Devinda_Z

It is but the construction of most of those in circulation leaves much to be desired! I have a bad feeling most go with the shiny ones because they're colourful & cheap ?‍♂️ Various issues ranging from unwanted flex, rips, leaks Oil is another mess....so many issues, import licensing drama....?‍♂️

Supreme mostly has norml parts (new), filters and other consumables. They generally carry decent products, inventory for Subaru's and reputed brands. The family that owns Supreme is directly connected to Pleasure Racing Services. They have a good selection of parts for JDM performance cars in stock usually. I bought a used genuine branded/original item from Spec-J and had it couriered to me with no issues about 3-4 years ago. The part worked well ? In general, I am rather sceptical of vendors selling anything which looks like something that could have been sourced from Malaysia or China (despite the fancy boxes with barcodes!) As an example on hoses, I once got a quotation from Time Motorsports in the UK. They are an authorised reseller of SAMCO genuine products and I was directed to them by SAMCO themselves. The cost of a full kit of silicone hoses was GBP 680 approximately, excluding shipping! This begs a question as to how so many locally seem to be able to offer similar "Samco"silicone hoses for under LKR 20k with images which look suspiciously similar to those on AliExpress ads....? There are plenty who have suffered catastrophic component failure running these "duppa"or "replica" parts simply because they're either too naive to know or too cheap to splurge on the real deal.

@kadsa98 good to know there are options! Who runs Sunway? Lalana who was one of the original lead technician/partners at Vishwa has set up shop in Kurunegala I believe

@gayanath the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI/CISIR formerly) may offer this service apparently or so I was told but I can't seem to find any current information to corroborate the same though

Blackstone Labs would probably know ? Fair question though @gayanath - does anyone carry out used oil analysis locally? It would be useful I feel especially for fleet operators

@kush is right - the Mazda 6 has done quite well locally. If you can find a 2.5L even better! The european cars will fulfill most of your requirements but the reliability concerns given the age of the vehicles that will fall within a 5 Mn budget should not be discounted. The upside is that there are now a lot of high end workshops that handle euro cars so you have options other than just the agent but parts aren't exactly cheap

@Stealth try Drive1 the Agents or else Vishwa Motors in Boralesgamuwa who specialise in VW/Audi Group cars If it's a basic check for crash damage etc Car Checks in Kohuwala is also an option

