Staring my first project! 83-T4WD pics/questions-need advice

[Flipsickle_69]

So i finally decided to start customizing "THE FRIDGE".
For those of you who want to know why i called it "THE FRIDGE"......well, simply because its so cool!!!
yea corny i know but hey, it works;)
many more pics to come as the modifications progress.
I had a few questions for those of you that have already done the things i want to do or know how to do them and can give me some advice.

1. How can i lift it? (i was thinking maybe about 2")
2. How does lifting it affect performance, fuel economy, etc....
3. What kind of carburetor can i install for better performance?
4. I wanted to swap my instrument cluster for one with a tachometer(DX model doesnt have a tach). I was wondering if its possible and what i would need to do to hook up the tach.
5. Same question as with the tach, but an inclinometer? is it possible to install it on DX model? how to hook it up...etc.



Im 19 yrs old and this is pretty much my first project car so I apologize if these questions are somewhat stupid/rookie. I dont want to waste anyones time, but i would really appreciate some answers it would really help me out with this project.

Heres the link my photobucket page with all my pics.
i will be adding pics as i progress through the modifications.

http://s1252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... ?start=all

[ARCHINSTL]

Welcome to the Club! Your car certainly looks clean.
Not to be snarky, but all of your questions are addressed in threads already extant; I would suggest a Search.
Tom M.

[dlb]

hey flip. as tom mentioned, most of your questions have already been answered.

1. How can i lift it? (i was thinking maybe about 2")

see FAQ questions #9 here: https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7442

2. How does lifting it affect performance, fuel economy, etc....

dramatic lifts have a negative affect on aerodynamics and fuel economy but most lifts that have been done on these cars aren't high enough to have much effect, if any. lift away.

3. What kind of carburetor can i install for better performance?

see FAQ question #3.

4. I wanted to swap my instrument cluster for one with a tachometer(DX model doesnt have a tach). I was wondering if its possible and what i would need to do to hook up the tach.

yes, it's possible and very easy. it's plug and play, no mods necessary i believe.

5. Same question as with the tach, but an inclinometer? is it possible to install it on DX model? how to hook it up...etc.

if you use the search function from the main forum page, you'll find many questions have already been answered. i searched 'inclinometer installation' and found the link i used to install mine years ago: https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... eter#p7829

i'm actually going to be taking pics of my next inclinometer installation in a few weeks but if you beat me to it, post pics here to help future peeps with their installation.

on another note, bolt that battery down! you definitely don't want it rolling around in your engine bay.

[Flipsickle_69]

Thanks for the info dlb, awesome to have such quick responses.
im really diggin' that design on your rig, i hope u dont mind, i kinda have somewhat of the same design in mind for mine....

[dlb]

my job can be insanely boring at times, hence the amount of time i spend on here. always glad to help, though.

are you talking about the paint job? if so, i'm going to discourage you like crazy from painting yours. here's why: the paint on yours looks to be in excellent shape; painting is expensive but has no real gain (i found it hardly slow the rust); painting is labour intensive if you do it yourself and requires hours upon hours of sanding which SUCKS; if you pour a bunch of time, money, and effort into a pimp paint job you are just going to worry about the car getting dinged in parking lots even more. if i could do it again, i wouldn't have painted my car. it's fine and i like it but for me, it's not worth it.

[Petros]

welcome to the list!

Nice looking tercel, was that one recently advertised on Craig's List?

If you search there are many threads about lift, I do not think any of the high lifts done so far are satisfactory because severe damage to the CV axles and the strut seals occurs. Unless you go to all kinds of costly measures to change the cv axle angle, and go with longer stroke struts, about an inch or inch and a half is about the best you can go. Also, you should search on tires sizes people have tried, lots of good reading there. First step is to go to 14" alloy wheels to improve handling.

Most people have switched to the weber carb, I would also suggest replacing the cam with Delta Cam performance regrind (Tacoma WA). These engines are really power limited because of the obsolete 8 valve head design. If you want a real power improvement you will have to do an engine swap. Again lots of threads about the topic.

Installing the SR5 instrument cluster and inclinometer is straightforward as mentioned, the real trouble is in finding them.

keep us posted on your progress.