SoCalChris

Yep I'd be in for a retro 2000 roadster for sure with modern engine and suspension........................ Sweeeet!!

Though obviously that wouldn't be in the entry level car program..

Oh! And if you look carefully the breather is mounted above the block? Wonder why? Who'd a knew that was a proper installation though being upright and not laying on it's side would have been the final detail... It's a well done conversion too, very clean and well laid out, looks like factory, someone put a lot of love into this car and not just a wallet full of money like so many others do..

I agree, cool car with a very clean engine swap. Also, a good engine choice being the SR20DE, one of the more over-engineered production car engines. I had one in my 1st gen Sentra SE-R back in the US, which gave stock 5.0L 'Stangs a run for their money. Turbo versions of this engine can produce over 400 streetable hp with no internal mods necessary as well.

The large oil breather tube I think was plumbed into the air cleaner box in stock form. People who installed CAIs did the same as with this car using a mini- K&N filter on the breather tube. It seemed to stay clean with no oil drippage from the filter as I again think there was a vacuum line going from the oil catch can to a port before the throttle body. Unfortunately this required TB cleaning maintenance to keep the idle consistent.

BTW, One2car.com is not a bad website for searching 2nd hand cars. In my experience though, there are many tent sellers on that website, which I try to avoid. Tents that sell cars usually charge a slightly higher price and since they are also car savvy, can possibly hide potential issues with a car better than a private seller.

My personal favorite website for 2nd hand cars is http://www.taladrod..../Home/Home.aspx There are more private sellers there, which could make it more possible to find a bargain. Although, you will need someone who can read and speak Thai to take full advantage of that. Currently,100 NVs are offered for sale there.....

I have a 2007 NV Wingroad, with an auto tranny. It's been a great car (actually a Queen Cab truck with a cap) for my needs. They are very reliable just as long as you get a 1998+ with the FI engine. In the stock condition, the 1.6L engine has adequate power, and transmission is calibrated for optimal fuel economy. Also, there should be enough room for your long legs and the 200K baht budget would be sufficient to locate one in decent condition. I've been able to haul a 7cf refrigerator, 12Kg laundry machine and mountain bike with it as well. They are simple easy to fix cars and new/used parts have been straightforward to obtain. The caveats are you won't be getting any hi-so bonus points with the superficial Thai mentality and they specify 95 benzene.

I've added a header, high flow air filter, performance exhaust, bumped timing, high stall torque converter and small diameter low profile tires. It will walk away from 3.0L trucks and run neck to neck with 2.0L Civics. Mileage is usually 15km/L or above if I'm not a being leadfoot. Unfortunately, it will be sold soon as I'll re-locate to Oz. Let me know if you might be interested. Although, my asking price will be slightly higher than your budget because it only has 50K kms on the odometer and of the extras. Cheers, Chris

Lost in LOS; I think the outcome is the best you could have hoped for and thanks very much for sharing your story. As I was reading it though, I was fearing the worst for you to get pummeled, stabbed or shot. Even if you might have been able to snag the rebar from the guy and crank him one, some other Thai guys might had taken you out not knowing you were actually the victim. Pack mentality against farang the lot of them and enhanced by ya ba (I don't do Songkran anymore because of this)

Anyhow, I've been in Thailand for 5 years and diligently did 100-150Km of weekly maintenance rides in BKK for when I would do my long distance provincial rides during my vacations. I too dislike stationary cycles, prefer to ride solo and was very satisfied that cycling kept me great shape as I age. Recently, I was one of those who got nailed over the head with a wood plank by a couple of punks. Thankfully I didn't wreck and a couple of trucks showed up then, so they took off. My cycling helmet took most of the blow, but it was <deleted> loud and gave me a splitting headache for a couple of days. Motorbike taxis are always a PITA too, but the final straw straw was when a car taxi ran a red light and hit me from behind. I was only bruised/scraped and the taxi did a runner of course.

