Buying A 4wd Tercel

[Reeber]

Hi Guys,

I am going to be looking at buying a 1987 Tercel 4wd 5spd with 300,000kms and am wondering if you have any advice when inspecting one of these beautiful machines.

Not so much general vehicle inspection advice, but advice unique to the quirks and problem areas of 4wd Tercels.

I did a search and didn't really come up with anything.

Hopefully I become a regular member on here if all goes well!

-Matt

[funguseater]

Hey Reeber

Welcome! From past experience I would pay close attention to the rust situation in the rear wheel well area as I have had this rusts out QUICK.

Look at the CV Boots (easy to change axle's but they are another cost)
Transmission is a little weak so make sure you test drive it good and check out the 4wd


These babies are very easy to work on and parts are all over at the junkyards. Ive bought a couple that needed quite a bit of work but learned everything I needed to know from this site. Hope you find a good one!

[blade]

hi reeber look at the two rear windows look for leaking thay like to all of mying have and it likes to rust the panel from the inside

[takza]

Here's some info....

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=517

[Petros]

Most of the mechanical parts are available and easy to fix, the big problem areas are messed up carbs (make sure you do a cold start, and a hot start on it, and it drives good at all speeds), and the trans. Also rust if you live in a place where rust is an issue. And watch out for bent frames and undercarriage parts, not common (usually caused by a wreck), but can be costly or hard to fix. this also goes for a lot of clunking in the drive train and/or suspension.

The trans parts are costly and hard to find, that is the only part that is unique to this car. Good used trans are become more rare because they are all almost the same age. Make sure the trans is quiet, and shifts easy though all the gears. If it is hard to get into any gear during normal driving, it will likely need to be replaced or rebuilt soon. After you get the car, flush the trans out by filling with a 50/50 ATF/gear lube mixture, drive it until good and hot and drain it, than put in a 50/50 mix of synthetic/mineral gear lube. that will make it last the longest, and treat it nicely (no "speed shifting"!).

If you get it at a good price than it it worth fixing anything on it. Even big jobs like rebuilding the head, replacing the clutch, or whole engines, etc. are not too costly. These parts are common with other model Toyotas, so they are easy to get.

Two biggest issue is too much rust, and bad trans.

Also, as a cautionary note, these cars are getting pretty old and though reliable, they will need a lot of TLC and minor repairs. Almost constantly. If you can do the work yourself (or willing to learn) than you can make it work (these cars are pretty easy to work on compared to most). IF you have to depend on others, or your local repair shop, to keep it running good, any car this old will cost a lot to keep running and is a questionable purchase.

Good luck.

[mister.highwaystar]

Break it down to the basics: no rust, good glass, no blue or black smoke coming from the exhaust. If it then passes your test drive, then by all means buy it!