Worst country to be a car guy?

[MatteoBassini]

I love cars and I would love to own nice cars in the future. But in Thailand, that seems unreasonable because according to checkraka.com, there are only a few manual transmission sports cars offered in Thailand.

Subaru BRZ

Toyota 86

Subaru WRX STi 2.5l turbo, and 2.0l turbo

the rest are crazy expensive Lotus cars.

And the Subaru WRX is unreasonably expensive.

Why are they expensive? And why isn't there a larger selection of manual transmissions cars like in other countries, e.g BMW M2/M3.

And why do Mercedes and BMW cars in Thailand have smaller engines than Camry and Accord? This is crazy.

[Kwasaki]

Manuals are old hat nowadays, you can get a Ferrari in Thailand. 

[kartman]

Because it's a captive market carved up by the major manufacturers/importers no need for niche segments and when the locals will buy whats offered why would they just pander to a insignificant number of punters that want to dip a clutch.

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, MatteoBassini said:

Why are they expensive?

Asking seriously?

All imported cars are heavily taxed (up to 300% as far as I remember).

 

Mercedes and BMW have locally assembled models that are in the 2 million Baht range and those are indeed not the big blocks.

Big Benz available for double digit millions.

You can get an imported AMG 63 if that is good enough for you.

30 million? Or is is more?

 

 

[transam]

On 10/15/2016 at 8:04 PM, KhunBENQ said:

Asking seriously?

All imported cars are heavily taxed (up to 300% as far as I remember).

 

Mercedes and BMW have locally assembled models that are in the 2 million Baht range and those are indeed not the big blocks.

Big Benz available for double digit millions.

You can get an imported AMG 63 if that is good enough for you.

30 million? Or is is more?

 

 

What I find hard to swallow is that anything from farangland is taxed to the hilt if imported to loss yet LOS wants farangland to buy their stuff, which they do and do NOT stick hefty import duties on it.....A crazy one way street.....

[MYKTHEMIN]

48 minutes ago, transam said:

What I find hard to swallow is that anything from farangland is taxed to the hilt if imported to loss yet LOS wants farangland to buy their stuff, which they do and do NOT stick hefty import duties on it.....A crazy one way street.....

Yes totally stupid, why do our people not tax their products the same?

[madhav]

Why not go for a used Evo 9 or 10? 

Edited October 18, 2016 by madhav

[dominique355]

Asking seriously?
All imported cars are heavily taxed (up to 300% as far as I remember).
 
Mercedes and BMW have locally assembled models that are in the 2 million Baht range and those are indeed not the big blocks.
Big Benz available for double digit millions.
You can get an imported AMG 63 if that is good enough for you.
30 million? Or is is more?
 
 

The C63 AMG officially imported by Mercedes-Benz Thailand and full factory warranty is THB 9 million.
Just sayin'

[Strange]

On 10/15/2016 at 6:25 PM, MatteoBassini said:

I love cars and I would love to own nice cars in the future. But in Thailand, that seems unreasonable

 

Yes, worst country to be a car guy if you care about the price. Thats the problem here, its the cost. Import tax on everything. 

 

Im a car guy in the states but here I don't even bother. 2 or 3 times the price over here. 

 

13 minutes ago, dominique355 said:

The C63 AMG officially imported by Mercedes-Benz Thailand and full factory warranty is THB 9 million.
Just sayin'

 

9 Million got-damn. Then you are restricted to like a small handful of Mercedes service centers that MIGHT be competent enough to care for a car of that value and complexity. 

[EvilDrSomkid]

Once again OP has disappeared... However, should he return: What are you talking about?

This is a fantastic place to be a car guy. You can drive like a nutcase and still not get arrested. Seems to me OP has not looked around enough for what is available.

If you are OK with Japanese cars, mountains of 1/2JZ, RB25, SR20, 1UZ V8, diesel power etc...

 

If you are going to moan about ridiculously high new car prices, just forget about anything. Would love a Mustang Ecoboost, but for 4 mil? No. Get something 2nd hand and build it yourself!

