As taxi driving was then considered a relatively easy job with rather good pay and the club also paid some bonuses, it attracted several former professionals with experience playing with Daugava Rīga and Zvejnieks Liepāja, for example, Grigorijs Kuzņecovs.

For a couple of decades the club had been playing in lower Latvian football divisions (before Torpedo its name was FK RTP—Riga Taxi Park).

In 1987 Torpedo won the Latvian league for the third and final time, however it remained one of the top squads in Latvia before the country regained independence.

The first season in the independent Virslīga wasn't good for Torpedo which had financial difficulties and had to settle for the 8th place from 12 clubs.

The squad included Andrejs Piedels, Vladimirs Draguns, Vits Rimkus, Rihards Butkus and Gints Gilis.

However, as the results for the club didn't correspond to its ambitions, Gusarenko had to leave and another former Daugava veteran Jurijs Popkovs took over coaching.

In the UEFA Cup the results were less successful as Daugava was beaten in the first qualifying round by FC Vorskla Poltava from Ukraine.

In 1998 the only notable newcomer for Daugava was Dzintars Sproģis but the club's losses were much more significant and during the season its financial situation only worsened.