Is this 1986 Toyota Tercel SR5 a 4WD find for $5,800? – Jalopnik

Toyota’s all-wheel drive Tercel wagons, as exemplified by today’s Nice Price or No Dice SR5, were some of the company’s most interesting and fun cars in the mid-1980s. Because they are cars with cheap seats when new, this means that few remain. Let’s see if this good condition example lives up to its price and reputation.

Selling a vehicle with a known mechanical defect can be a tricky prospect. Buying such a vehicle is even more formidable, as one solution often leads to another and the whole series of ‘just about as good’ that ensue. Such cars for problem children are commonly marketed as ‘Mechanic’s Specials’ because practical knowledge of which end of a wrench to use and acceptance of the sweat equity investment are the only ways a buyer can come out of the deal on top.

The 2003 Lincoln LS V8 we looked at yesterday was not marketed as a Mechanic’s Special, although the seller did list a non-functioning window regulator in the passenger door as the car’s only defect. That shouldn’t be too much of a hassle to fix (an adjuster costs less than $100), which led many of you to wonder why this wasn’t addressed before the car was listed on Craigslist. Still, with the car’s $6,850 asking price, that didn’t seem like much of a hurdle to overcome, earning the Lincoln some long-awaited props and a respectable 72% Nice Price win.

Perhaps it is Toyota’s tendency to always cater to the customer that has put the company in this commendable position. Take today’s for example 1986 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon. This represents the second generation of Toyota’s sub-Corolla model, which shares the first generation’s engine layout: a longitudinally mounted four-cylinder atop the FWD transaxle.

Legend has it that Toyota chose this layout over a transverse layout because the company believed it would be less upsetting for customers switching from traditional rear-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive. The Tercel has the distinction of being Toyota’s first FWD car sold in the US, and the first 4WD car, as seen in this car.

The engine making all that spin is a 1.5-liter SOHC four, offering a modest 63 horsepower and 75 pound-feet of torque. Wrapped around all that is a subcompact wagon body with square edges, slab walls and a cool, extended window design on three sides of the cargo area.

According to the ad, this white-on-blue cloth car has been repainted during its lifespan, but it still looks good, so it probably wasn’t made by the Count of Scheib. Inside, everything appears original, except for an ill-fitting double-DIN stereo from a later era. The seats, including the nice backrest handles, don’t appear to have worn much at all, and they’re a great throwback, as cars just don’t come with such great upholstery anymore.

Other plus points include tires with adequate tread, a clean title and current tags, and a get-out-of-jail-free card from the smog tester. The only light on the dash is the parking brake light, which isn’t that unexpected since pretty much the only dash light these cars had was the parking brake light.

The Tercel, on the other hand, was intended to serve its purpose and then get out of the way for a new generation. Like the Boomers, this one has stuck. That’s actually a good thing, because these are the kind of simple, fun cars that simply don’t exist anymore. Plus, it would probably be a big hit at any all-Japan or Radwood car show. Could all that be worth the $5,800 the seller is asking for this car’s title?

What’s your opinion on this 4WD trinket of a Toyota and that asking price? Does that feel like a deal? Or do you demand an award from the 80s that matches the 80s atmosphere?

You decide!

Los Angeles, California, Craigslistor go here when the ad disappears.

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