Toyota Stalking, er...um, SPOTTING with Charlie™ (Cars, vans, SUVs, Lexus, Scion, and brochures)!

In the early 1990s (probably late 1992-early 1994), I saw this behavioral therapist who helped me overcome various autism-related issues; My sessions with her were always held at her house. She had a son, and when I first started seeing her, she was driving a blue 1985 Toyota Tercel 4WD wagon; The car was not in particularly bad shape, but one day my mom brought me over and there was a brand new Dodge Caravan in the driveway. I don't remember the details almost 30 years later, but of course I asked her "What happened to the Tercel?" I distinctly remember her telling me something about the brakes, but I don't remember if the car was totaled in an accident as a result of the brakes failing, or if something happened with the brakes that exceeded the value of the car; This was during the first time we lived in Pennsylvania (1990-1996), so it's possible that the car developed underbody rot that affected the brakes and caused it to fail inspection.

I don't remember if it was Dodge Caravan or a Plymouth Voyager, or if it was a long wheelbase "Grand" model or short wheelbase like the van pictured below; I can tell you that it had the same green color as below (though with a silver lower body), and it also had same wheels. The wheels below were first offered in 1993, and continued to be offered until the Chrysler minivans were totally redesigned for the 1996 model year.



It is possible that my therapist's van was a 1994, but I'd like to say that it was a 1993; It may have been AWD as well, but I don't remember this for sure either.

 

My therapist's van looked more like this one, with the green/silver two-tone, but with the wheels on the van above...

 

This what my therapist's 1985 Tercel looked like (I believe that it even had the same white wheels), though seeing as hers was less than ten years old it at the time, it was in much better condition...

 

She should have replaced the Tercel with one of these, instead of a Chrysler minivan that likely had to get the transmission replaced under recall before 1996!

 

I found this online while looking for the picture you see above; I like it!

 

Ah yes, the egg, the ultimate sleeper, mid engined, available with a supercharger, and AWD, just like most supercars.

 

Unfortunately, it was not possible to get the manual transmission with the supercharged engine from the factory...

 

A bit much?

 

I like these...

 

Rally?

 

@ColoradoTJ

Why aren't they legal to drive on public roads in America?!?!



I'm thinking that it has nothing to do with emissions and everything to do crash tests and safety...

https://weatherfordminitrucks.com/

 

And what the legality? It's legal to bring them here and use them off-road, but you can't register them and drive them on public roads; I'm hoping they at least come with a title so you can register them once they're 25 years old!

 

@ABA180

@ColoradoTJ, this car was found at a salvage yard in Colorado!

@Red Alert
@shakerhood
@Squatting Pigeon
@Taco critter
@TnShooter

I didn't even know that the Toyota Starlet was sold in America until I came across a few junkyard examples on Murilee Martin's "The Truth About Cars" page; This is a 1982 model, and they were sold in America from 1981 to 1984. They were rare when new, and I've NEVER seen one, like ever...

If I ever find one in the wild, in any condition, I am going to take pictures!

The credit for these photos belongs to Murilee Martin: https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2016/03/junkyard-find-1982-toyota-starlet/