Nate

Amazing. Thank so much. Not bad for a 30 year old vehicle in retrospect.

Got an emissions test done. Does anyone know if these results are reasonable/good? I tried to search on Google but didn't get much insight.

Thanks, that makes sense. A few more questions - for the vehicle transfer (normal service) it mentions handing over the revenue license - do they look at this document and give it back? I assume we need it to drive the vehicle. I spoke to the DMT and the person I spoke to didn't know. - I am told the normal service takes about 3 months. Is this a reasonable estimate? I am fine with 3/6 months etc. I requested a no objection letter from the seller (certified by grama niladarali) and their ID copy also, though I think the book objection letter doesn't need to be certified. I will take certified photos (of myself) and other documents as needed for the one day service. My understanding is they can do one day service if whoever in charge is satisfied with the documents, if not, they can do the regular service. I figure it's no harm to try for the one day?

Thank you both so much. Yes, I'll let the owner do the one day transfer, and do a normal transfer for myself. A few questions: - the vehicle (E110) requires some suspension work - all four shock absorbers must be replaced and a few other things have to be done, including replacing boots and other things in the steering rack. Is there a good garage to do this, also a place to get shock absorbers, any idea what the shock absorbers should cost/where to get them? - I should probably get the timing belt replaced (need to check) any tips where to get that done and approx cost? - I am also wondering about safe ways to slightly increase the vehicle height (as I live out of Colombo and roads are rough. Ideas include slightly larger diameter tyres etc.

Can I do a normal transfer? Or does this mean that for 6 months I can't transfer the car?

After a fair bit of searching, I found two reasonably serviceable cars. I made an offer for one. The owner has it on open papers (which I won't buy), he says he can get it transferred to himself and I can then buy it (I am ok with this) Does anyone know if the DMT has a waiting period between transferring vehicles, for example if he transfers it to his name tomorrow, do I need to wait X amount of time before I can transfer it to myself?

My bad, I meant the van version with leaf springs. That's likely what I will get, unless I can find an original wagon based on chassis code etc. By the way, do the 2 inspection companies do any checking of the paperwork? Yes, I'll definitely not consider open papers etc.

Following up on this! I had been unable to login as I lost my password and the reset email doesn't work. Luckily I found it and I was able to login. I've been tied up with work and couldn't look at a lot of vehicles. Also I'm usually out of Colombo. I'll be going again in the end of December and if anyone has tips I'd be grateful. To recap my journey do far I expanded what I'm looking for, to include these vehicles (auto transmission) - Corolla wagon (late 90s to 2000) - Corolla/ sprinter car ae100/110/ - Nissan wagon (90-2000+) - Nissan fb15/n16 I am looking for - a vehicle where parts are still available - relatively easy to fix Most of the cars I've seen have been unserviceable. I did see one or two fb15s which were functional (at least, to my untrained eye) but the prices (4m+) didn't seem reasonable. My plan is to take the potential vehicle to the agent, also one of the inspection companies for a checkup before buying. A few concerns: How do I check if the paperwork is ok? I guess look at the registration document send compare with the owners ID, check chassis/engine numbers? For the purchase, I would follow the instructions here? https://dmt.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24&Itemid=148&lang=en Does anyone have any tips on safety/precautions in the purchase process? I do wonder if there will be a slight drop in prices as vehicle imports are opened up ..

For the FB15 and E110, it appears that if the engine starts and wheels rotate, people will happily buy it. It seems the modus operandi is to use the car 20 years with zero maintenance, then paint it nicely. That's all that's needed to sell it.

I saw an E110 "facelift" car with a carburettor. This was a surprise for me, I assumed the carburettor was phased out for EFI before the facelift. Maybe they switched the engine or something? Nice looking car though. Also, there was an e110 full of cockroaches. And one which had lived 30 years under a tree. The car sales were most fun..I went there to understand the cars (not to buy). I feel sorry for.anyone who buys from those. Another thing that amazed me is how quickly some of these cars sold. I would look at a car which is falling apart, .by the end of the day someone has purchased it.

I went and looked at a number of cars. Here are some things I observed. - Around 10% of advertised vehicles actually belong to the person selling them. - Many of the E100/110s and FB15s are in bad condition. Either cosmetically, mechanically or both. I also saw Carinas and N16s, again, a mix of cosmetic and engine issues visible. I did see ONE N16 which was in functional condition. Just one, incredibly, out of all the cars I saw. I mean, it had a level of wear and tear to be expected but didn't seem to have fundamental issues. I am thinking about the 2000s wagon variants of nissan and Toyota. It seems the G touring and wingroad (genuine) variants are rare. Has anyone owned the van variants with leaf springs? How bad are these for passenger comfort? Is it passable, or unbearable?

Built in an era before planned obsolescence became a thing.

