A slightly doctored view of our 1991 Tercel, parked near Gold Beach, Oregon. (My wife was standing up against the car in the picture, but she wanted me to edit her out. Respect your wife’s wishes!)
Remember “stripper” cars? I don’t think there are any new cars on the market today that truly qualify as a “stripper” in the sense that I remember them. Just taking a quick look at the current line-up from Hyundai, for example, I see that the base model Accent, their cheapest car, comes with power steering, power windows and locks, A/C, Electronic Stability Control, back-up camera, anti-lock brakes, a 6-speed manual, and about a jillion airbags. No, to find a real stripper, you have to travel back in time. Let’s say to 1991.
The 1991 Tercel which is the feature of this post most certainly qualifies as a bonafide, nothin’ fancy here, just get my butt to the store with as little fuss as possible, “stripper.” But wait, Matt, didn’t you own that sweet, sweet Celica? I know you had that rather “unfortunate” incident in Lincoln City, but you got that sorted, right? Why on God’s green earth would you dump that car and buy a base-model Tercel? Are you daft, lad?
The Tercel parked at my wife’s place of employment, about 1992. Yes, it looks like a house, but it’s actually an office. She was a social worker and non-profits aren’t exactly swimming in cash. I worked at a historical society. Hence, the base Tercel. It was in our price range.
Well, we hadn’t planned on doing that. Driving home from Medford to Ashland on Interstate 5 one evening in late December 1990, we encountered something large in the lanes of traffic. Ms. D (that’s what I’m going to call my wife from now on- a touch more personal while still respecting her anonymity) thought it was a dead animal. I just saw a bulky beige object. Whatever it was, we had to swerve to avoid it, and when we did, we lost control of the car, crossed the median, and plowed into the side of a brand-new 1990 Honda Accord EX Coupe. Miraculously, no one in either car was seriously hurt. But that was the inglorious end of the Celica.
The insurance gave us a decent enough settlement for an 11-year old car with 120K- about $2300 ($4500 in 2020 dollars), but now we were car-less. The pastor of our church let us borrow his second car, a 1978 Corolla, until we found a new set of wheels. We debated what to do. Having soured on pre-owned cars, what with the carb problems of the GLC and the “Incident in Lincoln City” with the Celica, Ms. D and I decided we’d take the settlement and put a down-payment on a brand-new car. We debated our options, test-drove several different makes (an Escort Pony, a Civic hatchback, and a Tercel), and decided on the Toyota. Despite our experiences with the Celica, I knew that Toyota made excellent cars and Consumer Reports rated the Tercel highly when it came to reliability. The Civic was a great car, too, but quite a bit more expensive.
At the time, the nearest Toyota dealership had a bad reputation for, um, screwing people, so I decided to look elsewhere to purchase the car. I bought a copy of The Oregonian and found a new base-model Tercel for sale at Beaverton Toyota, near Portland, for $6500 ($12,700 adjusted). So I hopped on the Greyhound and headed north to buy our new car.
Sidebar (indulge me): that was the last time in my life I rode on a Greyhound. If you’re old enough, you may remember that Greyhound was mired in a months-long strike around this time. Yep, our driver was a sub. And he was quite the character, which, when you’re talking about a substitute bus driver, may not necessarily be a good thing. When he took the exit for Grants Pass, he got on the PA: “Grants Pass, folks. Anyone know where the bus station is here?” A little later down the road he announced, “You know, Greyhound is still hiring substitute drivers. If they’ll hire and old fart like me, they’ll hire just about anybody!” It was simultaneously amusing and unnerving. In Eugene, we took on a lot of extra passengers- too many passengers, actually- some people ended up standing. The driver instructed the seatless riders to crouch down in the door well and hide if we saw a state patrol cruiser. Yikes.
I was more than happy to exit the bus in Salem, where my folks were waiting for me. In the morning, dad drove me to Beaverton and the dealer still had the car. I was expecting a “bait and switch,” but to my amazement, they didn’t try to upsell me. Maybe they were shocked I actually wanted to buy such a basic car. Whatever the case, I signed on the dotted line and was now the proud owner of a 1991 Toyota Tercel, which I then drove back to southern Oregon the next day.
