Jump to content

One Shite in Bangkok - '89 Corolla.


Guest Conan

Recommended Posts

Guest Conan

I wouldn't mind them at all!

 

A bit of fact to go along with them too perhaps? Prince Motors is one of the first few company to open up a car assembly plant in Thailand. Prince Skyline such as depicted would've likely already been assembled from a CKD kit locally since 1965. But of course being a Japanese tin box most have already disappeared probably due to rot. They then merged with Nissan which also had one of the early assembly plant. Weirdly, the list price of Nissan and Prince model remain separated even after they merged for a while.

 

The next generation C10 model is much more popular and survived better, obviously due to being the base of the first GT-R. So while they started life as a 1500cc model favoured by many cabbies, nowadays it's been scene tax-ed way out of the proportion like Fast Ford in the UK.

 

I also spotted a Corolla in the background! Very popular model when new.  :D

 

Want even more info? From the sign on the background, that appears to be Surawong road near Silom. It's also a road I occasionally use to commute to my university!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Guest Conan

Wow that does look new again. Cheap wax and free elbow grease.

 

Technically it's £1 rags, £2 wax, £3.5 rain repellent, £5 tyres and vinyl treatment and £550 DSLR camera that can make even the choddiest of chod looks great. But all of these stuff aren't one time thing.  :P

 

And the rain appears to be coming pretty much immediately because of course it is. Eh, better than spending £11 to have it professionally done and then that happen.

 

post-26170-0-67042800-1532599022_thumb.jpg

 

By the way, this is what I've used. Not bad I'd say.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the sign on the background, that appears to be Surawong road near Silom.

 

Yes! The sister-in-law of a friend of my Dad had a shop on Surawong Rd and I was a frequent visitor there during my stay.

 

I got a question about buses; they wear the Mercedes three-pointer but are they in fact Isuzu?

 

post-20685-0-55582100-1532625997_thumb.jpg

 

Guess what I looked like at the end of that particular day? Yeah, a white man covered in talcum powder  :-D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Conan

Yes! The sister-in-law of a friend of my Dad had a shop on Surawong Rd and I was a frequent visitor there during my stay.

 

I got a question about buses; they wear the Mercedes three-pointer but are they in fact Isuzu?

 

attachicon.gif8565770398_dba1b4572a_o.jpg

 

Guess what I looked like at the end of that particular day? Yeah, a white man covered in talcum powder  :-D

 

I see your visit was during April! (Songkran/ Thai New Year).

 

These buses were probably locally assembled using various chassis mated to various engines. But I don't think these would've had Mercedes engine. (The one in picture probably had Isuzu 6BB engine with Isuzu chassis, as you've stated). We do have Mercedes buses but not those little green buses. They were notorious for being driven way too fast for any sort of public transport (including concorde) had any rights to. They've since been replaced (in 2010 I think) by slightly larger orange buses, again, locally assembled using various type of chassis and engine.

 

No different from people putting Lexus badge on a Toyota.  :D

 

I can say with full confidence that Surawong Rd. of today is very different from 30 years ago!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Conan

On today's oriental setting.

 

post-26170-0-19364500-1533467214_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-06151600-1533467222_thumb.jpg

Not pictured: My car being absolutely out of place.

 

post-26170-0-90334300-1533467262_thumb.jpg

 

This was spotted on the way home. Very cool. Gave a nod to it's driver.

 

Then I visited my mechanic on the way home to confirmed that rear my shock absorber has given me extra rust protection. Expletives were had. Tomorrow I'll be picking up standard wheel nuts from the previous owner and on the way back probably will be looking to buy replacement rear shock absorbers. Hooray.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Conan

It's my birthday today, yaaay.

 

post-26170-0-05936500-1533638875_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-52227600-1533638885_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-12324200-1533638912_thumb.jpg

That is one compact shock absorber.

post-26170-0-29709700-1533638920_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-72327300-1533638937_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-20259200-1533638965_thumb.jpg

 

Both rear shock absorbers are fucked. Nice new unit goes on. With associate parts, they're £130. More expensive than some of your's entire car.

 

But the car drives properly now so I very much think it's worth it.  :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Since my Corolla is very much stuck in 1989. I might as well go full 80's awful accessory.

 

post-26170-0-43083700-1536914110_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-33480400-1536914117_thumb.jpg

Bonus point for those who know what this reference to.

 

I'm still not quite sure where this orange boi will actually live. Details on stuff like this is key and thus I'll need to experiment with position a bit.

 

(I'm not quite ready for furry dice yet.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good choice on the shocks.

 

I put KYB Exel-G's on my last Eunos, I found them to perform very nicely and they lasted well too.

 

Excel-G I think is OEM replacement so I sure hope they last well and perform exactly as a new car should. I think they perform excellently but that's probably also had something to do with virtually not having any absorbing at the back beforehand.

 

you need an odie for the other window :D

 

มันยังคงพฤศจิกายน?

 

Come to think of it. If I put Odie on the other window he'll just drop off every time I take my eyes off them.

 

If you actually arrived on Sat 10th then definitely yes a meetup is imminent. I might even be able to pick you up from the airport if you haven't arranged the hire car or bike from the airport since taxi system sucks.

 

Where would Nermal go? In the boot?

 

The boot is for Jon, I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you actually arrived on Sat 10th then definitely yes a meetup is imminent. I might even be able to pick you up from the airport if you haven't arranged the hire car or bike from the airport since taxi system sucks.

