Oriental Offerings - Reincarnated

[KruJoe]

.... did she ever ask you to turn her over?

I see what you did there Savvy...

No. No she didn't, thank you very much!

 

 

Spottings are mainly what this is about. First up, a crew-cab SsangYong, I think it's basically a Rodius.

 

 

Chinese copy of an Aygo?

 

 

Chinese copy of a RAV-4?

 

 

In "Communist" Laos, this is the only Russian car I've seen. But a great joy it was.

 

 

More later, I hope.

[KruJoe]

 

A few more from Vientiane. These are screengrabs from my £50 dashcam.

 

 

That's the front of a fake 107/C1. Chinese versions of familiar motors often seem to look really dopey compared to our ones.

 

 

An truck.

 

 

An bus.

 

 

An car.

 

Generally the mix of road furniture in Laos seems to be similar to Thailand (pick-up heavy, especially Toyotas, with various saloons, hatchbacks and 4x4's, mostly Japanese brands). Laos adds in a whole heap of modern Korean tat, and a variety of cheap/dopey-looking Chinese nonsense.

More to come.

 

[RobT]

Good to see you back in the shite game JC!

 

Keep the spots coming.

[Bucketeer]

Back in the game

YESSSS!!11!1!

Great to have you posting again Joe.

 

All Laos pictures are greatly received. It's right up there at the top of my 'places I want to visit' list.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Good to see your spots again. Sorry about the wifey stuff but it's probably not a bad thing long term

 

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[KruJoe]

Thank you for the encouragement, gentlefolk of Autoshite. I've missed you!

Onwards...

 

I've posted a couple of these before from Chiang Mai... Chery QQ.

 

 

It's a Matiz copy with a cheery face (unusual for Chinese tat.)

 

I think this is a Chery also... an A1?

 

 

I've only ever spotted one in the wild before, that was in Adelaide about five years ago, though I did stumble across one for sale online in Chiang Mai last month.

 

These Hyundai things are EVERYWHERE in Vientiane:

 

 

The twin rear wheels looked really tiny to me, so I had a closer look... they're 12"! 

The tyres look exactly the same as fitted to the local tuk-tuk taxi things!

 

A car park.

 

 

Another Aygo copy, one of these Hyundai MPV things (also seen EVERYWHERE, I spotted one on Laos plates over the river in Thailand a few years ago)

...and an ESTIMA!

 

 

I had to have a closer look at this one... it's LHD, and manual.

I previously presumed that all narrow-bodied ones like this (and my Pleasure Wagon) were all RHD, either JDM as the ones we have in the UK, or sold officially in RHD markets such as Oz.

Europe and USA were sold the wide-bodied version (Previa) officially.

 

 

I do miss mine, it's been dormant for a year. Once I'm back in Yorkshire this year, it's resurrection is a priority.

I've seen five or six of them over three days in Laos, quite a high density for anywhere, I reckon. I believe they're still common in New Zealand, right?

 

 

Finally for today, this Mk1 transit was quite a surprise, too...

 

 

...especially with a side door like that.

[Asimo]

" I've seen five or six of them over three days in Laos, quite a high density for anywhere, I reckon."

 

Most of the world's stock of Previas seems to be in Golders Green!

[KruJoe]

A few more from the dashcam around Vientiane...

 

 

Yes, that's an Uno! Quite a surprise. I've seen a few old povvo Puntos in Thailand, but no other modern Fiats.

 

 

 

 

I nearly missed this one...

 

 

It looks like a three-wheeler cobbled together from bits of a bike or two.

 

 

What a pair of winners!

[vulgalour]

Hi, Joe!

 

Belated welcome back, only just caught your fabulous motoring updates here.

 

What's Will up to these days?  I can't even remember which country he was in last.

[KruJoe]

Cheers!

Will is here:

 

 

He sent us an update just this morning, he's working on a farm, back in NZ again. He hasn't abandoned Autoshite; he recently did a deal on this, nursed it through its WOF, and has been pottering about, exploring and camping.

 

 

It's a mk 1 Honda City (Jazz to us).

[RobT]

Good to see Will is still shiteing. The Honda Jizz looks gr9.

[Eddie Honda]

"Honda, Honda, Honda, Honda"

[Guest Conan]

[vulgalour]

Better stick that picture of the Honda in the woods in the Calendar thread.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

" I've seen five or six of them over three days in Laos, quite a high density for anywhere, I reckon."