Internet image grab of a ’91 base-model Tercel, driver’s view. How can I tell it’s a base model? No trip odometer. Also note the blank panel where the clock is supposed to be (upper right).
This view of a ’93 or ’94 (notice the airbag) shows the “nothing to see here” interior.
There’s a special feeling when you drive your first brand-new car, no matter what it is. I felt like I was driving a Mercedes. But, as I mentioned, this car was a stripper in the truest sense of the word: two-doors (for cost-saving, not style), fixed passenger-seat windows, 4-speed manual, no A/C or power anything, manual steering, vinyl seats with fixed headrests. Not even a bloody radio (though we did later add a nice unit). On the outside black bumper covers, a single driver’s side mirror, and regular ol’ rectangular headlights added to the aura of cheapness. The car rode on puny 13-inch steel wheels. No wheel covers. Not exactly the Celica. Heck, it wasn’t even the GLC if you did a straight-across features comparison.
In 1991, the Tercel’s styling was fresher and more up-to-date than that of its competition. Left: Ford Escort Pony. Right: Honda Civic base hatch.
Despite the Tercel’s stripped-down exterior, on the “plus” side it looked very fresh and contemporary compared to its competition, and its rounded aero styling was ready for the 90s. It wasn’t an “econobox,” I joked when we bought it, it was an “econobubble.”
Power was delivered by Toyota’s 1.5-liter SOHC 12-valve* four that put out 82 hp. And while that sounds pretty underwhelming, you have to remember that the base Tercel had a curb weight of only about 2000 pounds. The car also had something else our first two lacked: electronic fuel injection. That was a revelation, for sure. The Tercel seemed almost sprightly, all things considered. In fact, thanks to this Tercel, I developed a genuine fondness for little cars. Sure, the ride isn’t the greatest and there’s often a healthy dose of road noise, but there’s also a “go-kart” like quality that I find fun and satisfying. Maybe I’m a little damaged in the head, but this fondness for diminutive drivers would factor into much later car purchases.
Ms. D and I absolutely loved this car. It’s funny how a car that sounds so mediocre on paper can make such a different impression when you drive it every day. It did what was asked of it and did it with an almost eagerness that’s hard to describe. We drove this car everywhere: to the Redwoods (a 3- hour drive), across northern California, out to the high desert, the coast, Crater Lake, up to Portland (many, many times) and it never gave us a bit of trouble during the 80,000 miles we put on it.
We also took it into the mountains in winter. We regularly cut our Christmas trees from the forest and I remember one winter in particular we went up to about 4,000 feet in elevation and cut two 7-foot trees, one for us and one for a friend, and stuffed both of them into the Tercel’s trunk. Sure, they hung out about 4 feet, but we hung the red forest service tags from the tree-tips and we were good to go.
Shasta red fir, or “silvertip.” Imagine stuffing two of these into the trunk of a Tercel.
Another time we drove on packed snow on Oregon 140 at night. No chains or studs. Just front-wheel drive and careful driving. Maybe that was foolish, but I never felt unsafe. It makes me question the notion that we need to have every possible bell, whistle, and then some in our cars or they won’t be usable. This bare-bones Tercel proved otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely appreciate the power-steering, power locks, A/C, airbags and all the other things I have in my current driver. God knows that cars, even at their most basic, are safer today with their back-up cameras, stability control, anti-lock brakes, and airbags (plus all the other stuff that will eventually fail and cost thousands to repair). But even now I try to ask myself, “what do I truly need in a car?” Sometimes simplicity is its own reward.
For the three and half years and 80,000 miles we drove the Tercel, we definitely got our $6,500 worth. But there was one feature the Tercel lacked that we were going to eventually need: two extra doors. We were done with college and working and knew that soon we’d appreciate those two extra doors in the event our family grew. So, in 1994, it was time to say a sad goodbye to the Toyota. For our next car, we did the unthinkable (cue sinister organ music): we bought American. You’ll read all about that in my next installment.
