Unexpected Cars

[teejay]

Hey TeeJay I'm also a Saab man, I drive 900 SE Draken 1998, fun to drive, but probably needs custom suspension to improve handling at higher speeds, whilst not exactly rare it does stand out from the legions of Toyotas and Hondas on the road.

As for truly unexpected, I couldn't resist popping into a showroom on Rachadapisek to have a gander at a Marcos Mantis last year, absolutely gorgeous, shame I couldn't fit inside

I also saw a chrome spoked MGBGT convertible here too, in really good nice. I also know of someone in the legal industry who has an E- Type here....sigh

quite in common you and i, property and saabs....

you have a SE SuperDraken or an S Draken? The SE will be full-turbo and the S non-turbo (and the SE manual trans)... I have an SE with Viggen bumpers and the SE's are very rare in Thailand, If you have one you've part of a very small club.... are you a member of SCOT - Saab Club of Thailand?

As far as suspension goes, I've koni yellow dampers with eibach springs, Abbott Racing sway bar, 6-point subframe brace, and steering rack (eliminates the huge torque steer on the high torque turbos).... Those mods plus 18x7.5 wheels and my car turned into a totally different beast... the rather flexible chassis is tightened up quite a bit and changes the ride completely. Put in a Nordic Tuning ECU and 3" dp and instant 270hp and almost 400Nm of torque... quite a ride, I must say....

Also have a classic 3-door hatchback fully restored (one of a handful, I've never seen another one personally) and a 4-door classic saloon, quite rare also... now you know why i've swedish fish in my avatar...

Edited June 21, 2007 by teejay

[skiman1]

Imagine my surprise today when I saw a Toyota pick up truck and later in the same day an Isuzu pick up as well - Amazing Thailand

[bazmlb]

I've seen a couple of old Valiants over the last few years. I think one was a Ranger. Valiants were made in Australia by Chrysler.

Seen a couple of HQ Holden Prems in Pattaya Black ones

[MuuDaeng]

Chevy on Beach Road Pattaya

Mustang on Soi 6 Pattaya

[bazmlb]

Mustang on Soi 6 Pattaya

Yep quiet a few hot little machines on soi 6

[dong]

A 1965 HD Holden, in Phuket.

HQ/HJ Holden in mukdahan theres another one in pattaya

[raylo]

I've been driving around Bangkok today, (well, stuck in traffic jams mainly) and i spotted a Ford Escort mk2 estate, and later, a Ford Cortina mk3.

Anyone else seen any unexpected cars?

Looking at the cars you arer quoting you probably wont understand but across Thailand:

2 HQ Holden (GM) Kingswood's 1 in Bangkok one in Phayao

1 HG Holden (GM) Kingswood in Bangkok

2 Holden Commodores 1 Bangkok 1 Phayao district

2 HQ - HZ Statesman (as above)

1 late model Statesman (Chev Caprice to the septics)

Plenty original VW beetles

Ford Cortina (Bangkok)

A number of original minis and austins

And I forget the rest but I know it was in Chiang Mai

[Lancashirelad]

  the car really looks like a UK/German Cortina L MK 4, wheels, prominent arch and cross door strake, straight headlights to grill, wheels are Cortina L too.

That is definately not a Granada. It is a Cortina, looks like Mk 4, but might be a 5 with that plastic grill. Difficult to say without seeing the rear lamp clusters. (Larger on the 5)

.... and i know where you're coming from (sorry, forgot poster's name) thinking its an L version.... (or even base?) with the wheels & bumpers without the rubbing strip.

[Lancashirelad]

The 1st Cortina pic posted by Murf is indeed a Mk 5, the second, although it looks like the same car, is a mk 4. The one posted by A traveller, is indeed a Mk 4.

Look at the difference in the front indicators.

Its so long ago i worked for a Ford Main Agent when we were knocking dozens of these rep mobiles a week out, (and i drove almost every one that went thru' us) i'd forgotten the differences.

I have a 1983 Mk 2 Granada 2.8 Ghia sat down the bottom of my workshop awaiting restoration.

[mijan24]

In Khon Kaen have seen Beetles, mini - round nose clubman tailights, Soi 8 off Maliwan Road 1930's Fiat unrestored.

Hey there who removed the Fiat from Soi 8 has been there for ages within a week of posting - has disappeared - coincidence I hope.

[Tywais]

See this at our university parking lot, not sure what it is but looks like something you expect to see a dozen clowns crawling out of.

[Farma]

Imagine my surprise today when I saw a Toyota pick up truck and later in the same day an Isuzu pick up as well - Amazing Thailand

I saw an old Nissan pick up driving slowly with what looked like a bonnet scoop.

It had been modified into an upmarket “Rot Ittan”. The scoop was covering a single cylinder diesel engine mounted east/west.

I believe a lot of the old Holden’s are ex embassy cars. They and the big old Yank Tanks had their engines replaced with diesels and were common as Hadyai-Penang taxis.

[Lancashirelad]

See this at our university parking lot, not sure what it is but looks like something you expect to see a dozen clowns crawling out of.

That's a 60's Mini Traveller, same idea as the Moriss 1000 Traveller. Sometimes refered to as a "woodie."

Very rare now, there were never a lot to begin with.

