milindu

Slightly optimistic...may be. Saw the car sale guys buying up the cars at crazy prices at the auction last week. A KA regd. Maruti in so so condition went for 8.25. The shocker was a (registered) 2004 box model Swift going at 19.50. The Maruti might sell around 9 at least.

Its a realistic price provided the car is in good condition. They usually quote 21-25 range for good cars.

Our company has tested at least 10-15 or more different devices or additives over the years (most obtained on complementary basis). Engine Flush - These are good to loosen up sludge prior to a manual cleanup. Flush alone is not effective and the manula cleanup is a must if there is considerable sludge buildup. Additives - The fuel system cleaning additives (at least the reputed ones) when used with the Fuel System Cleaners (We use 3M and Wurth) can work wonders on cars that have run around 40k or more without any system cleanup. There is also a Toyota branded additive that we use but I have not checked up on the results as yet. But you have to do the whole tuneup for best effect. Not much faith in other miracle products.

I did a day return to Anuradhapura today (Wednesday) and came across cops at atleast 10 different spots (mostly between Kurunegala and A'Pura) waiting to trap drivers for speeding and cutting the lines. Had a Cobra ES series detector in the car so managed to detect (Ka Band) on time at all the locations. Had a relatively slow reaction at one location where the cops were on the otherside of the road pointing at the other direction and all of a sudden pointed our way. They may have switched it on late since most detectors go off way in advance even when the speed guns are pointed elsewhere but are switched on.

Check the foll: Clutch Plate, Pressure plate, Cluth Washers...(Devinda and I experienced this first-hand at the Classic Car Rally last Sunday) and possibly the Links.

G.S Motors in Panchi had the whole kit. We did a Mark II GX 110 about a month ago.

Yeah...saw a Triumph Spitfire like SupraNatural's being restored and a prog. on 300+ Bhp VW Beetles. You can send feedback to: [email protected]

Yes..now that you pointed it out....kicking my self for jumping the gun on that We remember our company having an EP 70 series Soleil ages ago as well. Great car as most of the Toyotas of that era but this was an era when people were used to larger (saloon) cars. I do remember the rear door used to make a racket despite regular adjustments. The only worry would be the availability of parts for a vehicle of this age.

Got mine from Mustafa in Singapore (Made in Finland) 6 to 12 months ago. The phone is great to use with a good calendar and scheduling function, ease of sms and decent battery life. Browsing the net is also fairly easy. The only cons are that the key board needs getting used to with the keys being smaller than your standard phone and that the camera quality is also fairly ordinary. I had some software issues where the phone used to get stuck often and got it reinstalled. Still the phone gets stuck once in a while when I try several functions at once. I think this can be fixed with a software upgrade but haven't had the time to get it done. Besides that the phone if fairly solid and is good for heavy use.

You can get the chain checked for wear and decide on replacement. When we buy a car which has high (or doubtful - which is mostly the case) mileage this is what we usually do. Full service with under carriage inspection. Replacement of belts, washers etc (checking timing chain in Nissans) irrespective of the mileage. Change of engine, gearbox and diff oil. Change of filters (oil, air, a/c). Checking (replacement/servicing) of brake system, pads and liners. A fuel system, throttle-body cleanup or total tune-up. Checking of plugs and changing if required. Check cooling sytem, radiator etc. Electrial Service - Alternator, Starter motor, battery checkup. Vehicle system scan - You can get this done at the agents or any leading garage with a analyser/scanner. You can check the status of the Airflow, Crank and Cam sensors. Replacement of tyres if needed and wheel alignment/balancing. Checking of all switches, A/C vents, general trim, sound systems and making all repairs and replacements. Any paint or bodywork and touchups. Cleaning of headlamps. Repair and replacement of seatcover material. Interior shampoo/ vacuum. Rubber Carpeting. Removable carpets - The standard full set from Arpico Changing to a fresh number plate also helps to refreshen the car sometimes.

Hi Malaka, Our company runs a few Mark II cars. Can get you in touch with one of our mechanics. Pop me a mail on milindumATgmailDOTcom Since you are in Kandy, you can check with Kundasale Motors.

I remember seeing something similar at Aries Services in Kalubowila (Google them). They are the local agent for Clarke automotive equipment from UK and stock a lot of interesting items. I picked up a battery jump start from them sometime back.

