Is it a Subaru? An Evo? Nope.
The blur flying by the filth is the unorthodox chassis of a 1985 Toyota Tercel Wagon.
Meet Steven and Lauren Olona, the husband-and-wife duo who emerged second total and first at school at this 12 months’s Rally Colorado driving their Tercel. Why did this second- and first-place end imply a lot? Let’s delve into this couple’s journey in rally with their restored, wrecked and rebuilt Tercel.
Steven’s curiosity in fashionable bikes and Lauren’s ardour for classic bikes led to a powerful connection level after they met. For this duo, their love for vehicles and one another blossomed in Columbus, Ohio. That is additionally the place Stevens’ rally journey started.
Once they met, Steven labored at Honda and the corporate had applications, offering workers with the possibility to affix their racing groups at no further price. Steven took benefit of this to the fullest. Though he first joined the Pikes Peak workforce, Steven quickly moved to the rally division, the place he served as co-driver 4 instances.
[The most startling part of Pikes Peak? The drive down]
Lauren, alternatively, had by no means actually thought of racing herself. As a substitute, the tradition and neighborhood that surrounded racing fascinated her.
Just a few years after assembly, Steven and Lauren started the transfer to Colorado the place Lauren started her new job as a design researcher for Ford. For Steven, the transfer meant leaving Honda and changing into temporally unemployed. With newfound time on his fingers, Steven determined to start constructing their rally automobile.
When requested why the Toyota, Steven says, “Nicely I’m truthfully a Toyota fanboy and I owned a Tercel wagon prior to now, so I already had a plan in thoughts.” Solely 900 bucks later, Lauren and Steven had the Tercel and have been prepared to start their journey.
{Photograph} Courtesy Steven and Laura Olona
From a cramped condo storage to their first residence with a decent-sized store, the pair put within the work, with price and sturdiness being on the forefront of their minds. In simply 10 months, the Tercel had a brand new engine, modified suspension, steering and a lot extra. What occasion did they sort out first? None aside from their new residence race, an ARA Tremendous Regional, Rally Colorado.
Throughout their debut race within the Toyota, Lauren and Steven clinched a third-place spot within the O2WD class and completed seventh total. They continued their success on the 2020 Present-Me Rally and the 2021 Rally within the 100 Acre Wooden. Their ahead progress got here to a halt at Rally Colorado 2021.
{Photograph} Courtesy Steven and Laura Olona
Throughout the preliminary stage of day two, Lauren and Steven had secured second total after a productive day one. Nevertheless, tragedy struck in the course of the Earl’s Revenge stage. This section of Rally Colorado is understood for tripping up drivers and has seen many accidents. The stage begins quick and comparatively open however rapidly turns into tight and twisty.
“I mistakenly known as a left 3, possibly left 2, to a left 4. This meant we had waaaaay an excessive amount of pace going into this blind nook and went off huge into a big ravine, impacting on the entrance passenger nook and rolling over as soon as,” Steven remembers. “Fortunately this simply occurred to be the very same nook that the well-known Fiesta had gone off as effectively, so it is now a typical spot for photographers to hang around, so we had loads of assist.”
{Photograph} Courtesy Steven and Laura Olona
Fortunately Lauren and Steven have been okay, they usually have been in a position to limp again to the pits. However the Tercel sustained in depth harm. A brand new roof pores and skin, hood, bumper, headlights and entrance fenders have been only a few of the repairs the Tercel wanted.
“The body was someway completely tremendous up entrance, seemingly due to the overbuilt decrease core assist crossmember,” says Steven. “In fact, I needed to change that rear axle shaft and ended up redoing the entrance suspension reasonably than change the bent management arm, this was when it obtained the BMW Z3 steering rack swap.”
After a 12 months and a half of reconstruction, the Toyota staged a comeback in 2023 in the course of the Lake Superior Efficiency Rally. Nevertheless, sure facets of the rebuild fell wanting expectations, resulting in a DNF. Steven then took the Tercel again to the drafting board the place it stayed beneath development. till this previous second total and first at school win at Rally Colorado.
Images Credit score: Rupert Berrington
Despite the fact that their 2025 plans aren’t set, Lauren shared, “We attempt to run not less than one a 12 months, typically two if we are able to swing it. We at all times need to assist Rally Colorado because it’s our residence occasion, both racing or volunteering. After which our quick listing for if we choose to exit of state for ’25 – we’ve obtained our eyes on both Olympus or Ojibwe.”
Feedback
Any Tercel content material is sweet content material
Steven and Lauren are actually wonderful folks to speak to and I stay up for seeing extra of their Tercel sooner or later.
Now THIS is the content material I am right here for.
I would not be (too) mad if this story jacks up the costs of Tercels. 
Tom1200
PowerDork
10/8/24 4:00 p.m.
I’ve had tow mates who owned these and they’re rugged little vehicles.
Cool story.
¯_(ツ)_/¯ mentioned:
Now THIS is the content material I am right here for.
Yup. Good job, Paris. 🙂
Thanks for the good article! Nice folks they’re!
Love this description as half of Brakes: “Harbor Freight jack deal with and customized bracketry”
I might love to listen to how they just like the Beams 3S-GE engine and 6spd in a racing platform.
hobiercr mentioned:
I might love to listen to how they just like the Beams 3S-GE engine and 6spd in a racing platform.
Steven right here. In brief, it is superior. Actually change the oil each 3ish occasions with artificial penzoil and an aftermarket filter and it simply retains ripping. It most likely drank a number of gallons of water at 100 acre wooden rally and did not skip a beat (pace density helps). The transmission can be nice, my principal criticism with it’s the lack of a reverse lockout so it is simple to enter the reverse gate when making an attempt to seize second gear, not an enormous deal as you get used to it.
Theyre fairly costly nowadays so undecided I might purchase one other if this one blows up. Kinda eying a 2gr.
Tk8398
HalfDork
10/9/24 1:53 p.m.
These vehicles are cool, I might drive one however they’re just about excinct right here.
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