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Wishing all Auto Lanka members a very Happy New Year 2025! Let’s hope 2025 will be an even better year for car enthusiasts and bring lots of good things along! I’m planning to add many new features to AL this year and will update you all soon. A big thanks to our Top Contributors, Senior Members, Moderators, and all Members for their valuable contributions and for keeping the forum alive and vibrant throughout the year. A special shout-out to @iRage,@matroska and @Gummybr who hold the top positions in the 2024 forum rankings! Your valuable advice and great content are truly assets to Autolanka Forums. Also special thanks go to @Hyaenidae and the rest of the active members for their valuable help in combating the ever-increasing spammers! Once again, wishing you all a fantastic New Year filled with joy, success, and exciting car adventures! Let’s make 2025 a memorable year for the Auto Lanka community. Stay safe, stay passionate and see you on the forums! Cheers, -Madz-

So I’ve done it again… Remember them reliable shitbox needed threads looking for every vans and shiiz? Well those won’t be necessary anymore. This is my idea of a daily as it turns out! It’s a 1988 Mitsubishi Delica (L300) P25V 4x4 4d56 Turbo A giant “bull bar” Ice cold D/AC 3WL and Bike threatening height and face. Ideal daily for Kandy. Pictures don’t seem to be uploading. Will write longer in the morning. Show some love jdm peops 😊

Bl**dy h*** ! DON"T ! Get it off your mind ! Just don't !!

First and foremost,...an actual Carina GT with a 4AGE black top and C160 6-speed manual transmission is a VERY VERY rare specification. Especially in Sri Lanka. Most of the facelifted GTs sold in Japan were automatic. So...why do you have to convert it to an Automatic? You will essentially be killing off its value and most enthusiasts would consider it sacrilegious. The automatic transmission actually lowers the 4A-GE's performance, as the old-school automatic transmissions were not that good. The 4A-GE engine and 6 MT gearbox themselves go for really high prices as parts. It is that rare. The conversion is NOT going to be cheap either I suggest you sell it and buy an automatic Carina (a 1500cc or even 1800cc petrol My Road or something). If you must convert it...you will have to get the transmission, torques converter and stuff. Not sure about the Carina but you might need a new ECU as well. If you want to do a proper job you will also have to get a different brake pedal (plus cover up the firewall), a meter cluster from an AT car, plus the trim bits where the gear lever goes (I don't think you need to change the panels themselves but the surrounding garnish and shift indicator panels and stuff need to be installed. Again...I would say sell the manual buy an automatic Carina.

So I got a courtesy call from the agent’s customer relations manager today after my online feedback to their survey from the last job. She was all “oh sir I hope your car is working well now after the job”. I mean if there’s a way to make a situ worse, she checked the boxes. So I had to politely say no after which she gaslit me by asking why I didn’t bring the vehicle back to them immediately. Yup, told her I didn’t want to hear more of the, “it’s normal with these new cars. Long live the old!” that I experienced even after taking it on a test ride. She was like, “oh ok sir we look forward to welcoming you again for your next service!”. I’m lost for words.

Guys, I was able to purchase the car. Unsurprisingly there's a lot of work to do, but that's fine. I've sorted out the suspension issues, I'm now working on engine issues. Need to get a tuneup done and to check all the sensors, etc. it seems some of the pulleys are misaligned and belts are frayed, so I want to sort that out asap Can someone recommend me a good place to do a tuneup and also some of the engine work needed (e110, 5a engine) - I basically need a place with technical knowledge and patience to do a reasonable job. I'll separately post a thread on the learnings and resources so it can help anyone (hopefully) Edit: I also need to check on the gearbox. At the least, a fluid change and service perhaps? It seems it doesn't downshift easily, but this could be a perception on my part (engine performance etc) which may be OK after a tune-up

Not even that i have seen few advertisements in FB market place with below market prices. However when inquired i get the feeling that they are not genuine sales. I believe there is a racket to bring the current market prices down by a certain segment. In a country where majority do not pay or underpay their taxes there is no way the government can afford to reduce taxes on spending. This is the only way we can recover taxes. Only victims in this process is very few people who actually pay taxes majority being middle class salaried who end up paying taxes up to 36% on their salary and when they save that get taxed too. If ever there is to be justice they should not allow anyone to bring down a vehicle who has not paid their taxes for the last five years. Better still may be imposed a license system based on taxes paid.

