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Oriental Offerings - Reincarnated


KruJoe

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Let's give this a go.

Here's a three minute clip from the 700km ride north, probably the most interesting part of the highway where it winds steeply up to the edge of the Chiang Mai basin. The city is in surrounded by mountains, like Kathmandu or Mexico City.

The footage is not great, and my 850's 5-pot sounds like a bloody Chinook through these laptop speakers, but you'll get the idea. You can see how steep it is by how slow the "sip-lor" (10-wheel) trucks are going.

 

 

Yeah, I did get a bit close to that Isuzu TF's tailgate, but I could see his intentions and he knew mine.
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I may be mistaken but the 240 is a 264?

 

This one?

 

P1170149_zpsodsmuj8m.jpg

 

That's the only other shot of it I have, none of the engine or interior, as the owner was standing just off to the side and I didn't have time to stop and chat. It was in remarkably good nick though, Bangkok is a punishing environment for motor cars.

 

 

Fab. That 'facelift' Camira is beyond wonderful.

At last, a post from hairnet that we can all understand! ;-)

 

Thanks Skizz. I think Google Translate has more bother understanding him than we do!

 

 

Here's another 264, spotted last week in a Tesco's disabled bay.

 

P1040685_zpskkgusfaq.jpg

 

Not many of these sport their original tail lights, and most have had a Toyota or Nissan heart transplant by now.

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This one?

 

P1170149_zpsodsmuj8m.jpg

 

That's the only other shot of it I have, none of the engine or interior, as the owner was standing just off to the side and I didn't have time to stop and chat. It was in remarkably good nick though, Bangkok is a punishing environment for motor cars.

 

 

 

Thanks Skizz. I think Google Translate has more bother understanding him than we do!

 

 

Here's another 264, spotted last week in a Tesco's disabled bay.

 

P1040685_zpskkgusfaq.jpg

 

Not many of these sport their original tail lights, and most have had a Toyota or Nissan heart transplant by now.

Is that a Decathlon?

 

Amazing pictures btw, keep them up!

 

When you see stuff like this it shows how much of a throwaway society we have come over here in terms of cars. It's swings and roundabouts really as on the one hand the obsession with leasing the latest eurobox keeps the used market for chod stupid cheap, but on the other hand our roads are a sea of bland :(

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

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You speak the truth, my friend.

 

Is that a Decathlon?

That last picture was taken at our nearest Tesco-Lotus car park. I assumed Decathlon was a brand they were promoting, but I investigated and it's a sportsware store, right? It seems there is a new branch there, you're correct!

 

In Thailand, most of the big superstores are upstairs in their buildings, and downstairs they host branches of smaller shops, banks, KFC, Swensen's, doughnut kiosks, and so on.

 

Enough waffle already...

 

P1040654_zps3x6n6cxc.jpg

 

Some of the crappier fuel stations harbour a stash of semi-derelict tat. This one didn't disappoint.

 

P1040656_zpszys3hgaw.jpg

 

The wheels on this Volvo look identical to the ones that didn't quite put me off buying my 850 all these years ago. It's a small town really, they could be the same set.

 

P1040655_zpscv1j5sj4.jpg

 

P1040662_zpsoxjkmjxe.jpg

 

P1040663_zpskfkzq3ua.jpg

 

P1040665_zpsohkfxatf.jpg

 

I'll leave you with a CPTC for your perusal:

 

P1040658_zpsorre2lqi.jpg

 

Any ideas?

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I don't know how I've managed to miss most of this thread but it's amazing!

 

Love the random selection of, what would be here, super rare stuff.

Is the black American thing above a Camero? Either way RHD so I assume from Australia.

Close, but not a Camaro. It looks like an early Pontiac Firebird, going by the front end. Based on the Camaro though.

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Onwards!

 

P1170279_zps8xp7p9sa.jpg

 

I'm pretty sure that's a Charade behind the Stanza.

 

P1170281_zpsmgpzky67.jpg

 

These Fiats are a surprisingly common sight around Chiang Mai, they've lasted well.

 

P1170284_zpsskgbwwtd.jpg

 

All of these were spotted within half a km of our house, these two on our street:

 

P1170225_zps38miyffi.jpg

 

The Minx was a special surprise:

 

P1170272_zpstgxjrzbh.jpg

 

This lad seems to come home in a pleasing variety of tat, all fairly tidy.

