Kit Car Manufacturer In Thailand

[Hog Head]

No phone number or any way to contact them. The "contact us" link goes nowhere for me.

I would really like to know if these are sold c/w Thai road legal registrationm and if factory built only.

I wonder if the price is 3X the already high UK price for a factory car.

As much as I want one, I just cannot bring myself to give the government all this money.

[LivinLOS]

You are all going down the legal route.

With bikes you can quite often buy a transfered book. They will re-issue a book with your bikes details in it.

Costs about 50,000 B in total.

Why don't you just do that then?

Kit cars are a little different than bikes..

Find me someone with a 427 cobra set of papers to transfer and we can talk...

[hughden]

No phone number or any way to contact them. The "contact us" link goes nowhere for me.

I would really like to know if these are sold c/w Thai road legal registrationm and if factory built only.

I wonder if the price is 3X the already high UK price for a factory car.

As much as I want one, I just cannot bring myself to give the government all this money.

The "Contact Us" link opens a new page with phone numbers and e-mail:

Tel: 0066 (0) 2203 1878

Mob: 0066 (0) 7022 2087

email: [email protected]

They are adverstising in a Thai auto paper with kit prices from 235,000 baht and on the road prices from 1.3 million baht.

[mraitchison]

The cpouple of bikes that I have had transferred haven't been the same as the book.

The book for a bike is lost (normally frm up country) and the Motoring place is contacted and a replacement ordered.(20k for chassis 20k for engine 10k for the person who does it)

The book is then completely changed model number chassis number bike type etc.

[LivinLOS]

But the bike model and make is listed in the book..

I know about getting a book put on a bike and changing the numbers.. But you still need the book of a honda wave for a honda wave or a harley for a harley.. Make and model need to be sourced.. Mainstream vehicles thats not too tough.

I know from mates around me that they are having a hel_l of a time getting a book for a bent BMW offroader thats being used plateless now.. Cant find a dead BMW bike of this type to get the bent book moved over.

Now imagine finding a bent book for a Cobra..

[Crash999]

Find me someone with a 427 cobra set of papers to transfer and we can talk...

Doesn't necessarily have to be a Cobra. Could be another chassis that the Cobra was built on.

There are more than a few Mitsu Evos on the road with Lancer registrations.

Good choice with the Cobra. My first selection would be an Ultima GTR. Oh yeah...

[smartecosse]

nah, get one of the lotus 7 types jobs with the holeshot turbo'd hyabusha engine it it mmmmmmmmm

[Crash999]

On second thought, not sure how wise it would be to get a non-aircon car in Thailand...

[tuky]

On second thought, not sure how wise it would be to get a non-aircon car in Thailand...

These would all be great toys to have, but your comment Crash is the main thing that would hold me back. Imagine it raining, window/roof flap closed and nearly 100% humidity on a 35 degree day!

[Dakhar]

http://www.caranddriver.com/specialtyfiles...o-3r-page2.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEennpoW_uw&search=nobles

OK folks the Noble M12 is hands down one of the handelling cars on the road... and it is fairly cheap for what it is.

It is exported into America via 2 crates, one crate is a completed body, frame etc, with a gutted engine bay.

The second crate is the twin turbo V6....

Because it is delivered in 2 crates it is considered a kit car, which means lowered emmission standards and saftey standards.... For America. (price around 60-70K USD)

So this concept works in America,

The question is, could this be done in Thailand.

As a former E36 M3 car owner..... I am very interested in the Noble M12. I have found an E46 M3, but the price of 160K USD, is prohibitive, and I also do not want to hand over all that money for taxes.

If you guys have any thoughts on this please share. Another advantage of the M12 is that it is not a "100% kit car." I helped build a kit car before and we built that at a car auto body shop, and even then, some of the required tools had to be fabricated.

Although I love the idea of building a car, I think the issue of limited tools would be a problem.

[Hog Head]

[

The short answer is no.

I have to run and will give you the long answer tomorrow.

[Boxster]

Sooooo, what's the update?

Anyone since import kit cars into Bkk who care to share?

I have seen a Ferrari Dino shell painted in red parked next to a paint ball shooting club or whatever those are called. Those belonging to anyone here?

Thanks!

B

[Hog Head]

While all this has been is pending over the last couple of years, I have decided that the only way to legally do it, at a reasonable cost, is to use a donor car c/w book and rebody it. I am now well down that road.

