Man, that is a cool car. I appreciate you restoring it knowing the $$ don't equate to car value. Definitely is a rare car and will only go up in value....
Jonathan. In the 80's my dad was a parts / service manager at Toyota/BMW dealer in Austin, Texas. I was a kid, and I thought those cars were the coolest things ever. He brought one home EXACTLY like yours ( colors etc.) I remember it like it was yesterday. Thanks for sharing .
I had a blue 1985 Tercel 4WD wagon, I bought it new and owned it for 10 years and 320,000 miles. It was basically trouble free, I just kept with the recommended maintenance schedule exactly. I lived in Stowe, Vermont, and I never got stuck anywhere. The only thing that killed it was a drunk driver in a GMC truck that T-Boned it while it was parked.
My mom had one of these when I was a kid. We lived out on a terrible road on farmland and this was one of the only vehicles that lasted without completely falling apart
I had an absolute baseline 83 Tercel coupe in California. No AC, hand crank windows, 5 speed manual. Drove it 250,000 miles on the California freeways and then sold it to a guy in Phoenix. It was still going strong.
I did more than consider one… I drove one, an 84, for a couple years through college. It was so freakin cool in the dorkiest of ways. I miss it dearly.
Ok until we saw the interior I was going to swear this was my car! Mine was red outside and brown inside, everything exactly the same as this one. Down to the cruise control, inclinometer, plaid seating and more. Except…. Mine had a sunroof!! I was getting so excited. Cool part is that before I drove it, it belonged to my grandparents who bought it new from Burt Toyota in Denver. I could have given You every record since new! I started a contracting biz in college and needed a truck, so gave this back to my grandparents. They donated it at the time, which made perfect sense as they are the most generous people ever, they could no longer drive a clutch, and I didnt need/ couldn’t afford to maintain 2 cars. But man o man as an adult with my own family, what I wouldn’t give to have been able to hold on to it and still have it to this day!! Miss it dearly. Both because of how unique it is, but also for all the sentimental reasons and memories I made with it, both as a driver and a passenger while it was in my grandparents’ stewardship. I took incredible care of it while I had it, with maintenance, cleaning, waxing and religious care for those plastics. But damn that rust! But I also used it a lot and took it off road. It conquered some stuff that I’ve never since attempted in actual trucks and suvs. If only you could see the places I took it, the hills it climbed. Thing is a billy goat. What a car! Thanks for reading, and even more for making the video. Brought back so many memories. I am going to share with my Grandma!!
Wow did this bring back some memories! When these first came out, we were living in East Tennessee and my wife was working as a home health nurse covering the whole southeastern corner of the state. She often had to go down some unpaved tracks in all kinds of weather to see her patients so we got her an 83 SR5 model as soon as they came out. That little wagon would take her anywhere and we used it on weekends for camping trips in the mountains. Great little 4WD wagon!
THIS BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF MY MOM'S CAR IN THE LATE 70S EARLY 80S GROWING UP IN TAHOE MY MOM HAD AN EARLY SUBARU WAGON THAT WE CALLED A SNOW PORSCHE THAT DANG THING WAS UNSTOPPABLE IN THE SNOW IT WAS SO GOOD THAT MY DAD BOUGHT A SUBARU BRAT YOU KNOW THE ONE THAT HAD THE TWO SEATS MOUNTED IN THE BED.. GREAT LITTLE CARS BOTH OF THEM..I MISS THOSE LITTLE SNOW PORSCHES.....
Great car! Johnathan is an awesome guy! I love these little cars. I've owned a whole lot of them and hope to continue to buy/save/rescue as many as possible. Thanks for sharing this with us!
My first car was a 1984 Tercel 2D. It had an AM radio and a 4 speed manual. My mom bought it new in 1984 and handed it down to me. Loved that car and still hate myself for selling it for $200 in 1997.
I loved these things back in the day. Never had any issues whatsoever in winter. Could fit my friends and a bunch of stuff, so great for road trips. Definitely function over form, but I never cared. Flashy cars weren't my thing.
I watched in horror as a friend of mine managed to start one of these things while the intake was underwater - several times, while he got out of a puddle/lake. I still have no idea how that worked. I stopped making fun of his car that day.
