Auto Enthusiasts/gear Heads

[Pepe']

Thanks for the input Rooo. Her in the US we have the big chains like Kragen, Auto Zone, Pep Boys etc. Whay are the big chains there. Do there seem to be any small independent shops for just regular parts.

High performancve parts being a separate issue.

[nmesparrow]

i love american muscle! i drive a heavily modified jeep right now in northern california. before that had a 66 mustang and shoehorned a 351 cleveland, C6 tranny, 9 inch rear end, full shelby GT350 suspension, Baer brake system with 4 piston calipers, 11" rotors and so much crap i don't remember, total sleeper. i wondered about acquiring american muscle in thailand. my friend who has been here longer says it ain't gonna happen. shipping one is very costly i've heard. although i have no idea how much. i loved pulling up to yuppies in their euro sports car with their pretty little girlfriend and blow away their porshe or M series beemer. its almost as bad as when some little teenager pulls up in a rice rocket and smokes me. sleepers, thats the way to go. any info on where to find an old school ride?

[Pepe']

i love american muscle! i drive a heavily modified jeep right now in northern california. before that had a 66 mustang and shoehorned a 351 cleveland, C6 tranny, 9 inch rear end, full shelby GT350 suspension, Baer brake system with 4 piston calipers, 11" rotors and so much crap i don't remember, total sleeper. i wondered about acquiring american muscle in thailand. my friend who has been here longer says it ain't gonna happen. shipping one is very costly i've heard. although i have no idea how much. i loved pulling up to yuppies in their euro sports car with their pretty little girlfriend and blow away their porshe or M series beemer. its almost as bad as when some little teenager pulls up in a rice rocket and smokes me. sleepers, thats the way to go. any info on where to find an old school ride?

nmesparrow,

Hey easy on the M series dude. I'm driving a 97 M3 if it ain't in a straight line you're smoked. Hahahahah Just kidding but I know what you mean,

My neighbor has a rare 67 Chevel coup with a 350 4 speed Muncy trans',

2 four barrels.

Just threw a rod last week. Bummer!!! I have had that car out on the track and you don't need no ####### nitros bottle.

Talk about getting rubber in all four gears. It was hairy steering with the front wheels off the ground. No kidding.

Funny you mention this jeep you've got. I've been a strictly bimmer man for years. I'm 52 now and of course growing up it was nothing but muscle cars.

With a VW bug here and there. Don't ask..

But I have really been interested in getting a jeep lately CJ7 would be my interest and tricking it out a little.

The 7 does have the longest wheel base right?

Now on how to get one into Thailand. It is not confirmed but my understanding is anything 10 years or older has a minimal tax. Then there is shipping of course.

My buddy in Pattya owns the, I think it was the Las Vegas a Go Go or Nevada GoGo bar, right of the main drag around the corner from the pizza hut.

No body ever makes a trip without Harley parts packed in the bags. I mean heads and everything. His club has there own shop set up, swwwweet!

I don't know why I can't find his email address but I would check Pattaya Go Go bars and try to get info on the Las Vegas a GoGo. His name is Roger he is retired Navy sea bee and has been in Thailand since he was 18.

He's now late 50's . Talk about a "piece of work" with some stories about the old days, he's too much.

He's pretty well connected in Bangkok and Pattaya. If anyone knows how to "do it" it would be him. Tell him Joe from San Diego sent you.

Good luck and keep me posted.

PS The new M3s with slight mods can push out better than 400 horse

PPS I have also heard that you can bring a car tax free if you have an embassy job.

I was wondering if the same might not be true for the peace core or committing to some other volunter humanitarian work. Like high speed taxi service

[Crash999]

Come on gear heads what do ya think about an automotive center...

I think what's needed is a one-stop center for foreigners to service their cars, buy tires, shop for used cars, get insurance, financing, get help with obtaining drivers' licenses, get road-side assistance, etc etc.

[20yearsinthai]

Somone asked about chevy lumina in Thailand? MAde in Au and chevy sells for 1.8 Mil baht here in thailand--nice looking car. Any good??/

[350torana]

Yeah, the Lumina is a Holden Commodore made in Aussie, rebadged as a Chevy and sold overseas. Seen alot in the Middle East but good to see they are selling them in LOS. Any good? Me, being biased, would have to say very good. Nice looking, heaps of horses under the bonnet and give any Jap sports car here a run for it's money.Dunno about the tax on the engine though, i thought the chevy v8 gen 3 was standard, but maybe they come with a six

[20yearsinthai]

Yeah, the Lumina is a Holden Commodore made in Aussie, rebadged as a Chevy and sold overseas. Seen alot in the Middle East but good to see they are selling them in LOS. Any good? Me, being biased, would have to say very good. Nice looking, heaps of horses under the bonnet and give any Jap sports car here a run for it's money.Dunno about the tax on the engine though, i thought the chevy v8 gen 3 was standard, but maybe they come with a six

The one i saw was a v6. loked very nice the price seems high and i bet it wil depreciate quite a lot the first 4-5 years.

