On the way to a week on the Diablo/Ross lake system
My sweet sweet wife purchased the Tercel for $500 cash when she started college back in 2000. It faithfully provided her with 5 years of breakdown free college transportation and when we got married in 2005 it was decided that this car had earned a place in our household forever, or until it fell apart, whichever came first. It's been another 5 years and the only money we've put into it is the occasional oil change or tune up.
This car is the definition of dependable. There are no creature comforts(at all) but it will get you from A to B without a doubt. The last few years, we discovered that it makes a brilliant mountain car. You can pack up your camping supplies, canoes, backpacking gear mountain bikes and whatever else, drive it into the wilderness/trailhead and leave it for weeks, with full assurance that no one will try to break into it. Actually, people probably won't get within 5 feet of it, as we always bring a garbage bag full of trash and spread it around the interior before we head for the hills.
Somewhere along the line, it picked up the nickname "Turdcel" It wasn't us, and I don't even remember who it was that came up with the name. This was passionately rejected by my sweet sweet wife at first, but eventually it stuck and is spoken as a pet name, not out of any disgust for this fine machine. I'm not really even sure what prompted the name, but it could have something to do with the seat covers that kind of resemble a bear that has been decaying for years. People poke fun, but they will rub those same seatcovers for good luck before any mountain bike ride in the forest
The defrost doesn't work so if there is any temperature difference between out and in, you can't see anything. The 0 to 60 time is nonexistent if there is any kind of load on because it tops out at about 57. This is ok though because on trips, it's all about the journey. Empty it can get above 60, but might as well not since it takes about 3 hours of solid stomping on the accelerator to get there. People who see us in it give us sympathtic looks and occasionally offer us change in parking lots(especially after a week on the river or hiking in the mountains) This is ok too, because every time we strike out on a trip, it always feels like it did when we were first dating and had absolutely no money but lots of excitement about our future together. The radio only plays one station(country of course) but that's ok really because the cabin noise is so loud, you can't hear anything after you hit about 40 miles an hour.
There are many great memories associated with this car, but I'm sick of typing. I just wanted to give a little background for viewers and especially for future pushers of this fine automobile.
Loaded up for a day in Capitol Forest
