Thai Car Hunter

27/12/2021

Wonderful Fiats, 2 of 2

I've not been sharing anything here for a while. That is because of three factors:
1. The exchange rate has been unfavourable
2. It has been near impossible to travel to view cars
3. Freight rates have been astronomical......

Right now, travel to view is back on! But watch out for Omicron........ And the exchange rate is back in favourable territory! Remaining as a BIG issue are freight rates by container, with little sign of any easing. But freight rates by RoRo - drive on, drive off international ferries used mainly for the shipping of new cars - have gone the other way, for obvious reasons.

If you have a hearts desire car that you would like us to find, those issues shouldn't dissuade you. Better a fully sorted and beautiful car of high price, so that the freight rates are the smallest percentage of the cost, though.

Here's a couple of intersting cars that ought to make it on and off a RoRo to tempt you. Second a taxed and running Fiat 1800B Farina................ These are rare and desirable in Europe - becuase the tin worm got them all! The big Farinas came with a six cylinder engine, even at 1800. This one looks to be virtually complete and unmolested, albeit challenged in the paint department! The only missing item I can see is the lower corner trims at the front. There should be enough back up from Italy to replace those along with anything else too fragile to re-plate. On offer on social media @99,000THB, about £2,300GPP. Clearly a full restoration, but prices would suggest that that is worth doing. We could even do it here, before shipping, and to a top European or better standard.

Want us to have a look?

27/12/2021

Wonderful Fiats, 1 of 2

I've not been sharing anything here for a while. That is because of three factors:
1. The exchange rate has been unfavourable
2. It has been near impossible to travel to view cars
3. Freight rates have been astronomical......

Right now, travel to view is back on! But watch out for Omicron........ And the exchange rate is back in favourable territory! Remaining as a BIG issue are freight rates by container, with little sign of any easing. But freight rates by RoRo - drive on, drive off international ferries used mainly for the shipping of new cars - have gone the other way, for obvious reasons.

If you have a hearts desire car that you would like us to find, those issues shouldn't dissuade you. Better a fully sorted and beautiful car of high price, so that the freight rates are the smallest percentage of the cost, though.

Here's a couple of intersting cars that ought to make it on and off a RoRo to tempt you. First a rather nice Fiat 125S................ On offer on social media @75,000THB, about £2,000GPP. The pictures suggest condition somewhere between smart daily driver and concours........

Want us to have a look?

05/09/2019

Oh my. It's a Cortina. It appears to be a 1600E. Advertised at 120,000THB and clearly in current taxed and driving order. No other details at present. Anyone seriously interested?

21/08/2019

A traffic jam in Bangkok...... See if you can guess the age of the photo from the cars - and highlight any you like! I'm quite taken with the Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser.......... And I reckon the best clue on age is from that VW 1600 fastback.........

(The Es**rt has probably already been exported to the UK............ But the rest are either crashed or lurking around somewhere.......)

16/08/2019

While we're on the subject of overpriced cars.......... 250,000THB might be OK for this Mk1 Capri - if it had original running gear. Which it clearly doesn't. I see a late 80's to late 90's Toyota 16 valve under that bonnet. If anyone is seriously interested, I'll find out what it actually is, it could be considered an upgrade......... At least this car seems to have escaped Thai "improvements" to styling and interior......

15/08/2019

I wonder if anyone has any idea just how rare these are anywhere...............

Huge price tag at 650,000THB (I dare you to look that up.........), but no doubt negotiable......

15/07/2019

If anyone was in any doubt as to the remarkable variety of cars to be found in Thailand, the interest comes from the very top.

This is a long watch, but worth the time. Prince Chula and Prince Birabongse's "White Mouse" racing team, which featured the most famous of the ERA's - Romulous and Remus.

Today is the 105th anniversary of Bira's birth in 1914.

Footage here also of King Rama 8 and Bhumibol, King Rama 9. The current King, Rama 10, follows in the tradition, albeit more discreetly. No surprise that the Thai elite have copied their King's enthusiasm over many generations.

🙏🙏🙏

Documentary about the former racer and sportsman Prince Birabongse of Thailand (B.Bira of Siam).

29/04/2019

Polly the Polonez has left the country!

Given time, I can usually find most things in Thailand. Ben wanted a rust free FSO Polonez. It took a year to find one. I only know of three others in the country. And this one has original engine and running gear.

First we inspected it for him and provided reports and a huge batch of photos. Then we bought it for him. The collection caper was fairly straightforward.......... But it definitely didn't want to go to the UK...........

A full service was to be expected, the broken spark plugs weren't. But then, at the crucial moment, it ate it's starter motor. Not many spares in Thailand.......... So we got it rewound and the throw out mechanism reconstructed including copper weld build up on the main relay contacts. All done locally in the day.

Then it successfully made the trip to the port at LaemChabang via de-registration in southern Bangkok. Now it's on board Altair Leader, a RoRo vessel en route to Germany and the UK, landing at Southampton on 15th June.

I do hope Ben likes it...........

28/12/2018

Listed yesterday and possibly already sold. But rare and interesting enough to see if anyone here is interested. There was, of course, a rotary version of these little coupes and that's what I'd expect people to be interested in it for. This one has a 1500 pushrod Toyota 5K engine, but that really isn't the point. There's a rotary specialist in Bangkok, so very possible to have the car converted before shipping. Listed at 160,000THB, which is expensive for the age and size, but perhaps not for the potential.

25/12/2018

As Christmas is a time of Fantasy and Presents, this is our Present to all of you............. For sale in Bangkok with discussions opening at 5.9 million Thai Baht. The owner describes it as a genuine UK supplied Alpina B2S. Now fully refurbished with additional upgrades from the BMW and Alpina catalogues.