So like you, I have an intrinsic biking anxiety now and haven't ridden for over a year. I'm quite depressed about it as cycling is the only exercise I can do without dying of heatstroke. I worry that IMHO Thailand is getting worse in regards to drugs and violence so I'm going to give Oz a try for biking. I hope it is not as bad as the guy from Sidney says it is!

At any rate, I wish you all the best for a complete recovery from your injuries. Cheers!

At least not as bad as the idiots driving on the motorway late last night with the Porche speedo found to be stuck at 280Km/hr... both drivers died in that one...

We all wish that collissions would not happen, but until a reason for this one is worked out, one has to just wish those who were hurt a speedy recovery, and be glad no-one died.

I notice a custom turbo/wastegate/intercooler setup in the white truck's engine compartment that if done right could get the truck into the low to mid 200kph range. In regards to the Porche incident, I saw the picture of the accident and think the 280kph reading might have been artifically made by the impact of the accident and subsequent damage to the speedometer. Most speedometers, analog or digital, need a speed signal to give a reading. It's not like a clock for when the power goes out, it will still show a time.

Agreed though, I wish these collisions didn't happen either and tire of seeing bloodied bodies in wrecked vehicles here. In the US, I loved to go for a drive and listen to some music just for the heck of it. I learned very quickly after buying a car in Thailand that I would not have the same enjoyment. It's too dangerous out there......

The Porsche driver was definitely WAY TOO FAST judging by the damage done to his car. He might have not been driving 280, but he was fast.

Yes, he was going way too fast for sure....not surprised at all if over 200kph. I was interested in knowing the Porsche model to get a better idea of the speed potential, but they did not mention it. I think they might have cut the roof off of the car to extract the body too.

At least not as bad as the idiots driving on the motorway late last night with the Porche speedo found to be stuck at 280Km/hr... both drivers died in that one...

We all wish that collissions would not happen, but until a reason for this one is worked out, one has to just wish those who were hurt a speedy recovery, and be glad no-one died.

I notice a custom turbo/wastegate/intercooler setup in the white truck's engine compartment that if done right could get the truck into the low to mid 200kph range. In regards to the Porche incident, I saw the picture of the accident and think the 280kph reading might have been artifically made by the impact of the accident and subsequent damage to the speedometer. Most speedometers, analog or digital, need a speed signal to give a reading. It's not like a clock for when the power goes out, it will still show a time.

Agreed though, I wish these collisions didn't happen either and tire of seeing bloodied bodies in wrecked vehicles here. In the US, I loved to go for a drive and listen to some music just for the heck of it. I learned very quickly after buying a car in Thailand that I would not have the same enjoyment. It's too dangerous out there......

Hi Sophon,

I actually searched for quite a bit, but I ran into a lot of ambiguity, which is why I posted my question. I'm pretty sure an Amity Treaty company is considered a foreign-owned majority Thai company with almost all of the rights/privileges of a Thai-own majority Thai company. The question is can they own land and if so, how much.

After more searching, I found that your were correct, I was mis-informed. The person(s) who stated a US citizen could own up to one rai of land under the Amity Treaty confused it with the 40 million baht foreign investment law made in 1999. No thank you! Anyhow, I appreciate you clearing this up for me.

Looks like my moving forward plans will be usufruct strategy. -Chris

Thanks again for the responses. See below:

@ sophon: True and not true; an American citizen through the Amity Treaty can have majority (up to 100%) shareholding in a Thailand company, a company which can then own up to 1 rai of land. This is what makes it unique.

"The treaty allows for American citizens and businesses incorporated in the U.S, or in Thailand to maintain a majority shareholding or to wholly own its company in Thailand," (Wikipedia)

@Transam: The gf/family will have little to no say in the requirements....my company. I can also have my Amity Treaty Thailand company buy/own/invest in the property instead of just renting it from someone in a usufruct.

@ballbreaker: Agreed, I am considering exactly what you are proposing with the usufruct. However, I heard about this Amity Treaty thing and wanted to learn more before final commitment.