So awesome, this reminds me of hunting with my Grandma back in the 90's. She had a v20 2wd Toyota Camry wagon, which she pronounced 'camra', and she took that thing all over the place. One time we were trying to make it from one unit to another and needed to take a pretty gnarly road. We started down it and when it started getting rough she just pushed the off-road button (not sure the actual label) and kept going. When we came out the other side there was a couple hunters in an f-150 4wd that waved us down and asked if we had to turn around. My grandma said no we came all the way through and these guys couldn't believe it.
A friend in high school had a Tercel wagon - don't know if it was the 4WD. We had a lot of fun touring around in that thing, and I have had a soft spot for these ever since. That back window is so iconic.
I loved my '83! Mine also was a red SR5. I told people the next owner was either going to be a museum or junkyard. Sadly, a drunk driver made it the latter.
We had a new 1985 SR5 Cream colored. The dealers were selling ant-rust treatments back then. The treatment blocked the all the drain ports and and made the cars rust badly. Mine at 102,000 miles was rusting badly. The A/C failed so I traded it in. I took it up Pike Peak one year and off road trails a few times. On pavement and the rain with 4wr drive on when you went to turn the car would try to go straight instead of turning. Fun vehicle to own.
My first car as a young surfer and snowboarder in the early 90's. Drove this thing on so many beaches and mountain snow roads, and a few logging roads to some hotsprings. Loved it so much even though they are super 80's spaceship ugly. Never left me stranded, gas consumption was superb, BUT zero power. I do often think about grabbing one again every now and again.
this is awesome. my parents had one of these when i was about 5 years old, and the only thing i really remember about it was that it was bright orange (it also had the white wheels). i used to think that car was so cool. unfortunately, one day when my mom was picking me up from the babysitter's house, as she let the car idle in the driveway for maybe a minute, the engine bay caught on fire and the whole thing burnt to the ground as my mom, babysitter and i watched. it was a very sad day. a couple of days later though, my parents had replaced the tercel with the new corolla all-trac wagon, and equally cool car (although maybe not as wonderfully colored lol)
My friend had one in blue with the blue interior and it was an absolute beast. I had an early 90's Toyota DX 4x4 pickup and his little Tercel wagon kept up with me on the back trails without any problem. Cool rig!
I remember these cars in New York. Honda Civic also had a four-wheel-drive wagon along with Mitsubishi and Nissan. The Nissan one was the most unusual with sliding van doors
1:34 I loved those cars, I was looking for one as my now x-wife was working at a ski resort and we ended up with a Subaru Legacy as at the time there were no used Tercels for sale at the time. Still impressive after all these years. what a find.
we had a 4wd and a fwd ones both at same time. they were sick little wagons on ice and in deep snow. sadly here in Canada they rotted apart. but they never gave up untill the gastank decided to have a hole just above a quarter and 1/8th to empty lol😂 even though they still ran a month on 1/8th of tank it got really annoying and we never found replacement tanks that would fit and the tank welding was getting anoying constantly removeing and reinstalling tank.
This is so cool! 😎. My very first Toyota I owned! This was the start of a lifelong infatuation! Except not the 4x4 version!1. Brings back so many memories! I have now owned more than 7 different toys!
@@popeoverlandexpedition7040 Very nice! I like the MR2 wheels on it too! My mom had a silver '86 Tercel just like yours but non-SR5. Hope to see your car again at C&C someday soon. I'll be going there tomorrow in fact.
Back in early 90's in my high school days, my friend's brother had his car. I think 5 or 6 of us were tucked into the car, and was going some where...the Sun was setting into orange sky and we were listening to Radiohead's Creep....good'ol days.
Watching a subcompact 80s station wagon do everything a modern crossover can do puts a big stupid smile on my face. The Tercel makes it look easy. Bring back compact adventure vehicles.
We had one brand new in ‘84Underpowered and had a minor electrical problem, but super reliable and a great small family hauler.Had it for 4 years until the wife totaled it while reaching for a cassette. Luckily no major injuries. Good times.
25-30 years ago these were all over Vermont. The salt just destroyed them but i had a lot of friends with this one, the next gen, and the civic all wheel drive wagon. Very hard to find now. Nice car.
What a fantastic video guys! I have to tell you a story now. I was 16-17 years old, in my father’s 1985 Tercel SR5, when I decided to spin the front wheels unfortunately over a manhole cover on the right side. Destroyed 1st & 2nd gears instantly. Had to drive home in LOW gear then throw it into 3rd! Crazy story…AND HE WAS SUPER PISSED OFF!!! 😡
A friend of mine in high school had one of these in the mid 90’s. I’m in Michigan with plenty of trails close to the school. Had some good times in that car.