 

P1170274_zpswyqk3acz.jpg

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Close, but not a Camaro. It looks like an early Pontiac Firebird, going by the front end. Based on the Camaro though.

Correct, it's a 1967/8 Pontiac Firebird. Same shell as a Camaro but different front end and rear lights are also different. Plus of course it's powered by Pontiac or should be. If it's an export car made normally in Oshawa, Canada it might have Chevy running gear which most Canadian built Pontiac's had. 

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  • 1 year later...

Time to bring this back from the dead.
 
Nobody likes TL;DR, so...
 
 
post-1381-0-94807300-1546700930_thumb.jpg
 
Thai-built 850 2.3 n/a on LPG sold at a great loss: 20,000 THB (£500). It had become too much of a liability, even after spending several fortunes on it. Should have been a good car, but just wasn't designed for this climate.
 
 
post-1381-0-62957000-1546700963_thumb.jpg
 
Thai wife divorced after 15 years. We tried, but just couldn't find the joy any more. I wish her the best. I know I'm in a much happier place now. Thankfully no kids.
 
 
post-1381-0-67554600-1546701076_thumb.jpg
 
New shite bought in Chiang Mai, because it was as cheap as renting a modern for a month.
And more fun.
And VERY shite.
The last owner just spent twice the asking price restoring it in 2018 for her androgynous daughter (son) to drive, but she (he) turned it down and bought a new Civic. Their loss...
 
post-1381-0-04571700-1546701985_thumb.jpg
 
Keen veterans will ID it straight off; I'm sure we've discussed these... what is it?
 
post-1381-0-46756800-1546702075_thumb.jpg
 
The day after collection (and lengthy transfer bureaucracy), it carried five of us up to the top of Mon Chem. A real test, but it performed well, thought oddly high-geared for a car its size.
 
Next after a quick check-over (bubbles in the screen-wash, and coolant in the water (Thai's almost always neglect these)), a two-day drive from Chiang Mai to the most north-east of Thailand's Northeast, a.k.a. Isaan.
The car performed great - a most unexpectedly brilliant cruiser, lovely tall gearing, and "sufficient" umph. I'm a happy bunny.
 
post-1381-0-64296400-1546703558_thumb.jpg
 
Isaan tinkering - mainly refitting the number plates. Involved hammering.
 
post-1381-0-09347600-1546703892_thumb.jpg
 
Next to Nong Khai, a town on the Mekong with a bridge to Laos. More of this... nearly a full day... 
 
post-1381-0-06733200-1546704034_thumb.jpg
 
At times I thought we weren't going to be able to do it, but eventually the car had a passport, and the three of us (car, me, and my Thai traveling companion) all had visas for Laos.
Over the bridge...
 

post-1381-0-76047800-1546843141_thumb.jpg

 

That's the mid point of the bridge where the flags change from Thai to Laotian, and the barrier from clean to dirty.
Then a weird crossing like a Scalextric crossover to switch to driving on the right of the road...
 

post-1381-0-53269600-1546843829_thumb.jpg

 

...then more red tape to insure the car for Laos, and temporarily import it, fees in three different currencies, we were in!
 
post-1381-0-24601100-1546704734_thumb.jpg
 
Just in time to get to Vientiane and walk out to the Mekong promenade for the sun set over Thailand on the other side.
 
post-1381-0-79182100-1546704973_thumb.jpg
 
And to sample the Laos-only BeerLao varieties  :-D  I still prefer the dark one!
 
I'm only here on a three-day "visa run", as of tomorrow we're back to the Isaan rice fields, and without wifi, but I should be able to upload a few spots from my phone on the 3G.
 
Back in the game, Tat-lickers!

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post-1381-0-96341800-1546738304_thumb.jpg

 

Well done Conan and Andy_CMS, it is a Ford Aspire, basically a Kia Pride in a blobby body.

 

post-1381-0-32736000-1546736941_thumb.jpg

 

More pics from the advert:

 

post-1381-0-40374100-1546736952_thumb.jpg

 

Other than the badges, it's Kia, with a Mazda 1.3 lump.

 

post-1381-0-04571700-1546701985_thumb.jpg

 

I'm glad of the five tall gears, as it'll be mainly be used for trips out of town, and longer runs around the country. Around Chiang Mai, I much prefer a little bike, can't beat the Honda Scoopy.

 

post-1381-0-24013500-1546736965_thumb.jpg

 

Yesterday, outside the Pha That Luang in Vientiane:

 

post-1381-0-43556900-1546738257_thumb.jpg

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