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Any possibility of sharing some pictures? I'm very curious to see which sub this is...

Very Nice! Any pics of which numbered car this is?

Also, from a purity perspective, most Laugfs sheds are new- and I believe they have newer underground tanks which are hopefully cleaner and better maintained...

autoforce and Nadeera are also two other possible options. Nadeera did a fabulous job with a restore and P&P on one of my previous cars...but it wasn't cheap!

Not relevant in terms of which octane, only that you have to pump unleaded fuel...which i believe is being sold in SL. I think we swapped over a few years back.

Well, Ferrari can do whatever they want knowing they'll only get a slap on the wrist- after all, they now have an added advantage of old guard in the upper echelons of FIA. They (Ferrari) pretty much set the tone for the rest of what was shaping up to be a great, clean season. I don't think there has been a more blatant case of race fixing in recent past. As we've seen with his previous team, Alonso stamps his feet like a petulant child, and a team mate gets screwed in the process. If he was faster, then all he had to do was pass Massa on the merit of what he claimed. I don't doubt his skill as a driver- but he does absolutely nothing but damage to the sport, the spirit of competition, and the overall reputation of the F1. More's the pity that it was the 1 year anniversary since Massa's accident and he was really showing it up on the track...i hope he's smart and doesn't stick around Ferrari...knowing that he'll be second fiddle and nothing more. It takes 2 to tango, and Alonso with Ferrari are a great combo as we can see.

Definitely advertising for the sucker in a buyer. The term perhaps had meaning in another era- decades back. I have frequently seen/experienced "Doctor" driven vehicles (the ones with the cross on the windshield) driven like complete arses. Guess it goes with the God complex that most of our doctors are instilled with...note i do say "most" and not "all". To advertise a false sense of security in buying a car because the owner is a 'doctor/professional' means absolutely squat. I've seen a few trishaw drivers (whom generally, i really detest) take better care of their vehicles. Either way, its foolishness in a buyer to fall for such wording- no one else is to blame! Nothing beats thoroughly checking out a car, no matter who the owner is, before putting hard earned money down.

Dev- the RR was a pipe dream. I lost the bid for it by 1 week!! It was sold just a few days after I found a buyer for my car. Guess it was meant to be.... Yep, the small car is Hitler's famed car for the masses...its a restoration, but with a few personal touches of course. Clearly you haven't been on the social networking tool lately...

Elvis: my first car, an old VW Beetle...

Agree with MasterDon/Malith. Currently going through this very decision right now with my restoration. As Malith said, a 'cleaner' look is more desirable if you've got a car that is a sunday driver. However,with SL road conditions (rain or no rain), one can never be certain! I have opted to do the rubber underbody application. Depending on how far your pocket stretches, Wurth is selling a very nice product in a can with you can spray on- and additionally has a 'foam' you can have injected into the box sections that can't be reached/cleaned in normal servicing. The second product sounds a little overkill to me, as i can't help but think what happens to moisture that settles in the foam...where does it go?? There is local underbody application which will do fine as well... Elvis: For the metal body, to really know how much you're in for (as i have found) you have to do a bare metal spray. What i've done is go panel-by-panel with an orbital machine to remove the layers of putty, filler, crap previous owners had slapped on. Where there is rust (not corrosion), there is a chemical treatment that extracts the oxidation...but the flip side is that the metal has to be covered almost immediately to avoid moisture setting in. Mr.VW: Where did you get your car restored? I noticed a blue 1303/superbeetle in the background of the pre-restoration pics - looks like C*r M&rt garage? And...if you don't mind sharing...where did you get your interior done?

Any updates to this Thiwanka? Not an expert, but sounds like the car may have a high idle after you had it tuned up (if thats what they actually did!). What is your idle rpm? If its the kind of vibration because you have the gear in "D" and your foot on the brake, sounds like the engine is straining to 'release' the power to the drivetrain, and the whole car is shaking/vibrating as a result... just a thought. hope the issue is resolved by now!

Great pics! always nice to see a project from start to finish. Can't claim any experience in restoring a LR (although i'm currently suffering another car restoration). But I must share an amusing anecdote told to me by one of the team members of our Malaysian Rain Forest Challenge team (big time LR/defender nutters for those who don't know)... Conversation went something like this: Me: so I've started restoring my old wheels- hoping it'll be painless RF guy: You've starting restoring THAT car? How old is it? Me: clocking 40 years next year RF: And you're doing a full restoration? Me: Yep. Its a small car, shouldn't be so bad...(before i could finish that sentence) RF: Machan, speaking for most buggers who've gone through rebuilds/restorations....you're better off snorting cocaine, its cheaper! Me: err.... RF: Serious. Cocaine. Me: <quiet contemplation> Needless to say it was a damned good laugh, especially to those who have <been there, done it>. But i think with most restoration projects, even if you tell yourself you're not going to spend more the X amount...always go well over! There are just too many 'goodies' you'll want to add/do. Just be ready for that! But in the end, the money spent, blood spilt(!!!), and time taken is worth it...especially if you love the car to bits! Good luck!