This is an amazing vehicle. AMC’ Eagle and Subarus were selling 4wd vehicles before this one came out. So definitely not original in America. The 80’s produced amazing vehicles.
Biggest downside of these old 80s wagons as an off-road vehicle is the lack of engine/lack of enough gear reduction. Even with the “crawler” gear in this thing, it required clutch abuse to get it up a moderate incline 15:46 lol pulling the hand brake on a car with a locked center differential (or 4WD) does nothing but slow the car down. Front and rear wheels are locked together, so pulling the hand brake will slow down all 4 wheels equally.
Starting in 86 the tercels had 4.10 gears. People that desire to offroad these usually look for the later model years. I wish they would have included that in the video. These cars really aren't offroaders. They are more so designed for traveling in icy/snowy conditions and mud. Lack of ground clearance and power really limit them for serious offroad use.
Thank you. My buddy owned one, well used in the early 90s, Many fun memories. Toyota abandoned the linear AWD way too quickly, put on Corollas and Camry’s taken a bite out of Subaru
Even back when these were still commonly roaming the roads, I thought they were ugly wagons, but in fairness, Honda had their own version of a weirdly tall Civic wagon and it was just as ugly. Now, with cars getting so full of BS electronics whether you want them or not, I find the simplicity of this Tercel 4WD wagon very refreshing and the practical design appealing. A slightly lifted 4WD wagon like this makes a hell of a lot more sense for the average person than a comparable-size CUV. Easier entry/exit, better handling, and a lower cargo liftover.
Ugly and cool looking at the same time. These Japanese wagons had a very strong futurist industrial design language that's evokes a star wars and Terminator feel. Under appreciated for their time.
I had a Friend that had 1 of these when I Lived in Colorado. This was in 93' it was Given to him by his Parents but he hated it. I loved that lil Car, it took us Everywhere in the Snow to go Boarding!!!
My very first on the dealers lot new car I ever purchased was a 1993 Tercel DX. Came in right around $8,750 before state tax and fees. Absolutely loved that car. Incredible mileage and easily maintained. Kept it until I put just over 300K miles on it and moved on with another Toyota.
A friend of mine had one of these back in the day when we were young.. he beat that thing RELENTLESSLY and it never faultered.. amazing engine it was at redline for about 10 solid years.
I have 1987 mitsubishi lancer station wagon full time 4wd. It has 1.8l petrol engine, and I use it mainly for off road. It performs really well for my needs. Some of my neighbors have a tercell 4wd. They are also really good little 4wds.
Bought one for $150 to deliver a 90-mile paper route in upstate NY...like the hills of San Fransico. Had bald tires and floorboards rusted through like the flintstones car. One morning after six inches of fresh snow, I get stuck on a person's mailbox on a steep hill. The mailbox was literally pushing into my window. I put her in 4X4 and hit the gas. Away she went like on a smooth dry road. Amazing vehicle!!!
Blimey. Thirty nine years old. I was working at Toyota at a dealership in London when these first came out. I had to go to the Toyota tuition centre to learn how to work on these. Great vehicles for sure.
I had the same exact year car except in silver with the blue interior. it was loaded with all the options including the power sunroof. It was slow but I didn't care. Had it for 7 years than sold it to a neighbor.
I had a silver 84 that I did crazy stuff in, that makes this look very tame. I live in the mountains of Colorado, and I used to four wheel it past stuck Wranglers and lifted 4wheelers. You should have seen the stunned looks as I wheeled my stock Tercel past them. I also actually did rally it a few times too, and it did great. Amazing car.
I had a blue 1985 one here which I inherited from my grand pa. We did the Birdsville track trouble free. I also put bigger rims and tyres and a home made lift kit (I was 17 so you imagine the quality). It went well everywhere, sand, rocks, mud. Never ever let me down. Had 400000ks on it when I traded it in. Was a little monster.
My dad owned one of these when I was a kid, he drove that thing everywhere, and hauled lumber to drywall in this. One of those cars that refused to die.
We had a blue ‘85 top of the line model. Anemic climbing steep grades, but fun to drive. Loved the controversial lift gate “ATM”. Drove it for years and finally traded it in for a Mitsubishi Montero, which also had an inclinometer.
i had one...........used for a Thai food delivery job in the winter/ blasting around in horrid weather. Once a CV joint went out.... I used a black bungie to support the drive shaft.....and worked 3WD the rest of the night!
