2000 Toyota Echo & 95 Toyota Tercel

My two project cars, My current DD a 2000 toyota echo which I got in a trade for a bicycle and $75 cash and a 95 toyota tercel which burns more oil than gas. I took the stock echo(WITH HOOSIERS!) to the 2014 challenge and had a blast! got hooked on AutoX like a bad drug. toyota echo updated budget, car: $75 plus a bike clutch: $69 tires: $135 tach: $10 camber bolts/shims: $32 springs: $57 wheels: $90 total: $468

Before:

Scion XA 1inch drop springs Front 250lbs rear 200lbs

After: junkyard saturn wheels, the drop springs didnt drop the echo since its so much lighter than the Scion XA but it handles much better.

Echo autocross on Hoosiers

Echo autocross on Street tires

I've always had a thing for Echos...and cheap, basic beaters in general.

Awesome! It's great to see FWD Toyota's getting some love and enjoyment.

Here are pics of the tercel, my plan is to build it for FSP class in autocross, Im also going to keep it in budget for the 2015 challenge.

Tercel with stock echo wheels

engine is coming out next week, its getting a full rebuild plus some go fast bits

I've always liked that dark blue colour on the 5th-gen Tercel. Interested to find out your recipe for improving the 5EFE.

I just finished prepping a '95 tercel coupe for ice racing,base with the 4 speed(lightest version).Tracked the weight of all the stuff removed and it was surprisingly little,I only saved a total of 180lbs after removing all glass except windsheild,complete interior including dash,hood and trunk,cut out spare tire well and replace with thin aluminum and the windows/hood/trunk all replaced with 1/8" lexan.

Engine is stock plus a cheapy OBX header,its much heavier than the stock manifold and the primaries are too large so it might not a good match.Didn't fit too great(not surprising)but it was damn cheap so...

Look forward to seeing what you do.

kevlarcorolla wrote: I just finished prepping a '95 tercel coupe for ice racing,base with the 4 speed(lightest version).Tracked the weight of all the stuff removed and it was surprisingly little,I only saved a total of 180lbs after removing all glass except windsheild,complete interior including dash,hood and trunk,cut out spare tire well and replace with thin aluminum and the windows/hood/trunk all replaced with 1/8" lexan. Engine is stock plus a cheapy OBX header,its much heavier than the stock manifold and the primaries are too large so it might not a good match.Didn't fit too great(not surprising)but it was damn cheap so... Look forward to seeing what you do.

I also have a 4 speed, the car is so light already its hard to find the "fat" in this car. I weighed mine and it came in at 1930lbs thats with half a tank of gas and full interior inclucing the spare. the echo weighed in at 1990lbs.

My plan is to build a hybrid 5efe using the best parts from the 1st gen 5efe and the 2nd gen 5efe. Of course that will put me out of street prepared and into E-prepared.

Following with interest. I like their slightly larger brethren (I've got a 93 rolla wagon and a 99 prism) and the bargain basement ones seem like they have potential for hooning glory.

VERY interested in this thread. I have five sets of hubcentric Miata wheels/tires and both the tercel and echo are 4x100/54.1mm. I have thought about buying either one as a winter car/rallycross beater.

Of the two cars - what would you say is more fun to drive? Is there any aftermarket at all for either car? I wouldn't go too crazy, but it would be nice to get decent shocks/springs/swaybars on there.

There was a local Echo that didn't look too bad for only $1100 that I just missed out on a week ago.

Yavuz wrote: VERY interested in this thread. I have five sets of hubcentric Miata wheels/tires and both the tercel and echo are 4x100/54.1mm. I have thought about buying either one as a winter car/rallycross beater. Of the two cars - what would you say is more fun to drive? Is there any aftermarket at all for either car? I wouldn't go too crazy, but it would be nice to get decent shocks/springs/swaybars on there. There was a local Echo that didn't look too bad for only $1100 that I just missed out on a week ago.

Of the two cars the echo is faster thanks to the more modern engine(vvti) but its way taller which can be scary, I let a pro drive at the last autox and he got it on two wheels. I would say the aftermarket on both are about the same which is not much maybe the echo is a little better since its newer and the yaris still has the same engine. That said I prefer the tercel just for the lower center of gravity and the way you sit in the car, you sit in the echo like you sit at a table.

This reminds me of my friends sisters Datsun B210 we beat on in the early 90's in it's basic simplicity and cheap fun factor!

We have a couple of echo ice racers and they are surprisingly quick being that they are nearly stock,I'm hoping the lack of power compared to the other cars in class can be masked by the lack of grip and overcome with my efforts in other areas.

I tried a Miata daisy but the goofy offset has the wheel stuffed way into the wheel well,I run a 1" spacer all around with VW snowflakes which are about perfect.The rear doesn't really need the spacer but I like the wider track or weight transfer reduction.

I still miss my '98, looking forward to this.

Update: engine came out today

In reply to echoechoecho:

I heard about this Echo on the GRM podcast! Cool to see it (and you) surface here!

Getting viable transportation for under $500 is pretty amazing. Nicely done.

Got some parts this weekend, the adj. cam gear and the flywheel I got from a member of the tercelonline forum for a cool 200 dollars. big hit to the budget but I think its worth it. The ITB is from a Triumph tt600 motorbike. finally got passed a stripped headbolt and took the rest of the engine apart.

small update, got to use the 3D printer in school. I printed an adapter for the toyota TPS to fit on the triumph ITBs. It was my first time using a 3D printer so the piece came out a little funky but I made it work.

Awesome! I wonder if you could 3d print an ITB to head adapter and have it actually last. I suppose it depends on the heat tolerance of the printer material.

why not make it to use a lost-wax, err lost-abs casting? :D

Interested to see what kind of gains you can get from itb's,really should bump the compression and cams to actually be able to need more flow.

I mortally wounded the ice racer,think I'll just easy button my way into a 4efte swap and get 40+hp before doing any boost bumping etc.

Autolex wrote: why not make it to use a lost-wax, err lost-abs casting? :D

Lost-ABS is really cool Ive seen some 3d art students use this method with great results but its way beyond my skill level lol

kevlarcorolla wrote: Interested to see what kind of gains you can get from itb's,really should bump the compression and cams to actually be able to need more flow. I mortally wounded the ice racer,think I'll just easy button my way into a 4efte swap and get 40+hp before doing any boost bumping etc.

im planning on larger injectors and tuning it for e85. compression bump from a shaved head.

the 4efte is a tough little beast of a motor

I've always loved the Echo. They're on my "perpetually looking" list but I've never stumbled onto the right deal. Any thoughts on taking half a coil out of the springs?

I wouldn't cut coils. They don't seat right when cut, and can be dangerous.

I cut one full coil in the front and one and a half in the back, in the front the coils sit perfect after being cut in the back it sits on the pig tail and looks sketchy but I've done 2 autocross events and about 2000 miles driving on them and no problems. The only annoying thing is when you jack the car up the rear springs fall out but i had that problem even before I cut the scion XA springs