Foreign Cars U See In Thailand

[INTJ]

Nice short video clip from Sweden showing the power of the Lotus Carlton - apparently the Police car behind it is a Saab 9000 Turbo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39PdzUs1Hwg...mp;feature=fvwp

Cheers

[anon8]

insane acceleration, Opel takes off like a superbike

[mca]

Posts about the Lotus Carlton are bringing a smile to my face with the memories.

I used to live near the Lotus factory in Norwich and back in the days rode a 900 Fireblade. Very early Sunday mornings (to avoid the Dibble) me and my pals used to go for a blast on the Acle Straight between Acle and Great Yarmouth. Dead straight road for about 7 miles with only one bend.

I'm on the blade and my 2 pals are on a ZZR1100 Kawasaki and a GSXR 1100 Suzuki. This is about 1992 a couple of years before I came here. We're cruising along at about 120 when I glimpse this car rolling up behind us. Bit closer and I think it's a Carlton GSI 3000. No problem. Wind the throttle back. 130....140....150. Carlton's still there. Oops. We bottled it at about 160 as things were getting a bit squirrely, moved over and watched as the Lotus Carlton came thundering past. Respect.

[Flatouthruthefog]

I have seen a Jowett Jevelin in BKK many moons ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jowett_Javelin

Interesting facts here. But they forgot to say that to change the spark plugs you must first remove the front wheels.

Yes, it was a 'boxer' engine, long before the term was coined.

[Flatouthruthefog]

Posts about the Lotus Carlton are bringing a smile to my face with the memories.

I used to live near the Lotus factory in Norwich and back in the days rode a 900 Fireblade. Very early Sunday mornings (to avoid the Dibble) me and my pals used to go for a blast on the Acle Straight between Acle and Great Yarmouth. Dead straight road for about 7 miles with only one bend.

I'm on the blade and my 2 pals are on a ZZR1100 Kawasaki and a GSXR 1100 Suzuki. This is about 1992 a couple of years before I came here. We're cruising along at about 120 when I glimpse this car rolling up behind us. Bit closer and I think it's a Carlton GSI 3000. No problem. Wind the throttle back. 130....140....150. Carlton's still there. Oops. We bottled it at about 160 as things were getting a bit squirrely, moved over and watched as the Lotus Carlton came thundering past. Respect.

Nice one. So the LC wasn't a Dibblemobile then?

Probably a Lotus test bed, exploring the outer limits, just like you.

Old enough to remember AC Cobras testing on the 'new' M1, Sunday mornings, years before the 70 limit?

Connected enough to know that Tom Walkinshaw Racing needed many more miles on the Jaguar engine/transaxle to check it out for Le Mans? So they put one in the back of a plain, long wheelbase Transit van. It had to be lwb so the wide wheelarches could hide the enormous rear rubber.

Did those engineers have fun!! And were never sussed, I think.

[mca]

Nice one. So the LC wasn't a Dibblemobile then?

Probably a Lotus test bed, exploring the outer limits, just like you.

Old enough to remember AC Cobras testing on the 'new' M1, Sunday mornings, years before the 70 limit?

The hottest plod wagon I remember Norfolk Constabulary having was an unmarked M5 (E28 version). Blue lights behind the grille and you're nicked sunshine!

Unfortunately for rice rocket fans like me the 70 mph limit came in a couple of years before I was born.

[thaibear1]

Nice yellow car - Renault Caravelle/Floride?

TRIUMPH Spitfire from UK

[ignis]

Always been mad about cars, used to drive the tractor form aged 7 every day, at 8 could name every model of car on the roads, every chance I got used to drive my Dads Austin A90... years later passed my driving test the day after my 17th b'day.

One thing I never did find out, as a young teenager used to visit the Police car workshop often, always remember that the mechanic said the best car to buy was the Police car as the Austin Westminster Police cars at the time had there engines taken out, yes there was full engines in boxes in the Police workshop.. when they got the cars the engines came out and a bigger faster engine was fitted, when they sold the Police cars the original engines were re fitted..

As for insane acceleration, the only car I have driven with real insane acceleration was the Jensen Interceptor FF

[ignis]

Anyone not remember the Jensen Interceptor ?

The only problem as I remember was the thirst, about 8 MPG

Edited November 25, 2009 by ignis

[Rdrokit]

OK Guys, I think we have gotten off the title of this thread, "Foreign Cars U See in Thailand, Oldies". So to get back to the original thread theme here is a foreign oldie I see in my driveway everyday.

[ClareQuilty]

Would love to find a Holden like those mentioned above - Calais I guess they are. I do see two or three of them regularly around Maha Sarakham. I've had many cars back in the US with that GM (Buick) 3.8 liter V6 and its incredibly durable and trouble free. Love the torquey american style pushrod/cast iron engines. That engine and the larger/longer car would make a great highway cruiser.

I drive a Toyota Corolla but I must admit it doesn't seem at all like a 'real car' compared to the big cars from Back Home - kind of an adorable but not very comfortable toy.

By the way today I saw a 1973 Australian Ford Falcon with the old Ford 250 cubic inch inline six and a manual shift. Very well preserved and owned by a local shopkeeper.