Unexpected Cars

[INTJ]

Stingray said

"About the Vin number you can't be sure, because many VIN numbers are changed. US Car import normally only until 1974. Later "black import" they used book, Vin number and registration plates from old Pontiacs, already existing in Thailand, becase in those earlier books was never mentioned about the model, firebird for exanmple. Only the brand, in this case Pontiac, and the VIN plates are exchanged. Those cars actually are illegal, but the authorities don't know. Therefore even Trans Ams from the 80ties with T Tops are registered as a 74 in the blue book. 74 not have T Top and body look a little diferent, specially the rear anf front end and the rear window was smaller. I never saw a late Trans Am in LOS with the correct Year of registration. Be avare when you buy a american car. The VIN Number and the year of registration have to be correct as the car"

Stingray that is very interesting info there..... on the topic of cars with wrong years in the books do you know anything about the huge numbers of Benz W123 and W126 that were imported from the UK between 1988 and 1991 ? As I'm sure you know most W126 (500SEL etc) are registered in Thailand (Jot Tabien) 1991 which was the last year of production, but these cars are 99% first generation cars manufactured around 1982, likewise with many 1989 W123 around which is impossible. I had a 240D a few years ago that was registered here 1989, but had 1977 stamped on the VIN plate and some other places. The Thais think these are the actual years of the car and are blissfully unaware that the car was 21 yrs old when imported. Someone must have made a LOT of money out of this, as there are thousands of cars around. Did Mercedes sell any W126 officially in Thailand ? I know Mercedes Thonburi made some W123 model 200 in the early 80's.

Cheers

Edited April 24, 2010 by INTJ

[stingray]

Stingray said

"About the Vin number you can't be sure, because many VIN numbers are changed. US Car import normally only until 1974. Later "black import" they used book, Vin number and registration plates from old Pontiacs, already existing in Thailand, becase in those earlier books was never mentioned about the model, firebird for exanmple. Only the brand, in this case Pontiac, and the VIN plates are exchanged. Those cars actually are illegal, but the authorities don't know. Therefore even Trans Ams from the 80ties with T Tops are registered as a 74 in the blue book. 74 not have T Top and body look a little diferent, specially the rear anf front end and the rear window was smaller. I never saw a late Trans Am in LOS with the correct Year of registration. Be avare when you buy a american car. The VIN Number and the year of registration have to be correct as the car"

Stingray that is very interesting info there..... on the topic of cars with wrong years in the books do you know anything about the huge numbers of Benz W123 and W126 that were imported from the UK between 1988 and 1991 ? As I'm sure you know most W126 (500SEL etc) are registered in Thailand (Jot Tabien) 1991 which was the last year of production, but these cars are 99% first generation cars manufactured around 1982, likewise with many 1989 W123 around which is impossible. I had a 240D a few years ago that was registered here 1989, but had 1977 stamped on the VIN plate and some other places. The Thais think these are the actual years of the car and are blissfully unaware that the car was 21 yrs old when imported. Someone must have made a LOT of money out of this, as there are thousands of cars around. Did Mercedes sell any W126 officially in Thailand ? I know Mercedes Thonburi made some W123 model 200 in the early 80's.

Cheers

This could be correct, because the benz was manufactored earlier in Germany and imported later to Thailand, so it means the imported date is the first registration in LOS. But i saw "birds" witch was registered in 1974, where they didn't exist, because they was 1979 models. This is not possible, but no officials knows them

[stingray]

That Bird is in much better shape but still couldn't part with 900,000 for it though..

Yes and with 900'k you have to start rebuilt it, so it's gonna be at least 200'k to 300'k extra for all restaurations, maybe even more. So you'll end upt with about 1.2 or 1.3 Mill. Therefore i drive "only" a Oldsmobile at the moment.

But another question: What can you get for 1.3 Million? Not even a Toyota Supra.

My Olds cost me over 500'k, but including fixing, back tax, road ready to drive anywhere. In US i would not pay that money for this Olds, but in LOS is no choice to get something decent for that money, specially if you want a 2 door car. You'll get maybe just a "project" car with a lot of back taxes, because locals usually never pay their road tax on those cars.

[Spoonman]

Goddamn listen to you guys, clearly That TA is a gogomobile dart sheesh cant you it it in the roofline.

[Naam]

today i found an unexpected car in my carport. opened the hood, saw 12 cylinders. started it... VROOOOOMMMM... "not bad" i thought. asked my wife "do we have any visitors?" got the reply "did you go after the Black Label again without my permission? you bought it last thursday and brought it home yesterday!" then i relaxed and was happy.

[Who, me ?]

today i found an unexpected car in my carport. opened the hood, saw 12 cylinders. started it... VROOOOOMMMM... "not bad" i thought. asked my wife "do we have any visitors?" got the reply "did you go after the Black Label again without my permission? you bought it last thursday and brought it home yesterday!" then i relaxed and was happy.

