Time to stop lurking...

[OlyTerc]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks (or no thanks) to this forum, I talked myself into buying a 1985 sr5 Tercel Wagon. It has a lot of miles (238k), but it was owned by a mechanic in Silverdale, and he replaced a lot of parts over the 12 years that he owned it. The interior is really clean, and it even came with the owners manual and original toolset/pouch. It runs great, but it looks like every gasket is leaking. I've been driving it for a month now, and I can't help but smile every time I get in or out of the thing.

I think I bought it when the server was down, as I didn't see it in the for sale section. Maybe a member looked at it and passed. If so, let me know what I'm in for please!

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[Petros]

welcome to the list!

Nice looking TErcel, I love those seats (only came on the '85). On a car this old almost anything can wear out at any time. These are reliable and low maintenance cars, but you need to pay attention to things like leaks, they could cost you big time if you do not keep the fluids topped up.

I would carefully consider the condition of the upper and lower radiator hose and the heater hoses, if questionable replace them now. The normal place for oil leaks are the valve cover gasket, the distributor o-ring, the fuel pump gasket, (all of those are easy to fix), the lower main seal (not so easy, but can be done with the correct tools without too much trouble), the cam front seal, (fairly easy fix). The rear seal can leak too, but not as common, and it is a major job.

pressure wash off the engine and check for the location of the leaks, and than start fixing them one at a time. do not be fooled by oil around the pan gasket, leaks there are very rare. It usually runs down the block somewhere and runs around the pan so it looks like the pan is leaking when it is not.

We are all hear to help you keep it running forever.

Good luck

[ARCHINSTL]

Welcome to the Club - lots of helpful and talented folks here!
The car looks pretty sweet.
I can't really add much to what Petros wrote, but if you have an oil leak around the fuel pump, frequently it's tme for a new pump before it starts leaking fuel into the oil.
Also - there have been some recent threads on filling the tranny and diff; there is a specific procedure - ask the PO when he last did that.
Tom M.

[dlb]

hi olyterc. if you've been lurking, you've likely seen me post the link to the FAQ a bunch but i'll do it again now just in case:

https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7442

lots of info there on stuff to check after first acquiring a terc.

i agree with petros advice about washing off the engine to see where the leaks are coming from. i've had good results even with just spraying a heavy duty cleaner on the engine, leaving it for a few minutes, and then spraying it down with a garden hose. be sure to unplug the spark plug wires from the plugs, and tightly bag them and the distributor up before you start. if you get water in the dizzy it will run rough until it leaks out or evaporates. not a big deal but best to avoid.

[OlyTerc]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Here is what the PO said prior to the sale:

"I am the second owner. I bought the car with 155,000 miles on it. At that point I put a used transaxle, clutch, water pump, and timing belt in it. Since then, at various mileages, the power steering rack and pinion, alternator, starter, radiator, rebuilt cylinder head, battery, and right front CV/drive axle have been replaced. Regular scheduled maintenance ( oil changes, tune-ups, valve adjustments, etc. ) per the factory schedule has also been done and is current. There is some surface rust on the car, it has been in western Washington it's whole life, so it is minimal."

...he had me at "second owner".

For now, I will just be monitoring fluid levels and adding as needed. It sounds like I should address the sway bar bushings soon, though.

[speedgraphic]

You gotta tell us what you paid for it - it sounds really nice!

[OlyTerc]

I paid $1,000.

I think the only text in the craigslist ad said, "It's all there. It all works", which I thought was great. I only found out about the parts that he replaced through an email. Nice, straightforward guy. He was maintaining it to last another 60k as his daily driver. If I recall, the PO had just inherited a newer Toyota truck, and didn't have room for the Tercel. Maybe he's a member on the board. He'll recognize the pictures, as he was the one that took them.

[Petros]

great buy, unless the rust is worse than the pictures indicate, it would be worth much more in the Puget Sound area. even with some repairs, you did very well.

[speedgraphic]

great buy, unless the rust is worse than the pictures indicate, it would be worth much more in the Puget Sound area. even with some repairs, you did very well.

No kidding. I thought I got a great deal for $600 but I had dents all over the car and a rusted out fender with far more miles on it. Well done!

[North of 64]

Nice looking wheels and it sounds like a very sound Tercel. congrats