4doorVIPs Tercel SR5 BEAST

[larry mcgrath]

where did you buy the dash led's from,sweet

[dlb]

man i love this thread. i like the random food shots. and

we hit eject on the car cd player and this came out *puke*

made me lol. is the '81 a manual or automatic? can i try driving it sometime? i'm so curious about those first gens. i love them, and they're so small that i imagine they will get rad mileage.

it's common for the cotter pins to rust out or fuse to the ball joints and tie rods unless they are fairly new. on rusted old ones, i usually use cutters to remove the protruding ends so i can get a socket on the nut. then i use a big ratchet or breaker bar and the nut comes off, it just cuts off the ends of the pin. then i use a drill to clean the rest out of the stud and throw a new cotter pin in. it's just one of the many joyful jobs of working on old rust buckets.

let's see some pics of the skier graphics!

[4doorVIP]

where did you buy the dash led's from,sweet

thanks, they were a nice update to the dash - ebay is where I found em

[4doorVIP]

man i love this thread. i like the random food shots. and

we hit eject on the car cd player and this came out *puke*

made me lol. is the '81 a manual or automatic? can i try driving it sometime? i'm so curious about those first gens. i love them, and they're so small that i imagine they will get rad mileage.

it's common for the cotter pins to rust out or fuse to the ball joints and tie rods unless they are fairly new. on rusted old ones, i usually use cutters to remove the protruding ends so i can get a socket on the nut. then i use a big ratchet or breaker bar and the nut comes off, it just cuts off the ends of the pin. then i use a drill to clean the rest out of the stud and throw a new cotter pin in. it's just one of the many joyful jobs of working on old rust buckets.

let's see some pics of the skier graphics!

what is a build thread without food, eh?

sure man you are welcome to give her a rip, it is an auto, and yes it gets excellent milage. No power steering in that puppy either so its a great work out for the arms

skier coming up!

[Petros]

Isn't it interesting that the "christian mix" CD appears to be a homemade copy? I guess they did not see any issues or conflicts with their faith using "stolen" music to practice their religion.

[dlb]

Isn't it interesting that the "christian mix" CD appears to be a homemade copy? I guess they did not see any issues or conflicts with their faith using "stolen" music to practice their religion.

haha, good point. it should also be pointed out, though, that the PO's may have bought the music from itunes, or uploaded the tracks from other CDs that they own before making a mixed CD. not all CD-Rs are necessarily comprised of stolen music.

[4doorVIP]

ruh roh - looks like the BEAST has been struck by 'lightning'
my front main seal has sprung a leak. I used a beck arnley seal, I guess that was a wrong choice.

I'm going to order an OEM unit tomorrow - is using RTV sealant recommended for the front main seal, any cons?

thanks everyone

[Jarf]

Seeing as you'll be at the dealer anyways, why not pick up a tube of FIPG (Form In Place Gasket) Seal packing, Toyota's own version.
Most good dealers keep it in stock, it's what their own tech's use and is wicked good.

Picked some up on a recommendation over at the van site and I gotta say, very nice stuff.

I used to have several different types of Permatex on hand, some o2 safe, some high temp, some....whatever.
Now there is only one tube that lives in my toolbox, goes everywhere with me and I have never second guessed my decision to toss the other stuff.

If you want to read up on it first check out Toyotavantech.com and see what Timsrv has to say about the stuff.

[4doorVIP]

good call I will see if they have any when the item gets here (7 day wait on shipping - dealers here are useless for these older cars)

[4doorVIP]

new seals in, no more leaks so I decided to tackle my much needed speaker wiring.
I used a beater soldering iron to make small enough holes to re router speaker wiring behind the rear shelving units. The main reason was items would snag on the wiring in the back and either break the connection or damage the speaker terminal. This is no longer a concern. Fellow member tercelebr8 shipped me out a minty inclinometer that I will be installing shortly..photos will come of that later.

Here are some photos of speaker wiring re-routed:

old nasty wiring vs new





drivers side rear



passenger side holes melted for wiring


old wasp isn't too happy..


here is a rear shot of the trunk area, find wiring I dare you

[dlb]

here is a rear shot of the trunk area, find wiring I dare you

haha. nice job. i'm doing the same thing with my project car. i actually just found some free rear cargo wings to mount the speakers in, along with the cargo cover too. can't wait to get it all in. is the beast up and running now?

not sure if you already saw it but i posted a how-to with pics on installing an inclinometer. here's the link.

https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7617

[4doorVIP]

nice link man, thank you - this will help out a bunch.


well my luck ended quickly, the battery / ebrake light started flashing rapidly on the way to work, I ordered a new alt on my lunch break ($150 life-time warranty - not a Denso unfortunately) and installed it in the parking lot at 11PM

its so shiney, now the rest of my engine bay looks dated

[ARCHINSTL]

That repainted (powdercoated?) cam cover really looks good! What did you use?
Tom M.

[4doorVIP]

That repainted (powdercoated?) cam cover really looks good! What did you use?
Tom M.

thanks! it was some type of VHT metallic flake - total spray can job but I was happy with the end result as it worked well and seems to hold up to the heat

it was a pretty active summer for the beast, lots of yard work and a couple camping trips!

[4doorVIP]

I picked up a nicely used gas tank from fellow member c_j, some minty tail lights and other bits n bobs.
No pictures on the fuel tank, but I rinsed it out with marine clean, then POR15 the outer shell. New soft hoses were used, this tank should outlast the vehicle.

The drivers side window regulator has finally been relaced, I purchased it off amazon.com, was about $70 shipped to my door
here is a photo comparing new with old


The car has recently felt very bouncy on the parkway, and especially with side winds so I thought I'd take a look.. oh wow look at that rear shock!


yep, not attached to anything,...doh