* I’m scratching my head to think of other car engines from this era that had three valves per cylinder. I think Mercedes had some. Feel free to chime in.
A lot of fun in this post, Mr D (I presuming).
It’s interesting you mention a Skinflint Special Hyundai of 2020 having piles of stuff in it, all lacking in the Tercel. It has come up in two different posts here recently both that cars are at an historical low for relative pricing, and that safety equipment might eventually affect the common affordability of cheap cars.
When you list just what that Tercel lacked, it proves decisively that the safety stuff does not at all have to make its 2020 or future equivalent unaffordable.
But if one mentally adds just 5 speeds, cloth seats(!), and arguably a/c (for safety as much as anything else) to the 2020 crash structure and safety stuff, a whole bunch of modern addenda doesn’t really need to be there. Though ofcourse, no-one would buy such a car, probably including me. The idea certainly appeals, though. In theory.
The Tercel has surely been given a most Protestant scrubbing, possibly with a wire brush, until it dares not show any sort of appeal to anyone, but perhaps the very fact of it being a visual non-entity helped to sell it to the parsimonious and otherwise car-disinterested. I understand your point when you say that in its rounded blandness it looked more ’90’s than the Civic, but that particular Civic is arguably the styling highlight for that badge, and even more arguably, for a pile of small cars ever since, so if you mean that the Toyota was actually nicer, I couldn’t possibly agree. Frankly, the poor thing looks about as interesting as that fat and irredeemably dull young nephew whose name no-one can ever quite recall.
Oh, and the SOHC Honda had FOUR valves per cylinder too. (Can’t think of any 1991 3-valver either, though).
Looking forward to The American Experience next.
I happily owned a ’91 Geo Storm, which had a 3-valve Isuzu 1.6 engine. The next model up was a twin-can 4-valve.
Thanks. I’m “Mr. S”- I ‘m actually using my wife’s first initial. I loved your astute observation of a good “Protestant scrubbing.” Perhaps for the very reason I was raised Protestant I didn’t mind the lack of sparkle in this car! I wouldn’t say I am or was car-disinterested, though. I will argue with those who think it’s only people who “don’t know jack about cars” who buy Toyotas. Back in the day, I regularly read car magazines and kept up with the latest. So I knew all about the Civic, the Escort, the 323, and the like. Many things factored into our decision to buy this car.
>>In 1991, the Tercel’s styling was fresher and more up-to-date than that of its competition. <<
not – the Civic looks far more modern – back then, the people who bought Tercels were those that didn't know any better or were unwilling to pay more for a much better car
Scotty Kilmer said in one of his videos that this car, the Tercel, was one of Toyota's worst misfires ever. Notice they dropped that unfortunate name because it was pretty bad
Scotty rarely has anything bad to say about Toyota but, in a nutshell, it was a Turdsell
I figured I’d get pushback on the Tercel. The poor, unloved Tercel. Aesthetics are highly subjective, of course. At the time- and we need to factor in context- the Tercel’s styling was much more in the 90s vibe. You can love it or hate it. Just for the record, I do love those old Civics, so I wasn’t necessarily dissing them. And I do know better about a lot of things and the Tercel was an excellent car, based on our experience with it. I can’t speak for others, of course.
The previous model Tercel (especially the 2 door coupe) was really popular with the Gen X crowd as well as the 323 sedan. We were just graduating from college and Tercel EZs were selling for $6,000 new).
I remember the Tercel EZ. Toyota dropped the “EZ” designation for ’91, but our car was certainly its spiritual successor.
I had a red ‘91 stripper model. Only option it had was a/c. I LOVED my Tercel! Put over 300k miles on it. Not sure how many because the odometer quit working. I drove it in th Blizzard on ‘93. That car was unstoppable. I’d buy one today if I ever came across a decent one. I really, really miss that car.
