GTAm

406 Coupe - except for that one the others are decent to very good condition. Capris are already sort after. Cortinas yes but an Escort is a slightly better drive, Cortinas being bulkier. I think a CRX2 might be possible and definitely FD RX7s. Metro hmmmm there were loads of cars better than that in that era - 205, Uno etc. Pulsar EXA urrrgh no way. A Sunny in drag. Bravo - There is only one, a diesel. Bravas there were a few. But both are far far from Classicdom I'd say.....

Yes Supra 2 Golf GTI's in SL. Owned by one guy. Yet to on the road And 03 205 GTIs I know of. The one you mention, the Red one in Ratnapura (ex Cart Mart car) and the one which was raced.

Yes sorry I've forgotten to list the 300ZX. Have it on my original list here. Will add it. Supras are so thin on the ground here that I omitted it. Legacy RS 1st Gen - Again availability is going to be a big problem with the handful that survive have been raped on the tracks so much too. Besides I think the Impreza has stolen its thunder well and truely. MR2 Mk1 is already recognized by collectors here I can see.

Yes thought about the Golf too. Should go into retro rides if at all, as there are only two GTI's in the country. But what would the compelling reason to include the Golf be?The 205 on the other hand have any survived apart from the 03 GTis?

Hi Guys, I'm looking for some feedback here as I'm doing some research for an article I'm working on. I am looking at interesting classic/collectible cars that can still be found in SL at a what I would like to call an "Affordable Price" by a lot of folk out there. Most of highly sought after classics like MG and TR sports cars, Old Mercs and American Iron command huge prices with demand increasing and supply non-existent. What are the forgotten gems out there, that are worth saving now for future pleasure and investment potential? I've divided them into three categories, and list my choices under them. I have selected cars that are generally available if hunted for and avoided very rare cars that one comes across every 5 years or so, for obvious reasons. Please feel free to comment and add your suggestions. 1. Under-valued true classics a.) Fiat 1100 b.) Peugeot 404 c.) Fiat 600 d.) ? 2. 70's tunable retro cars a.) Ford Escort Mk1&2 b.) Fiat 131 Mirafiori c.) Upali/Mazda 1500/Luce d.) Upali/Fiat 128 e.) Datsun 510 f.) Mitsu/Colt Celeste g.) ? 3. Future Classics a.) Mazda RX7 FC & FD b.) Honda CRX 1&2 c.) Alfa Romeo 164 Super 3.0 V6 d.) Peugeot 406 Coupe e.) Early Subaru WRX and Mitsu Evos f.) Nissan 300ZX g.) ? Cheers.

Checked up Miniace, he's sold it a long time ago

Yes indeed. This is why my original plan was to scrap the car. But since, there is now a big demand for classic Alfas in our circle alone and our Senor Scaglietti came out of retirement and said he can resurrect it I decided to give it a go. Having seen his previous work I am confident he'll deliver perfection. He's already spotted a change someone has made to the car previously. The rear wheel arch is supposed to be square, but on my car it has been rounded. I actually first thought of turning it into my personally designed Classic Alfa Spider. This car shares the same underpinnings of the Duetto Spider/Giulias etc. So it is not so hard. However I later thought it might be a bridge too far and decided against it. And besides this car has a lot of Sri Lankan race history so turning it into a Spider would erase all that, which would be a waste of its pedigree.

Thanks guys. Much appreciated.

Yes definitely not IRS. I guess it has a rigid axle?

Hi Don no I'm not looking to buy one. Just require the info for some research for a magazine article. And I'm not too familiar with these models.

Does anyone know the exact design of the front and rear suspension on this model the so called L-Light Lancer? I believe the later facelifted versions shared the same underpinnings? I'm sure "The Don" can enlighten me.....

What a coincidence that this thread has suddenly come to life today. I've been thinking about doing a Kit car as my next project. Right now I don't have the money to start but it's definitely on my "Things to Do" list. Thinking of the Lancia Stratos replica naturally

Hell is showing tiny signs of frost at last. Went to see it after a relatively long time and was happy to see progress. The floor boards on the driver's side is completed and the passenger side is about 50% there.

Porsche makes the highest margin in the industry (Ferarri must be higher but no one knows exactly how much) which 16.6%. VW is 8-9%. BMW should be inbetween the two. A car like a 5 series would require at least US$ 3bn for development. If we take a production run of 500k cars for 4 years that would add another $6,000/- to the cost. Transport would be between $1000/- to 2000/- per car. Dealer margins are between 12-16%. Perhaps you can work back and see if it adds up. The 528i is listed at $47,500/- in the US according to Motor Trend. Yes there is no way they can offer a 520d at 30k unless a.) It's from China and b.) It's undervalued. c.) Loss Leading to make money on spare parts (this is quite unlikely I believe given our small volumes). I have already heard of some controvesy about cruise-control not being listed on the specification and yet arriving on the car, causing an issue with customs.

