Nice one outside of Seattle

[deejay1272]

Beauty. Seller is asking $2,800 -- too expensive for my blood, but may be a good option for someone on this list...


------------------------------------------------------
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/2268141652.html

Up for sale is my 1986 Toyota Tercel wagon. It is in great shape. It runs extremely well, and it is ready to go any distance in any terrain. It has 250,000 miles, but the previous owner had the engine rebuilt around 210,000 miles, and with all the work I have put into it, I expect this car to go to 350,000 miles easy (in fact, my friend and I have a bet to that effect). I've heard these cars can hit 400,000 if you treat them nice. It's a Toyota. I'm just looking to get a smaller car. Within the last year, I have changed:

Spark plugs and cap, water pump, starter, thermostat, pcv valve, air and fuel filter, flushed the radiator and brakes, new hoses, oil changes, transmission fluid changed, new tires (about 5k on them), new heater (blower motor), new wipers, changed all of the lights (including the sealed headlights), new CD player w/HD radio and Ipod hookup (I have the original Toyota radio if you want it), and tons of other stuff I can't remember. Basically, I had my mechanic go through everything and tune it up. When I got it, I was averaging 25.4 mpg over the course of a full tank. After the tune-up, I average 30.7. That translates to about 27 city, 32 highway currently.

The car has zero leaks. It drives strong through all the gears.

Issues: Gas gauge doesn't work, however, the gas light indicating low tank does, and provides about 45 miles (a gallon and a half of gas) of warning. It has never been a problem. The driver side window is a little stiff (a good cleaning of the mechanism should solve the problem, and I might get to this before the sale). The drivers seat has a rip in it, nothing out of control (I have nice fitted seat covers on the front two seats). The passenger seat and back seat are excellent. The hatchback will not stay up some of the time (on hills, etc. I keep a dowel in the back to prop it up when needed). That being said, all the electronics work, i.e. rear defrost, rear wiper, front wipers, etc. On a last note, the suspension is getting tired, but it's not totally worn yet. New shocks and struts run about $250 at Les Schwab, installed with warranty, so the repair isn't too expensive, and it doesn't need to happen right away. I had planned to do it at about 280,000 miles.

The body is rust-free, which is hard to find in these years, and very straight. It has a few small dings. The glass is in great shape. The dashpad is very nice, as well as all the other panels, etc. The car has the factory back area cover so that people cannot see into the far back of the wagon. I have a full sized spare, and the original jack and tools. The car has been parked in a garage by both me and the previous owner (probably why the lack of rust).

The 4wd works great, as well as the EL ('extra-low') gear. I used the 4wd these past few months in the snow, and it was quite a good little driver.

I am the second owner. I have all the receipts for it, including the original purchase sheet (way cool), all oil changes and various maintenance, etc. I have two copies of the original owners manual and other Toyota paperwork.

All in all, this is about the best of one of these you can hope for. That being said, I am asking $2800 OBO for it. Title in hand in my name. Trades will be considered for other cars, please include pictures. Must be a well-maintained vehicle, as mine is. I will be pretty busy this week, so email is the preferred method of communication for now.

[ARCHINSTL]

Looks interesting - seller seems candid.
He's looking for "a smaller car"? What - a Smart car?
The STL Metro area started with, I think, 3 dealers and is now down to 1...
Tom M.