Known car models with wet timing belts that are popular in Sri Lanka: Peugeot 3008 1.2L Honda Civic 10th gen 1.0L Ford Ecosport 1.0L

Lots to update, but here for a photo-dump. I think the wheels were a good choice. Also Im amazed at how much of a difference de-ricing made it. The Maruko horn was giving issues and one never worked. Looking into fixing it. A Fiamm horn from a new Peugeot 3008 that was for my 508 is temporarily commisioned. Like I said, lots were done including turbo, shock absorbers and such. it almost flies now. Location- Kaudulla Lake/Tank close to Habarana.

My neighbor’s cat happens to sleep on the roof of my car. Paw prints everywhere and an occasional pee stain, however it looks like it has made friends with the rat; they’re bunk buddies! Either that or the rat chased the cat away!

So bought a few more items. Closing in on the missing trim and accessories not fitted to my van. The ladder and roof-rack will be leaving the scene shortly. The rear AC controller was missing along with the storage bins for the rear upholstery. They have been replaced again. Made a whole lot nicer. Also bought a velvet carpet for the side door sill. Very cozy feeling. Got those missing door-card trims (see door edge) Rear AC unit in. few more bits. Door railing in chrome. Climbed the Sandagiri Seya stupa up in Hanthana. The road from the entrance to the top was super narrow, Twisty and nerve racking. And it was almost a 90 degree incline. But the Deli did not break a sweat. No videos sadly. And then did a hanthana-galaha-delthota-peradeniya-kadugannawa run in an absolute beauty of a scenic route. making memories is the way to go!

Citroen CX?

Take pics of the Bore, Pistons, old rings and the big end bearings. Get them to inspect the head (Visual or via testing gear) By meaning overhaul - clarify with them which path they intend to take 1. Replace rings, refit (No pitting on pistons, perfect Bore) - This is the shortest path one could take 2. Replace Rings Pistons Refit (Perfect Bore) 3. Replace Rings, Re Sleeve Refit Standard ( Scored bore) 4. Replace Rings Re-Bore, Big Pistons Refit (+1 size) ( What I would do) in Addition to these check - Big end + other Bearings, Valves, Valve Guides, Timing gear Another notorious thing on these engines are the engine mounts. Replace whatever you can Since you love the car and want to do a thorough job( which I immensely respect) I suggest you go full 360 on the engine repair. Get them to inspect the Water Pump, Oil Pump, Replace all seals (Probably included in the overhaul kit that they use) +New Coolant, new plugs, if finances permit CVT oil as well. Get the radiator and starter motor serviced as well. Check / replace alternator bearings, AC Compressor bearings if needed. Lastly don't rely entirely on the garage people. They too can cut corners any moment, Since you are doing a proper rebuild, replace whatever possible. Give up on the 136,000 km mileage figure, unless someone abused the car badly there is no way that an engine overhaul would be needed at that mileage. There are cars nearing 400,000km and still not burning oil (15w40) So expect the worst replace everything that you can afford to. Mileage is just a figure if you take care of the car.

What's with the Axio Influencers flooding the forums? Or is it one person? Awww...did someone buy an Axio and is so excited that they're creating multiple profiles just to say how awesome the Axio is?

Went to see the Historic Balana Fort in Kadugannawa. I’ve been thinking about someday restore it to its original glory. So I set about looking for a chassis number decoder. Also special thank you to @iRage who helped me identify and point out the correct information. The first few decoders said this was a DX-DT and it did look like it - But a few others said it was a GL. Turns out it is a GL. And it came in this blue. Which I forgot and will update soon. 6th van is what mine was. After much research this is what the van looked like when it was imported in 1993. Minus the wheels and suncap bits. Yes the lights were quad squared and later fitted with the projector lens from the facelift. I might go back to the quad lamps. So this is what I plan to do. Restore it back to 100% what it came out of Japan. What you guys think? I’m actually digging the color scheme!

Your second guess would be correct. Mazda Capella / 626 it is. Quoting Count Blockula from Vavulwatte it would have been "malli suck ekak dennada?" (And its not a bad thing)

Honda really pulled a sneaky there didn't they? Rather than equipping the car with actual TPMS hardware they came up with a software workaround using existing wheel speed sensors to guesstimate tire pressure! Owners be like "we've been in forests less shady than you, Honda!" 😅

Australian drivers vs Sri Lankan drivers

Engine says: බ්‍රෝ චෙක් එන්ජින් ලයිට් එක වැඩද බලන්න පත්තු කරේ 😜

A very happy new year to all Autolankans! May this year bring open roads, smooth traffic, and no fuel queues!