While styling certainly is subjective Kilmer is an clueless idiot (and not just about this). People loved their Tercels, they were reliable and durable, it was one of the key pillars in building Toyota’s reputation.
I know three people who owned this generation Tercel, even in the same color. They loved them! These cars were basic and not the prettiest, but they were tanks, needing little or no maintenance. They kept them for decades!
Little or no maintenance- that’s for sure!
You’ve got some Mad Photoshop Skillz there if you took your wife out of the foreground of the first pic, Mr. D. Props.
I don’t think there was ever a bad Tercel made and your experience seems to further that trend, Toyota’s smallest and most basic cars usually make for an ownership experience that seems to just go on forever (almost literally). There just isn’t anything included that could possibly break or go wrong. Your Tercel is like a legendary basic Toyota pickup just with a roof and trunk…
I will agree with others though that the Civic was a nicer car, as it should be, it’s a level higher and analogous to a Corolla, Honda didn’t supply a sub-Civic here back then. I don’t know who Scotty Kilmer is as referenced about but the Tercel was hardly a “misfire”.
The Worst Cars Toyota Ever Made
https://youtu.be/yIvZzbYLq5Q?t=156
Is he on meth? He won’t stop twitching. I had to stop watching about thirty seconds in when he went off on a rant about Toyota using sidevalve carburetors. When was that, sixty years ago? Wow, do people follow his “advice”? Scary.
3 millions subscribers and a Toyota lover
a mechanic w/ 50 or so years experience, his father was a mechanic too and his family owned a service station – he has had his own repair shop for decades – people love him because he tells the truth as he sees it
and actually, if people do make fun of him it’s because they find him too devoted to Toyota
The Tercel was as bullet-proof of a car that Toyota ever made, from the first to the last. And there’s still plenty of them on the streets here in Eugene to prove it. I have never, ever heard anyone blast the Tercel. And from these comments, I’m not about to open that video.
Yeah wow, that’s the sort of guy I would never take advice from in real life. Uh, yeah sure buddy.
A good reliable basic car is surely underrated these days. Don’t know of any other car engines with three valves per cylinder but the Honda 400/450 twins of that era had three
IIRC there were some Mazda engines back then with three, too.
Other than Kilmer, I’ve never heard anecdotally, or read much negativity surrounding the reliability or quality of Tercels. I’ve seen many from all generations that were long lived in my region, where vast amounts of road salt is applied. The people I knew that owned them, consistently had good things to say. And they were highly recommended in many consumer surveys going back to the first generation.
Kilmer has odd mannerisms, and a quirky personality, but he is very prolific with car advice on his channel. Much of it is valid, and useful. More than any other car advice he gives, he reinforces buyers stick with Toyota and Honda for long term reliable service. As he uses Toyota quality as a benchmark for much of his repair recommendations. He is highly critical of Fiat Chrysler. He offers consistently generally sound advice.
I’ve only been able to stomach a bit of a few of his videos but what I’ve seen is flat out wrong.
Hahaha! This has been my reaction every time I try to watch one of this guy’s videos too. He’s far more of a windbag than a sage.
Yeah I don’t see how people can watch his junk. I watched bits of a couple of his videos in the past and if he actually knows anything about how cars actually work he certainly doesn’t show it in his videos.
I realize expectations were low, basic transportation, but I never knew anyone who had a Tercel, who didn’t love it. One of the funnier Hoovie’s Garage episodes was when he tortured participants in his Masarati Quattroporte giveaway by playing Scottie at full volume.
I am amused by all the Scotty Kilmer comments here. Personally, I find him hard to watch. I don’t know if that’s the way he really talks, or if it’s just an internet persona he developed. I appreciate the fact that he’s a Toyota apologist, even if I think he’s dead-wrong about the Tercel.
About the same time, my brother had a basic ’90 Civic hatch and it was a fantastic car. Feature-wise, it really wasn’t that advanced over our Tercel. It had a 5-speed and one extra valve per cylinder. You can argue about driving dynamics, of course, and the Civic certainly beat the Tercel there. Otherwise, it was just as stripped-down. Oh, and it cost about $1000 more. That was one factor that weighed heavily on our decision. When you have few resources, you make do. The Tercel gave us what we needed without breaking the bank and provided extremely reliable service. When you’re just out of college and getting started, that’s not a bad thing.