He's asking for much less because its a 2nd generation Combi with a lot more modern parts and design- far less a classic. The Type 1 VW vans are far rarer - check the prices in UK, US (especially for the rarer split window, 23 window van) for a mint restored vehicle. Taking the description on the ad, it seems a very meticulous and painful restoration, and will be of value to someone who wants such a vehicle. To put things in perspective, I'll try and find the article but a classic Beetle sold at an UK auction last year for something like GBP 50,000 (admittedly, a first generation delivery mileage split window sedan)- thats over LKR 8 million...it certainly wasn't the only one in the world- but it had qualities that justified its auction price. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=152375 http://www.barrett-jackson.com/application...id=53&pop=1 I'll echo Peri's statement on commenting of AL ads.

Have you asked around in Panchi? You'll be surprised what you will find. Note that disc brakes were an option on the beetle from the early 60's...so its not as rare as thought to be. Talk to Lionel (Piyasena Motors, baseline road, near Kanatta), or known VW mechanic- they'll at least point you in the right direction. If your budget allows though, try get a new conversion kit from the US- you can actually specify drilled-slotted rotors if you're very serious about the restoration. Nothing beats a brand new set of rotors and pads. Manufacturers are practical and have spec'd them to the original ghia size so that pads and replacement parts are easy to come by. A search on samba.com or just wildcard "beetle disc brakes" will return a range of vendors you can consider. Do note that if you swap to discs, its best to convert the brake master cylinder to a dual channel (front, rear) for better stopping power.

you can order a conversion kit from the US. Several mainstream VW outfitters have the kit. Conversion is about 30-40k if you get brand new parts- else you have to go search panchi for a Ghia disc brake assembly....

This is way, way out.... ....but the road from Batti to Pollunaruwa (stunning straights for really letting it out), and from Buttala to Arugam Bay (superb incline/declines with some hairpins, chicanes). Both are B/C roads recently relaid, with little traffic, cops or general idiots. If anyone plans to do an East Coast run, recommend trying these routes in some combination. The only incomplete stretches are between Batti and Abay. I've also heard that the Trinco run is now even better...

Perhaps my example of ECU/software upgrade is a bad one... How about mechanical/parts failure? Known issues such as: http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/14/suzuki-...-fau/#continued I'd be a tad worried if I had a '06 Vitara!

No doubt our 'agents' need a rather large overhaul in terms of after-sales services etc- that could be another thread i suppose. ...but has anyone experienced working with one of local agents when a recall is announced? eg: the latest Toyota Prado recently went thru a software upgrade because of a faulty/dangerous Electronic Stability System. Vehicles in the US/Europe were recalled and corrected. http://www.lexus.com/recall/#gxRecallSection http://www.toyota-europe.com/about/news_an...150-recall.aspx Was the same done in SL? I imagine that the local agents won't bother with the 'gray' JDM imports (they have a weak but valid excuse)...but wonder if they did the recall for the officially imported cars...

"Traffic offenses and criminal activities will come under surveillance through these cameras" I'd like to see the cops catch their own for driving recklessly, making illegal moves on the road...let alone the very regular violations made by trishaws, buses, etc. That said, wonder if such systems will be recorded etc...AND if the evidence can be requested by Citizen X for defense/proof.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/03/guessin...ickets-in-ohio/ Madmax- isn't Ohio your territory???

Good catch SN! I stand corrected...can't help but think that the already pouty Grand Prix was beaten by an Ugly Stick though!

KM- I didn't mean pimped in a negative sense, but this is definitely a post-production change done to a LC M V- its classic 70's American detroit metal. When you get the chance, take a side profile shot...and if its possible, a few images of the dash and engine- the ford/lincoln lineage will be surely visible.

Its a coachbuilt/pimped (70's era pimpin', that is) - Lincoln Continental Mark V coupe. The seats and dash gave it away. Here's what a stock Mark V looks like: http://www.pjsautoworld.com/1970cars/1979lincolnMKV.htm

I've switched to Eagle too, but had no reason to use them as yet. Had several recommendations though- they do no shortchange/screw you on claims (but that was the reputation pre-aviva, so who knows what the corporate policy is now...) I'll say go for it.

Been lucky to find replacement batteries @ healthguard (not frequently restocked), Nastars LP, and Food city Staple street (not frequently restocked. Usually energizer brand.