Here is the issue...the 3 year limit was imposed because these very same groups started bringing in junk. Countries from Kenya to Tanzania all the way to SL had this issue and SL was the first to enact this as an anti-dumping policy. You would think that with a 5 or even 7-year age limit, they would bring the actual high auction-grade cars as is. But no. They brought in the cheap junk. On the plus side these cars were just mechanically junk and not welded up death traps. Extending the age restriction would bring benefits you have stated if and only if we have strict import and registration inspections. Which we don't and have not been able to establish for 4 decades. I strongly believe that these guys are pushing for older cars just so that they can keep a higher margin for themselves. They are not going to buy the 1.6mil Allion/Premio. They are going to buy the 700k ones from the damage/parts car corner and sell it for the same price as the 1.6mil. <Sorry...after being here I have lost all respect for Sri Lankan car exporters>. True....forex leaving the country will be less as the exporters pay peanuts for these cars...but they are not saying anything about the masses paying actual lower purchase prices. All the manufacturers have Used Car dealerships. Also..hate to break it to you but you don't get that many 5- to 7-year-old Premios and Allions anymore in Japan, and the numbers are dwindling by the month. Almost all of them are gone/going to countries in Africa, Bangaladesh, etc.. Right now there are 37 Premios for sale in the whole of Japan within this age range. Also, it is about 1.6mil on average at auction (there are a few hundred newer vehicles..mostly rentals or fleet cars, it seems, and those are a bit more expensive). In contrast, a 3-5-year-old Corolla sedan 1.8 Hybrid or a slightly newer 1.2L petrol WxB and the 1.2L hatchback are the same price. So, you really are not saving that much money by going for an older Premio/Allion in good condition. You might as well buy the newer Corolla. There are models where the price between a 3-5 year old car is quite high compared to a 7 year old car...those are either large cars like the RAV4 (attracting higher import taxes) or cars like Vitzes. So we are looking again at the usual cars we have...Vitzes, Axios, etc... Which is exactly what I believe these guys are targeting anyway (you can literally buy a 7-year-old Vitz/Aqua for about 300,000 yen). Now..considering that it was these same guys who bought these cars during the early days of the ban and jacked up the prices...do you really think they are going to drastically reduce the prices (also....they are probably out of stock of used cars as well)? On the plus side, you do still get the Axio and Fielder used or brand new. Toyota has been trying to kill the model, but it keeps on selling like crazy both domestically (because that is the only remaining narrow-body sedan/wagon) and for export (the waiting list for a brand new Axio/Fielder is 6 to 8 months). The bitter truth that is hard to swallow is that cars like the Civic and Corolla have moved on and are no longer the reasonably priced entry-level cars they used to be. The segment is now taken over by cars like the Yaris,Fit, etc...

My Thinkin is Gov should only allow Brand-new import through Agents and curtail importing Grey imports.. i know as Enthusiasts will go up in arms against it. but to curtail importing Garbage and exhausting reserves i don't see any other option. for the record I'm driving a 18 Year old barge. but I'm satisfied with it at least for now 😁

Well its a Anonymous guy from Lombard who Fabricated this Automobile, must have been a Romeo and Juliet story. Now repeat that one hundred and fifty five times

I'm gonna get fired from my job someday for working my a$$ off searching cars to answer quizzes here 😂.

Read the responses in reverse. This is why I laughed at the clues you left This was like the time a certain group of people were so engrossed on one thing that none of them noticed that one person was standing there stark naked as his sarong had fallen down in all the commotion.

Here it is

Ooh.. oooh... it's one of those Chery sub-brands that sound like a commode or mode or something... EDIT : Omoda C5

my wife suspected the same well into her 20's Cheese kotthu if well made is good - most of the time the kotthu joints substitute the cheese with just fresh milk and leaving behind a soggy mess - btw dolphin can also be chicken kotthu - it's just the same except it's made with hand-shredded parata instead of chopped roti.

Here it is guys Glad it's a TZ trim

Maybe that's your feeling. it's not on Vitz NBC Platform it's on Corolla platform. Weight factor is not sufficient for improving vehicle stability. As my experience, the older 141 Axio felt like the car is flying, when the speed is over 120km/h. The new 165 one is more comfortable and stable in higher speeds with improved aerodynamics and suspensions. Also, Vitz has very stiff suspensions and it's a city based car but new 165 Axio comes with comfortable softer suspension setup. Vitz is a Hatchback and it has 3945mm of length. Axio is a compact sedan and it's got 4400mm of length. Also there are big space inside with boot. Wheel base in Vitz has 2435mm, 165 Axio has 2600mm wheelbase same as older 141 Axio and Honda grace. Also, Both 141, 165 Axios have same width 1695mm. In that manner, there is no way to say the older Axio is bigger and new Axio is using Vitz resources. It's common dimensions for compact sedans. I was also thinking about this car as you're thinking but after using it I felt it's more improved when compared with older one. Overall comfort, handling, features, cornering, safety, acceleration, seats, climate control setup and lot more improved. Some people are still like older Axio for it's beachy interior like Allion. But it's dashboard and plastics are way cheaper and wear quickly than new model. The only negative side is new Axio is the center console is bit lower but it's not a big practical problem at all. it's also has better expert rating 7.9 out of 10. The 4th gen Prius is also rated 7.8. I was also unable to find any proper review for this car in youtube. Most of them are talking different thing to each other. I would like to say, First find a good condition vehicle and then drive it without listen to others. then you can feel what I'm saying. I'm not pointing this to you my friend. Don't judge by book it's cover. lol