One of the Worst Cars Toyota Ever Made, Toyota Tercel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ZVsibXNrk
“Turdsell”
Between the obnoxious burnouts that begin each video and this guy’s yelling, motormouth voice, I’ve never been able to make it through one of his videos.
Funny nickname, though I must strenuously disagree.
I had a first gen Tercel and loved it. I’ve had 45 vehicles in my life, and the low spec models are always my favorite. Simplicity is fun, it’s easier to keep clean and responses to “personalization.” When i buy new, I look for the base model every time. Recently i replaced my aging mega-mileage tundra (gave it to my son), with a late model tacoma. In order to get the engine and trans i wanted I had to get the SR5 package. I’d preferred the base model.
This COAL speaks to me on several levels. Around that time I drove Mazda 323 hatchback that was almost as bare bones as your Tercel. I already had a major appreciation for simple, cheap no frills cars. And the 323 augmented that sentiment because it was fun to drive. That Tercel was very tough to boot. A collegue of mine had one back then —and shocker—he still owns it today!
When buying the 323 I also cross shopped the Tercel, Civic and Escort. And like you I put lots of miles on the small car with many long distance drives.
I really enjoy your writing style. Thanks for sharing your stories, Mr. D.
We looked at the 323, but didn’t drive one. Maybe we should have. I do think these cars are products of a bygone era and time has perhaps softened a more critical view of them. On the other hand, they had a basic ruggedness and honesty that I appreciate to this day.
I’m enjoying your COAL series as I’m about the same age as you. I was in grad school in Oregon in 1990 when my 280z was turning into a money pit. I had limited financial resources so I bought a 2 year old 323 hatchback from a Mazda dealer in Beaverton.
That car was the epitome of basic – roll up windows, 4 speed manual, vinyl seats, etc., but it had a year of factory warranty left at 27,000 miles and cost $4800 which was as good as it could get for me at that time. I really wanted a Toyota truck but the basic ones were going for over $6000 (4 speed) and you are right, at that point of your life $1000 can make a huge difference.
I kept the car for 7 years, selling it at 165,000 miles. It was a good purchase as it was reliable. I sold it when I finally got my new Toyota Tacoma (base model) truck.
My stepfather had one of these when I was a teen. Honestly, it felt like a toy car. It was a stripper with a manual transmission, and it started life off red, but had baked into a chalky, brick-like hue. It probably should have been my first car, as I was about driving age when he had it, but my mom called it a “death-trap,” disliked being a passenger in it, and would never have had me take it when I got my license.
The Tercel never gave my stepdad any problems, but eventually, when it came time for a new car, he splurged on an Acura Integra. This was a very cool car, also a 5 speed in red, but in a different stratosphere in coolness and performance relative to a humble, hapless Tercel. The Tercel was passed on to another family member and it soldiered on for a few months before she traded it in for pennies on the dollar towards some gigantic American SUV, a Suburban or Expedition as I recall. No one wanted to be seen in this car unless they had to.
If no one wants to be seen in a particular car, it may be because they are concerned about what this signals about their social status. Which has nothing to do with the car’s quality, as a transportation device, Tercels were bought because of what they could do for you-haul you and your stuff around reliably and cheaply, with a little bit of fun-not for how they made you look.
I would mostly agree with that, though I can see someone paying a little bit more for the Civic, which didn’t exactly telescope any kind of special status, either. But in our case, economy and reliability were the top-most considerations. I didn’t care that the Tercel was considered a “loser” car by some.
Right there with you on the appeal of a stripper. Car, I mean. Around that time I was driving the hand-me-down that had been Mrs. JPC’s first new car, a 1983 Colt (with the less common Plymouth badging rather than the more common Dodge). Other than the a/c she had added a year or so into her ownership, it was pretty spartan. That “twin stick” four speed was a hoot.
