Jump to content

Oriental Offerings - Reincarnated


KruJoe

Recommended Posts

Is the white modern some sort of Toyota?

Often used as a taxi over there and running on lpg?

Either that or its some sort of Honda Civic.

It ain’t no Toyota.

The ones seen everywhere in Bangkok are Corollas, or a taxi version thereof.

 

P1100513.JPG

 

Toyota ‘Limo’ is mega basic Hirst spec, thick grey vinyl, keep fit windows, rubbered floor, 13†steels…

The ‘Corollas’ are easier to re-spray in the original colour and sell on for decent coin I suppose.

 

I have these shots from a couple years ago when they were mostly the mk9 version.

 

P1100532.JPG

 

We were in this pink one and he needed to stop for CNG. (Read here)

 

P1100534.JPG

 

Taxis have the CNG filler under the bonnet, most LPG cars’ couplings are under the back bumper.

 

P1100535.JPG

 

This year, BKK taxis are mostly the latest Corolla (mk10), and all civilian spec, sadly. And some are even autos, too! No pictures of a new taxi, but they are the shape of this white one. They’re now called Corolla Altis.

 

P1220506.jpg

 

I tend not to photograph moderns (less interesting, and people think you’re scouting to steal it!) So I just went downstairs here and snapped a few. These buggers are everywhere.

 

P1220504.jpg

 

The white modern looks like the current non-EU spec Civic at the front, but it’s the rather smaller Honda City.

 

P1220503.jpg

 

It is much prettier than the previous version which was, to my eyes, ungainly from all angles and resembles a cockroach.

 

P1220505.jpg

 

I suppose that’s what happens when you try to stretch a baby saloon body over a (much prettier) Honda Jazz.

 

P1220499.jpg

 

All in proportion:

 

P1220502.jpg

 

As was the Toyota (Soluna) Vios… this is the best picture I could find… on the left. The others we’ve seen before, are previous generations called ‘Soluna’.

 

P1110639.JPG

 

(Edit to add a couple dodgy shots of Soluna Vioss)

 

P1220576.jpg

 

P1220587.jpg

 

The Soluna/Vios and City are direct competitors.

This is the current Vios, Toyota are loosing it with the styling now Honda have upped their game.

 

P1220500.jpg

 

Toyota now sells the new Yaris to compete with the Jazz. They didn’t feel SE Asia was ready for a hatchback, so there are no early Yariss here. They missed a trick because Honda hit the spot with the Jazz; it is fresh and new here, the opposite image to that in the UK!

 

(Edit to add this white we're on with small modern saloons.)

P1220578.jpg

 

Mazda 2, sold alongside the five door version, there are plenty of these about. Ford are trying to break back into the car market here with their equivalent Fiestas, but don't seem to be doing half as well as Mazda. The Fiesta saloon is particularly awkward looking, with a high, narrow rump. I'll post a picture when I spot one parked up.

 

Moar readinz:

Corolla mk9/10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Cor ... 2C_E130.29

 

Civic- Europe vs the rest of the world:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_civi ... C_FK.2C_FN

 

City:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_City

 

Toyota Soluna and Vios:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Soluna#Asia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Vios

 

Every day's a school day :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

P1220549.jpg

 

My favourite, too, that one. 130,000B = 2,800GBP and truly stunning to see.

 

Thank you folks, especially BMC Dan! :lol:

 

This is more or less the answer to all those 'If you won the lottery' threads...

Is that a Mirafiori behind the Renner?

P1220537.jpg

Fiat 131, shirley?

Wuvz is right, but not a Panorama Vin, that's the roof of the Galant behind:

 

P1220559.jpg

 

You can see the 131 beyond the rwd 323:

 

P1220560.jpg

 

Is that horrible convertible thing based on a Legacy? I'll take the racing-striped Leone instead.P1220539.jpg

 

P1220552.jpg

 

I tried to talk with the yoof watching over the cars, but he was busy with his mobile or something. I asked him if it was a real Subaru, and he made noises like it was, but I swallowed none of it. The front end looked too straight and original, and it looked like no Subaru I know. And I know ‘em well! Small pcd four stud wheels, too.