this happens to be my Inno64 model - took the pic on a Negombo beach a couple of years back.

GL mirrors-17.5K Body beading- under 25K Rims-45K to 75K Tires - 65k Dunlop AT Japan Horn Genuine Jap Yellow fogs Paint touchup Bull bar paint Door cards- Head unit(Android) - 26.5K Speakers-15K Carpeting Coil carpet Tint Oil and filter change Air and diesel filter change Diff oil “Dunu” bush - 3K Ball joints Gear stick bushes Clutch adjustment Door pins and razors Rattle fix (seats and windows) Stronger Reverse light (cant see jack) Also some sound deadening would help. Reliable but loud engines for sure! Here’s what needs replacing and few mods. Will be keeping it as is for few years with minimal mods and such. If I do keep it for more than 10 Years, I will do a classy factory fresh restore on it. I guess time will tell. These have jumped in price like @Gummybr mentioned, thanks to a monk and a few guys who are heavy on Social Media. The more desirable higher specs and the english numbers go for a lot of money. The mintest examples ask anywhere from 6.5 to 9 Mil. Too much imo. Attached few pics taken soon after purchase. Any advices and tips are appreciated.

Okay...so about the Geely recommended above....good if you can find a good car. Most of them are rattly and rusting out. Euro cars...depending on where you are you might find it challenging to maintain. Where are you ? Plus...Euro cars are a committed relationship. So unless you are willing to have a committed relationship you are going to be miserable. So...I am going to suggest the usual Japanese cars. Now...a Japanese car (especially if you find an immaculate example) can be like the school-time lifelong love affair with the girl next door or be as quick and raunch as a night with lady of the night (that comes with similar risks as well). 1. Toyota: T2xx series Corona Premio (1.6L) and Carina (1.5L). Good ones hardly come up for sale and when they do they are advertised more towards 4mil for a Carina. The Corona Premio is significantly cheaper. Looked at a few for a friend over the last few weeks and the Coronas were in better shape than the Carinas too. They do exist if you are willing to be patient. I would not bother wasting my time looking at Corollas/Sprinters (sedans and wagons) because 99% of them are garbage and over priced. Only time I would look at one is if something exceptional pops up and literally falls on to my lap. Cars like the Mark II, Chaser, etc...will be significantly over your budget. 2. Nissan: Honestly, I cannot think of any other than a Sunny FB15 (I personally find this the better option compared to a Corolla of the same generation). Again...hard to find a decent model. A Primera would be the most comfy...but again...a lot have been abused by wannabe racer boys. Cars like Glorias/Cedrics are now quite expensive because people want to buy them for "modification". Bluebirds, Cefiros, etc......again...most have been poorly maintained and have plenty of hidden gremlins lurking inside. 3. Honda: You are limited to the likes of Civics. Again...wouldn't bother chasing one down unless something exceptional drops on your lap. Fits are almost the same. 4. Mazda and Mitsubishi: The usual suspects...Axela/3 and the Lancer. Good ones are held on to by owners like gold and when they come up for sale, they disappear in no time. Most are pretty average but would be in significantly better shape than a Corolla. If you are into hatchbacks, the Demio is also a decent option. So... looking at the above.... I would say.... you are 26. Make your money go further. If you can find a Peugeot 406 in good shape. Go for it. Build a love affair. Yes, they are cars that your neighbors/friends and kade' mudalali will envy you over because "market naha", but you buy low and you sell it off at a decently depreciated price (provided you take care of it). If you are worried about going for a Euro...well you have an idea of the common Japanese options. Finally..don't max out your budget on buying the car itself. If the maximum amount of money you can spare is 3.5mil...then you should aim for a car that is about 3mil and keep at least 500,000 for post-purchase preemptive maintenance and repair work that will come up as you start using the car.

