7shades Posted July 30, 2006 Report Share Posted July 30, 2006 Hey everyone... long time reader first time poster blah blah... I'm up in cairns, which is a great place to pick up cheap wheels from backpackers at the end of thier holidays. (three KE70's so far :) ) Anyway yesterday i somewhat impulsively picked up an '84 tercel... resplendent in faded red with compulsory 80's graphics and brown tartan "picnic rug" interior. Sexy. So I figured it would be some cheap fun to weld some tractor wheels onto it and go bush... and then the strangest thing happened. I looked at it a little closer and its in almost perfect nick... no rust, no dents, no rips in the interior, good carpet, no clunks in the drivetrain etc... I took it out into the sticks today and the bloody thing is unstoppable... cruises through deep sand like its tarmac... climbs hills with ease... surprising suspension articulation, decent ground clearance... mud? No worries. Its a beast! so ya know what? I'm gunna keep it. The only thing it reeeeeealy needs is a wee bit more power. Ok so it needs a lot more power. A lot. so I'm thinking conversion, But I have noooo idea where to start... I've lined it up next to my AE71 and KE70 and there's a few similarities there but I've got nooo idea how this wacky-ass north south Fwd/4wd is going affect a conversion... I'm converting the KE70 to 4AG at the moment and thats pretty easy but I'm a bit lost as to what to do with the tercel and the wheezy 3A... wow just looked at my post and its a bit long winded... sorry... Nutshell : does anyone know if a 4AG will fit? If not, what will? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7shades Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 thanks for the warm welcome :) I'm glad this site exists... We don't really have much of a local support base up here for the venerable 'rolla... oddly, more skylines per capita than anywhere else in australia though. Even I have an R32gtst... but i can tell you it stays in the garage most of the time cos the rolla is just waaay too much fun! So... thanks to the mods for keeping the site running and thanks in advance to everyone who answers my inane questions as I stumble through the projects i have on the go. cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st.nick Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Tercelzilla?? Easy: Tercel body+ 3S-GTE and running gear from GT4 Celica!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancullen Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Too difficult and expensive. Just go the 4A-GZE. The torque will go well with the 4WD without being so ridiculous as to snap driveshafts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7shades Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 So... are you aware of any clearance/ layout difficulties associated with the 4wd drivetrain? Or in theory should it be just the same as dropping a 4AGE into an AE71... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwarf Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 My understanding of the Turtle running gear is that it is quite weak, and would probably mot stand up to decent Hp in any way shape or form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7shades Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 My understanding of the Turtle running gear is that it is quite weak, and would probably mot stand up to decent Hp in any way shape or form. I dunno man... I've given the thing a rather thorough punishing and it seems to be holding up quite well... Also I'm not really looking to get 13's on the strip with it, just that the 3A-C is pretty tired and I'd like just a little bite more poke. Also I have a 4ag sitting in the shed batting its eyelids at me seductively.... :lock_folder: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancullen Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Well just use the engine you have on hand. As for Redwarf's comments on the strength of the drivetrain, it seems to be that when the Tercel/Corolla 4WD drivetrain is mentioned, it's a negative comment about how weak it is. However, I would think that it would hold up the the torque of a 4A-GZE, but you wouldn't be able to do constant hard starts, which most people wouldn't do anyway. If you start snapping driveshafts you'll know it was a mistake, but as everyone seems to be scared off by the negative comments, I don't think there's been anyone who's actually tested how strong the drivetrain is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7shades Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 The only unknown as far as weakness goes should be the transfer case and cv's... the rear diff is straight out of the AE71 and its a permanant locker as its only engaged off road, so it should be fine... as for the front, cvs are cvs and my experience with the toyota product has been fairly positive. now if I can just work out how this wierdo transfer case thingy works... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancullen Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 But if the rear diff is locked, even if drive isn't being sent to the rear wheels, won't both wheels still try to rotate at the same speed, meaning that when you turn corners you'll still get the same locked diff effect, meaning that you can still be defected? Anyway, I thought that the Tercel was fulltime 4WD, or was that only the Corolla 4WD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancullen Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Just remembered that the Tercel had a longitudinal motor and the Corolla had a transverse, so they obviously had different gearboxes and presumably different 4WD systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7shades Posted August 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2006 Yeah the 2nd gen tercels were fulltime 4wd... this one is part time. there's a little lever in the centre console which engages the 4wd. its actually pretty cool... you don't need to slow down or stop, you just flick it down and she's in. I'm still investigating how it all works... in normal FWD it has an open front diff, but in 4wd it locks all 4 wheels... must have a locking centre diff in there somewhere... You'd be amazed the places I've taken the (newly named) "teenage mutant ninja tercel" :lock_folder: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancullen Posted August 2, 2006 Report Share Posted August 2, 2006 :lock: @ teenage mutant ninja tercel Just go with whichever 4A-GE you've got sitting around. You should be able to make it fit, the engine mounts should bolt up to the 4A block, and you'll at least double your horsepower with whichever 4A-G you use. :lock_folder: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7shades Posted August 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2006 So it is written... so it shall be done. Cheers for the info :lock_folder: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86ONE Posted August 2, 2006 Report Share Posted August 2, 2006 Good luck, and god speed! :lock_folder: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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