Cheers,

Chris

The story goes that I tried to work together with my Thai gf and her family to acquired a piece of land to build a small house on somewhere close to the family in Isaan. The family became way too controlling on where and what I should be buying. Specifically, I have an MBA in real estate and they were suggesting some really stupid approaches. This created some serious tensions which was dissappointing since I've had a good relationship with the family up to this point.

In moving forward, I am a US citizen, 47 years old, with a good paying job in Ekkamai under a non-B Visa/work permit. My Thai gf and I are not married, but we just had a baby not too long ago. I would like to take advantage of this Amity Treaty setup for this goal of building a house. I like my privacy and want to do as I wish to the property as well. My understanding is I actually need to form a majority-owned company, which buys the land (up to a rai) and then I rent this from the company to build the house. Unfortunately, I heard this can take very long to process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Amity_and_Economic_Relations_(Thailand%E2%80%93United_States)

If anyone on the forum has done this, what is your experience with it? Also, any reality checks for using the Amity Treaty to just own the land and build a house would be appreciated. IE, do I also have to have some other type of business operation in addition to just the land rental? TIA!

It sounds like there might be some good news after all, thanks again! I guess we'll take the landlocked property chanote to the land office and try to document an official access road on it somehow. The 40K baht purchase contract for the driveway from the poor guy should be sufficient for it, which includes compensation to move his rice silo. Too bad that this could have cost much less, but oh well. A final trip to the bank to update them on the matter will hopefully be the end of it.

I wonder what would happen if there would be a different access road already on the land office records. Would the purchased driveway from the poor guy be the best option or just keep the records as-is? Hmmmm....

If it is a chanote, ask the landoffice how the land can be reached from a government road. A chanote should have access.

Probably there is a plan somewhere which show a 'future' road. When chanotes are issued it is common to have access. If land is split it can get landlocked but the owner of such a plot always has rights to use surrounding land to have access to a road.

Civil code:

Section 1349. If a piece of land is so surrounded by other pieces of land that it has no access to the public ways, the owner may pass over the surrounding land to reach a public way.

The same applies, if passage can only be had over a pond, marsh, or sea, or if there is a steep slope with a considerable difference of level between the land and the public way.

The place and the manner of the passage must be chosen as to meet the needs of the person entitled to passage and at the same time to cause as little damage as possible to the surrounding land. The person entitled to passage may, if necessary, construct a road for passage.

The person entitled to passage must pay compensation for any damage suffered by the land owner on account of the passage being established. Such compensation, except for damages arising from the construction of a road, may be made by annual payments

Section 1350. Where land has been so partitioned or partially transferred that a plot is left without access to a public way, the owner of such plot may claim right of way under the forgoing section only over the land which has been so partitioned or partially transferred.

In such case no compensation need to be paid

Reading this, it would not be necessary to buy 'access' although that is still the best option for the long term.

Lol, I agree wholeheartedly with all of rules you've stated. None of my money has left my pocket as of yet, and it sounds like it'll just stay there instead of going for the proposed house. Really, this was simply to be a kind-hearted mother to daughter gift. Only the mom paid her money to the guy. BUT, I've been just made aware of the true nature of this situation, and I'm trying to get to the bottom of it.

The 40k baht the mom probably lost is no big deal for me, but it is for her. The family ignored my "farang ba" advice, and I won't mitigate it. Although, I do feel bad about it all and hopefully it will be a lesson learned.

BTW, the mom is good friends with the village pui yai who managed the agreement. I don't know if that could be of any help.

Rule 1

Never hand anyone else money to buy something for you.

Rule 2

Never hand over more money for land or building after breaking Rule 1.

Rule 3

Never anticipate a Thai repaying a loan to a bank.

It appears to me the building plot is worthless to anyone without access.

Please don't be daft enough to hand anyone money to build on this land.

PS

You didn't tell us how much you handed over for the 'bogus' access agreement.