The body change has been done already, does not require emissions testing, but does require that an Engineer sign off on the body swap, and you pay excise tax on the new body. The inspection and most importantly paying the tax is the key to a legal book.

The problem is that there is a big lack of suitable donors in the LOS, and they are mostly clapped out expensive crap.

The easiest car to rebody is a VW Beetle as the body comes off with about 13 bolts, and VIN is on the chassis not the body. Expect to pay however as Beetles have a cult following and while nice on the outside are a POS under and inside. I would buy the cheapest one I could find and rebuild the entire thing the right way (as opposed to the Sonchai way)

There are lots of replacement bodies and my choice is a 356 Speedster.

Change the engine and paint it all you want and Motor Vehicles does this book change everyday. Perhaps best not to confuse them and do the engine at a different time than the body swap.

Importing the body is a big expense at 80% duty + 7% VAT on the CIF cost - yes they charge duty and VAT on freight and they all compound upon each other. Remember you need to pay excise tax when changing the book on this now very expensive body. For example a body and subframe from Rusty Tubs at 5000 + 2500 freight = approx 476,685 THB plus brokerage, storage while you argue with Customs, fees, graft, local freight, etc. Excise tax must be paid on the body swap and is HP/displacement dependent but lets say 25% on CIF cost plus duty

When someone hits you with this nice expensive imported, one piece fibreglass body, you are knackered.

This cost and risk was unacceptable to me so I now have a mould to make Speedster bodies in Chiangmai. The test body is installed over the bar in Number 1 Pub, and the second body is for my personal car. I have also made myself a patio chair using the rear clip, with a beer cooler under the deck lid. When I get hit by some uninsured cretin, I at least can make another body.

I am not in this for a business and it is simply a car related hobby for me. I would however, make a body and related parts if anyone is interested. A lot of the parts to complete the transformation from a POS into a Speedster can be cloned here from my NOS parts, but some things still need to be imported at 30% + 7%. In the end expect to pay 700 - 1 million for a really nice completely rebuilt car with all new parts. It can be done cheaper by recycling what comes in the donor, doing the interior locally, local standard paint job, and a 200K local body.

Excise tax is paid on the 200,000 body

[LivinLOS]

I have followed other posts of your HH.. Please do update with any pics and progress, I cant see myself spending 700k min on a limited use car but would love to see it once your finished.

I know 2 beach buggys down this way that have come a cropper on body work modification issues.. Both had books but at later sale time the books were questioned, I guess they didnt pay the tax or get the right stamp or pass in old pre history..

[Hog Head]

I know 2 beach buggys down this way that have come a cropper on body work modification issues.. Both had books but at later sale time the books were questioned, I guess they didnt pay the tax or get the right stamp or pass in old pre history..

Most likely that is the case. Getting the Engineers stamp is not so difficult if one builds it right, and does not get out of hand with the chassis mods at the beginning. Do the simple body swap, get it approved, then modify away to your hearts content with suspension, brakes etc.

Paying the excise tax is a biggie, and if you ever want to sell the car this is the key. The govt want the dosh.

It has been done so this is not new ground to plow.

Registering a kit car is a whole different kettle of fish.

[Hog Head]

" For example a body and subframe from Rusty Tubs at 5000 + 2500 freight = approx 476,685 THB plus brokerage, storage while you argue with Customs, fees, graft, local freight, etc. "

Correction - the Rusty Tub body is the cheapest body I know of and costs 6000 USD with the required steel subframe.

http://www.rustytubs.com/kit-cars.html

Landed this is a staggering 540,243 THB plus plus plus plus.....

Plus excise tax when you change the body style in the book.

Now just wait until someone on an uninsured POS, with no ability to pay and no social responsibility hits you.

Not on for me, hence made in Thailand

[stingray]

You can do. I know some Swiss guy in Pattaya wo use to build Lambosghinis. He had a manufactering License. The only problem is to get the car registration.

[percy2]

I remember there used to be a white Lambo Kit Car parked up outside the Jomtien Police station for a long long time.

Cheers

[MrSnrang]

Every now and then someone has sportscar chassis' up for sale from Japan with the front and rear separated and all interior parts intact. The engines are usually missing.

Would it be possible to put one of these back together and get a working engine in it then register it as a self-built car? If so then this opens the door to a world of possibilities.

Nissan S13/14/15's usually run at about a million baht, give or take a few hundred thousand. One of these cars costs 200k, then the engine should be less than 100, assembly would take a while but should not be that expensive, but the question is whether or not it could be registered as a kit car.