Hog Head

Buy one from the dealer - Powerstation in Bangkok o

OK

Lets meet at Tuskers this Thursday at 7:30 to thrash out ideas.

Robert

Thanks, and when I extend my stay, I will attempt to do on the basis of married not retired.

Oddly enough this is what I wanted 3 years ago, but at the time Immigration insisted on giving me a retirement as it was less work for them, and I could meet the monetary requirement.

If it is a married visa, can the money be in a joint account? One would think so if the intent is to support ones wife, however it seems that logic does not necessarily prevail.

Any comments on if the married visa is a safer approach given the recent rule change re dependents and no grandfathering?

I am about to go for my 3rd renewal on a retirement visa, and have been thinking of changing to a married to a Thai visa.

I have the income to go either way, but am thinking that the married visa may be the better long term one to have if they keep screwing with the rules. The most recent change and nixing the grandfathering tradition is a bit disconcerting

Is it possible to change and how?

Thanks for the input and it is apparent that this is going to be far too big for me to arrange on my own and a committee will be needed.

Richie from Richco Motorsports, David from GT-Rider, and Chas from Tuskers have volunteered to help and we are planning to meet at Tuskers later this week to get the ball rolling.

Any others willing to participate in the organising committee?

This ride needs to be done right, and has the potential to be a really big event.

It is becoming apparent that the organisation will be a bit more than I can hope to do alone, and I would like to get a committee together to work on all the details.

Any volunteers willing to meet at Tuskers later this week to get things rolling?

My retirement renewal comes up this week, and I think I will see if it is possible to change to a married to a Thai. Intrestingly enough, this is what I first wanted but Immigration insisted on giving me a retirement as is was easier for them in not having to interview my neighbours.

Is is possible to simply change?

While this most recent rule change does not affect me personally, I am concerned by the lack of grandfathering. I can only hope that the married to a Thai will not be fiddled with, and if so doubling the dosh requirement puts me right back at 800K anyway.

Thanks for the input and offers to help. This will be a big job, needs to be done right, and far too much for me to handle alone.

A Children's Day ride seems most appropriate, however this is a Saturday, and a lot of people work Saturdays. Perhaps having it Jan 13, or the Sunday before may be be better?

Had a meeting last evening with David of GT Rider fame and he has offered to set up the ride portion of the event, and suss out several hill tribe villages that could a hand.

Is anyone available to set up a web page for this event?

Date is decided:

Sunday Jan 13, 08 as a Children's Day charity ride

The day after Childrens Day, however given that a lot of people work Saturday, perhaps Sunday would allow greater participation. The kids will get 2 bonous days in a row !!

This is in the CM forum, but for those riders who will be in CM for Bike Week, here it is again

The new Richco Motorsports shop in Chiangmai is willing to be the annual sponsor of a Christmas Toy Ride and I foolishly offered to get it organised.

Initial thought is to model it along what I am familiar with in Canada, literally thousands of bikes brings a new toy, goes on a nice ride, and donates the toys to charity. Naturally some will not have the forethought to bring a toy so money will need to be handled. It has already been suggested that perhaps in CM, cold hard cash is better than toys

It is for the kids, and everyone is welcome from Aprilias to Zundapps.

Perhaps during CM Bike Week?

Given that Christmas is not a big deal to the local community, other suggested dates include:

Dec. 2007

5th Fathers Day, King's Birthday.

10th Constitution Day.

31st New Years Eve.

January 2008:

12th Childrens Day.

OTOH there is nothing like a fat hoghead in a Santa suit riding a bagger loaded down with toys.

Any and all comments are welcome, as are offers to help me organise it.

This is in the CM forum, but for those riders who will be in CM for Bike Week, here it is again

The new Richco Motorsports shop in Chiangmai is willing to be the annual sponsor of a Christmas Toy Ride and I foolishly offered to get it organised.

Initial thought is to model it along what I am familiar with in Canada, literally thousands of bikes brings a new toy, goes on a nice ride, and donates the toys to charity. Naturally some will not have the forethought to bring a toy so money will need to be handled. It has already been suggested that perhaps in CM, cold hard cash is better than toys

It is for the kids, and everyone is welcome from Aprilias to Zundapps.

Perhaps during CM Bike Week?

Given that Christmas is not a big deal to the local community, other suggested dates include:

Dec. 2007

5th Fathers Day, King's Birthday.

10th Constitution Day.

31st New Years Eve.

January 2008:

12th Childrens Day.

OTOH there is nothing like a fat hoghead in a Santa suit riding a bagger loaded down with toys.

Any and all comments are welcome, as are offers to help me organise it.

The new Richco Motorsports shop in Chiangmai is willing to be the annual sponsor of a Christmas Toy Ride and I foolishly offered to get it organised.

