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Oriental Offerings - Reincarnated


KruJoe

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HMM.

 

Anyway, that top boat engine looks like it has the top-mount intercooler off an "FC" RX-7 Turbo cobbled on - you can see where it says Rotary Turbo on it. Weird choice.

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You're not wrong.

 

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I assumed the 'Rotary' referred to the turbo itself - we have seen stranger stickering!

I guess it wasn't a conscious choice, rather what was lying around at the time, probably after some drift numpty upgraded his JDM RX7.

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Thanks Rab!

 

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Here are a few from Trang, an rather ordinary southern provincial town, trying to tidy itself up for tourism.

The tuk tuks in Trang have a different body style to the other provinces I've visited:

 

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The seating set-up is more accommodating - similar to the larger pick-up taxis: two front seats, then two benches facing each other in the back.

 

 

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U13 Bluebird SSS. I've only seen a handful of these, they have a proper droopy profile without spoilers.

 

 

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Perhaps surprisingly, there are very few Malaysian cars in Thailand (it being an ASEAN trading partner and all), but Trang is quite near the border, and there are a few more about. Not many, but a few Protons, Peroduas and Nazas.

 

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This was a fairly normal looking Proton MPV I haven't noticed anywhere else.

 

So shite-wise, farly unremarkable. Except for one thing...

 

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An overwhelming preponderance of 1970's and 80's Crowns and Cedrics!

The buggers are everywhere!

 

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The following were taken at the same time, standing in almost the same place!

 

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Just because I can, I'm declaring the centre of Muang Trang 'Catch of the Day'.

 

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For sale:

 

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Just over £100 seemed reasonable despite the green fork sliders! Looks like it might have been running recently.

 

 

Guess what?

 

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Good guess.

 

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Back around Bangkok:

 

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For KWOLITY transfers to South-East Asia's flagship airport:

 

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Also better than a tuk-tuk:

 

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Credits to Mrs KJ for these:

 

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They were fairly shifting. We struggled to keep up with me and the five women in the car (wifey, her sister, aunt and two cousins.)

 

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Both well fit (the cars, not the cousins).

The traffic really does travel at 100-120kmph that close, and closer. Everyone tailgates everyone, and pile-ups are common.

929 coup RULEZ; is therefore Catch of the Day.

 

Some more from the road northwards:

 

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Stripped to the max.

 

Most of Route 1 up the country is two lanes each way, and for all of it, the nearside lane has two ruts melted into it by heavy trucks. So much so that some parts are unusable, even by them. Not easy to see in a photo but...

 

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Peekaboo

 

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Check this out, a wet Holden Camira saloon ex-highway bill car, perched on the central reservation outside a police station.

 

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I've seen strange displays made of ex-cop cars - planted in flower beds etc, usually obscure models like this, my guess it that they couldn't be maintained as parts became unavailable, and couldn't be sold on.

 

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We came though rain in the central plains, so the car was filthy when we arrived back in Chiang Mai.

We made it in record time: 8hr,15mins from Bangkok, and that included getting lost in the historic ruined city of Ayuttaya. So under 8 hours next time! It felt like a breeze (except for the argument after I relieved Mrs KJ of the map in Ayuttaya!)

 

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We treated it to a valet:

 

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When I first test drove our car, the seller took showed us where the local back street Volvo specialist is. Before we set off for Bangkok and the south, I took it there to free off a binding rear calliper and something else minor, just to try them out really. Also I don’t have many tools here. They know what they’re doing, and have plenty of work on with Volvos from the surrounding provinces, and charge peanuts for the work.

 

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A bit of excitement yesterday, we took the 850 on the winding climb up Doi Suthep, a mountain overlooking Chiang Mai. It’s a popular Thai pilgrimage to visit the temple up there, the weather is cooler and the views are great. As we reached the top, the low water light blinked on, and it was soon apparent that it was leaking from more than just the small hole in the end tank, a hose had split near the bulkhead. No-one wanted to be involved in towing us back down for obvious reasons, so we did what we had to do. We waited about an hour for it to cool down a bit, filled it up as best we could, put it in ‘N’ and set off rolling the 15km back to town. Not great for the tranny I know, and the steering and braking took some effort, but the road down was quiet, so no biggy. To reach our Volvo man, we had to go across town, but we stopped at every filling station and checked there was still water up to the expansion tank, so we arrived without cooking it.

