (where I still regularly see old Tercels on the road), once for each of the junker parts Tercel4wd I parted out. I did not get a single inquiry, I would have given them away for free so I would not have to haul them off. It was hardly worth the $80 I got for the last one from the scrap dealer (that included several old radiators, some copper pipe and two junk batteries that gave me more than the scrap steel price), but I had to get them out of my yard and that was the only way.