Initial thought is to model it along what I am familiar with in Canada, literally thousands of bikes brings a new toy, goes on a nice ride, and donates the toys to charity. Naturally some will not have the forethought to bring a toy so money will need to be handled. It has already been suggested that perhaps in CM, cold hard cash is better than toys

It is for the kids, and everyone is welcome from Aprilias to Zundapps.

Perhaps during CM Bike Week?

Given that Christmas is not a big deal to the local community, other suggested dates include:

Dec. 2007

5th Fathers Day, King's Birthday.

10th Constitution Day.

31st New Years Eve.

January 2008:

12th Childrens Day.

OTOH there is nothing like a fat hoghead in a Santa suit riding a bagger loaded down with toys.

Any and all comments are welcome, as are offers to help me organise it.

K&N oil filters are made in Thailand. While perhaps not the best, they are better than a standard paper filter and available.

Mobil 1 and Mobil 1 Delvac are readily available, and even my corner Esso has it.

However, I've read through the whole thing and haven't seen many recommendations for filters or oil *in Thailand.*

Dinosaur oil breaks down, and does not recover at 200F

The best reason of all to run fully synthetic, and an oil cooler in air cooled engines.

Ajahn, my mistake. The figures should have read 220 for fossil oil, 210 semi-syn and 200 for full syn.

Sometimes my memory is.....errm........

SE synthetic is good stuff, however it can be argued that Delvac is better. I have a bit of a problem paying 1000 b a liter for the SE when Delvac is readily available and 1/2 the cost.

The HD long OEM filter is OK, but the high tech filter media in filters like Purolator Pure One, is simply better. Problem is that I had to import my own.

The chrome filters you see hanging off most Harleys are crap, as are most filters I see in the local auto shop.

Interestingly, K&N oil filters are made in Thailand, but for export only and are imported - TIT

The amount of the advanced filter media is limited, and not as good as some other brands. They are however available here in CM.

Read the link I provided about "diesel" oils - you may well change your thoughts on this

I run HD Screaming Eagle oil and long orignal oil filter

the car runs on synthetic oil, dont know what the name is, Toyota take care of that.

i did run Mobil 1 before, and i would do it again, but not sure about the diesel type, maybe maybe not.

I think that if people pay 1mill or more for a bike or car they can afford a good motor oil, they should anyway.

Please tell me more about collector car insurance.

What is a "old collector car", who determines value, % coverage, underinsured motorist protection etc etc etc.........

We do all types of motor insurance plus a Class 1 (fully comp.) for old collectors cars.

Dino oil is acceptable for the average user who changes his oil all the time, and has a water cooled engine, however the disadvantages are well documented in the scientific literature. Fully synthetic oils, while more expensive, simply have better qualities that one is looking for in an oil.

Air cooled engines like Bugs or bikes are a different story and given that dino irreperably breaks down at 200F is a good reason not to use it.

Yes it is more expensive, however like the ad in the States used to say, "pay me now or pay me later".

Don't get me started on special bike oil, as it is mostly marketing fluff.

HD Screaming Eagle is made by Pennsoil and besides being overpriced, is not as good as Mobil 1 Delvac.

I have had no problems with the clutch in a HD, however others have reported slippage in other makes due to the higher moly content in Mobil 1.

I this keeps you up at night, run dyno in the primary as it is not such a critical application.

Run synthetic in all gearboxes and rear ends.

Some older LSD's may require an additative, but you are not likely to run into these here.

I have not been able to find synthetic auto transmission oil in CM. Heat kills autos and synthetic oil cannot be beat in this application.

I run Mobil 1 Delvac in everything I own, right down to the lawnmower and the maids scooter, and have done so for years. Yes this is rated as a "diesel" oil, but take a look at the following and make up your own mind:

http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Oils1.html

I understand that the Thai marketing gurus have decided to call this "turbo pickup diesel" but the stuff in the bottle is the same.

The question of breaking in on dino and changing to synthetic later has been debated ad-infitinum. Several cars and bikes come from the factory with fully synthetic in the sump. All the same my experience with building more than a few bike and car engines has been to use dino, change it, more dino, and switch to synthetic once the rings have seated.

YMMV

At least as important as the oil is the filter. The quality of filters I see here in bike shops are shocking. Would you run a crappy Chinese filter in your bike - apparently so as most shops have nothing else. Do not be fooled by the name, as brand or OEM names are still not up to par. I personally import my own Purloator PL series filters.

See for more info:

http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Filters.html#OilFilters

I run an oil-bypass filter set up on a marine diesel(s) in my boat, in combination with Mobil 1 Delvac. Perhaps the ultimate filter set up but not seen on anything other than specialised equipment.