These Tercel 4x4s were quite popular here in England with chaps that needed a 4x4 as a second vehicle for country pursuits (hunting, shooting, fishing).
Had one of these in the late ‘80’s. Didn’t seem so cool at the time…I commuted from Seattle to Olympia through one of W. Washington’s snowiest winters on record to-date…along with numerous Audi Quattro’s on I-5 that winter…I just went slower. Even had zip-ties substantiating MY front grill, same as this one in the video!! LOL. Too bad most of these are long rusted into the ground, it was quite an under-appreciated even before Jesse Pinkman had one (his was FWD only)
That Tercel All-Trac eventually became the legendary base for the Toyota Rav4. I have a 2002 Rav4 and the small SUV is just a beast that keep on going forever! Built like it's big brother the Landcruiser!
I always liked the Toyota Tercel, but never owned one. I liked them so much that I called them "Toymotor Turtles". Very distinctive styling! Even the five door Corolla Seca Liftback had distinctive styling.
$9k+ for a car back then, was a lot of money. I think I remember my parents telling me they paid $6k or so for their 1984 Mercury Topaz with the 5 speed manual. Fun video guys!
Sweet ride, i've been looking for a 4wd Tercel wagon for a long time as a surf car or to take my dogs to the park, i've only seen a couple for sale but totally trashed, keep her up to speed she's a beauty!!
Thanks TFL guys for letting me share my Tercel with your audience. It was a lot of fun ripping it around the ranch!
-Jonathan
Man, that is a cool car. I appreciate you restoring it knowing the $$ don't equate to car value. Definitely is a rare car and will only go up in value....
Really neat and unique car. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I just sold my 86 4WD. So cool to see an awesome wagon on TH-cam, In its natural habitat off-road
Jonathan. In the 80's my dad was a parts / service manager at Toyota/BMW dealer in Austin, Texas. I was a kid, and I thought those cars were the coolest things ever. He brought one home EXACTLY like yours ( colors etc.) I remember it like it was yesterday. Thanks for sharing .
The Tercel is Excellent Toyota Specimen …
As the owner of two Japanese vehicles (Subaru ‘17 Crosstrek & 1st gen Tundra) I love Japan AWDs & 4WDs.
I had a blue 1985 Tercel 4WD wagon, I bought it new and owned it for 10 years and 320,000 miles. It was basically trouble free, I just kept with the recommended maintenance schedule exactly. I lived in Stowe, Vermont, and I never got stuck anywhere. The only thing that killed it was a drunk driver in a GMC truck that T-Boned it while it was parked.
Typical GMC truck owners
I've got a blue 85 4wd wagon now, my favorite car I've ever owned
really? no oil burning??
Really sorry for your loss
Rip
My mom had one of these when I was a kid. We lived out on a terrible road on farmland and this was one of the only vehicles that lasted without completely falling apart
I had an absolute baseline 83 Tercel coupe in California. No AC, hand crank windows, 5 speed manual. Drove it 250,000 miles on the California freeways and then sold it to a guy in Phoenix. It was still going strong.
No AC in Phoenix is an exercise in masochism.
I did more than consider one… I drove one, an 84, for a couple years through college. It was so freakin cool in the dorkiest of ways. I miss it dearly.
Ok until we saw the interior I was going to swear this was my car! Mine was red outside and brown inside, everything exactly the same as this one. Down to the cruise control, inclinometer, plaid seating and more.
Except…. Mine had a sunroof!!
I was getting so excited.
Cool part is that before I drove it, it belonged to my grandparents who bought it new from Burt Toyota in Denver. I could have given You every record since new!
I started a contracting biz in college and needed a truck, so gave this back to my grandparents. They donated it at the time, which made perfect sense as they are the most generous people ever, they could no longer drive a clutch, and I didnt need/ couldn’t afford to maintain 2 cars.
But man o man as an adult with my own family, what I wouldn’t give to have been able to hold on to it and still have it to this day!! Miss it dearly. Both because of how unique it is, but also for all the sentimental reasons and memories I made with it, both as a driver and a passenger while it was in my grandparents’ stewardship.
I took incredible care of it while I had it, with maintenance, cleaning, waxing and religious care for those plastics. But damn that rust!