Some of the badges are off an older Subaru, but not the ‘1.6’ badge, and the other weird badge looks like one off the Chinese Daewoo Matiz clone, Chery QQ. (There are now a few about, but I’m yet to have a decent snap for you lot.)

 

P1220556.jpg

 

Looking again at the pics, I think it’s a Hyundai Scoupe, despite the styling being so gloriously bland and anonymous; the back lights gave it away I think. Then I found this dusky spot from the UK, compared the door handles etc.

 

P1200744.jpg

 

'Back o' the net!'

I wonder if it some obscure conversion kit... the back end is one piece of fiber-glass, and there's no boot opening!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I quite like the Scoopay in a way. I bet it's more of a clunge magnet in downtown Chang Mai than an RT40 would be

To be honest, I wouldn’t kick it out of bed either, improvements could be made. Clunge magnet? Erm… maybe in the evening it would be fun around town with the roof off, but you wouldn’t catch a Thai girl in it during the day; they are all too scared of getting a sun tan!

I’d bet the cream Corona would go down well in the CMUniversity district, retro is cool these days… old C70 Cubs, Vespas, Beetles, Mira Classics, I saw a beautifully restored Fiat Topolino full of students last week! Sadly no pic, I couldn’t stop, but here’s a previous Catch of the Day:

 

P1030711.jpg

 

 

What a fantastic selection of stuff there! Don't know if I could pick a favourite, maybe that Mark II Corona coupe? Great to see the early Sunny B10s.

Thanks SL!

Is there a Mark II Corona coupe? They’re Mk3 saloons aren’t they, and a mk7 under the plastic?

 

 

escort.gif

That Thai lot is an impressive collection.

The signs in the front window says 'Sale' and 'For Sale and Rent'. 6 million Baht sounds about right for the Escort!

6m Baht is £120,000 lol! The number on the sign is a mobile number. Usually when you see anything for sale, all they give you is "ขาย 08 xx xxx xxx"

 

Yes, ขาย = sale, or for sale.

à¸Âาà¸Âขาย means they are selling on behalf of the owner, as on the Escort, 131 and B310 Coupe.

 

P1220548.jpg

 

The sign on the back window of that...

 

rotdboraan.gif

 

...translates as "Antique Cars bought and sold" (in a long-winded Thai way).

 

Station, didn't you used to have some Thai in your sig, "อีเตียง" (ee-tieng) or something like that?

What was that about... or was it just my Thai laptop reading something else??

เตียง / tieng can mean "bed", อี / ee can be a slang, rude prefix meaning "Miss". For example อีà¸â€Ã Â¸Â³ / ee dam = Miss Black, an insulting name for a girl who has spent too long in the sun!

 

As promised, today in CMU:

 

P1220615.JPG

 

For badge comparison exercises:

 

P1220613.JPG

 

P1220556.jpg

 

P1220808.jpg

 

P1220614.JPG

 

I hired a 50B = £1 bicycle today (GR9 4 SPOTTIN), proper sit-up-and-beg job, also featuring here:

 

P1220702.jpg

 

Barret, re your sig, and for Wuvvum's private pleasure, today's Catch of the Day.

 

P1220706.JPG

 

Number plates say it lives in the ever-so-remote MaeHongSon Province.

I'm still struggling to place the back lights... a little help on this one..?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I noticed that signature in Station's bottom bits too. My colleague told me it meant either crap bed, or, as you say, a girl who works in the fields. I also had a very vivid dream last night where I bought that Renault 20 and drove it to Cambodia for use as our site vehicle. I also like seeing where cars come from by their reg plates. When you spend a load of time on the road, it becomes a good game to pass the time - spotting the remotest possible place, or extra points for spotting a car from the furthest place from where you spotted it. MaeHongSon will be a bloody fascinating place - definitely intend to get myself deep into that province at some point.

 

I'll be in BKK at the end of Jan - if you're there, we'll have to meet up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also like seeing where cars come from by their reg plates. When you spend a load of time on the road, it becomes a good game to pass the time - spotting the remotest possible place, or extra points for spotting a car from the furthest place from where you spotted it.
When we were in the deep south, we must have been worth a few points - I saw nothing from further away than BKK, best part of 100km north, our car is from ChMai, another 750km upcountry.

