SR5 in Seattle area $1000

[Petros]

This blue 5 speed 4x4 seems a bit high at $1000, says it needs cv joints and bearings. looks like the "body glo" treatment is all peeling off (I hate that stuff) and the paint is rather badly faded. Body looks good otherwise.


http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/1331541354.html

[Jahmez]

This might be on craigslist for a while.... Good luck to them though!

[Ron B.]

.....looks like the "body glo" treatment is all peeling off (I hate that stuff).....

What is "body glo?"

Cheers!

Ron B. in Lake George, NY
'84 SR5 Wagon with 257k miles

[ARCHINSTL]

What is "body glo?"

Ain't that what is sold via infomercials - the ones with the smiling models and that annoying, leering, (formerly) little man?
Ooops - that is "body gro"...always had a problem with "l" and "r" substitutions...
Tom M.

[toughtercel]

look like a hole at the back of rear hatch door, Anyway by looking rear panel and side panel look good , that's prime spot to look out to avoid major body work, but front fenders are sooooo easy to replace , I just realize how many running tercel 4WD left on the road now (down sizeing) because many places where all the saltly road are fading away, So far the best place to buy TERCEL 4WD are (WASHINGTON/ORGEAN,CAILF and few places where no salts on road)As for Tercel 4wd lover maybe it worth traveling thounsand + miles to buy almost rust free body so new owner can avoid miserable body work and mechanic work as well.Frankly for pass two weeks on CRAIGSLIST there were alot of Tercel 4WD for sale at WASHINGTON and let hope they not going to the dumpster, I bet European Tercel 4WD owner want those Washington cars .
If possible some one deposit to minium rust free car,someone else from Eastern state fly to western state pay in full and drive back , sound little risky but hey rust free car .

[splatterdog]

That could qualify as a creampuff in my neck of the woods! We dissolve cars like nobody's business here....

[Ron B.]

So far the best place to buy TERCEL 4WD are (WASHINGTON/ORGEAN,CAILF and few places where no salts on road)

Actually, most rust-free cars come from Arizona, New Mexico, Southern California and Texas. Look in an area where there is very little total precipitation and low humidity. Think DESERT. Generally the further South the car has spent its life the better. There are exceptions to all rules so if you thinking of buying an older vehicle research the weather in the city & state where the car has spent its life. Just because a car is currently in Arizona doesn't mean that it was there since the beginning. That requires more research such as a check with Carfax to see the title history.

Environmental colors can be a clue. What did he say? Yes, colors speak volumes. If in a photograph you see the car surrounded by lush green trees and grass think rain. If you see browns, tans, oranges and reds as in sand, bare mountains, yucca and cactus think desert.

My hobby is restoring old vehicles most of which are 40+ years old and I speak from experience. Mechanical problems are easier to repair than a rusty chassis or body. Rust-free vehicles tend to be a lot safer too. Rust doesn't have much strength holding a shock absorber in place or in a crash!

I recently purchased a '84 Tercel Wagon which spent its life in the New Mexico desert. Even the bare metal is free of rust. However....while the dry sunshine is kind to metals, it reeks havoc upon plastics and textiles. There is a lot of plastic in a Tercel....vinyl door panels, grab handles, rearview mirrors, dash components, pillar trim, exterior trim etc. If you are a perfectionist such as I am it helps to know someone who lives near a Pick-A-Part. That way you can get replacements for the damaged plastic parts. Right, PC?

[Petros]

"body glo" was a rip-off high profit "extra" they sold to a lot of new car buyers in the '80's. IT could double the salesman's commission, it was a $500 "option" that only cost the dealer about $30 to apply, so they gave the saleman typically a $100+ "bonus" for every one they sold on a new car. Like the equally rip-off under car rust treatment (better have that done by a specialist for far less money and get better professional). Body-glo It was a soft polymer coating, sparyed on with a garden sprayer, that was supposed to make the paint a life time "wax free" finish. It was also supposed to have a life time warranty, but it would start peeling in the sun within 3-5 years. Since it did not really become noticable until about 10 years, most never enforced their bogus lifetime warranty.

It was a bad deal all the way around, except for the car dealer. It is difficult to remove and only yellowed and checked in the sunlight. Older cars with that treatment had to be stripped to repaint. There is almost nothing short of stripping that will make a UV damaged "body glo" job better. Since i buy older cars I would prefer the new car buyers do me a favor and save they save their money and not get such options. I just as soon wax my cars thank you.