Try Ceylon Oxygen (0112 524381). You can also check with hospitals and medical supplies places. Good Luck!

Thanks GMI. I think we will have to invest in one of the mentioned scanners since the target group is mainly post 1998 vehicles (Specially the FB15, N16, NZE 121 etc. The portability is a big plus as well.

We are looking to pickup a vehicle diagnostic scanner for the workshop. I'm yet to try out the agents but Launch, Carman and Autoboss are the recommended brands. It will be used mostly on common fleet type Nissan and Toyota models. Any suggestions?

Not sure about the SB 14 but we ran quite a few SB13 cars. They had issues pulling up the hills, heating issues and engine wear problems but these were touring cars that ran around 250k+ A friend of mine FN 15 model pulsar with a diesel plant (not sure of the diesel chassis code) which was fairly noisy and slow but economical. If you are determined on a diesel, why not look at the Corolla CE100/110 or Wagon options. They are a bit more refined, harder wearing and parts as easier to comeby (you hardly get SB 14 around )

For road noise reduction, there are several options that we use depending on the type of car. Under Coat Spray (Available with paint shops and with garages that do painting. CIC and Wurth have their brands as well). You can determine the tickness on application. A similar subtance is used on the lining of the bin on double cabs. Most ppl apply this as a thin layer to prevent corrosion. Wurth Sound Deadening panels - These are quite effective but wasn't viable for fleet use due to the cost. You can almost get euro car levels of insulation if you use enough of this stuff. I last got a quote about a year back but can't remember the prices. McFoil - We use this mostly in vans mainly as a heat reflector against engine heat but there is a certain degree of noise reduction. Its a fairly cheap option. There is a lot of information online about noise reduction but never had the time to implement

We use a Silocone spray from Wurth meant to lubricate the beadings and the shutters. It can be due to the motors or warped rubber beadings.

We had an LN 106 which was horrible to run with the front leaf springs compared to the 107 models in the company fleet. So we did a full ARB job hoping that it would improve the ride (comfort). The kit didn't help much. The ride improved marginally but only after we reduced the springs at the back and added a steel rear buffer for weight. I feel ARB is good if you are using the vehicle for heavy loads, towing or serious offroading. But the ride will become stiffer and less comfortable. Depends on what you wan't really.

Cheapest places to lease are the banks. Specially if you have a good credit rating/ history and a relationship with the bank. But the regulations and policies are a bit on the strict side where the bank might accept only a vehicle below a certain age. The leasing companies are a bit easier on you but the rates can be as much as 5-6% higher (Effective Rates). If you are a non vat registered entity, a hire purchase is marginally cheaper when it comes to registered vehicles as VAT is not applied. A car loan might also be a good option as the interest is usually charged on a reducing balance. Bit unlike the lease or the hire purchase, the interest rates are usually floating. It might be worth waiting a week or two as the rates are tipped to drop another 1-2%.

I think there are two red cars. One is owned by Mr. Kumal Paul and there is another car which comes for Vintage Car events. There is also a White coloured one which comes for events but not sure who owns it.

We just flogged an Auto 300- regd AE100 (1994) basic 1500cc for 1 mil this week. Had done over 250k but with full service record.

We had a 96 Vitara 4 door which was virtually given away for 1mil about 3-4 years ago. Being a manual, it did around 7-8km/l. One issue we had was finding parts though the Vitara is a relatively more common model. Im guessing the KIA spares are even harder to find. This makes them harder to get rid of but cheap to buy. Wouldn't recommenend gas conversion since most of these are Efi units. Besides that the vehicle was quite reliable.

Our company runs an Allion with a Chinese TV/DVD/Radio/Reverse Camera system. Everything was fine other than for the radio reception out of town (TV is never that great on these systems). Pulled it out and plonked in a Pioneer CD/Radio. I also heard that some of the better known brands are available on Keyzer St. Pettah for a fraction of the cost. I'm yet to check it out. On another Allion, we fitted a Kenwood DVD/ Radio player (Ab@ns Discount Sale @ 40% off) and a seperate Malaysian slideout screen with a built in TV tuner (P*tco). Everything is fine so far and it was cheaper than a branded TV/DVD unit. We were told a reverse camera can also be fitted on for an addtional 12.5k.

The real L/G Touring wagons have coil spring sus at the back. We had a Petrol one which had an AE110 chassis code (1999 model).