Prospective T4WD owner in Montana...

[garyfish]

saw this on Craigslist:

http://greatfalls.craigslist.org/wan/1908794095.html

WTB: Toyota Tercel 4wd wagon (Great Falls)
Date: 2010-08-20, 12:01AM MDT
Reply to: sale-aupem-1908794095@craigslist.org

I love those old toyota Tercel wagons! They were made in the mid 1980's and I've seen them all over the state. I know that someone's got one that they're looking to sell to someone who will drive it with love! Please contact me if you're that person!

Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I forwarded the listing I saw for an '87 T4WD in Helena (http://montana.craigslist.org/cto/1924746812.html), and put in a plug for him to visit the Forum!

[garyfish]

Heard back from the guy right away... he sounds psyched!

Thanks for the heads-up! I'm hopefully going to check it out this coming week! I may soon be the proud owner of a 4wd tercel! -- todd

[Petros]

Garyfish the match maker!

I have occasionally seen ads like that, even when there were Tercel4wd ads up on the same list. I figures they would see them on their own. Sometimes I even email them if their want ads are clever or interesting.

[garyfish]

Another new member! He bought the '87 T4WD in Helena... just received this ecstatic e-mail from him:

Gary--

Thanks so much for the recommendation! We drove down to helena last night and picked up the Tercel. It's a beauty. needs a couple of small repairs, but overall it looks super solid.
I'll probably be spending a lot of time on the forum trying to resolve some of the issues myself.. Thanks for the tips-- My wife and I are thrilled with the car!

todd

[ARCHINSTL]

So garyfish - are you changing your club name to Dolly Levi ?
Tom M.

[garyfish]

hmmmmm... Tom, now that I think about it, starting an online T4WD matchmaking service might be right up my alley!

SWM with mechanical skills seeking unattached T4WD SR5, 22-25 years old...

[takza]

Good one!

[ARCHINSTL]

I echo takza's comment !

OT, but - now looking at Goldie as a nubile, 20-something cutie is - stirring...
Tom M.

[Starbug]

OT, but - now looking at Goldie as a nubile, 20-something cutie is - stirring...
Tom M.

Whoa.... my T4WD is female (named Glenda by original owner)... and I'm a chick, so....

Hmm. Didn't know that about myself.


LOL!

[ARCHINSTL]

If you need a sticker, maybe davidlucasbarnes would part with his...

Tom M.

[bingotodd]

YES-- I am the prospective T4wd owner.. we picked the car up a few days ago in Helena and are thrilled with it. I've been looking for one for several months now. It's maroon and so far seems great. Need to address a few issues; no heat (not an option in montana winters), suspension problems(hitting bumps on the right side results in loud and painful clunk), oil leak, and possible water pump issues, and it needs a vacuum/wash..

the previous owners wrote a book, tent camping in montana, that features at least one story involving the tercel we just bought:

http://books.google.com/books?id=XFlaxB ... on&f=false

[garyfish]

Welcome to the forum Todd!

Hope you don't mind me posting your enthusiastic e-mails here ... but it's not often a new member has a thread dedicated to them, and you're my first bona fide recruit to the fold!

There's a LOT of good, knowledgeable folks here... collectively, I'm sure we can help advise you as to the best course of action to address the various problems your T4WD has. These are GREAT little vehicles... as long as you're willing and able to do the wrenching yourself, you'll be fine!

BTW, this forum has a pretty good "Search" function, so you should be able to locate a lot of pertinent info on your own. Good luck!

[garyfish]

No heat -- here's a good place to start: http://www.tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtop ... f=4&t=5088

It's conceivable that your "possible water pump issues" and the lack of heat could be related.

Need more info on your suspension problem... can you determine if the clunk is coming from the front or the rear, or both?
http://www.tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtop ... f=4&t=5327
http://www.tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtop ... f=4&t=5692
http://www.tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtop ... f=4&t=5564

Also need more specific info on where the oil leak is happening... on the front of the engine, there can be leaking from the camshaft seal (near the top of the engine), from the front main seal (near the bottom), or from the oil pan area. http://www.tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtop ... f=4&t=4585
On the back side, the rear main seal is a likely culprit. Sometimes there can be excessive oil loss from the driver's side where the distributor mounts if the O-ring is split.

[danieldialtone]

Hey Im from Helena!