Hi Khun Jean,

Thanks for your inquiry. I'm sorry as I know it is confusing. My Thai wife's mother owns the the landlocked gift property and she has the chanote for it as well. There's no problem with that other than transferring ownership to my Thai wife.

The poor guy owns the driveway section of land that my Thai wife's mom bought recently. After the transaction, we find out a bank actually owns the property as the poor guy used it as collateral to take out a loan. It's my belief the poor guy hide this bit of information from everyone until he had the money. I instructed my mother in law to not pay any baht until she knew the status of the land title, but that unfortunately fell on deaf ears.

Lastly, the poor guy now won't disclose the amount he still owes on the loan or when the loan will be paid off.

My Thai wife's mother is going to give my wife a piece of land to build a house on in a small rural village just north of Sisaket. This gift property is landlocked. So the mother asked an adjacent property owner to sell her a small section of their land to add to the gift property for creating a driveway. This was done by drafting up a land purchase contract in exchange for the payment. I questioned the transaction method, but was told this is how it is commonly done.

However, I find out after the purchase that the bank actually owns the adjacent property, not the seller. He is poor, and I have no idea when he will pay off his property either so that my wife can finally own it. I personally think my Thai wife's mom should have made the contract with both the bank and the property seller. If he defaults on his mortgage payments, it sounds like my wife will not have any legal basis for a claim on the driveway section of land. I don't want to build a house on the gift property if someday we can't drive onto it.

Is there anything I can do now to better this situation or strengthen the legal rights to the purchased driveway land? Thanks for your reply!

I was looking to buy a 2005-2007 Chevy Colorado Z71 commonrail a couple of years ago and ran into a similar situation as you. Several of the 2007 trucks I looked at turned out to have been made in 2005. It smelled fishy to me and I walked away from them as I know in Thailand you need to be careful. It looks as if Chevy did it again with their newer model Z71s, and I didn't run into this problem with any of the other truck manufacturers.

However, the one thing that would make me pass on this deal you describe is the lack of doing the 10k and 20K service checks. IMO, those are the most important ones as the engine/drivetrain is breaking itself in then and there will be a higher amount of metal particulates in the oil. And a 30K interval between a service check is bad enough already. The engine will probably have an above average amount of wear on it than a typical engine with 58K.

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Even more in fact While I haven't dyno'd mine, with a chip & a dump pipe it's doing >200HP and 450Nm (based on power:weight + performance calcs before and after). With the chip only (but with tweaked settings) it was doing slightly under 200HP.

Anybody have 0-100kph times for your chipped/box and modded diesel trucks? I'm really looking for hands on experience, not chip/box manufacturer websites as those tend to be a bit optimistic. If you could mention your modifications as well, that would be great. I want to get some ideas for a truck purchase down the road.

It's no secret the faster trucks (all else being equal) in the US were the automatics. Rowing through the gears does slow things down a bit, especially from a dead start by coming off of boost. However, with the right clutch, a manual tranny could take bigger power no problem. I had a slightly modded 2003 Dodge 4x4 2500 auto (5.9L Cummins) that could do a 6sec 0-60mph brake torqued, turbo spooled and in 4WD. I really miss this truck and have my eyes set on the 3.2L Ford 4WD auto because of this. Not sure if I want to go brand new for this project though.....

The firing sequence is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2

when looking at the engine from the front; odd numbers on the RIGHT side, even numbers on the LEFT side

the cylinders are numbered from front to back

Bads news....this firing order is not tri-Y header friendly with optimum exhaust gas scavenging and keeping each bank of the V8 isolated.

Options:

1. You still could do a tri-Y for space savings pairing 1-5, 3-7, 6-8 and 4-2 cylinders for the primaries. This would create pulse intervals of 270 and 450 crankshaft degrees that might still produce good midrange power, but really with unknown results.

2. Really crazy exhaust header design with primary tubes crossing over the top of the engine and paired with the cylinder having the 360 crank degree exhaust pulse interval. I've seen this on race engines, it looks cool, but really don't recommend it.