But I also used it a lot and took it off road. It conquered some stuff that I’ve never since attempted in actual trucks and suvs. If only you could see the places I took it, the hills it climbed. Thing is a billy goat.
What a car!
Thanks for reading, and even more for making the video. Brought back so many memories. I am going to share with my Grandma!!
Wow did this bring back some memories! When these first came out, we were living in East Tennessee and my wife was working as a home health nurse covering the whole southeastern corner of the state. She often had to go down some unpaved tracks in all kinds of weather to see her patients so we got her an 83 SR5 model as soon as they came out. That little wagon would take her anywhere and we used it on weekends for camping trips in the mountains. Great little 4WD wagon!
THIS BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES
OF MY MOM'S CAR IN THE LATE 70S
EARLY 80S GROWING UP IN TAHOE
MY MOM HAD AN EARLY SUBARU
WAGON THAT WE CALLED A SNOW
PORSCHE THAT DANG THING WAS
UNSTOPPABLE IN THE SNOW IT
WAS SO GOOD THAT MY DAD
BOUGHT A SUBARU BRAT YOU
KNOW THE ONE THAT HAD THE
TWO SEATS MOUNTED IN THE BED..
GREAT LITTLE CARS BOTH OF THEM..I MISS THOSE LITTLE SNOW
PORSCHES.....
I grew up in the mountains of NC and these 4wd Tercel wagons were everywhere. Cool to see one in good shape I haven't seen one in years.
Great car! Johnathan is an awesome guy! I love these little cars. I've owned a whole lot of them and hope to continue to buy/save/rescue as many as possible.
Thanks for sharing this with us!
I love those Tercel’s! I want one day. I drive an 86 4Runner
My first car was a 1984 Tercel 2D. It had an AM radio and a 4 speed manual. My mom bought it new in 1984 and handed it down to me. Loved that car and still hate myself for selling it for $200 in 1997.
I know your pain! I gave mine to my cousin who had just moved here to Canada from the Philippines. He ran it through a stop sign and totaled it 😥
I used to have an 83. I was able to put a good-sized loveseat into the back and the hatch was within a could inches of closing and completely latching
I loved these things back in the day. Never had any issues whatsoever in winter. Could fit my friends and a bunch of stuff, so great for road trips. Definitely function over form, but I never cared. Flashy cars weren't my thing.
I had one of these. Our factory color was yellow. We named it Stanley. Awesome vehicle it went places no other car and some trucks could go.
I watched in horror as a friend of mine managed to start one of these things while the intake was underwater - several times, while he got out of a puddle/lake. I still have no idea how that worked.
I stopped making fun of his car that day.
So awesome, this reminds me of hunting with my Grandma back in the 90's. She had a v20 2wd Toyota Camry wagon, which she pronounced 'camra', and she took that thing all over the place. One time we were trying to make it from one unit to another and needed to take a pretty gnarly road. We started down it and when it started getting rough she just pushed the off-road button (not sure the actual label) and kept going. When we came out the other side there was a couple hunters in an f-150 4wd that waved us down and asked if we had to turn around. My grandma said no we came all the way through and these guys couldn't believe it.
Just got one of these to fix up for my camping trips. Excited
I had one of these. Was a 91 branded as Corolla 4WD wagon. Extractors, manual, diff lock.
A friend in high school had a Tercel wagon - don't know if it was the 4WD. We had a lot of fun touring around in that thing, and I have had a soft spot for these ever since. That back window is so iconic.
My dad had a 2wd 1989 tercel,it was unstoppable,I loved it.
I loved my '83! Mine also was a red SR5. I told people the next owner was either going to be a museum or junkyard.
Sadly, a drunk driver made it the latter.
We had a new 1985 SR5 Cream colored. The dealers were selling ant-rust treatments back then. The treatment blocked the all the drain ports and and made the cars rust badly. Mine at 102,000 miles was rusting badly. The A/C failed so I traded it in. I took it up Pike Peak one year and off road trails a few times. On pavement and the rain with 4wr drive on when you went to turn the car would try to go straight instead of turning. Fun vehicle to own.
There were TWO of these at B&R wrecking yard in Corvallis Oregon the last time I was there. This was about a month ago.. Too rare to die!
I think B&R is the only Wrecker co. that that keeps these available.