So rare infact i can't (in a quick look) even find a real one for sale on the internet in the UK.

model traveller

http://www.leftlanenews.com/mini-shows-21s...er-concept.html

[stingray]

77' Olds Regency 98, Pattaya (orivinal V8 engine)

[jaiyenyen]

Nice Rover P6 in yellow

south of Saphan Mai BKK

[technocracy]

I thought of this thread the yesterday when a 50s MG Z Magnette drove past in front of me! I wasn't sure what model MG it was without looking it up - driving down by the mekong here in Vientiane . .. . not a farang owner either!

For those who don't either . .

[technocracy]

One other highly unexpected or should I say optimistic car I saw the other day was a Toyota Rav4 complete with snokle!!

[bazmlb]

I see a lot of VN commodores as highway police cars around the place, they only came out here with a small motor tho, not the 3.8 v6 or the 5.0l V8

[stingray]

If you go to Lam Lu Ka, outside Bangkok you'll find a big Caryard (Project Cars) of US Cars from the early 70ties. More than a hundert cars in the middle of nowhere, where you never aspect to find them. If you stay in the caryard, you don't beleve you are in Thailand.

[Kwarium]

Maybe that is where this 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood came from! I walked around this though, and it looked mint! (Bangna)

[bazmlb]

Maybe that is where this 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood came from! I walked around this though, and it looked mint! (Bangna)

Nope its not same yard, but both are owned by the same Thai guy, he keeps the completed ones in Bang na and the projects in Lam Luk Ka

On another note i saw a Hilux vigo this morning with teak side steps and teak front bumper complete with balustrade ends on it in Pattaya, didnt have a cam tho, the front bumper was like 3"x3" and the ends had been steamed and curver to suit the body shape even

[Lancashirelad]

I thought of this thread the yesterday when a 50s MG Z Magnette drove past in front of me! I wasn't sure what model MG it was without looking it up - driving down by the mekong here in Vientiane . .. . not a farang owner either!

For those who don't either . .

######, i scrapped one just like that, black too, in the late 70's. wish i hadn't. It ran well too, but the column change was a bit like a stick in an empty bucket i remember.

[nadavbkk]

you can see all this cars and more in Sunday Morning Drive for June - Sun, Jul 8, 2007 8.30 am,

Place: CAFE' AMAZON at PTT GAS STATION on Viphavadee Rangsit Road opposite Surasak Montri School and Chamber of commerce University

http://www.thaiclassiccar.com/webboard/ind...?showtopic=3136

[KruJoe]

Hi all – first post (on any forum!) but 4 year resident of Chiang Mai…

On my 5 min ride home across town yesterday, 2 surprises!

Firstly a beautiful and sporty sounding silver Karmann Ghia (spelling?) VW Coupe. It reminded me of a wonderfully converted example I saw last year on the German cable channel. That one had a Porche 911 turbo engine, running gear, suspension, etc, and superbly done, too. Drool…

Secondly, a silver Audi coupe, the latest TT? How long has that one been out? I'm not up to speed these days…

I've seen that bright yellow late 80's Lotus Elan around, too. I'd forgotten what a lovely shape they are (in a fat-bottomed girl kind of way). Shame about the colour!

Ever since I came to live here, there has been what looks like the rolling shell of a Lotus Esprit in a bodyshop down a soi near Chiang Mai Gate… but then I'm no expert!

On the RAV4s…(they'e all grey imports here right?)

My mum had one of the first, in '95 – great fun to drive. I've finally spotted a short wheelbase one after a hundred of the 5 doors. It's silver and often parked near the moat at Chang Puak Gate.

Anyone from Europe will have seen the little private graveyards of dead Citroen CXs and BXs – there must be one in every small town and housing estate there!

Well, Chiang Mai has one, too! Its just across the canal on the canal road on the way to Huay Tung Tao Lake. There are still a few of these cars gliding around town – a great ride on these roads, I'm sure, if and when the suspension is working! It must be a full-time job - keeping them going in LOS… I know it is, even back home.

There seems to be a surprising number of really old Fiats still alive here, too.

Plus the odd Harry Potter Anglia, Austin Allegro, Yank Tank, etc; but I don't know much about them…

Keep 'em coming, folks…

[DannyS1951]

UK's most loved car (or not)

Austin Allegro off of Onnut in Bangkok

Danny

[ratcatcher]

OH and I saw a BLACK FORTUNER TODAY!!!! TOTALLY UNEXPECTED!!!!!

Why? Are they quite rare in Thailand?

[geoffphuket]

We were at a restaurant at Ao Po today with friends, and parked outside was a gleaming red Austin Healy Sprite. What made this sighting really bizarre was that my friends dad actually designed the front end of the vehicle over 40 years ago - needless to say I got quite a lecture about it over lunch!

Photo taken from http://www.toadhallcars.com/AustinHealy.asp

[PeaceBlondie]

Speaking of Karmann-Ghia VW coupes in Chiang Mai, there is a Type 2 or 3 (that succeeded the Beetle) with white top and mustard bottom, looking totally restored, around the Klong Road south of Suthep Road lately. Also in that neighborhood, the PTT station now has a VW old style Beetle convertible, and used to have an original notch-back Chevrolet Camaro coupe.

[qualtrough]

Turning in to my Soi the other day I saw an early 50s Ford Zephyr exiting. I had to look it up as I wasn't quite sure what it was.

[tigerman]

Seen a Transit mk1---Capri mk1--and an allegro with a tree growin out of it ! a couple of old volvos but dont no the models-- all these in chaam !! Any 1 seen the bat mobil (a bit smaller) knocking about near hua hin?