I used to complain about the very limited choice in old Audis with quattro and turbo engines.

Then I had built the ONLY Audi 80 Quattro manual 1.8 turbo in the country. I tune it myself, I got 200 crank HP, but can easily go to 300chp with a slightly larger turbo. You can do the same for 400-500k all in.

 

Make do.

Edited October 21, 2016 by EvilDrSomkid

[yellowboat]

Ah, Somebody has discovered Thai Government's Thainess  .   You are told what to buy and that is that.  You cannot build it yourself, as then you would need a work permit.  

 
You use to be able to buy cars cheap using a Thai student overseas.  Students were, or perhaps still are, allowed to bring their car home tax free. 

 

The only happy car people are the ones who do restorations on classics.  There is an Alfaromeo garage that always had 10-15 cars in various states of repair.  He is on the corner of Asoke and Petcheburi.  Also saw a shop drop a Toyota V8 in a 60's Chevy Impala.  Cool things are done here, but they mostly seem to be restorations. 

[Rdrokit]

If you live in Bangkok there are a couple car clubs but outside you are out of luck. Want to meet some car guys just go to the drag races. These photos are a few years old but the drags are still going on.

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/109000363149494914708/album/AF1QipOkZGyeAL9tnQgxlvFgUTz-PZ-b998SJxGTf4Hu

 

Some photos from a Thai American Car Club show.

 

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/109000363149494914708/album/AF1QipOtbmLdhmOA_8djgxmulaQjRy1MsZFQme_EivaC

 

 

[Dakhar]

 

I have had luck with conversions, i have a bmw e36 325 sedan, that has been converted to a euro spec 1995 e36 m3. (Manuel gear box)

 

I also have a 2004 clk 55 amg conversion

 

I live up north, no traffic,. The cost is more than expected, but considering 1 conversion is essentially two cars transformed into one, the price is understandable.

 

 

[Ulic]

You can get any car you can afford.

[gamini]

cars cost four times more in singapore and the road tax is about 20 times what it is here

[JaseTheBass]

Once again OP has disappeared... However, should he return: What are you talking about?
This is a fantastic place to be a car guy. You can drive like a nutcase and still not get arrested. Seems to me OP has not looked around enough for what is available.
If you are OK with Japanese cars, mountains of 1/2JZ, RB25, SR20, 1UZ V8, diesel power etc...
 
If you are going to moan about ridiculously high new car prices, just forget about anything. Would love a Mustang Ecoboost, but for 4 mil? No. Get something 2nd hand and build it yourself!
I used to complain about the very limited choice in old Audis with quattro and turbo engines.
Then I had built the ONLY Audi 80 Quattro manual 1.8 turbo in the country. I tune it myself, I got 200 crank HP, but can easily go to 300chp with a slightly larger turbo. You can do the same for 400-500k all in.
 
Make do.

200bhp at the crank? Most locally made clunker pickups can easily attain that with a cheap ECU mod.

[Strange]

10 hours ago, EvilDrSomkid said:

Then I had built the ONLY Audi 80 Quattro manual 1.8 turbo in the country. I tune it myself, I got 200 crank HP, but can easily go to 300chp with a slightly larger turbo. You can do the same for 400-500k all in.

 

This price range I can have over 500 crank hp easily on pump gasoline with no turbo and drive it everywhere in the states. 

 

And I can buy all the parts online without ever leaving the house. 

[Strange]

10 hours ago, EvilDrSomkid said:

I tune it myself,

 

How exactly are you doing the tuning? 

[Strange]

55 minutes ago, JaseTheBass said:

 

200bhp at the crank? Most locally made clunker pickups can easily attain that with a cheap ECU mod.

 

 

Most clunker pickups make that at the crank without an ECU mod 

 

His 200hp number is too clean as well.

[chicowoodduck]

Get a push bike or just walk.....geez! :-(

[Dakhar]

5 hours ago, Strange said:

 

This price range I can have over 500 crank hp easily on pump gasoline with no turbo and drive it everywhere in the states. 

 

And I can buy all the parts online without ever leaving the house. 