My first car as a young surfer and snowboarder in the early 90's. Drove this thing on so many beaches and mountain snow roads, and a few logging roads to some hotsprings. Loved it so much even though they are super 80's spaceship ugly. Never left me stranded, gas consumption was superb, BUT zero power. I do often think about grabbing one again every now and again.
this is awesome. my parents had one of these when i was about 5 years old, and the only thing i really remember about it was that it was bright orange (it also had the white wheels). i used to think that car was so cool. unfortunately, one day when my mom was picking me up from the babysitter's house, as she let the car idle in the driveway for maybe a minute, the engine bay caught on fire and the whole thing burnt to the ground as my mom, babysitter and i watched. it was a very sad day. a couple of days later though, my parents had replaced the tercel with the new corolla all-trac wagon, and equally cool car (although maybe not as wonderfully colored lol)
My friend had one in blue with the blue interior and it was an absolute beast. I had an early 90's Toyota DX 4x4 pickup and his little Tercel wagon kept up with me on the back trails without any problem. Cool rig!
I remember these cars in New York. Honda Civic also had a four-wheel-drive wagon along with Mitsubishi and Nissan. The Nissan one was the most unusual with sliding van doors
awd civic wagon? in new york? what
I saw a Mitsubishi Colt 4WD a few weeks ago, definitely gave me a stiffy
Can't leave out the Subaru 4wd wagon
Nissan stanza Wagon or the Multi in Canada. These Tercels were dogs with the automatic even for the time. Looked good tho..
@@OrganicWheat wagovan a Honda built in Canada came all wheel drive Honda first gen real time all wheel drive system
I love it! I remember a modern version of this called "Toyota Corolla Carib" from late 90s
1:34 I loved those cars, I was looking for one as my now x-wife was working at a ski resort and we ended up with a Subaru Legacy as at the time there were no used Tercels for sale at the time. Still impressive after all these years. what a find.
we had a 4wd and a fwd ones both at same time. they were sick little wagons on ice and in deep snow. sadly here in Canada they rotted apart. but they never gave up untill the gastank decided to have a hole just above a quarter and 1/8th to empty lol😂 even though they still ran a month on 1/8th of tank it got really annoying and we never found replacement tanks that would fit and the tank welding was getting anoying constantly removeing and reinstalling tank.
Had 92 4 Runner. BC car for first 15 years , then brought it to Ontario and it disintegrated in 5 years
I remember that car was sold in Japan as Sprinter Carib, and lasted for three generations.
Growing up in western Montana these cars were everywhere, and tons of Subaru's
This was one a few 4wd cars in the 80s there was the Subaru Justy 5 door hatch too
We had one when I was a kid. My dad always said it was the best vehicle he's ever driven in the snow. Period.
Best 4x4 on TFL in a long time.
This is so cool! 😎. My very first Toyota I owned! This was the start of a lifelong infatuation! Except not the 4x4 version!1. Brings back so many memories! I have now owned more than 7 different toys!
I have a 1984 - 305,000 miles as of today and counting.
I saw this car last June at Cars and Coffee North :) It still had the steelies back then.
The MR2 wheels are just my winter tire setup. Steelies will be going back on soon!
@@popeoverlandexpedition7040 Very nice! I like the MR2 wheels on it too! My mom had a silver '86 Tercel just like yours but non-SR5. Hope to see your car again at C&C someday soon. I'll be going there tomorrow in fact.
@@strongplanted I'll probably be there too
Back in early 90's in my high school days, my friend's brother had his car. I think 5 or 6 of us were tucked into the car, and was going some where...the Sun was setting into orange sky and we were listening to Radiohead's Creep....good'ol days.
Ten years now driving my tercel, but a fwd. I love it so much. Apart from rusts it's so trouble free and takes me anywhere.
Watching a subcompact 80s station wagon do everything a modern crossover can do puts a big stupid smile on my face. The Tercel makes it look easy. Bring back compact adventure vehicles.
That was my very first car in 1998... it was an 83 4X4 Tercel wagon and it was incredible
We had one brand new in ‘84Underpowered and had a minor electrical problem, but super reliable and a great small family hauler.Had it for 4 years until the wife totaled it while reaching for a cassette. Luckily no major injuries. Good times.
My parents had a FWD Tercel like this when I was growing up and it was amazing. I’d love to have one like this. Such a cool little car.
We met Jonathan at a Cars and Coffee a little bit ago and saw this car in person, it's AWESOME!!!
25-30 years ago these were all over Vermont. The salt just destroyed them but i had a lot of friends with this one, the next gen, and the civic all wheel drive wagon. Very hard to find now. Nice car.
