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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.

Ended up with a Y11 AD wagon for the workhorse assignments. Sadly it's time to let the starlet go...

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The owner of the car was a traditional Sri Lankan - cheap, lazy and ignorant. He was kind enough to not empty the fuel tank, so I was able to make my way to a fuel station and top up the car. A few ghosts had to leave the fuel tank as it had not been filled fully since Chandika was president. The next port of call was the service station. Here we emptied the dark tarry engine oil and put in some fresh (hopefully real) Toyota oil. We next replaced the oil, air, and other filters). After that it was off to the garage to do the suspension and brakes. I can't remember exactly what was done (have to look at the paperwork) but all 4 struts, front CV joints and a lot of odds and ends were replaced. The brakes were overhauled and front rotors (is that the correct term?) polished. I forgot to get the wheel bearings replaced so there's a continuous hum. Need to do that. Total, I think it was 150-200k

Last year, I decided to purchase a second vehicle for travelling around Sri Lanka, as well as regular use. I set a modest (by Sri Lankan standards) budget of LKR 3m + 10%++ for restoration. In this price range, I had a choice between Indian and Japanese vehicles I ruled out the Indian ones, because I wasn't satisfied with build quality and comfort in this price range. I could have got an Alto but I don't consider them safe (too small). This left a few Japanese and Korean vehicles. I steered clear of the Korean ones, not for any bad reason, but because I simply don't understand them. I suspect there may have been some excellent vehicles by Hyundai/Kia. Among Japanese vehicles, I steered clear of Mitsubishi as I have seen rust issues with these cars (older ones). One of the most important things for me was the availability of spares and body parts, as well as the simplicity of the vehicle. I shortlisted the following vehicles: - Toyota corolla - AE100/110, Carina, Camry, Corona etc. - Toyota Station Wagon (90s-2000s) mostly the van variants. - Nissan FB14/15 and N16s - Cefiro/Bluebird/etc I decided not to go with a Carina/Corona simply because I couldn't find a good example, also, being rarer cars, I figured out the body parts may not be available (internals are mostly shared so I didn't foresee major issues there). With Nissans, the FB14s I saw were mostly salvage grade, I saw a few decent fb15s but most had absurd prices in the 3.5-4.5m range. I looked at quite a few N16s but they were either wrecked or the owners wanted high prices. To expand on pricing, I preferred to buy a simple corolla Vs one of the more exotic cars, as I believe these are simpler to maintain. I saw a few corolla vans (wagons) but these were in poor condition. The ae100s I saw were in poor condition. I finally found an ae110 and selected it, as I felt it was in reparable condition. I'll provide more updates on the car here soon. I want to sincerely thank a number of people in this community for their mind help and advice. In particular, @iRage and @matroska

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 😜

It is my humble belief that Japanese automakers may have perfected their craft in the late 90s. None more so than Toyota themselves. I have always been a fan of Toyota and my family owned many (though I didn't personally), so when I was looking at cars I paid particular attention to this corolla (I believe it's the 8th generation JDM corolla?) I saw a few sprinter equivalents, I liked them as they included an RPM meter. Along the way, I chances upon and e110 which was (in my opinion) in passable condition. When I say passable, I mean the vehicle could be restored, Vs most other cars which I would consider in salvage/write-off status. In my nontechnical assessment, I graded the car as follows - body - passable/repairable. No major signs of visible rust or structural damage. - engine - average condition for age but serviceable -i felt a tuneup plus replacing belts, electricals etc could do. -suspension - unsurprisingly, 30 years on Sri Lankan roads meant replace everything. -interior - passable, cleanable. - transmission - functional. The next step was to take it to an inspection company. There are two, so I tossed a coin. I had my heart set on the simian variety but I landed on the other. The inspection was very interesting. I expected a 5 minute check, but they really took their time, which I appreciated. At Rs7,500 I considered this good value. The inspection confirmed my assessment. For me, the biggest relief was that the chassis appeared to be reasonable, with no major accidents (usual fender benders etc) - I consider chassis issues to be mostly unfixable. Suspension, as I suspected, was gone, so they advised replacing the basics - struts and bits, which seemed reasonable. Engine and transmission, they did a test drive and agreed with me that it was Ok, could do with a service. An understatement, as suspect the current owner hasn't serviced it in 50k km The owner has the vehicle under "open papers" registered in the previous owners name. I told them that if they transfer it to their name, I can buy it. The owner was able to do this, so I went ahead and purchased the car.

