1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

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Petros
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Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: 1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

Post by Petros »

front suspension and cross member spacers can be made from aluminum plat stock easy enough. someone used HDPE to space down the top of the strut, used a cheap cutting board from walmart.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
hopped
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Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2020 6:39 pm
My tercel:: 1987 4WD

Re: 1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

Post by hopped »

lol jk my strut tower was bent
señor.tercel4wd
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Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:12 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Re: 1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

Post by señor.tercel4wd »

Petros wrote: Sat Oct 03, 2020 4:59 am front suspension and cross member spacers can be made from aluminum plat stock easy enough. someone used HDPE to space down the top of the strut, used a cheap cutting board from walmart.
A member from the forum sold me a set of Jim's strut spacers so I'm actually in the process of sourcing the materials to get started on this project.
hopped wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:17 pm lol jk my strut tower was bent
Glad you sorted that out lol
'83 Tercel SR5 Wagon Overland Build Thread >>> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14880
señor.tercel4wd
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Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:12 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Re: 1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

Post by señor.tercel4wd »

🔻 Safety First 👷🏻‍♂️ 🚧

Finally got around to finishing up V.1 of my Tercel Battery Clamp Down Bracket after settling on a car battery (Group 34)

Originally I wanted to keep it OEM but every single bracket I found at the scrapyard was rusted to hell and to my knowledge Toyota doesn't carry them anymore. Then I looked on Amazon and there was plenty of universal options but none of them worked with that bracket near the fender. So I got to work and fabbed one up.

Very happy with the results. Time will tell how long it's going to hold up. Definitely beats the one I was going to use (last picture) 😂

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'83 Tercel SR5 Wagon Overland Build Thread >>> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14880
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ALiveSR5
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Posts: 164
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:58 pm
My tercel:: Was a stock 1985, SR5, 4WD, 6-speed manual, Wagon.
Location: Pennsylvania USA

Re: 1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

Post by ALiveSR5 »

señor.tercel4wd wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:26 pm Finally got around to finishing up V.1 of my Tercel Battery Clamp Down Bracket after settling on a car battery (Group 34)

Originally I wanted to keep it OEM but every single bracket I found at the scrapyard was rusted to hell and to my knowledge Toyota doesn't carry them anymore.
Here is a battery box from a 1985 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon. I believe it is posted on this forum, in the used parts section. Looks like, it too, is rusted under the plastic coating but not as bad as some.

Your fabbed bracket looks really nice and functional. Sometimes doing things yourself is better. :D
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No other vehicle that I have ever owned had a heart and soul like my 1985 Tercel SR5 4WD Wagon. :D
~
Great minds may think alike but it is the doers who see their visions become reality. :?
señor.tercel4wd
Advanced Member
Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:12 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Toyota Tercel 4WD SR5
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Re: 1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

Post by señor.tercel4wd »

ALiveSR5 wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 7:35 pm
señor.tercel4wd wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:26 pm Finally got around to finishing up V.1 of my Tercel Battery Clamp Down Bracket after settling on a car battery (Group 34)

Originally I wanted to keep it OEM but every single bracket I found at the scrapyard was rusted to hell and to my knowledge Toyota doesn't carry them anymore.
Here is a battery box from a 1985 Tercel SR5 4WD wagon. I believe it is posted on this forum, in the used parts section. Looks like, it too, is rusted under the plastic coating but not as bad as some.

Your fabbed bracket looks really nice and functional. Sometimes doing things yourself is better. :D
~
Battery_Box.jpg
I almost just used rust reformer on the old one haha
'83 Tercel SR5 Wagon Overland Build Thread >>> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14880
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Petros
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Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: 1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

Post by Petros »

that is a nice job on the bracket. I managed to make one of the universal ones work, on the fender side I used a short piece of anodized aluminum tube i had in the scrap bin, with a long bolt through it. and than made a short straight flat connector to reach the fender mount, also out of aluminum bar stock. I used cadmium plated bolts. looks kind of techy.

while many like to try to get it restored to the original factory condition, and there is much to be said for that. I am of the opinion that much of the original equipment was not very good. this car was based on their entry level car, so economy was the name of the game. the front brakes are way too small, the engine is under powered and a few other items can really use some help. I want to make it better than stock.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Totally_Tercel
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Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2022 11:41 pm
My tercel:: 84 manual trans wagon

Re: 1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

Post by Totally_Tercel »

Looks great man, and thanks for all the useful information! What'd you have to do to get the vintage CA plate registered? I've been trying to get vintage plates on my '84 4runner and the DMV tells me I can't...
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eightyfive4WD
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Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2021 9:59 pm
My tercel:: 1985 Tercel 4WD 5 speed wagon
Location: Arizona

Re: 1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

Post by eightyfive4WD »

Any updates to offer on the project? Sad to see it looks like things have taken a bit of a pause after lots of and lots of work. The Tercel looks great, and I quite enjoy the back-from-the-dead aspect of buying it from an Auction and breathing life back into it. Kudos!
1985 Toyota Tercel DLX 4WD 5 spd wagon (manual swapped, daily driver)
2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD 4WD access cab long bed (road trip/adventure-mobile)
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Nordical25
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Posts: 307
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 11:49 pm
My tercel:: 2 4wd 1987's. One with 4a, other with 3a
Location: Finland

Re: 1983 Tercel 4WD SR5 Wagon | Overland Build

Post by Nordical25 »

Yes, please keep this project ongoing.

I have saved original battery clamps by brushing them first, then bathing them in phosporus acid and finally by painting them afterwards. This will make the rust "passive". This works also for other minor rusty parts.
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