Nice one....I wish I found it in MY carport !! Hey, wait a minute....I have NO carport

[Rdrokit]

today i found an unexpected car in my carport. opened the hood, saw 12 cylinders. started it... VROOOOOMMMM... "not bad" i thought. asked my wife "do we have any visitors?" got the reply "did you go after the Black Label again without my permission? you bought it last thursday and brought it home yesterday!" then i relaxed and was happy.

Naam, Nice 850. Best of luck with it.

[ChiangMai2]

today i found an unexpected car in my carport. opened the hood, saw 12 cylinders. started it... VROOOOOMMMM... "not bad" i thought. asked my wife "do we have any visitors?" got the reply "did you go after the Black Label again without my permission? you bought it last thursday and brought it home yesterday!" then i relaxed and was happy.

nice fan and chairs! Do you spend a lot of time looking at it.. Very practical

[MoonRiverOasis]

Best of luck with the electrics.

OK so this was intended as a dig, but unbeknown to you, it invoked childhood memories of my friends and I having electric seat 'races" in an 850i - we'd push them all the way back, start with a count-down, then declare the winner as the first to face-plant the dash. True story

Note: I was young at the time

Edited May 5, 2010 by MoonRiverOasis

[Naam]

today i found an unexpected car in my carport. opened the hood, saw 12 cylinders. started it... VROOOOOMMMM... "not bad" i thought. asked my wife "do we have any visitors?" got the reply "did you go after the Black Label again without my permission? you bought it last thursday and brought it home yesterday!" then i relaxed and was happy.

nice fan and chairs! Do you spend a lot of time looking at it.. Very practical

the fan and chairs are for my wife's driver and my gardener when the driver passes some boring waiting time because the Mrs is doing whatever she is doing in her bathroom

[Naam]

Best of luck with the electrics.

i am well aware of that problem which is not unique to BMW. but whatever, this car will be used only once or twice a week on weekends for an hour or two to show my dogs the surroundings of Pattaya, i.e. the time monday till friday is available to tackle any electric problems.

[INTJ]

Very nice car

[Atmos]

September 09 in Phuket - a Chrysler Valiant (Regal?) - not too many of these left in Oz/NZ, surprised to see one here. Immediately wondered how many Thai folk could fit inside - very roomy car.

[Donshe]

Weirdest one I saw was a bright orange Holden Kingswood in Pattaya

[Naam]

Naam, Nice 850. Best of luck with it.

¡ muchas gracias hombre !

[Donnyboy]

September 09 in Phuket - a Chrysler Valiant (Regal?) - not too many of these left in Oz/NZ, surprised to see one here. Immediately wondered how many Thai folk could fit inside - very roomy car.

used to be very common for NZ gangs to have these cars

[ChiangMai2]

today i found an unexpected car in my carport. opened the hood, saw 12 cylinders. started it... VROOOOOMMMM... "not bad" i thought. asked my wife "do we have any visitors?" got the reply "did you go after the Black Label again without my permission? you bought it last thursday and brought it home yesterday!" then i relaxed and was happy.

nice fan and chairs! Do you spend a lot of time looking at it.. Very practical

the fan and chairs are for my wife's driver and my gardener when the driver passes some boring waiting time because the Mrs is doing whatever she is doing in her bathroom

I bet the driver is happy! and I hope its not the gardener that's in the bathroom causing the delays with your wife..

[Naam]

today i found an unexpected car in my carport. opened the hood, saw 12 cylinders. started it... VROOOOOMMMM... "not bad" i thought. asked my wife "do we have any visitors?" got the reply "did you go after the Black Label again without my permission? you bought it last thursday and brought it home yesterday!" then i relaxed and was happy.

nice fan and chairs! Do you spend a lot of time looking at it.. Very practical

the fan and chairs are for my wife's driver and my gardener when the driver passes some boring waiting time because the Mrs is doing whatever she is doing in her bathroom

I bet the driver is happy! and I hope its not the gardener that's in the bathroom causing the delays with your wife..

read again "the chairs are for my wife's driver and my gardener". the gardener cannot entertain the driver and at the same time my wife in her bathroom and no, the driver is not happy at all with the car i bought last week for my wife, neither is she and i don't blame them. a zillion unfamiliar buttons and menues for a zillion unneeded functions such as irrelevant readouts like "your dentist appointment is overdue, you cannot check engine oil level when engine is running, are you aware that you have only a shitty emergency spare wheel in your trunk? do not use this menue when driving as an accident might happen, special offer Soi 6 Chang at half price, your husband was seen in Walking Street with a big-boobed lady from Usbekistan"

last not least... do you really think i let anybody else drive my 850? perhaps our thai driver?