What a fantastic video guys! I have to tell you a story now. I was 16-17 years old, in my father’s 1985 Tercel SR5, when I decided to spin the front wheels unfortunately over a manhole cover on the right side. Destroyed 1st & 2nd gears instantly. Had to drive home in LOW gear then throw it into 3rd! Crazy story…AND HE WAS SUPER PISSED OFF!!! 😡
This car is awesome! More down to earth videos like this please.
My dad had an 86 Honda Civic wagon 4x4. Had that same 5+1 manual with the super-low. Was a beast in snow. Would love to find one
A friend of mine in high school had one of these in the mid 90’s. I’m in Michigan with plenty of trails close to the school. Had some good times in that car.
Had 2 of these in the 90s, great cars.
Some joe locally has a Corolla 4wd version ! I got an instant stuffy seeing it so cool to see the Tercel version Toyota in the 80/90s was so special!
One of these is my dream car! They’re getting so hard to find
This is an amazing vehicle.
AMC’ Eagle and Subarus were selling 4wd vehicles before this one came out. So definitely not original in America.
The 80’s produced amazing vehicles.
I love how the back looks like an ATM machine 😂
This was my first car, and I absolutely loved it!❤
Biggest downside of these old 80s wagons as an off-road vehicle is the lack of engine/lack of enough gear reduction. Even with the “crawler” gear in this thing, it required clutch abuse to get it up a moderate incline
15:46 lol pulling the hand brake on a car with a locked center differential (or 4WD) does nothing but slow the car down. Front and rear wheels are locked together, so pulling the hand brake will slow down all 4 wheels equally.
Starting in 86 the tercels had 4.10 gears. People that desire to offroad these usually look for the later model years. I wish they would have included that in the video. These cars really aren't offroaders. They are more so designed for traveling in icy/snowy conditions and mud. Lack of ground clearance and power really limit them for serious offroad use.
Thank you. My buddy owned one, well used in the early 90s, Many fun memories. Toyota abandoned the linear AWD way too quickly, put on Corollas and Camry’s taken a bite out of Subaru
Even back when these were still commonly roaming the roads, I thought they were ugly wagons, but in fairness, Honda had their own version of a weirdly tall Civic wagon and it was just as ugly. Now, with cars getting so full of BS electronics whether you want them or not, I find the simplicity of this Tercel 4WD wagon very refreshing and the practical design appealing. A slightly lifted 4WD wagon like this makes a hell of a lot more sense for the average person than a comparable-size CUV. Easier entry/exit, better handling, and a lower cargo liftover.
Ugly and cool looking at the same time. These Japanese wagons had a very strong futurist industrial design language that's evokes a star wars and Terminator feel. Under appreciated for their time.
Great lil cars. My grandparents had a silver one when I grew up. Very reliable and capable vehicle. Especially in the snow!❤
I had a Friend that had 1 of these when I Lived in Colorado.
This was in 93' it was Given to him by his Parents but he hated it.
I loved that lil Car, it took us Everywhere in the Snow to go Boarding!!!
My very first on the dealers lot new car I ever purchased was a 1993 Tercel DX. Came in right around $8,750 before state tax and fees. Absolutely loved that car. Incredible mileage and easily maintained. Kept it until I put just over 300K miles on it and moved on with another Toyota.
A friend of mine had one of these back in the day when we were young.. he beat that thing RELENTLESSLY and it never faultered.. amazing engine it was at redline for about 10 solid years.
I have 1987 mitsubishi lancer station wagon full time 4wd. It has 1.8l petrol engine, and I use it mainly for off road. It performs really well for my needs. Some of my neighbors have a tercell 4wd. They are also really good little 4wds.
Bought one for $150 to deliver a 90-mile paper route in upstate NY...like the hills of San Fransico. Had bald tires and floorboards rusted through like the flintstones car. One morning after six inches of fresh snow, I get stuck on a person's mailbox on a steep hill. The mailbox was literally pushing into my window. I put her in 4X4 and hit the gas. Away she went like on a smooth dry road. Amazing vehicle!!!
amazing condition - one of the first suvs that started it all:)
Ahem… wagon.
I had one in the '90s as a commuter car. GREAT in the snow. Unfortunately mine threw a rod and I offloaded it.