Count me as another who would have paid the extra for a Civic. Wasn’t the VW Fox in that class too? Or had it been discontinued by then, I forget.
Also, count me as another who is waiting eagerly for the next installment.
Thanks, JP. Yes, I think you’re right about the Fox, though I don’t think we considered one of those. Except for the Escort, we looked at the Japanese offerings (though I guess the Escort was largely Japanese, too).
…and I think the Fox was still around in 1991, too. In fact, I believe they lasted here until 1993. Just realized I didn’t respond to the second part of your question.
Back in the early 80s or late 70s, I looked at the Subaru Justy..red (2) door I believe. The dealer in downtown Kansas City had two identical units..mayB even sequential vins.I asked him what the Justy came with. His reply was, “two keys”.
By the way, the Justu also had a 3-valve engine, for a total of 9.
That may be the only 9-valve engine!
@Iowahawk. A little (or a lot) daily luxury is as desirable to some people as hair-shirt stinginess is to others.
One thing is for sure: Nobody’s coffin will have pockets.
Absolutely! When I was in college, had a little more padding strategically placed and my spine was more flexible, I would have thought nothing about jumping in a Tercel and taking off cross-country. Now I need something a little more substantial. And there are people who find comfort and isolation from the stresses of their everyday life in a car that is more cosseting.
What I was trying to express was that people who value a car, or devalue another car, because of what it says about them to be seen in such a car can miss the good qualities that can be had in one of these simpler vehicles.
I knew a guy who owned a Tercel and his wife had an inherited Mercedes SLC, the stretched SL. When they had their second child, they decided to get a larger car, and against his preference, traded the Tercel for a Camry and the SLC became his daily driver. He told me missed the Tercel every day.
I’m really impressed/surprised by the price you paid. Our 1993 Corolla wagon wasn’t quite as much of a stripper, as a DX model with the 1.8 16 valve DOHC engine, 14” wheels, power steering, AM/FM and even a clock, but it was a 5 speed and still had rollup windows, steel wheels, cloth seats and no AC. And if I recall correctly, it was stickered over $14K though we paid well below list. One model and one trim level up, plus a wagon, but 3 years seem to have made a big difference.
I think at the time, Toyota advertised you could get a Tercel for under $7K. Of course, it would be a base model like ours. I am not sure about pricing of cars two years later, but obviously something changed! Adjusted, that $14K Corolla would be well north of $20K today. I think you can get a decently-equipped 2020 Corolla for around $20K.
I drove a 93 Tercel recently. a free loan car while the EGR was being deleted in my own, ok for a round town car it was an automatic with the odometer on a return trip from the moon and originally a used import, the fact it ran at all is testimony that Toyota did it fairly well to begin with and there are more than a few of them still on the road, there was a diesel engine option too Ive seen some of those, Toyota in that era had 3,4 &5 valve per cylinder engines in their range of fours who else did that.
A co-worker of mine owned one. It was spartan inside, but still sounded more refined than another co-workers Kia Sephia, which had a rough sounding engine. Another coworker of mine had one of the 90s rounded Cavaliers, it was probably the most comfortable of the 3, but I didn’t like the window switches in the middle of the car rather than on the doors.
The Sephias started out disappearing from the roads first, followed by the Tercels. Once in a while I might see a roached out Cavalier on the road, but thats not very often. The last few Tercels I did see seemed to be better taken care of.
The early nineties Colt/Mirage/Summit trio had 12-valve engines as well.
What a coinkydink PonderosaMatt, my stripper 1993 Toyota Camry also came from Beaverton Toyota and I am only the second owner! Along with the owner’s manual there is some Beaverton Toyota information in the glove box that might include the salesperson. I kind of wish there was a dealer badge on the trunk lid.