 

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Within 20 minutes, they had a fresh bit of hose back on and we ran it up to temperature to check it. The radiator was also leaking more than it had, so we arranged to take it back today.

 

This morning, once they started, the rad was out in 15 mins, and off down the road on a Honda Dream, wedged under a grease monkey’s bum. They said they’d rebuild it and we can collect the car at four this afternoon.

 

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Yesterday’s bill: 400B £8

Today’s quote: 550B including rebuilt rad and coolant: £11 FFS!

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I might drive there for the Sirions next service.. it'll be cheaper.

They wouldn't know what it is though. Apart from imported Mira Classics, I haven't seen any Daihatsus younger than the 20-ish year old Applauses, and Charade saloons.

 

BMW E30 rear lights :roll:

I've notices all sorts of applications, including...

 

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The most recent from last week. I remember this car used to drop kids off outside the school I worked at 2004-08.

I particularly enjoyed the perforated sills and diesel clatter. It likely has a high percentage of pick-up parts under there.

There's also a gold 144(?) saloon running around Chiang Mai, with six-stud hubs and 4x4 ride height, not yet captured for you lot.

 

@Chaceracer: Don't have me started again on Thai H+S...

 

@CT: Small world, eh? Though a fresh red TA22 does rather stand out from all the silver minibusses and white Camrys on the expressways, doesn't it?

As I said, there's all sorts hidden away if you keep your eyes peeled. Here are a few from the back streets around the in-law's place in the BKK suburbs. I pretended to get lost for 10 minutes when I went out on their Honda Wave on an errand :)

 

This was donating its engine to a similar one across the street.

 

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In the background:

 

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This Corolla looked in better nick than most of its vintage.

 

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This one is so close to working really well, but I fear it'll never make it.

 

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These next few are still here from last time we came.

 

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I think I put a picture of the front of this Crown(?) estate somewhere earlier in the tread. There were too many eye on me this time, it lives in a busy part of the village. Still good to see.

 

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But unfortunately no sign of that big gold Isuzu Bellel from our first visit. :(

However the two-tone monstrosity still exists.

 

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I just know Mrs KJ wouldn't touch this with a mucky stick, but I'd roll it all day long. (If I could see out.)

So it's Catch of the Day.

 

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A preview of next time, while we're on with knackered Volvos and back lights... :D

 

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Have you got it?

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I might drive there for the Sirions next service.. it'll be cheaper.

They wouldn't know what it is though. Apart from imported Mira Classics, I haven't seen any Daihatsus younger than the 20-ish year old Applauses, and Charade saloons.

 

Dang.

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(Edit to add stock Stanza pic from Chiang Mai)

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Well done Chaceracer, right first time. Stanza hatchback it is!

 

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All of this selection were at a place called Wat Suan Kaew. It's a temple in Bangkok, but it raises charity money by means of a huge charity shop style operation. There are truckloads of 'stuff' arriving all day, every day. It is sorted and sold on stalls, shops and warehouses around the temple. We took a carload and had a wonder around (coming away with almost as much 'stuff').

I asked the wife, she said it is the only place of its kind in the country. It was good to see, but more so was the tat in the parking area!

 

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I first thought this was a Bongo, but isn't it a Liteace or Townace? It chugged past us later as we were sitting at a roadside noodle stall.

Its neighbour shared it's glass deficiency. More sticker fun, too.

 

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We almost didn't stop for this as I have a few...

 

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...but Mrs KJ pointed out that it's a Subaru, and in the same colour as our first one. She's learning! She saw a Cortina in Chiang Mai today, too, before I spotted it!

 

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I'm still struggling to photograph subjects partly in shade, partly in bright sunlight. Any pointers?

 

Back in the car park, Catch of the Day.

 

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Rather thick dust on it, I wonder if it was driven here and dumped as a donation?

 

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Despite first appearances, it looks straight and complete. What beautiful shapes!

 

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I can only hope someone brings it back to its former glory.

 

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If I were living here full time again, I'd be making inquiries FO SHO.

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What is that?