Oy ! Enough of this &()#*## ! Ko pinthura ? We are very visual creatures. Give us pics or the only way we can cope with all this is convincing ourselves that this car of yours is nothing more than a figment of your imagination

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' ?

Dad shared this snap and looks very well kept with full service history from Toyota.

Very true. Problem we have is no one is listening to the people who know. I blame the media for not reporting facts, I blame them for becoming a mouthpiece for certain groups only. Media can play a decisive role in changing public misconceptions. Media has to be responsible for what they publish. Another reason is because of the L board people (I mean the vehicle importers) who are acting like newbies for their own good. If you had been in the industry you know what taxes are to be paid and how many times it changed in the recent years. They should know that the excise duty on vehicles is the inclusion of all the other duties except for VAT. This came about to simplify the system. Thing is on the forex, it's a fine balancing act, they have to get their act together (govt) if not it's going to be a disaster. This is where the govt should show their education and experience to come out with a proper plan. I have always said that we as a country doesn't know how to bring in more forex, they look at the easy ways only. There is no proper help given for tourism, exports to push them for better revenue and to bring the money rather than park it elsewhere. We have EPZ's but how many companies are still functioning? Yes it takes time to build trust in foreigners to come and invest, but things should be made simple for them to do business whilst the 'clean Sri Lanka' concept should push for more cleaning up of the govt closet's and coming clean from our old 'you can do anything if you give a commission' mentality. I hope and pray that this govt does it properly before they are chased out, if not we have no future of becoming a corruption free country.

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

Thanks for the suggestions @Izza and @Devinda_Z. Much appreciated.

You can't figure out what the trims are based on things like door handle color, etc... for starters, there were special packages the dealers in Japan usually offer that add chrome bits, visors, interior bits, etc..So there is no definitive way to say what the exact door handle type, interior color combo (these too are usually selectable/customizable when buying new), etc...were. On top of that, you are looking at a 20+ year old car, and over its life, owners would have added things, replaced parts, etc... The BJ series did not come with CVT. Just manual transmission or Automatic transmission. The bottom picture you show is a 4AT with tiptronic called Mazda ActiveMatic. The top picture is of a standard 4AT. As far as I can remember ActiveMatic (the picture below) came only with the 2.0L petrol engine for the sedan. All other engines came with the standard 4AT for the sedan. I beleive they mixed it up a little bit for the S-Wagon range where the RS might have had ActiveMatic with a 1.5L engine. I am NOT SURE ! Basic trims were as follows: BJ5P (i.e. with 1500cc engine and 4AT or 5MT) <facelift> LS RX <later dropped towards end of model> <prefacelift> LS RX GS BJ3P (i.e. 1300cc engine and 4AT or 5MT) <facelift/prefacelift> ES JS BJEP (i.e. 2000cc diesel with 4AT or 5MT) Prefacelift only. Because of Japanese emissions regulations for passenger cars diesel sedans were stopped. LS BJHP (i.e. 2000cc petrol with 4AT) Facelift only Sports20 Later added MazdaSpeed version with 2.0L engine and 5MT

For a fraction of a second, I thought that famous DFSK 580 thread just reincarnated 😄

That is a nice car. Has the potential to be something really nice. There are places that "customize" lights. Please don't ! They do complete injustice to the car by putting wierd LED lights that work in wierd patterns, etc... It will be really hard...and even expensive...but I would say please use the car as is..collect money and buy actual proper lights and trim bits. Then slowly start restoring the car. These things in good condition go for really high prices now.