[Atmos]

used to be very common for NZ gangs to have these cars

yes that's my best memory seeing a bunch of the boys, windows down, cruising in their Valiant. I think there was one in Once Were Warriors? Another post mentioned a Kingswood - they're a rarity these days too.

Something you won't see here - this ghastly one-off 'Folden' built and auctioned to raise money for charity. Half Holden half Ford, sold for NZ $62,700.

[Donshe]

Haha, that Folden is all over the news here.

Causing great fuss amongst Ford/Holden fans.

As for the Kingswood I mentioned. It was very rough, painted orange as if out of a spray can with a black bonnet/roof/boot

They're not so rare here, but most are in junk shape.

[WarpSpeed]

I cant' view some pictures, I can see the 850 but nothing else on this page like the Folden, anyone have any ideas why?

Edited May 7, 2010 by WarpSpeed

[Rdrokit]

Saw a 1964 Dodge Power Wagon in Korat a couple weeks ago but did not have my camera with me. It looked like the one in the phot except it was black and in almost as good condition .

[WarpSpeed]

I saw an 80's Mini Winnie tooling down the road in Phuket a few years ago, had to make a U turn to check it out.

[EvilDrSomkid]

Naam, that is one sweet looking 850.

If you see drool on it, it might be jcon's, he is lusting after a 850 CSI.

[centrico]

Also seen a MK3 Ford Cortina in very good condition as well as older mk1 Ford Escorts. Saw one Ford Anglia.

Oddest car I saw was an old Ford Classic. All that chrome and still in good nick. I am only so surprised because they are well known to be fault ridden and would not have expected to see one still roadworthy. I think I have a photo on my mobile but it was dusk so the pic is not very good.

[jcon]

Naam, that is one sweet looking 850.

If you see drool on it, it might be jcon's, he is lusting after a 850 CSI.

8-Series???!?!?? Where? Naam, you got one??? Lust doesn't even describe the feeling!!!

Where is the photo - am I missing it???

edit: Just saw it - Naam you are the awesomest old dude on the forum. Period full stop. Very nice. I will surely visit Pattaya soon! (oh but it must be an auto??? Please say no!!!)

Make it a 850CSI Naam and I will pay you so many krugerrands you can buy 1000 bakeries! Did you really get an 8-Series? I knew you had good taste. Torque monster + 6-speed + 8-series = awesome.

EvilDrSomkid, how's the S6? I like 'em fasty and torquey

And transam, you saw a c900 SAAB vert? Or an NG900? This baby below is real, they go for over a million THB here (but only exchange hands in between the SAAB guys... I'm Sweden worth about 500 Kronor.... I love 'em though (I would not hesitate for one second to buy one in Thailand if they didn't only come here in the 3-speed auto, which is brutal - the vert that is... the regular c900 4-door has the 5-speed and is joy joy joy:

edit: and check out that Range Rover in the background - who says cars in Thailand are boring???

Edited May 9, 2010 by jcon

[Jalla]

today i found an unexpected car in my carport. opened the hood, saw 12 cylinders. started it... VROOOOOMMMM... "not bad" i thought. asked my wife "do we have any visitors?" got the reply "did you go after the Black Label again without my permission? you bought it last thursday and brought it home yesterday!" then i relaxed and was happy.

Nice one Naam! Take care of your baby

[lannarebirth]

today i found an unexpected car in my carport. opened the hood, saw 12 cylinders. started it... VROOOOOMMMM... "not bad" i thought. asked my wife "do we have any visitors?" got the reply "did you go after the Black Label again without my permission? you bought it last thursday and brought it home yesterday!" then i relaxed and was happy.

Were you able to exchange Fiat fiat for that? And the Black Label? If so, things may not be as dire as forecast. Enjoy!

[Naam]

Make it a 850CSI Naam and I will pay you so many krugerrands you can buy 1000 bakeries! Did you really get an 8-Series? I knew you had good taste. Torque monster + 6-speed + 8-series = awesome.

the torque is there JC but it's "only" an "i" and [shame] no manual 6-speed. there is no high octane gasoline in Thailand available to drive a CSi without considerable modification which in turn lowers torque and horse powers. the additional 400cc in the CS and the 600cc in the CSi are not really significant for torque but mainly for horses. and no it is not the beast i had in Germany for which you really would lust and slobber all over the engine. that was a Calloway twin turbo, additionally modified in Munich, 732 DIN horse powers (not SAE!) measured at the rear axle and two months fighting the authorities to get all modifications approved for public road use.

[Naam]

Were you able to exchange Fiat fiat for that? And the Black Label? If so, things may not be as dire as forecast. Enjoy!

i was quite surprised that i could pay in fiat money