[Pepe']

Come on gear heads what do ya think about an automotive center...

I think what's needed is a one-stop center for foreigners to service their cars, buy tires, shop for used cars, get insurance, financing, get help with obtaining drivers' licenses, get road-side assistance, etc etc.

Crash999,

Pretty interesting idea. Mabey add a Black Canyon Coffee joint, or something like that so people can munch while they wait.

[Rooo]

Torana,Last I checked on lumina,they were released on a two model basis.Luxury&the equivalent to an SS.

The SS price was aroud $71,000.00 AUS.A bit dear.I found the road test on them in The Nation.Worth a look. ]

[nmesparrow]

Come on gear heads what do ya think about an automotive center...

I think what's needed is a one-stop center for foreigners to service their cars, buy tires, shop for used cars, get insurance, financing, get help with obtaining drivers' licenses, get road-side assistance, etc etc.

what an idea, a place you could go to that does everything you need and related. throw in great service and work and you have it all, just kidding man but hey even a place where management spoke english, not thai english, would be nice to take a car or get stock parts. now a store for parts and performance would be something else. but i don't see too many people in thailand that'll drop a few grand to add turbo to their ricers (japanese cars). maybe i should look into opening an auto parts shop with maybe 2 to 4 lifts catering to the non-Thais. what primary auto parts shops are you all aware of in BKK, that stands out in your head? i've managed an autozone and still know people in corporate...many things were asian manufactured......hummm? plus i'm asian too.....

[Rooo]

Lokk at sunbelt Asia,they have aparts shop for sale

[Crash999]

but i don't see too many people in thailand that'll drop a few grand to add turbo to their ricers (japanese cars). maybe i should look into opening an auto parts shop with maybe 2 to 4 lifts catering to the non-Thais. what primary auto parts shops are you all aware of in BKK, that stands out in your head?

Dammit... I wrote a long reply and it was eaten.

There are lots of people in Thailand (Thais) who will drop a few grand to modify their cars- just go to a Thai bookstore and pick up some of the automotive mags. Not so sure the farang market for this kind of thing is big, though.

A farang place I think should be more focused on normal service and repair, as that's always a huge concern- how not to get ripped off by the Thais. For those of us with some automotive background it's not so scary, but for people who don't know much about their cars being at the mercy of a Thai service center is not an option.

Place could be a car-version of the thaisuperbike folks. Insurance, financing, and road-side assistance can all be provided by a third-party... no too dificult to set up.

[20yearsinthai]

Question about pickup trucks.

Are the Izuzuu D-Max auto transmission trucks any good?--or are they underpowered?

Also someone mentioned that it cost more to maintain 4wd truck. What extra costs are there?

Which ttruck do you guys recommend? 4door

[Pepe']

Chrash I thought I read your earlier reply and responded to it. A good idea about car service, part insurance DL, etc.

[Pepe']

Question about pickup trucks.

Are the Izuzuu D-Max auto transmission trucks any good?--or are they underpowered?

Also someone mentioned that it cost more to maintain 4wd truck. What extra costs are there?

Which ttruck do you guys recommend? 4door

Besides having an additional differential to drive the second set of axels.

The tranny and linkage is more complicated. Wheel locks on some.

The additional fuel consumption and wear and tear to vehicle when your off road.

Izuzu does not have a good rating here in the states but seems to in Thailand from what I've heard.

Therer's a good bit of discussion on this earlier in this thread and for my money I think I would go the extra and go for a Toyota...

[Ajarn]

Question about pickup trucks.

Are the Izuzuu D-Max auto transmission  trucks any good?--or are they underpowered?

Also someone mentioned that it cost more to maintain 4wd truck.  What extra costs are there?

Which ttruck do you guys recommend?    4door

I have a new 4-door D-Max with 3.0 Turbo and auto tranny.

It sure ain't no race car, but it does pretty well against most other vehicles on the road....I think it's the gearing and the torque converter that give it an edge maybe, and when the Turbo kicks in at about 3,000rpm, it is very noticeable... On hills, no other truck has ever been able to keep up with me, and I can even give the new 4-door cars a run for their money on occasion...

Top Speed on level ground: 155kph

With their excellent rep for service, Isuzu has my vote.

They are also the top selling brand in Thailand.

[Pepe']

Once a gear head always a gear head.

With all the hype about fuel prices, any sightings of hybrid cars around?

[Rooo]

Purchased a Hilux Vigo Xtra cab 3lt turbo Diesel intercooled,best vehicule ever owned in the 4x4 category.cruising in 5th gear 2,000 RPMS 100k's.Great acceleration & top end speed , well I have been naughty but had the opportunity to get up tp 200 before getting scared about tyre speed rating.Reccomend to anyone lookong at new vehicle.

[Thaiboxer]

200 kph in a Vigo? I didn't know they would go that fast...that's around 125mph.