Can you prove it? Check this out - http://www.chinacartimes.com/2011/11/24/bmw-export-5series-china/ They're talking about export and the LWB is only for domestic consumption I believe. BMW to export 5-Series from China Industry News | Ash | November 24, 2011 at 11:33 pm BMW currently makes three cars in China, the 3-Series, 5-series and of course the recently introduced X1 SUV which was shown off at this weeks Guangzhou Auto Show. During an interview with the Chinese newspaper, International Business Daily at the Guangzhou Auto Show, BMW’s president and Group CEO of BMW Group China revealed that BMW would aim to export its Chinese made 5-series sedan overseas in the coming months. BMW’s 5-series has proven to be a succesfull model in the Chinese market, the latest model was introduced in August 2010 and has quickly become one of the more popular mid size luxury sedans on the market in China, the 5-series sedan is currently produced by Brilliance-BMW a joint venture company based in Shenyang, China. The 5-Series GT is imported into China and sold at higher premium than the locally produced 5-series. BMW have not yet announced where the 5-series will be exported to, but likely markets would be neighbouring South Eastern nations where demand for BMW’s is growing. BMW China sales surpassed 100,000 units for the locally made 3 and 5 series, yearly sales figures are expected to be some 15-20% higher than 2010′s figures which reached 169,000 for all BMW vehicles sold in China. At the Guangzhou Auto Show BMW introduce three new vehicles including the new M5 which will sell for a cool 1.85 million RMB, 5-series touring priced at 666,000rmb and the locally made X1 which features a 2.0L 4 cylinder turbo engine, however prices for the X1 have not yet been announced but prices around 300,000rmb for the base model are being guessed at by Chinese press.

Every little thing helps to become a billion dollar company. And if they have zero risk doing it then what have they to bother about. They could easily operate through a 3rd party in another country where regulations are loose. Look at how easily we (SL) are now exporting Tea to Iran even after the sanctions and getting paid in US$s! If you do the math you will see that it won't add up any other way. One thing BMW or any manufacturer will not do is make a loss on every car sold. I can assure you money goes under the table when it comes to many agents in SL.

Actually he might not be VVTi. I know it happens with many local agents. I can't mention names for obvious reasons. Will tell you when we meet.They can't sell cars in this number if they did not do that. As someone who imported cars in the proper way I can assure you this. You'll be amazed that the things that take place and how they take place through offshore companies, sub-agents in Singapore etc. It's also who you know and how much you pay.

Ah I see. That should not last very long too given the turmoil in the EU - http://www.nitrobahn.com/news/jaguar-land-rover-sales-pitch-down-to-the-lowest-tata-under-pressure/

I have been thinking about this a lot too. There can't be only 5 ser buyers AND they should be able to offer a better equipped 3 ser for the same or lower. There is no capacity problems. Have a look at this - http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121018/ANE/310189930/bmw-shifts-thousands-of-cars-to-u-s-from-battered-europe My deduction is that the 5 can be offered at this ridiculously low price because of it's country of manufacture - http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/11/it%E2%80%99s-starting-bmw-to-export-made-in-china-5-series/ It tallies well with people who report sitting in them and driving them feeling a bit short-changed. Of course it's well known that BMs, Audi and Land Rover importers have a way of understating the actual value to make the price competitive. D@mo being a PLC will find it a lot harder to get to that level of tactics. It's very easy if you compare UK prices and calculate backwards to figure this out.

You've said it man!

Considering how hard it is to get any money from the government and right now how broke the government is I doubt any other these exporters will see the colour of the duty rebate. At least not for a long long time......................Unless of course somebody gets their palms oiled.

Thanks VVTi. Achilles is a good value for money choice. Better than GT for example. But I have my reservations. Had them on my dad's former BM E36 and I did not like them much. Added to this our friend Nimal told me a story of how he spun his Alfa Sud on Achilles recently. Not sure if the tyres are to blame but I can tell you the Sud is not an easy car to spin at all. Anyway they did not have my size. I have the old tyres on the front end still as they they have some tread left. When I change over in a few months is when I can tell you how the Avons perform.

No one offered me Maxxis. I was offered a tyre called MasterCraft. Supposedly a US brand. 27,500/- which was cheap but I wasn't ready to take the risk. I've used unknown brand before - one I particularly remember is "Alliance" which is made in Israel of all places. No grip at all but it lasted too long. My best value for money decent brand is Kumho. D@mo did not have my size two weeks ago. They are still getting back to me on when they can import a set...

Myanmar is the country formally known as Burma. Actually I think Myanmar was its original name. It's the country that is set to boom and has the potential to become an Asian Tiger economy after the radical reforms from communism/military rule to democracy. Their leader Aung San Suu Kyi is a remarkable and admirable leader. If she's able to do what she has set out to do, Sri Lanka could lose out to them in terms of Foreign Direct Investment. The fact that Sri Lankan companies are going to set up shop there with millions that could have been invested here could be a precursor of things to come.

I think it's very likely that some used premium car prices are going to come down drastically with the influx of the BMW 520d becoming such a common sight on our roads. At 10m (permit inclusive) a piece it's a shockingly low price for an E-segment car. A year ago an entry level C-class was a bit higher than that price. E60 5 series, E90 3s, W211 E-class and W204 C-class along with other cars in that price bracket is going to get hit badly. A bit OT but to be able to offer such a car at 8.250m for permit holders, makes me wonder if they come from here - http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/11/it%E2%80%99s-starting-bmw-to-export-made-in-china-5-series/