I was going to go with a brand that has a LEGACY in the rallying circuit. But I realize it's not the same. Next guess is deduct 40 from the number of the beast and you have the model? Maybe he was driving slow cos he was a bit nervous? What if you are driving a hearse and suddenly someone taps your shoulder and says 'malli drop me off here thank you' ?

Hi @amsandun, I've had a similar situation sometime back in my SCP90 as well. The EPS locking under low power was a sign that my alternator was going bad. In addition to getting the drive belt replaced, check the alternator as well because in my case I got the alternator repaired which fixed the EPS as well.

I have no idea how the Vitz's AC comp works. In some cars the AC comp is put on idle via a clutch so the belt technically keeps running. Yes...when the battery is low the steering assist motor may go in to a sort of "limp mode". The backup for that is to have the alternator power the steering assist motors (I thought the old Vitz had a very old fashioned PS system though). Granted sometimes that doesn't actually do the trick if there is something significantly wrong with the electrical system of the car.

This is fun... Funnily enough I do get a free coffee (at least there's a pot of cofee in the waiting area at St@fford )

I think @matroska should go ahead and post the next one. He pretty much spilled the entire car out

Nephew Nuwan show us only one picture....how we know rest of car is there? Out of jokes. Congrats. Is that a Modelista front lip ? Does it have the full body kit ?

Give me a minute till I get around the fact that these cars are now considered classics. Damn I am old. These are not technically Bluebirds. They are Sunnies. Nissan just did some badge reassignments for some markets. Yes...parts are available. Perhaps not as much as the Toyotas of the period. But available. The car is comfy..heavy...a bit of a sloth compared to its competition. As with any other car good original or 3rd party parts will be pricey. You are spot on about the Corolla and other common Toyotas of the period. Now, if you are up for a decent project, you could always buy a Corolla (or any other car you actually had your mind on) of the period and do a proper period-correct restoration. Perhaps do some simple upgrades as well to make it your own. However, if you do decide to do this...do it if and only if you plan to hold on to the car for some time so that you can get some enjoyment and utility of the time, effort, and money you will be sinking into it.

Funny story....if a Japanese person was to say this name it would sound more like a Japanese food type that is deep fried and has a crispy light batter

in algebra x can denote any number. for a while it seemed that x=2. Then they decided to leave x as a mystery. I'm not sure how many MARKs we will get for getting the answer right. BTW it's a shame they dropped the name of the beer down the line ...

Ah yes a model that was unveiled recently in Sri Lanka. A marine creature that has a Kotthu named after it 😉

I second this - Did back in 2022, very much worth it. @DN557zz sent you a DM of the location

I am sorry but this is very confusing. You want to buy a car with a 1.5mil LKR market value and sell it for a higher price? How does that work ? If you are looking for a car that has a market value of 1.5mil (i..e you plan to sell at about 1.5mil), then some of your options are DX wagon (i.e. KE 72 or KE74 Corolla van), Lancer Box and "L-light" models, B2xx and B3xx series Sunnies. Good ones will be at your budget point or higher. Cheaper ones have some sort of issues that need to be sorted out. So your aim should be to buy these cars and fix them up (properly) and then sell them at a profit. Remember, if you are going to "flip" something, you need to add some value. One reason brokers are vile in this country is because they take good cars from their owners at dirt cheap prices by lying to them and then sell it off without doing anything at exorbitant prices. So...try to put some honest work in to the car. Be honest to people when you buy it from them.

First laugh...very very hard. Then cry for where our beloved country has headed to. Seriously...it seems to have gotten worst. 2 wheel vs 4 wheel I thought it was a matter of the actual number of wheels and not the drive system. If so how on earth can someone turn a 2 wheeled vehicle (i.e. a motorcycle) in to a pickup/truck. Went to the Registrar General's office yesterday. They were issuing tokens for people to go up to the counter. The young people, including some A/L kids who were from a prestigious school couldn't figure out what the numbers were for and crowded the counters until they got yelled and asked to leave. Then last year the Registrar General office staff asked me how I was born because I don't have a birth certificate in their system. I mean..I was standing right there in front of them. Took a good minute or two for them to start laughing with me.

do the 'murricans actually say it's 2.5 Liters or do they still use 150 Cubic inches, or 5 chicken buckets or three and five eighths of a bear paw to denote engine size?

We have some Axio owners who are very "proud" of their car. Simply immune to facts and figures too...enjoy trolling their post on the other thread stating the mere fact that the NKE165 is based on the B platform as the Vitz, gotten smaller, and Toyota made it an entry-level sedan compared to the previous Corollas that were mid-level sedans (which they did because they wanted a 5 number car that would suit a Belta replacement as well as meet a basic Corolla requirement).