LOL that's me. So for context I often do long drives cross country and manual transmission (which I currently use) can be trying, to say the least.

Thanks..I'm not worried about the number, I would avoid the facelift (suspect body parts are rarer) and 1300 (somewhat underpowered for the weight) and go for automatic. Do you have any rough idea of actual prices I could pay for 1500cc auto 3xx, J, K plate etc?

On that subject, do you know or anyone here know what the typical price for a Nissan N16 would be? I know it would depend on many things such as condition, specs, year etc... but just a rough range? I see most adverts quote a price between 2.8-3.5 million, though I wonder if people are buying them as there are ones listed in June/July still for sale.

I remember when a 120y was considered new. AHH the smell of cheap vynil and carcinogens Good point. Being slightly slower probably won't be much of an issue, as long as it can overtake an occasional slow tuk tuk. I would be happy to but I have no knowledge to do it personally, and would have to rely on garages - also the vehicles i saw are so far gone .. i am certain there are good corollas out there (i will keep looking) but theres such a high premium attached to them it just doesn't seem worthwhile.

Election coming up... 🤣

Following up on this. I have looked at a few corolla cars - sedan and wagon versions. What I have seen so far is vehicles which are not roadworthy. I'm looking at a few other cars... In particular, I started to look at some early 2000 Nissan's. I have seen a few N16/Bluebird Sylphy automatic cars which aren't in terrible condition so I may pick one of those instead. The corolla of this era is an incredibly reliable car. But due to this, people often don't bother to maintain it. I'm particularly interested in the N16/17 bluebird, due to the reputation of "high fuel consumption" people fear the 1500 cc higher variants, so there are a few which are serviceable. I gather these cars are similar to the sunny and mechanical parts are available (body parts are also somewhat available?)

https://www.newswire.lk/2024/08/23/old-driving-licence-clarification-from-transport-ministry/ 🤣

Good insight, iRage. I'll see if I can switch over before it's mandatory.

https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Driving-licenses-with-no-expiration-date-will-be-canceled-by-end-of-this-year/108-289913 This article seems to suggest that all old non expirable licences will be cancelled. https://www.newsfirst.lk/2024/08/20/cancellation-of-non-renewable-driving-license This one suggests that it's only heavy vehicle licenses which get cancelled. Does anyone have an idea which is actually correct? I have one of these"old" licenses, and I'm wondering if I need to do anything 😅

Thank you so much. Yes, I will try to find the 1.5 variant. Do you have thoughts on the diesel? Generally how is it's performance in keeping up with basic traffic? I have a feeling that the diesel could be more prone to issues due to age, vs the gasoline one which is simpler? Sorry, yes, there's no AE111 as such, I was thinking of the facelifted version. Thanks for your insight on the wagon continuing production parallel to the E110. That makes sense. I will remember to check what you mentioned 🙏🏾 Edit: I see you spoke about this car and the diesel variants here

Thank you both so much for your thoughtful indepth answers. A few thoughts/questions: - iRage, how is comfort in the wagon version? If I remember correctly, there is a version which is more car like with better suspension etc (L touring?), and a regular version which is more van like, are they okay for long distance driving? Obviously, I don't expect luxury from a 30+ year old vehicle, but is there a big difference? I am considering the wagon because it offers more storage space and has less demand/lower price, but I do wonder if the back seat passengers will grumble about creature comforts 😁 - how is the auto version? In terms of reliability or ease of repair? I would like a manual version as I think it would be more fun to drive and simpler to repair? -any thoughts on the engine, 1.3 vs 1.5? I would see if I can get the 1.5 version but is there a significant difference in performance? My only necessity is to drive safely, and keep up with traffic. - yes, I'll stick to the EFI versions for simplicity. Does anyone here have thoughts on the 100 vs 110/111? I have never driven the 111, but we had 91/100 as family cars in the 90s, thought I haven't driven them much and don't remember much about them. I guess there may be more parts for the 110/111 also they usually have ABS? Does anyone here have a suggestion on a garage I could use to do basic work needed, also on typical price ranges

Hi guys, I want to buy a classic (is that the right term?) Toyota, AE100, or 110/111 , and I have a few general questions, I hope it's OK to ask here. First off, as this is a 20-30 year old car, it's obviously going to need work/restoration - are parts generally available for these cars? I am assuming that parts for the 100/110 are somewhat available? Also, is there a decent garage who can take the car when I buy it and do the basic mechanical work? I am not very concerned about cosmetics/appearance but want to get the important stuff such as engine, transmission, suspension carefully done. Ideally I'd like to do a basic restoration when I buy it.. Also, does anyone have an idea of the current actual price range to pay for these cars these days? Any tips on where to get the car inspected before buying? I am guessing the agent may not inspect as it's a very old car? (Edit: searched and I found recommendations of companies that can inspect the car before purchase, thanks) Thank you all.