The 1991 Honda Civic looks nice enough, but I am not a huge fan of the blocky styling. I like the looks of the 1991 Ford Escort and Toyota Tercel more so with their curves. Your Tercel is too basic and possibly cramped for me, but I am glad it worked out well for you two. No AC and cruise control, especially between Eugene and Tualatin on I-5 sounds kind of awful. There was a classmate of mine (in 2008) who was gifted a Tercel of similar vintage, was told to check the oil regularly, and failed to do that. So they ended up with a dead engine which resulted in taking the school bus the rest of the year. I still seem some Tercels around, but they are even rarer than Metros.
My daughter bought her first car – a used 2007 Yaris, from Beaverton Toyota a couple of years ago. Full circle?
Nice choice. We have a 1996 Tercel but it is relatively plush with the later DOHC engine and sway bars. It has a really nice, honest, willing character to it.
Excellent read – my wife’s first car was a ’91 Tercel 2-door in white. It looked like a little egg! I agree with your go-cart comments – I am 6’5″ and had to fold myself in half to get down and into it, and I always felt I was a couple of inches above the road, but it was always comfortable and turned on a dime. It cost her 1/10th the repairs my ’91 Spirit did and was super reliable.
My only real complaint was the cheapo edition we had did not come with a right door mirror – I wound up buying one from a scrap yard and installing it myself. It also didn’t have a buzzer to warn if you left your headlights on – I got caught by that once or twice in morning commutes when it became sunny when I got to work. Amazing first car for our first years of marriage too.
* I’m scratching my head to think of other car engines from this era that had three valves per cylinder. I think Mercedes had some. Feel free to chime in.
The Honda A series four, which powered all US market Accords and Preludes from 1982-1989, had three valves per cylinder.
It’s actually a very pragmatic solution, as the total valve area for the intake needs to be greater than for the exhaust. So two small intake valves and one largish exhaust valves does the trick very effectively.
Well technically the CVCC was a 3 valve engine, even if that 3rd valve was tiny and fed the pre-combustion chamber. You still had 12 valves to adjust.
True, but I purposely omitted them because…they’re odd balls, at least from today’s perspective.
Many Ford “Modular” engines, from 2002, had three valves per cylinder.
And the Nissan Sentra had a 3 valve engine around 1989-1990. The GA16i.
While at the time I was considering a Paseo, this Tercel is an appealing car to me in its simplicity; thanks for sharing MR S.
My first car was a 1988 Civic base hatchback, having grown up and learned to drive in large chevys, it was big time culture shock. My father had a 74 Caprice classic 4 dr, cushy velour seats with no feel steering and am/fm, now that’s living! But this Honda? Comfort wise it was on par with the best NYC transit bus, with more hard plastic and vinyl than I’d ever seen before. As a stripper car, it had no radio, no a/c, no clock, no right side mirror, no hatch area cover, no lighter, no radio antenna. Maybe its easier to say what it had? Well, it ran well, and it was smooth, like it had an electric motor. Oh, and it was all mine… After a while, I saw how it was so well thought out compared to my fathers 70’s Chevys. For example, while sitting in a normal drivers position, you could reach forward and adjust the drivers side mirror. It kind of made me a minimalist, today I love my flip phone, my analog watch and my 20 yr old honda with roll up windows and a 5 speed manual transmission. Long live us dinosaurs!
Ha, I just sent Paul a long analysis of the death of the stripper which I hope he decides to publish. I referenced the 95ish tercel as about the last real stripped car you could by. Very short version of why the stripper car disappeared: Chrysler’s omni/horizon America models and the koreans increased feature content above what had been traditional in an economy car and killed the stripper.
My college roommate has always liked base cars. He replaced his ‘83 Celica ST with a base Tercel, after 20 years replaced that with an Accord LX coupe, and now drives a 2017 Civic LX coupe. He’s always said the Tercel has been his favorite of all since it was light and tossable.
I never understood Toyota hate, truly. They make highly competent cars, sometimes even with a dash of style and tossability. I haven’t met a Toyota owner yet who has regretted their decision. At the auto last week I was quite impressed with the Avalon TRD and the Highlander Hybrid.