If you are planning to keep the engine for a long time then do not scrimp on oil or filters. If not then WGAF.

My 2 storey Mae Rim house is piled. In the end it is how comfortable you are with the factor of safety with a spread footing.

Most owners do not understand the importance of engineered foundations and leave it to the contractors experience. Unlike most homeowners I drilled several geotechnical investigation boreholes and did the engineering to determine foundation design. The Contractors seat of the pants, "what I always do" method gave a factor of safety of zero.

Piling cost was 0.5% of the construction cost, and very reasonable given the peace of mind

YMMV

The thing I don't understand is, what do they need to do, that requires pile driving close to your fence.

Do your normal 2 storey housing developments require piledriving?

I have a fair bit of experience in this

You need to hire an engineering consultant to do a pre-construction survey, noting current structural damage. Ideally this would include some sort of crack monitoring devices such as:

http://www.rstinstruments.com/PDF/Tell%20T...%20EXB0008E.pdf

These tell- tales are cheap at about 10 dollars ea.

Project Management Consultants in CM - K. Somchai is a senior civil engineer that I have worked with, and can arrange this work

Better yet would be to monitor crack movement or propagation dynamically using electrical crack meters and a data but this will be much more expensive, and perhaps overkill unless serious cracks develop

http://www.rstinstruments.com/PDF/Crack%20...%20EXB0007G.pdf

Differential settlement of the structure and pool is an issue and should be monitored. There are several ways to do this, and it is a function of cost vs accuracy.

I can give you a few ideas should you decide to go this route.

Vibration and noise monitoring is simple and you can rent a device like this:

http://www.rstinstruments.com/PDF/BlastmateII%20ELB0021C.pdf

It can be configured a number of ways and will record PPV (peak particle velocity) and noise every x seconds in strip chart mode, or triggered by the vibration itself

RST Instruments has an office in Hong Kong and local agent in BKK. Another supplier I am aware of is STS in Bangkok but their technical skills are not at the same level as RST

You may wish to consider asking the Contractor and piling sub-contractor for a copy of their liability insurance. Rest assured that your concerns are not new news to them.

Whatever you do, do it now and not after piling starts.

A simple buggy body and a Speedster body is comparing apples and durians. Speedsters have a much more complicated body with an internal steel frame structure, doors, bumpers, and trunk

1800 GBP is about 3600 USD and the Speedster bare gel coated bodies go for 3000 USD ex works. By the time you land this "cheap" body here it is 303,000 B

That is the rational for producing the bodies here and I do not see why the more complicated gel coated Speedster body would be more than your 1800 GPB buggy body. In fact I have noticed that this type of kit is way more expensive in the UK.

Add a local interior, and a Beetle donor and it is a reasonably priced toy. Yes you could build a buggy cheaper as the Speedster interior and bespoke trim bits are more expensive. I think that the extra money spent on the Speedster would end up as a far cooler toy - YMMV.

Take a look at Speedster replicas and if 500K B is too expensive you will be shocked about what companies like Platinium Speedsters in NZ charge. Vintage Speedsters in the US is probably the largest vendor US as is Chesil in the UK - both are indicitative of the market pricing.

I think one could build a basic VW based car here for 500,000 B or about the same as buying a US kit. More for really nice car but still in the affordable toy range.

However your build / kit price just dumped it right out of what I would do for a kit / toy.. Had a few kit cars over the years and none were key turn tools all were lots of work..

At over 1/2 mil baht thats more than I would do for a toy.. I have followed a few VW forums where similar kits were done for +-2k GBP.. I can get a 'complete' buggy kit with gel coat finish for 1800 GBP to add to a beetle donor.. Thats more my kinda pricing.

An expensive component is the soft top. It might be better to forget this item as it is never used, and squander the dosh on a hard top instead. That allows AC to keep the wife out of the sun and from roasting.

Side windows are the old side curtian design and no good in pissing rain whatever the top.

OTOH go topless and just blast out the aircon

Finished product cost would depend on the level of build, and differ greatly if it was all out P car based components, or a Beetle in fancy dress.

Beetles are not cheap here and no one seems to want to sell a POS. Budget 100K for the donor, plus rebuilding brakes, suspension, engine, box etc and hot rodding to suit. A really good donor would cost twice that, but who knows about the quality of work. I think you would be better to buy cheap and know that it is rebuilt right. High HP ACVW engines are expensive and do not like heat. You may wish to use the gutless Beetle engine if cost is an isue, but the Subaru is also a boxer design and the same external size.

BTW I am looking for a POS in Chiangmai.

