Thinking about my head gasket problems with my Subarus (is Subaru Japanese
for "replace headgasket every 120,000 miles"?) I got to thinking about my
Hachiroku.

Now, I can't remember the mileage...30,000 seems to stick, but then again
so does 70,000...I brought it in for service and the assistant SM came out
and told me there was a problem with the engine and they would have to do
some work to keep water from getting into the cylinders. Now, I wasn't
*REAL* car savvy back then, but if he had said "Head Gasket" I would have
known what he was talking about better.

Anyway, the bill came up to $420, which by today's standars is a bargain
for ah HG. Since I wasn't sure what he was talking about, I paid the $400
and went away happy, but broke...

The engine in the Hachiroku is basically a 4-cylinder version of the 3.0L
six that's in the Supra. As we all know, Supras of my vintage are
notorious for BHGs. The engines are both made by Yamaha, and basically the
same design.

It seems to me a Toyota with ~50,000 (give or take) that has NOT been
driven hard (the car's 1st owner was the SM's wife; this guy's boss, and I
really doubt she beat on the car, and although I drove it FAST, I didn't
pound on it...) shouldn't require a HG. I'm wondering if the 1.6L Twin Cam
suffered the same problems the 3.0L TC suffered, and if Toyota knew about
it and just kept it quiet.

Well, Ray...*YOU* were a Factory Rep during this time, RIGHT?!?!?!   ;)
(I believe this was 1987 or so, the car was 2 years old and had been
babied it's entire life, I'm sure. I just can't remember if this was
before or after it's 20 mile run on the Trans-Canada Highway at 120MPH
(with a brief 'gust' at 130...  YEEEEEE-HAAAAAA!!!!!   ;)