It is indeed a 1300 or 1500. I had to ask on here when I first saw one in Chiang Mai (without badges); I though it was a Mazda off of the 60's at first!

Thanks for the flash tip, I'll try that if I can.

 

Remember this?

 

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Today's selection is the last of this year's Bangkok spots. They're all at the same shite-ridden car sales 'tent', just around the corner from the out-laws' residence.

 

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First I'll include a few I photographed last year but never got around to posting.

 

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Would this be a 323 or a Ford Laser with those lights / quarter panel window?

 

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Enjoyed the rake, anyway!

Just in front(e), also on odd wheels...

 

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The Allegro looked good value, up at about £500, cheaper than any car I've seen in Thailand.

 

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From what I could ask them, it still drove ok on its original engine, but they didn't seem interested in selling it. "Mai mee tabien" - no registration.

They were edging me towards the two Datsuns, each about £1300, and ready to go if I remember right.

 

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The Anglia estate was cheaper I think, one of the few motors I've seen that would be more in the UK!

 

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And it was the only one still there a year later:

 

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(Just noticed the axle stand to make the tyre look less flat :lol: ) Gotta be Catch of the Day.

It has now been joined by this one.

 

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98,000 B = £2k.

 

Out front, next to the weird 504...

 

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Finally on the other side, an unusually federal looking E21 (and badly judged Swede).

 

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Back up north next :)

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Why is it so common over there to stick BMW lights onto knackered Volvos and Datsuns?

 

It's not particularly common to do that, but it IS fairly common to see the wrong back lights on anything. I just take a picture where I can, so I have quite a few examples in my several thousand Thai spottings!

 

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...and these back light can be seen on all sorts!

 

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It's usually when original replacements aren't easily available, or when they're trying to update the look. (Apologies if those have been posted before.)

 

It's interesting that while your Volvo (and as you say most other cars) are far more expensive over there - the repair that you had done to the Volvo was, well, rather cheap.

Yeah, we have it good in the UK. Old cars are so cheap there because it costs so much to keep one going if you have to pay someone to work on it. People just ‘give’ them away instead, and buy something new(er).

 

I rented a moped from a place on Koh Tao about 3 years ago.

The chap didn't seem to concerned about its lack of brakes and pointed me at the 7/11.

I found a garage and got about 15 minutes of adjustment/fiddling to fix the brakes for the equivalent of 20p!

Seems about right! Locally made parts are really cheap, but fixing something costs peanuts if it’s just a bit of fettling that’s needed.

 

 

Talking of cobbling things together... have a face-full of this Catch of the Day:

 

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BAM! Welcome back to Chiang Mai!

 

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"Datsun"

 

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What a POS. At least they kept the back lights in the family (Sentra). I'm still struggling with the fronts though...(?)

Would it have started life as something related to this lovely 1200?

 

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Spotted in the street next to us.

 

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Also with the wrong back lights? Cedric?

 

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Previously found:

 

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:D

 

Right...back on track.

 

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Embrace the Thai (lack of) health and safety.

 

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43000B is just under a grand.

 

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Also really close by, opposite the karaoke bars at the end of our street:

 

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405s are probably more common here now than in the UK, but it's quite rare to see two side by side!

 

I don't think I posted this last year, it was abandoned under our apartment block then:

 

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But now it has been dragged out and left on waste ground next door:

 

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What a shame.

 

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And finally for now, this Corolla wagon can be seen from our balcony 10 floors up:

 

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I'll try to get a bit closer when I remember. Laterz tat aficionados!

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Love the pictures and the descriptions ,

Anglia Van looks ok , its still got roof gutters .

 

BIG THANKS for posting , love it :D

Id also like to add that for various reasons im unlikely to travel to such places , youve given me an incite of life there and I feel like ive almost been there on my hols .

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Thank you guys!

 

I went down with the laundry this afternoon, and took the old Lumix Leica.

This was the best I could do I'm afraid, over a fence and between the banana plants.

 

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But look! On the way back in, this came chugging past!

 

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I love old Crowns. It sounded like a diesel with one cylinder down. What a treat!

Check out the wiring on that post - our internet lines... and just above the white modern (name it), you can just see the E20 Corolla.

 

G'night!

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