 

 

Land bkk 1745 sat 10th

 

Welcome to have tea/beer at vismaya lat krabang

 

Hire car will spoken to later today

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Land bkk 1745 sat 10th

 

Welcome to have tea/beer at vismaya lat krabang

 

Hire car will spoken to later today

 

No beer! Can get nicked!

 

See you then.  :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Prime shite spotted. Don't see too many of these anymore.

 

post-26170-0-05446700-1540379443_thumb.jpg

 

In the other news, after letting my Corolla sit still for 4 days in pretty much constant rain, I come back and start using it and found out I lost 2nd gear for 50% of the time. Weird. I knew shifting into 2nd gear is take much more effort than the other gears anyway due to poor synchro (I think). But now I cannot fish into it at all sometime. Weirdly enough, when I either skip into 3rd the shift would feel slightly clacky, not grinding, a clack. Almost as if the clutch isn't depressed entirely. So I bled the clutch and now the shifting is smooth like I've never seen before.

 

Car maintenance, who knew it's essential to good mechanical operation!  :shock:

 

Also in 2 weeks time it'll mark the time I've owned this car for 5 months. I've only done 4,000km though even though I am driving the thing everyday. (My parking permit only allowed me to use the EE90). Amazingly low considering the previous owner put 20,000km on it in the same period! Low mileage, good* investment*.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Prime shite spotted. Don't see too many of these anymore.

 

attachicon.gif44842609_2116916568340503_762144111338717184_n.jpg

 

In the other news, after letting my Corolla sit still for 4 days in pretty much constant rain, I come back and start using it and found out I lost 2nd gear for 50% of the time. Weird. I knew shifting into 2nd gear is take much more effort than the other gears anyway due to poor synchro (I think). But now I cannot fish into it at all sometime. Weirdly enough, when I either skip into 3rd the shift would feel slightly clacky, not grinding, a clack. Almost as if the clutch isn't depressed entirely. So I bled the clutch and now the shifting is smooth like I've never seen before.

 

Car maintenance, who knew it's essential to good mechanical operation!  :shock:

 

Also in 2 weeks time it'll mark the time I've owned this car for 5 months. I've only done 4,000km though even though I am driving the thing everyday. (My parking permit only allowed me to use the EE90). Amazingly low considering the previous owner put 20,000km on it in the same period! Low mileage, good* investment*.

Does Joe know about that bx :D

 

And it's 2 weeks to go

 

*Eats thai translation book

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Ah Haaa... I see your Corolla exhaust 'subliminally' caused me to seek something similar...

 

 

 

;)

 

Stock appearance!  :D  My car used to have a fart can though and that was awful.

 

Does Joe know about that bx :D

 

And it's 2 weeks to go

 

*Eats thai translation book

 

I don't think so considering he usually is 1,000km away.  :lol:

 

Two weeks? Imagine the day before you arrive!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today on sketchy stuff.

 

Went and visit this little guy today. My mate's Peugeot 404.

 

post-26170-0-10326800-1540985312_thumb.jpg

 

Sadly, it's hasn't been able to start for a few weeks now despite spending shitload of cash recommissioning it back on the road. It hasn't even been taxed yet and is already back to a non-starter status. The owner suspect the stuck carb float to be the issue because fiddling with it manage to get it back running for a few seconds. Carb seals have been done but that's about it so definitely some issue.

 

post-26170-0-95767100-1540985500_thumb.jpg

 

So the course of action to take obviously is to tow it to the people who know what they're doing. But that's 6km away. What to do?

 

post-26170-0-62394100-1540985861_thumb.jpg

 

Flat towing the bastard with nothing but a rope, of course. It worked though, it was only 6km away.

 

post-26170-0-94757400-1540985966_thumb.jpg

 

The shop has some cool shite in it too.

 

post-26170-0-83850800-1540985983_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-32736000-1540985991_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-00878700-1540986014_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-57894200-1540986020_thumb.jpg

 

Definitely the right place to take a broken down Peugeot 404 to! 

 

The Korean GM thing doesn't drive too badly either. It is quite shite but did a good job towing.  :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In preparation for the imminent visit of a certain hairnet. I've put the Corolla through our MOT.

 

post-26170-0-66143500-1541563883_thumb.jpg

 

Have I mentioned that it's the toughest yearly inspection in the entire world? They checked if I got brakes. Much nerve wracking. I mean I totally wouldn't be able to know that the car doesn't stop on the constant 15km of traffic jam to the centre, right?

 

They didn't check anything else.

 

This thing that turned up after I was done was cool though.

 

post-26170-0-57307200-1541564096_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-39703000-1541564110_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

post-26170-0-92222900-1544417673_thumb.jpg

 

D'awwwww what a cute little itty bitty smol stopping power. I'm sure you'd be enough for perhaps 75 horsepower this car would've had new!

 

post-26170-0-68555300-1544417874_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-21958900-1544418032_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-26057100-1544418046_thumb.jpg

post-26170-0-12811000-1544418063_thumb.jpg

 

Much better.  :D

 

I went from 243mm solid disc brakes to 275mm vented disc. They're actually from modern Toyota Wish people carrier. A few modifications were needed to make it work but work it does. I'll have to bed it in first but even so on the drive home it's quite amazing already. I don't think stopping distance will improve much because the tyres are limitation. But pedal control is much improved and fade is eliminated.

 

Why the hell did previous owner never done this I'll never know. 165 horsepower and piddly brakes for damn nearly 9 years.

 

post-26170-0-25953800-1544418082_thumb.jpg

 

And the best thing is that no one will ever notice it either.  :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

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...