The Speedster body and all the fancy bits and pieces in the States cost 14,500.00 from someone like this:

http://www.thunderranch.com/356.html

I would think that it could be done here around the same or maybe a bit more depending on the mix of imported parts VS what can be made here. Either assemble it yourself, or pay a local shop to do the work as they are cheap.

All the verbiage about the tube frame has some merit, however is a bit misleading. It is not a full on custom tube frame, but they recycle the rear VW section that carries the VIN, and manufacture a front tube section using the VW beam. I am taking this approach for my own personal car, and going a step further with A-arm front supsension with rack and pinion steering. Other approaches are possible from the frame ranging from a shortened VW pan to a 2x4 frame bonded to the body, and welded to the VW pan. Using a shortned standard VW pan is the cheapest method.

Key to it all is retaining the Thai chassis VIN, and "repairing" the rusty bits.

Here is a Thunder Ranch frame:

This bit in the States costs 3000 USD but needs hinges, doors bonded together, holes cut, crateing, bumpers, etc etc. By the time it lands here it is 303,000 B thanks to the obscene duty. I will build these bits in Thailand to keep cost under control.

I have the moulds to produce fiberglass bodies for a Speedster kit car designed to be mounted on a shortened Beetle chassis. Using the Beetle chassis allows keeping the existing Thai Beetle registration, and noting a body change in the registration book. I suspect that one could drive it with the new body and get away with it until some cretin hit you, but the legal process involves noting the change in the book, just as if you changed the engine or colour.

Registering a scratch built kit car like a Super 7, Cobra, etc is next to impossible, however using an existing chassis and engine is the only way I know of that one can build a kit car. In fact there is a Thai guy doing this with Mecredes SSK's

When rebodying, you will need an engineering inspection to show that it has been done correctly and this is not a big deal.

The VW aftermarket is huge and by no means would this Speedster need to be a gutless and poor handling Beetle. Big 944T/996 brakes, coil-over suppensions, Porsche gear boxes, Porsche rear suspensions, A-arm front ends, rack and pinion steering, 240 - 300 Hp Subaru engines etc abound. If one desired you could go low budget with a rebodied Beetle or hog wild using all the good kit on a tube frame.

I am trolling for input on if there is any intrest in such a car kit, and opinons on if the market would be for the kit components only, rolling chassis, or turnkey.

No idea of total cost as of yet, but needless to say that is would be cheaper than importing a kit. The deal killer on import is 80% duty + 7% VAT on the CIF value of the body - parts are 30 + 7%.

Not only would bodies made here be much cheaper, but there would be a ready supply of replacement hoods and fenders for the inevatable damage repairs.

In any case I am doing one for myself anyway, but may either do more bodies or kits if there is a demand.

I have a set of moulds to manufacture a body for a car body and am looking for an experienced fiberglass shop to hand lay up the bodies and related parts. Quality is a big issue.

Can anyone recommend a good shop, preferably near Chiangmai?

robert

So..... they are delaying the introduction for 3 months while they talk to the ethanol producers about how long the phasing out of petrol 95 can be delayed. Lets not forget that the plan not only includes petrol 95, but the complete withdrawl of petrol by 2012.

One can only hope that they talk to the auto and bike manufacturers as well and get it through their thick heads that there are just too many vehicles incapable of running on gasohol to withdraw petrol from the market.

Manufacturers have valid technical reasons refuse to certify that their cars are not gasohol compatible despite claims by the government and PTT to the contrary. The technical aspects of the problem are well known, and presumably the manufacturers know what is best for their cars.

I have posted the compatibility statements here before. Note that the list of incompatible cars includes both new and recent auto production, plus every Japanese made motorcycle. Given that the number of motorcycles alone exceeds 23 million, the governments claim that there are only 500,000 non-compatible gasohol vehicles in Thailand is wildly inaccurate.

It would have been much easier to blame this ill thought through decision on the previous administration, but luckily the Ministry has a face saving way out of this mess. Ethanol producers cannot meet demand on Jan 1, 07; and vehicle manufacturers cannot certify E-10 compatibility for older and current production cars. The government has an easy out to do the right thing and ensure the availability of petrol 95 and 91 for the literally millions of motorists that have no other choice. Perhaps this 3 month delay is the first step in that face saving process.

Hopefully this foolish decision will just fade away like so many others.

2nd Uttradit bike night is this Saturday, Oct 21. Usual biker party Saturday night and ride home Sunday.

We will be leaving CM Saturday morning and subai subai all the way there.

robert

Since I have been invited by a French guy that I ride with from time to tiem don't really kknow a lot about it. He doesn't speak english I don't speak French. But living in Udon it's not that far away and I will give it a go.

Anyone else heard anything about it?

I went to Udon' last year it was fun.