$1,850 · 1981 Toyota Tercel SR5 - victoria, bc

[dlb]

this is very tempting to me. irowiki, what do you think of the hatchback version of your car? i think they look sporty in a cool, retro way.

http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified- ... 5_20081270

[Mark]

You beat me to it. It's only a few blocks from my place too. I'm trying very hard to not be a vehicle hoarder.

[irowiki]

I really like it, especially the sr5 stuff like the tach.

The hatch is also more handy, the trunk on mine is so small!

[dlb]

mark, you should sell your hatchback and get this one! i'm dying to know what the mileage would be like on it. my wife saw me looking at the ad and sternly warned me about anymore cars in the yard so i think it's out of the question for me, unfortunately.

[Jarf]

I alway's loved the hatch version of that car. It reminds me of the Volvo 1800ES.
The only complaint I remember form owners were that the tail light bulbs needed replacing regularly, something about the slamming of the hatch would vibrate the filaments and cause them to break (personally, I can't see slamming a glass hatch, but...) the only other issue with them was rear lower control arms and backing plates didn't last long in salty climes, IIRC there was new and improved parts brought out to fix the issue.
I would be soooo tempted to turn it into a 4WD version, though.

[Mark]

According to this website: http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Fuel/198 ... lla+Tercel The '82 auto gets slightly worse fuel economy than the '84 2wd auto wagon. This doesn't make sense to me. I think the 1st and 2nd gens had the same engine in North America, but the 2nd gens had 3 more hp. According to Wikipedia, the North American models (2nd gen) had by far, much less power (63 hp) than the Japanese or European models (83-90 hp). Even the 1.3-liter versions had 75 hp. I can't see why ours would be so much less powerful for the same size engine, unless it's a typo. I don't think emissions equipment would account for that much of a difference.
-Back to the car for sale topic, $1900 is more than I've ever spent on a vehicle in my life. I still think this one is worth it (a low kms SR5 in good shape), but it's more than I would pay for a second vehicle. I don't have a garage to keep it in so it would sit out in the rain and slowly rust. I'm still holding out for a 1st gen Tercel, but I'd pay about $500 for one in worse condition and make it better myself. I'd hate to get a pristine one and watch it slowly get worse.
Just today as I was walking out from work I saw a blue 4-door automatic 1st gen Tercel parked at a repair shop. I couldn't resist going over and asking the mechanics if it was for sale. It was just in for repairs and the mechanic asked if I wanted the owner's number to see if he wanted to sell. I actually hesitated, but ended up telling him not to worry about it. It was more of my kind of car with lots of room for improvement. The seats were all torn up, it leaked oil and the paint was very faded (but very little rust). Maybe if it's still there tomorrow I'll ask for the #.

[dlb]

i use some similar sites when looking up fuel economy but lately i have preferred to use the vehicle index at fuelly.com. i think it's got better real world examples of the kind of mileage different cars see. it's obv not perfect since some drivers will be leadfoots and some will drive with their cars in disrepair, while at the other end of the spectrum some drivers will be hypermilers, but i think somewhere in the middle is probably the most common average km/L or mpg for a vehicle. i find that sites like the one you mentioned and fueleconomy.gov usually give much lower ratings that anything i've ever seen.

i totally agree about buying something nice just to let it rot. it's pointless. i also like to find uglies and clean then up so that they're clean and in excellent working order. nothing beats a reliable, economical car that no one wants to break in to. you like the automatics, hey? you should try a manual trans and compare mileage/feel. this one looks like an excellent buy--yet another tempting eco-car. i would consider this for my wife if she ever needed another car.

http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified- ... l_20089792

[Mark]

you like the automatics, hey? you should try a manual trans and compare mileage/feel.

http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified- ... l_20089792

I haven't driven a manual in many years. If I often drove on the highway it would maybe make sense, but in the stop and go traffic in the city, I've become used to the luxury of having my right hand free for coffee or whatever. Many of the reasons people go for standards don't really apply to me.
Extra power? I've mentioned that I drive like a granny and don't even fully make use of what little power the automatic has.
Better fuel economy? That one might almost make me switch, but depending on your chosen shift points, it could make economy worse and my economy right now isn't much different from what people are saying they get with standards.
Better reliability? It seems on this forum and elsewhere, people have failures of standard transmissions as well, plus the clutch normally wears and needs replacement. Buying a used standard, you are at the mercy of the previous owners driving habits since they manually select the shift points and clutch engagement. I may be paranoid, but this makes me feel like there is more potential for previous wear.
Real macho men only drive standards? This mindset almost makes we want to avoid them out of stubbornness.
Driving a standard is more "fun"? I've never found the procedure of driving to be fun in itself. For me the fun is in my surroundings and the destination.

[dlb]

those are all legit reasons to stick with an automatic. i think i just want to vicariously experience the manual trans in both the first and second gen hatchbacks after getting a warning stare from my wife when she saw me looking at the ad for the first gen.

[tercel4wdrules]

you like the automatics, hey? you should try a manual trans and compare mileage/feel.

http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified- ... l_20089792

I haven't driven a manual in many years. If I often drove on the highway it would maybe make sense, but in the stop and go traffic in the city, I've become used to the luxury of having my right hand free for coffee or whatever. Many of the reasons people go for standards don't really apply to me.
Extra power? I've mentioned that I drive like a granny and don't even fully make use of what little power the automatic has.
Better fuel economy? That one might almost make me switch, but depending on your chosen shift points, it could make economy worse and my economy right now isn't much different from what people are saying they get with standards.
Better reliability? It seems on this forum and elsewhere, people have failures of standard transmissions as well, plus the clutch normally wears and needs replacement. Buying a used standard, you are at the mercy of the previous owners driving habits since they manually select the shift points and clutch engagement. I may be paranoid, but this makes me feel like there is more potential for previous wear.
Real macho men only drive standards? This mindset almost makes we want to avoid them out of stubbornness.
Driving a standard is more "fun"? I've never found the procedure of driving to be fun in itself. For me the fun is in my surroundings and the destination.

Now that we're on this topic, I would like to add a couple of things. I have owned both automatic 4wd wagon and a 4 door 3 spd auto hatchback. Neither of the two are suited for highway cruising, they just rev too high. I will say they drive smoothly compared to the manuals, but the fact that they have nearly half as many gears is a penalty to both responsiveness and performance (the little there is to begin with). If you do more driving, then the increase in fuel economy with the manual would be worth it on its own, especially if the majority is highway driving.

[Petros]

seems a bit high price for such an old econo box car. even in good condition, unless it is collectible (questionable), that is too much to pay. I would never get an auto trans if I had the choice. repairing them is very costly, and it sucks performance and economy. a well cared for manual trans will last a very long time, and can be rebuilt without too much special tools (unlike an auto).

David, it is always good to compromise with the spouse if you want to stay married. both sides have to give a little in order to be fair. My wife thinks one project car at a time is reasonable. I think about ten project cars is good. Therefore a reasonable compromise is five project cars at once.