Blimey. Thirty nine years old. I was working at Toyota at a dealership in London when these first came out. I had to go to the Toyota tuition centre to learn how to work on these. Great vehicles for sure.
Wow, I learned to drive in that model back in Guatemala. Awesome to see that beauty again.
I had the same exact year car except in silver with the blue interior. it was loaded with all the options including the power sunroof. It was slow but I didn't care. Had it for 7 years than sold it to a neighbor.
I had a silver 84 that I did crazy stuff in, that makes this look very tame. I live in the mountains of Colorado, and I used to four wheel it past stuck Wranglers and lifted 4wheelers. You should have seen the stunned looks as I wheeled my stock Tercel past them. I also actually did rally it a few times too, and it did great. Amazing car.
I had a blue 1985 one here which I inherited from my grand pa. We did the Birdsville track trouble free. I also put bigger rims and tyres and a home made lift kit (I was 17 so you imagine the quality). It went well everywhere, sand, rocks, mud. Never ever let me down. Had 400000ks on it when I traded it in. Was a little monster.
My dad owned one of these when I was a kid, he drove that thing everywhere, and hauled lumber to drywall in this. One of those cars that refused to die.
What a cool little wagon. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of those.
We had a blue ‘85 top of the line model. Anemic climbing steep grades, but fun to drive. Loved the controversial lift gate “ATM”. Drove it for years and finally traded it in for a Mitsubishi Montero, which also had an inclinometer.
i had one...........used for a Thai food delivery job in the winter/ blasting around in horrid weather. Once a CV joint went out.... I used a black bungie to support the drive shaft.....and worked 3WD the rest of the night!
These Tercel 4x4s were quite popular here in England with chaps that needed a 4x4 as a second vehicle for country pursuits (hunting, shooting, fishing).
I had one of these. Best car ever! It was a bit slow though, lol.
Bought one New in 1984, Studded tires all around for winter, That thing would go anywhere!!. Just need to anticipate passing zones.
My late Uncle whom was Geologist had one of these, he took that thing everywhere!
Had one of these in the late ‘80’s. Didn’t seem so cool at the time…I commuted from Seattle to Olympia through one of W. Washington’s snowiest winters on record to-date…along with numerous Audi Quattro’s on I-5 that winter…I just went slower. Even had zip-ties substantiating MY front grill, same as this one in the video!! LOL.
Too bad most of these are long rusted into the ground, it was quite an under-appreciated even before Jesse Pinkman had one (his was FWD only)
My family used to have a Tercel coupe. Not 4x4 unfortunately but did have a manual transmission
That Tercel All-Trac eventually became the legendary base for the Toyota Rav4. I have a 2002 Rav4 and the small SUV is just a beast that keep on going forever! Built like it's big brother the Landcruiser!
Webber carbs I’m glad you’re running those. Such a gem
I always liked the Toyota Tercel, but never owned one. I liked them so much that I called them "Toymotor Turtles". Very distinctive styling! Even the five door Corolla Seca Liftback had distinctive styling.
$9k+ for a car back then, was a lot of money. I think I remember my parents telling me they paid $6k or so for their 1984 Mercury Topaz with the 5 speed manual. Fun video guys!
My dad paid a little over $6K for an SR5 Toyota pickup so that was some big coin in its day.
Currently have two of these. Both 5spd, 4x4. Converted one to the weber.
Very cool and capable little cars.
i wish more cars like this were made, incredible practicality, and reliable
Andre, I predict there won't be a better car on this channel all year.
Great videos, truly a joy to watch.
I’ve never seen that car in my life, and now I need it
My God Mother had one of these same color and everything. I remember the seats wow what a throwback to my childhood.
Absolutely Awesome! Keep it forever!! This is a jewel
My dad had one of those when I was a kid and I loved it
I really like my wife’s ‘21 Subaru Forester & the AWD is great. There’s something to be said for pulling a lever & engaging true 4WD, though!
Sweet ride, i've been looking for a 4wd Tercel wagon for a long time as a surf car or to take my dogs to the park, i've only seen a couple for sale but totally trashed, keep her up to speed she's a beauty!!
I bought that exact color and model brand new in 1983 and had it for a few years. Loved it! Only thing it needed was more power
There's got to be a little area in this guy's brain that's just not quite normal. And I love it.
Oh...man..I love this thing. Interior design is awesome!!!
I had an 87. The engine was a real gutless wonder. 0-60 was maybe 17 seconds assuming you had enough space.