Author Topic: Dent's 90s two door - 1996 Toyota Tercel Sport (Read 24979 times)

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #80 on:** April 17, 2019, 09:25:31 am »

New to me tires and rims. Rims are from a Corrolla SR5 but really the same. They were cheap than the cost of mounting tires on rims and piles of tread left.

Quite a bit wider
P155/80R13 vs 175/70R13

Bubba · « **Reply #81 on:** April 17, 2019, 09:31:44 am »

Quote from: Arthur Dent on April 17, 2019, 09:25:31 am

Quite a bit wider
P155/80R13 vs 175/70R13

My '82 Civic had P155/80R13 when I bought it. Changed to 175/70R13 soon after. Made a big difference in handling.

Great_Big_Abyss · « **Reply #82 on:** April 17, 2019, 09:38:15 am »

I'm so happy to see you give some love to this Tercel.

Did you manage to get the farm smell out of the interior?

Bubba · « **Reply #83 on:** April 17, 2019, 09:53:45 am »

Quote from: Great_Big_Abyss on April 17, 2019, 09:38:15 am

I'm so happy to see you give some love to this Tercel.

Did you manage to get the farm smell out of the interior?

Why? That's part of its appeal.

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #84 on:** April 17, 2019, 10:12:06 am »

The farm smell is just about gone. The underside still has a bit of mud on it that I need to take care of but once that goes I think it will smell ok.

The new rims are already painted so that means I don't have to paint any rims. Bonus. There was a set of Minilite 13" wheels locally that I could have bought but they wanted $400 with less good tires on them. They would have looked slick but for well less than half that I'll take these ones instead.

I noticed that this one has a front roll bar (most don't) so that is a bonus. Just the timing belt next (bought the parts - deluxe kit including new paper pump).

Great_Big_Abyss · « **Reply #85 on:** April 17, 2019, 10:21:51 am »

I LOVE that you bought this intending to rip the engine and transmission out, and then realized it was too good to do that to, so started driving it instead.

There's none of them left (pretty sure they all rusted into little pieces), and none of them were worth preserving (it's merely a Tercel, after all, the epitome of appliance), so it's probably a very rare car at this time.

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #86 on:** April 17, 2019, 10:29:10 am »

The plan is the retire the Civic (offering it to my nephew) and have the kids drive this one. The wife has deemed the Civic too ugly to end be parked a block away from the house.

There are still a few on the road here but they are getting a little rare to see.

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #87 on:** May 13, 2019, 03:37:13 pm »

Well registration is off the Civic and on the Tercel. Apparently the sister-inlaw is taking the Civic. Going to teach my two older boys how to drive a manual transmission this week.

Seafoam · « **Reply #88 on:** May 13, 2019, 04:10:28 pm »

Quote from: Arthur Dent on May 13, 2019, 03:37:13 pm

Well registration is off the Civic and on the Tercel. Apparently the sister-inlaw is taking the Civic. Going to teach my two older boys how to drive a manual transmission this week.

Good for them. My two nephews learned on a manual accord their mother had a while ago. Now in their early twenties,they both prefer manual.
I don't think they have ever driven an automatic.
Third gear was grinding at the end of it though in that accord.

Davep · « **Reply #89 on:** May 13, 2019, 08:19:35 pm »

Quote from: Seafoam on May 13, 2019, 04:10:28 pm

Quote from: Arthur Dent on May 13, 2019, 03:37:13 pm
Well registration is off the Civic and on the Tercel. Apparently the sister-inlaw is taking the Civic. Going to teach my two older boys how to drive a manual transmission this week.

Good for them. My two nephews learned on a manual accord their mother had a while ago. Now in their early twenties,they both prefer manual.
I don't think they have ever driven an automatic.
Third gear was grinding at the end of it though in that accord.

The best cars to learn manual trans on are low powered with wide gear ratios, and a stump puller for first gear. New drivers are paranoid about stalling. Once they get moving, shifting is much less intimidating.

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #90 on:** May 13, 2019, 08:30:05 pm »

Yes, the Tercel is pretty easy to drive. Much easier than the super picky clutch on the TSX.

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #91 on:** May 13, 2019, 11:35:59 pm »

On the road as a passenger

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #92 on:** May 15, 2019, 10:34:26 am »

It still needs a wash and polish but the Tercel now on the road. This car is actually a pile of fun to drive.

ktm525 · « **Reply #93 on:** May 15, 2019, 10:36:00 am »

and it has a rear wing, on a turtle... Awesome.

Sir Osis of Liver · « **Reply #94 on:** May 15, 2019, 10:43:07 am »

Seeing this thread is a nostalgia trip. I had a green 1993 Tercel DX like this guy:

"Studs Terkel" had over 300k on it by the time the body rot got too bad to deal with.

Those seats fit me like a glove. Best fitting ones in pretty much any car I've owned.

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #95 on:** May 15, 2019, 12:11:05 pm »

This one has 345K kms and runs like a top.

It is actually is not slow - kinda of zippy. If there is such a thing as "peak Tercel" this generation would be it with a more powerful (relatively) DOHC engine. Weight is listed as 2,005 lbs.

Blueprint · « **Reply #96 on:** May 15, 2019, 12:21:09 pm »

Quote from: Arthur Dent on May 15, 2019, 12:11:05 pm

This one has 345K kms and runs like a top.

It is actually is not slow - kinda of zippy. Of there is such a thing as "peak Tercel" this generation would be it with a more powerful (relatively) DOHC engine. Weight is listed as 2,005 lbs.

Find the oem wheel covers, polish it and drive to Radwood!

Weels · « **Reply #97 on:** May 15, 2019, 07:59:09 pm »

Quote from: Arthur Dent on May 15, 2019, 12:11:05 pm

This one has 345K kms and runs like a top.

It is actually is not slow - kinda of zippy. If there is such a thing as "peak Tercel" this generation would be it with a more powerful (relatively) DOHC engine. Weight is listed as 2,005 lbs.

300 lbs less than my MX-5 !!

Sir Osis of Liver · « **Reply #98 on:** May 15, 2019, 08:52:11 pm »

Quote from: Arthur Dent on May 15, 2019, 12:11:05 pm

This one has 345K kms and runs like a top.

It is actually is not slow - kinda of zippy. If there is such a thing as "peak Tercel" this generation would be it with a more powerful (relatively) DOHC engine. Weight is listed as 2,005 lbs.

Mine was the SOHC 12 valve engine with a whopping 82hp. With tall gearing in third, fourth and overdrive. Zippy, it was not.

BWII · « **Reply #99 on:** May 15, 2019, 11:43:17 pm »

Jeez, what is it with red cars and Alberta? My neigbours little Mitsu Lancer (I think) looks just as bad! I feel like going there and waxing it for her...but then...she moves in a couple of months so maybe she can't take it with her to the US and it'll go back to Alberta where it can dull some more.