“But even now I try to ask myself, “what do I truly NEED in a car?” Sometimes simplicity is its own reward.”
I feel even BETTER about my 2011 Ford Ranger b/c of this legitimate philosophy. It’s a 4-cylinder XL Regular Cab with vinyl seats, hand-crank windows, AM/FM radio, a 5-speed automatic transmission, and not much else (besides everything I’ve added to it to make it “mine”). But guess what? It’s ALL I NEED for getting to work & back home 5 to 6 days of the week. And that’s why I kept it even after finding my 2005 Chevy Astro to use on special occasions. Oh yeah, it also has the FACTORY TOWING PACKAGE (the Astro does too) which came standard on all 2009-11 models–not just the V6 ones either–making it adequate for towing basic utility trailers that don’t require brakes. Less stuff you have means less to worry about failing as the car gets older.
When getting those 7-ft trees, you sure could’ve used help from my Astro, my previous van (’96 Ford Aerostar), or the trunk of my dad’s ’89 Lincoln Town Car. The trunk in THAT car was HUGE! At least you FINALLY got your fuel injection! 🙂
Nissan’s wonderful KA24 was 12 valve or 3 valves per cylinder. I’ve had many a D21 hardbody with this lovely engine.
My first new car was a Mk1 Ford Fiesta in 1980. It was very modern, but a stripper. The wheels were 12 inch, four speed stick, two door hatch with crank windows in front and fixed glass in back. There was no place in the dash for a radio!
It was almost $1k less than a VW Rabbit, but nicer than the Shove-it Scooter from GM.
I had a Tercel rental on Kauai and it was perfect for a week on that small island. The gas gauge did not move enough to be charged for fuel.
My first car was a Mazda 323 stripper. Bought it brand new in 1992. I chose it over the Tercel as it was slightly cheaper, had a few more features, and a 5 speed manual (vs Tercel’s 4). When new, it had no tach, no radio, no A/C, not even a passenger side mirror. It was very reliable, never letting me down over the course of its 300,000 km / 15 year life span. I am reasonably certain the Tercel’s of that year were very comparable in terms of build quality/reliability.
A bit of advice for those here who dismiss Kilmer as a windbag without giving him an audience. For someone who puts out the colossal amount of content on a daily basis as he does, he will inevitably, sooner or later, get something wrong. I compel you to go past his mannerisms, watch his videos for a few days and then come back here with an opinion. In my view, there are few sources on Youtube as trustworthy as he is when it comes to automotive knowledge. He is as honest and down to earth as it gets.
The only ones to say anything bad about the Tercel are those who never owned one. I have had one in the family since about 1986. My dad bought a two door hatch (84 model) for mom to drive in late 86. She put many miles on it before it went to my older sister as a first car. then I got it when I started driving, so on this went until it had been through all 5 of us kids. The poor thing took all the abuse we could dish and just kept on like it was nothing.
After my youngest sister bought her Camry in 92 the Tercel took a break for a while before being returned to drivers ed duty for cousins (as it was a 4 speed stick and easy to lean on) I think all told about 12-15 new drivers used and abused this car while learning to drive. Then when my children were old enough to learn it was put back to work for all 5 of them.
I still have the thing and the 1994 that I bought new after a divorce. I have finally replaced the original clutch last summer and gave it a new coat of paint..it sits waiting patently on my grandsons for driving lessons, and I have no doubts that it will preform admirably in 10 more years just as it always has.
I have a 2zz swapped 3rd generation Mr2 and decided to get a cheap winter beater and got a ’97, 5 speed Tercel, I remember the night I got it, it was night time and drove it to a gas station to fill up before heading home, people were looking at it as if it were a piece of shit but I didn’t care, climbed in and took the empty highway home, on my way, I was surprised at how low it sat and how fun it was to toss around, this was 4 years ago and since then, it has withstood all the abuse I put it through, from taking out the passenger seat and filling every square inch of the interior with hundreds upon hundreds of pounds to redlining it every morning without even warming it up on my way to work and it just still keeps on ticking