 

Most of the world's stock of Previas seems to be in Golders Green!

And the owners all seem to shop in the Tesco's by Staples Corner, I counted 7 of them one day last week , not a straight panel between them. Still quite a few Volvo 7/940's in service by the same communities too.

[KruJoe]

Today I found some pics of our Will_Cleland's in my WhatsApp file, so as he never posts these days...

 

 

As he found it.

 

 

On a fuel station forecourt. 

 

 

He also found this poor Justy at a scrappers, sadly beyond a save because of extensive electrical horrors.

 

 

It donated some seat-belts though, to help the Honda through the WOF.

 

 

What's he doing in NZ?

Mostly enjoying sheep...

 

 

...and horticulture.

 

 

Just now he's been on about this...

 

 

It looks just like Helga!

 

 

He says...

 

Look what I found yesterday! On the mountain above the farm. Very original and the engine is in a remarkably good condition, been parked for a long long time though. Even has its original starting handle, and turns over easily with it. Might take a Jerry can and a battery up there....

 

 

Living the dream, right there!

[Jon]

Hey Joe, just caught up on this thread, too. Think I need to get a dash cam to help catch a few more spots but then I'd need to update my thread, which is still on my to do list.

 

I'd wondered where Will had got to  - but I had no idea he'd be so local! Whereabouts is he, in NZ? A shiter's meet could well be on the cards, if he happens to be in the north island. He could even take a gander at the 205 GTI dash bits I bought off him in 2013, although currently the 205 is being loaned out to my cousin, about 3 hours away from me.

 

And yes, Estimas and Previas are still quite common here but noticeably much less so than a decade or so ago. That's to be expected, I suppose!

 

EDIT: I think I have a vague idea where he is, after photo sleuthing. Looks like he's currently a lot closer to my 205 than I am! Tell him that if he sees a very scruffy 205 GTI driving around Bell Block, it's got bits on it I bought off him!

 

[KruJoe]

Hi Jon, good to hear from you! And pleased to hear your 205 soldiers on.

(My NZ geography knowledge is pants (I've not been yet) *opens google maps*)

 

Will has recently had a busy couple of weeks with our half-brother Sam and his family in Wanganui (south of N Island), which is just* down the road from you in Bell Block, New Plymouth, but he's back on the farm now, I think he's near Nelson, which is just* over the water on the north of S Island.

Don't quote me!

I've asked him to send me his location, but he's probably busy doing something useful outside now.

We need him back here on AS!

[KruJoe]

Update... not far from Nelson:

 

[Jon]

Ah! Yeah, that's a bit far from me! I'm in central north island but the venerable Pug is in New Plymouth, with my cousin. A bit of sleuthing revealed that the swift which generously gave its seat belts in aid of the Jazz/City was also in New Plymouth, just at the other end of town.

 

That's a very scenic part of NZ that he's in right now and one that I'd like to explore much more than I have to date (as in, stay longer than 24 hours!). The south island is the much prettier place to be but if he ever is in the dirty old north island again and ventures up to the Waikato, tell him to get in touch!

[explosive-cabbage]

Sorry I missed you Jon! I was doing an internship at Roebuck Farm just outside Omata for 3 months, hence sheep and Tomato Plants! I saw a black 205 GTi on the 14th Feb coming down the hill at Pukerua Bay, late morning, and thought of you. I should have been in touch!

[explosive-cabbage]

I've seen a few 205s in NZ, but only one GTi!

[Jon]

With NZ being a small market, they cherry pick cars from the range that they think they can sell. Hence the only 3 door 205 sold here new was the GTI, whereas all other cooking models are 5 doors and usually 1.4s. Same goes for AXs, Clios and Saxos. All sold is small numbers, anyway but there were plenty of Japanese imports, of which our 205 is one.

 

 

Anyway, fancy a Visa GTi?! If you can sort the head work, you can have it!

 

 

I REALLY need the garage space back!

[KruJoe]

Wow!

That's an offer, Will! Get on it.

[explosive-cabbage]

I would love to, thanks, but I'm leaving the country in a couple months, and have no tools. If I'm coming back I'll get in touch. Isn't Phil form the forum living somewhere up near Auckland too?

 

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[explosive-cabbage]

If I was staying in the country I would bite your hand off!

 

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[Jon]

Phil's left NZ but I think he has plans to come back some time in the future. 

 

Keep us posted on progress with the Niva!