I've got the ultimate hot rod...an old Toyota hatchback, stick shift with no fuel injector or power steering. This baby goes from 0-60 in 15 minutes and with the old steel doors/body panels it weighs a ton. Burns more gas than the space shuttle. The highest speed I've had it at is a whopping 130kph...all the formula 1 drivers must be jealous. Hear the roar of my inline 4!!

[taxexile]

Purchased a Hilux Vigo Xtra cab 3lt turbo Diesel intercooled,best vehicule ever owned in the 4x4 category.cruising in 5th gear 2,000 RPMS 100k's.Great acceleration & top end speed , well I have been naughty but had the opportunity to get up tp 200 before getting scared about tyre speed rating.Reccomend to anyone lookong at new vehicle.

bought one 3 weeks ago , agree with all you say , its a great drive and tons of room inside , havent had it over 140kph yet though.

would like to soften up the rear suspension , its gets a bit jumpy on some road surfaces .

first pickup i've owned so maybe i just have to get used to the jumpiness.

[dog]

LATE 1960'S AC COBRA 427SC

NEED I SAY MORE

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(AC) YES what a car" fantastic" ,unfortunatly handle's like a pram with a fat baby in it ,but still one of my favorite machines.

[DJ_Tom]

Don't bump old threads.

[Ajarn]

Great acceleration & top end speed , well I have been naughty but had the opportunity to get up tp 200 before getting scared about tyre speed rating.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's always good to have an active and creative imagination. I like to pretend my Isuzu is a Formula 1

[Thaiboxer]

It's always good to have an active and creative imagination. I like to pretend my Isuzu is a Formula 1

I like to pretend that my car gets good mileage

[wimpy]

My rainy day ride is a 95 Civic 3-door. 2000cc block from a CRV. Milled Vtec B16 Head from a Japanese Civic Si. B18 Cams and intake. I have a lot of fun picking on rich kids in their beemers.

On nice days I ride my Suzuki TL-1000 V twin. 125hp and more torque than you would believe. A scary wheely machine! Fast Bikes had this to say about it... "A

wild, hairy-arsed, nun-raping, viking psychopath." --Fast Bikes 1997

Great fun.

[Pepe']

My rainy day ride is a 95 Civic 3-door.  2000cc block from a CRV.  Milled Vtec B16 Head from a Japanese Civic Si.  B18 Cams and intake.  I have a lot of fun picking on rich kids in their beemers. 

On nice days I ride my Suzuki TL-1000 V twin.  125hp and more torque than you would believe.  A scary wheely machine!  Fast Bikes had this to say about it... "A

wild, hairy-arsed, nun-raping, viking psychopath." --Fast Bikes 1997

Great fun.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey take it easy on the Bimmers... LOL

After having many hot cars, I just sold my last one an M3 to a buddy of mine.

at 53 I think I have finally got the high performance blown out of my system.

May be moving to BKK in a couple of years and I'm thinking that would be the place to have a Prius or something similar.

I just isn't sinking in that there is no market for these hybrids. There is definetly a need for many reasons.

Got NOS?

[Thaicoon]

At the moment, i have a 1989 PORSCHE 911 TURBO mint condition, DAX COBRA with a blueprinted 5.7 CHEVY ENGINE WITH HURST RACING GEARBOX AND 4 BARREL HOLLEYS, ###### of a quick car (replica of the famous AC 427 cobra), and a MERCEDES C180 SPORT AMG, and only get them out in the summer, they will be taxed next week, use my van every day, in Thailand got a new D/MAX HIGHLANDER CAB 4, i would love to take my three cars to Thailand, what would the duty be, crazy.

Edited March 25, 2005 by Thaicoon

[Bizz]

Got a Subaru Forrester STI 2001 Black which is as fast as a Porsche Boxter

O-60 in 5 seconds.

Very sick now a L-driver hit the side wing bumper and indicator lens

€2200 DAMAGE

Any one reading this thread got a Subaru

[Pepe']

Got a Subaru Forrester STI 2001 Black which is as fast as a Porsche Boxter

O-60 in 5 seconds.

Very sick now a L-driver hit the side wing bumper and indicator lens

€2200 DAMAGE

Any one reading this thread got a Subaru

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bizz,

I have heard about these rally inspired cars. They sound really hot. I don't think you could get a better "bang for your buck."

[350torana]

I am seriously considering trading in my car back in Aussie for a Subaru Outback . Having an ankle biter changes ones perception. I used to have the 'jap crap' mentality but really impressed by Subaru's saftey,and performance.

Amazing to see this thread still going. While it is here, any advice on Mitsubishi Stradas ? Mother-in-law is determined to buy her daughter and myself a new truck(mostly so we can driver her ass around everywhere ). I know jack &lt;deleted&gt; about trucks . Price seems cheaper than Isuzu, Toyota, Chevy and Ford. Basically, she wants a standard four door, 2wd .