Mid-Life Crisis '91 Tercel Build

So ... many years ago I had the opportunity to buy a rust-free 1991 Tercel with A/C that I used for a daily driver for a few years while I saved money to do "things" to it ...

I'm still doing a little something every year.

To start with, I had it painted 8P1 - Toyota's 'Speedway' Blue from the Mid-2000 Tacoma - and put on 15" American Racing 'Estrella' rims w/ Toyo Proxes 4 rubber. I also upgraded the brakes with those off a 1992 Paseo (larger rotors = better stopping):


Later, when enough money was saved up, I upgraded the exhaust to 2-1/2" stainless and bought a 4E-FTE from a low-mileage Starlet GT Turbo and dropped it in there. Only really tricky part for this was the harness - so I had someone do it up for me:


Added a Momo wheel.


Upgraded the Stereo (this was probably 10yrs ago when that was a good stereo, roflmao):

For the sharp-eyed among you who wonder ... YES, that is working A/C in a turbo-swapped Tercel. I'm a big guy and need my A/C, LOL.



Swapped the Interior with seats/console from a same-year Paseo:


That's a little taste of it. Currently it has a few other modifications (Paseo Cluster w/Tach, Tubular Manifold with cat-delete downpipe, Boost Controller at 12psi, Boost gauge), and is getting more this spring when we put in the FMIC, new BOV, some more gauges and possibly new ECU if I have enough put aside.

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say it's probably the cleanest 4th-generation Tercel in Canada, and one of the few with a properly-done Turbo swap. It's super fun to drive, especially as it weighs like 1,960 lbs. Sure surprises kids in their Civic SI's anyway... LOL.

We've got some other projects in the garage too - most notably a very clean 1990 Celica All-Trac Turbo. But that's my sons so I'm not as invested in that one.

 

That is awesome! Tercel was the first new vehicle I bought with my own money.

White, manual tranny like yours and nothing else but A/C and manual roll down windows.

Yours looks amazing!

 

Thanks! It sounds good too, LOL. I forgot to mention that I have about 80lbs of Dynamat on the floor (including trunk) and doors and nothing but a resonator and a dynomax ultra-flow stainless muffler.

Sounds great from the outside, and stays quiet on the inside, LOL.

 

Very cool. But let's see that celica all-trac turbo. Love those cars. Very unique.

 

I don't have too many pics of his beastie, but here's from when we brought it home last November or so:


Engine bay the day we brought it home. Since this pic it's had everything rebuilt so it's all ready for further mods:


Here's the wheels he's put on it. (He has since 'stanced' it out so it looks better...)


That's all I have for pics - he has more somewhere, I'm sure.

 

What the shit? A turbo, 4wd Celica? mind blown.

 

Nice Tercel @AlbertaBeef

 

Man...some sweet old-school 'yotas you have there Beef!!!

I had a chance to buy a well-maintained celica in '91... passed on it because <drumroll> ...it was white

...and purchased a metal-flake blue Dodge Daytona instead

(...and almost 30 years later, i purchased a white Tundra!)

 

It's pretty-awesome, I must admit! It was rather amazing in winter, but he only drove it the one winter and it's now garaged, only out when the salt is washed from the roads ... He wants it to last another couple decades if he can make it do so.

He's also got a '92 Celica GT as his daily.

 

damn ! that MOMO steering wheel is the heat

 

That's hilarious, rofl. We've had a LOT of 'yotas and love 'em all.

Speaking of white cars ... I had ONE white Toyota ...

It was a 1983 Tercel 4WD Wagon manual - 5spd with the ultra low 6th gear that was only available when you were in 4wd. That thing went ANYWHERE we pointed it in the snow. Because it was a 'snow beast' and because it was white, it was nicknamed "The Yeti". We actually sold that to a young couple that needed a car ... for $1.00 LOL.

If my wife would let me, I'd by another one of those for nostalgia's sake, ha ha.

My history with Toyota goes something like this: 5 Different Tercels, 2 corollas, 2 Avalons, 1 Solara, 1 Tacoma and now the Tundra. My sons have also purchased 1 Corolla and 2 Celicas - so that's 15 Toyotas in our family. We currently still have 7 of them in the family. One of my Corollas has been driven by 3 generations of my family, LOL.

 

YOU just named my Tundra

 

Think I’ve seen this around North CALGARY

 

that's a nice Tercel.

 

Yeah, we're in Airdrie so any of our vehicles could be in North Calgary. My son works in the NE so we're in all the time . . .