Lol'd at your R20 dream, too! I have a few weird ones too, but struggle to remember them.

 

I'll be in BKK at the end of Jan - if you're there, we'll have to meet up.

We don't spent more time in the capital than we can avoid; we don't find it very pleasant. We've done the family thing for this winter, so we won't be back there until November at the earliest :( We even avoid flying from there by taking AirAsia Chiang Mai to Kuala Lumpur, then straight back to Stanstead.

 

 

Re: the badge:

 

P1220613.JPG

 

P1220556.jpg

 

Also spotted this sticker

 

P1220808.jpg

 

Looks more like it.

And in the background:

 

P1220809.jpg

 

Several angles for your ridicule / delectation.

 

P1220812.jpg

 

I think it's shit.

 

P1220811.jpg

 

My wife quite fancies a Mazda 2 hatchback in the bright metallic green they advertise.

Apologies for the thru-screen photography.

 

P1220573.jpg

 

Mustard mitt, they do look good in the sunshine. I know she'd settle for a Datsun 120Y resprayed in that colour :D

There's hope for her yet.

 

Shocking upload issues, but we can manage a few...

 

P1220579.jpg

 

And beyond...

 

P1220580.jpg

 

A few more combo spots:

 

P1220583.jpg

Lancer, 405

 

P1220591.jpg

Shoddy Mira and 626

 

P1220593.jpg

Stanza and 'Catalytic Champ' (Lancer)

 

P1220565.jpg

 

That's an imported Prelude with Corolla back lights, and cute Charade.

 

P1220563.jpg

 

You don't need me for these...

P1220108.jpg

 

And finally, in front of the Isuzu Pick Up...

P1220721.jpg

 

Catch of the Day is a mega obscure model... Daihatsu???

Outside a centre-of-the-old-town recycling centre :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right, back on the road this morning, to the historical ruined city of Sukothai, in the north of the central plains.

 

P1220821.jpg

 

The pigeons had got to the freshly cleaned car before we did.

 

P1220822.jpg

 

We were surprised to see a few of these over-loaded sugar cane lorries heading south towards the new factory in Sukothai to process the stuff. Cane seems a more popular crop now than it ever was in these lowland parts of the North. Anything to do with you, CT?

Thailand is increasingly addicted to sugar (it goes into everything), as well as cheap rum (SangSom etc), and they're also using more bio-ethanol in cars.

 

P1220824.jpg

 

P1220823.jpg

 

P1220826.jpg

 

P1220842.jpg

 

There are loads of these around the town, with all sorts of small motorbike engines.

 

P1220853.jpg

 

Every few provinces they seem to have different kinds of tuk-tuks, taxi trucks, and rural jalopies, probably all locally built.

 

 

P1220863.jpg

 

This must be my favourite shape of Crown. If only I'd found one for sale when we were looking, I'd have worked so hard to persuade Mrs KJ that's just what we needed to tour the country! Class in a glass.

 

But check this out!

 

P1220844.jpg

 

Spotted as we arrived in town...

 

P1220851.jpg

 

Both are driven daily!

 

P1220845.jpg

 

I spoke to the owner, a normal looking middle-aged chap with a bit of cash and a fondness for tat.

 

P1220846.jpg

 

It's a Chevrolet of some sort (?), but now runs a 1JZ 6cyl Toyota lump!

 

P1220848.jpg

 

Catch of the Day FO SHO!

 

P1220850.jpg

 

He said he intended to have it painted, but never got around to it...

 

P1220849.jpg

 

I told him straight not to bother.

 

P1220847.jpg

 

He said words to the effect of "Yes, it's good and natural!"

 

What a hero!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup, Sukothai is a TCC group factory - relocated from Uttaradit (which was the factory I visited when I drove down from China many years ago) and expanded with a good bit of co-gen for good measure. I'm doing some work with TCC for their Laos plantation. I expect that lorry driver will be docked at the weighbridge for all those leaves and trash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...