3. Keep it simple, just do the 4-1 like other people have suggested. This would be my choice.

Cheers,

Chris

This website is classifieds ads specific for Nissan NV. I've seen NV owner's manuals on there before. You might want to post a "wanted" ad for it using a Thai friend of yours....

http://rcw.ms/forum/forumdisplay.php/327-Classified-NV-Club

There might be an online PDF resource for it as well, but I am not aware of it. I got the factory service manual for the GA engine this way though.

I have the BBS style 14" wheels on my stock 2006 NV. Plus one to 15" easy to do and most recommended because of low cost and the common 50-55 series tires don't cause damage as easy as when you go to a larger wheel. Plus two to 16" also not so hard as long as you pay attention to width and the backspacing as someone mentioned above.....the front wheels being more critical here as the tire comes close to the strut. However, there are complaints the car becomes slow because of the extra wheel weight and 45 series tires cause rim damage easy. Some people have even gone to 17" but that is really pushing it here with the bad roads in Thailand. Also, make sure the hub center hole is Nissan friendly as the Honda/Toyota ID is smaller.

FWIW, I am going to stick with the lightweight stock wheels and put wider/smaller OD 175/50/14 tires on the front and 185/55/14 or 194/45/14 on the back. The car will be about one inch lower, and will handle and accelerate better. I have a header, cone intake, bumped timing, tranny mods and so forth. The car will take on a stock 3.0L diesel truck and 2.0L auto car as-is, and I don't want to ruin that. I know the car might look silly with the small diameter tires, but I don't care. Performance is my highest priority as passing/overtaking when I go to Isaan is quicker and safer.......

Cool project....I love to see its maiden voyage when completed.

Regarding exhaust pipe configuration, you might want to consider a tri-Y design (4-2-1) as you get good midrange and top end power (good fuel economy too) while a 4-1 header can result in a great top end, but maybe a soggy bottom end. Low end power is not that important for a boat, but will affect your holeshot. I had the 4-1 header on my '69 Hurst/Olds I bracket raced, and a high stall torque converter helped to quickly get the engine into the meat of its rpm range.

I don't know what the firing order of the 4.0L 1UZ is, but you might get lucky in that you can pair the cylinders for optimal scavenging of the exhaust gases and more power. The "4-2" section will pair the cylinders firing 360 crank degrees from each other so the exhaust pulse from one cylinder will suck the exhaust gas out of the other cylinder and vice versa. Then the "2-1" section ideally will then have an exhaust pulse every 180 crank degrees. This setup works well with modern 4 bangers on the street, but again, your engine might not allow for this. For pipe size recommendations, refer to Honda/Toyota/Nissan 2.0L 4cyl aftermarket tri-Y header designs. I have the 4-2-1 header on my Nissan GA16DNE...the motor really kicks in at 3K rpm and pulls hard to redline.

Good luck!

I did Laos and have bicycled all through Thailand as well. Want to do Vietnam and Cambodia someday (I'm looking for a biking partner actually for that). Make sure you are in shape for 100K rides. Get the book Lollipop Fury (in the Thailand interest sections of farang bookstores) to provide you some more insight for doing this. It's a great read for people like us.

Right now it is freakin hot, and I have learned to put off cycling until later because I quickly dehydrate. If you get wet from rain, no problem, put all of your clothes into plastic bags and bring chain lub with you. Good luck!

Hello again, has anyone taken their bike to Kanchanaburi and tour the area? I want to take advantage of the three day weekend coming up.

Thanks!

SoCal Chris

Hello, I am a new member here. I was curious of the safe routes to take when I want to get out of Bangkok to the north, west and east. Some of the routes and bridges I have already tried look intimidating as there is not a true bike lane, and so I turned back.

THanks!

Chris

Edit: Oy! I meant leaving BKK by bicycle only. Sorry for not putting it into the title!