 

Trade offs

 

That house u speak of, probably cost you 5 times what you would pay in thailand for. 

[Kiwiken]

You can buy the new Mustangs in Bangkok. Unless you think these are not sports cars. Personally the cost of maintaining European sports cars scares me. 

[Don Mega]

I reckon a twin turbo 1UZ  Vigo dumped on bags could be easily done for under 500k and would be an awesome street brawler.

[Strange]

32 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

I reckon a twin turbo 1UZ  Vigo dumped on bags could be easily done for under 500k and would be an awesome street brawler.

 

This is true. Although not sure about 500k. I had looked into it before, briefly, and I think the cost of this is going to come down turbo selection. IE, Real deal garret ball bearing turbos, chinese knockoffs, or scavenge from a suitable engine. 

 

This is a good idea though. If in the budget, E85 and yeah it would destroy 99% of other road cars. 

[canthai55]

From Wiki ...

 

1UZ Twin turbo

Similar performance upgrade you can make on the basis of two Garrett VNT25. Such sets are easy to buy and install on forged pistons. It can provide more than 500 horsepower. In any of these cases you can use more powerful turbochargers, to do head porting, to increase the boost pressure to the limit and get 1000 horsepower.

[Strange]

3 hours ago, Dakhar said:

 

Trade offs

 

That house u speak of, probably cost you 5 times what you would pay in thailand for. 

 

Not really. US is big. $250k gets you a pretty nice house and 3 car garage in my area and 3.5% fixed for 30 years makes it attainable. 

 

2-3 million here and you got a typical hot ass thai house that you have to pay cash for (majority of us will be in the cash category)

[Strange]

8 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

From Wiki ...

 

1UZ Twin turbo

Similar performance upgrade you can make on the basis of two Garrett VNT25. Such sets are easy to buy and install on forged pistons. It can provide more than 500 horsepower. In any of these cases you can use more powerful turbochargers, to do head porting, to increase the boost pressure to the limit and get 1000 horsepower.

 

From what I read, 1UZ comes with cast steel crank & rods with hyperutectic pistons. Its a good engine no doubt, but to get to the 1000 hp mark (and live there for a while) is going to cost a fortune (literally) in aftermarket rotating assembly, machine work, porting, drivetrain, etc... 

 

And I mean at this cost, a simple SBC + turbo even imported would probably be about the same cost (for equal HP) and parts are everywhere. Better flowing heads and custom grind camshafts for cheaper... 

 

No hate but sheeeeeiiiiiiit money money

[Loeilad]

Thai motor industry is protected by high duties on imported cars - totalling up to 300% on top range cars.

 

The result is the market has very little variety.

also if you find an interesting vehicle it is quite likely to be a "grey import" - or similar which can lead to problems with the veracity of your blue book.

 

 

 

 

[Rdrokit]

Don't know why you guys want so much horsepower unless you are planning on drag racing. I put a late model (1997-2000)1UZ -FE in my 65 Oldsmobile Cutlass. I had a set of headers and custom exhaust and was putting out about 325hp.  Cost me 40,000 baht and I gave the mechanic the 1JZ that was originally in the car. Believe me 325hp is plenty of hp for Thai roads.

Here's some photos so you know what I say is not BS.

 

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/109000363149494914708/album/AF1QipPreILPybDCgbAa9QxucgmoV1RaLKnDncRMh7CU

 

P.S. That's me in the car guy shirt in the second photo

 

[madhav]

I have a A31 Nissan cefiro 5 speed manual with a 2JZ engine and a HX35 single turbo. It's running E85 and is tuned for 470-540hp at the wheels, depending on boost. Had the whole setup done in Surat Thani using second hand parts and it didn't cost much at all. The whole setup can be had for 250k baht.

 

It's an old car though, if you want something more modern, I would suggest something with the 2.0 TSI engines out of the VAG (Volkswagen Audi group) cars. Stage 3 big turbo kits will take you to about 400-450hp. Fast enough for most people. Comfortable car also. Can go higher if they ever figure out a tune with E85.