@everyf4 your initial qualms are somewhat valid but i do need to set the record straight about some of the comments above. I do concede that a Forester might not work for your application if you need to be conservative in your choice when focusing purely on re-sale. However it is a glaring error to claim that Sri Lanka doesn't have proper agent - what would possess you to make such a claim?? Senok (Grandpass) have held the agency for Subaru for nearly 30 years in Sri Lanka! They have, in my personal opinion one of the best after sales and service divisions amongst the plethora of car companies represented in Sri Lanka. Sure they don't have a network of islandwide workshops like Toyota Lanka or a fancy workshop like D*MO 800 has for Mercedes/Jeep but they have an excellent team who actually take time effort and pride in their work. At the risk of sounding like a commercial for Senok's Subaru division I should point out that the workshop itself in Grandpass was upgraded last year. I've owned 4 Subaru's and have dealt with them for over a decade so i'm not talking based on a one off experience. Aside from the agent Senok, there a number of others who provide technical expertise when dealing with boxer flat fours which got @Kavvz excited. Nilanka in Kottawa has been fixing, servicing, converting & even tuning race cars for years. Then there are others like Platinum Auto Spa led by Sabry Abdul Salam who handle their share of Subaru performance cars from the racing circles as well. On the subject of parts, again this is a market misconception. Please don't think this is being directed at you @everyf4 - i mean no offense. I only wish to clear the air on this subject. The agents themselves carry parts for the newer models and for the variants they imported brand new (which is the same as all other agents) In addition common service parts are a non issue. 90's-2000's Subaru's (like some other Japanese cars as well) also occasionally shared parts with other Japanese manufacturers so there are occasionally bits like brake components, sensors etc that match more commons Nissans etc. Personally I have opted to get down things I need from the following sites : www.rockauto.com www.rhdjapan.com www.partsouq.com They all deliver here with little to no drama. If you want used parts, then off the top of my head the following usually carry stock - Body parts, lights, etc: Izumi, Taiyo, PowerAutoLamps/Mirai in Delkanda Mechanical parts / performance parts : Pleasure Racing Nawinna Service parts : Supreme Motorhouse Highlevel Road Full conversion kits/ performance parts : Top Level Performance Kotte, Jayasinghe Enterprises Belanwila In addition there are a number of smaller vendors who hand carry parts and maintain stock who can be found on Facebook etc. There are 2 main owners clubs that are very active (Flat4orce/Subaru Owners Club Sri Lanka) & the Forester Owners Club The clubs offer support by way of advice, support with sourcing and in the case of the Forester club which I know even have annual events which have even included trips, off road track days, meet ups etc. So i'm sure by now @everyf4 it is clear that Subaru in Sri Lanka has far more support than you give it credit for. I will admit that I can't offer you first hand advice about repair assistance up in the hill country but perhaps someone like @AVANTE may have insights. I know there a few owners up in the hill country and one party who does Forester conversions and upgrades up there as well (Ruwan). Most who have owned a Subaru, especially a turbo Subaru rarely stray from the brand (at least not for long!) and many of us have or have had, multiple models over the years. I can go on and on, but I won't I'm not suggesting you get one because as @iRage rightly said, they aren't easy to sell in that it doesn't have the mainstream appeal that other cars have simply because they were a special proposition and not many were willing to live with the high fuel consumption of the turbo+All wheel drive combination, but those in the know come looking for them and will even pay a premium to get their hands on these kinds of cars that have often been cared for by owners who are more enthusiasts rather than people buying travel appliances.

@varotone is right - a wagon might well be the answer to your space conundrum but i don't know if it'll cut the mustard in relation to your ride height issue. Also don't go strictly by the manufacture published height @everyf4 - you are dealing with used vehicles here with likely saggy suspension as well so if you're strict on clearance (130mm or whatever specifically) leave a margin just to be safe

Try JJ Lanka on Galle Road in Mount Lavinia - they have a fairly large range If not there are various places like Ichiro, Yunikon, Auto Mirai etc in Delkanda on High Level road which may also have

@Gummybrseriously??!!! After all that jumping and down with this whole Megapolis business is it really out the window??

@tiv in my hunt I also noted that the interiors on most Montero's were subpar. Cracked plastics, discolourations, seat rips, rattles.... Compared to other higher end vehicles i thought the interiors were a let down. We used a brand new imported Montero IO for a decade and a half almost and it was the picture of reliability and the interior was solid so it was a real let down to think the big brother premium full size Montero wore so poorly

I know @everyf4 said no left field brands but if a Harrier or RAV4 are in the fray perhaps consider a Subaru Forester ? Or even an Impreza or Legacy wagon? AWD, heaps of space and Japanese reliability with excellent manners on or (light) off road? If you bag one with a turbo you're in for a treat!

Not a must but i'm guessing you've carried out all the specified maintenance? Any particular reason you're focusing on the fuel tank? ?

https://www.jica.go.jp/english/news/press/2018/20190311_01.html https://www.clr.lk/project-progress.php

I think the Japanese government offered a grant for the LRT construction but that was for the overland monorail

How are all the fluid levels?

Slightly OT but regarding those UltraRacing chassis reinforcement bars - wouldn't the extra rigidity whilst helping with stiffening things up also affect the dynamics of how crumple zones come in to play in modern cars? Would it dissipate force in a crash to areas of the car (or occupant!) unintended and undermine manufacturer designed passive safety measures? ?

Yes, correct - Ultra Racing are or Malaysian origin

Yup that's the one! They've riced it with some "RS" stickets/badges placed above the "G's" ones ?‍♂️

@msham I've often found myself moving away from OEM or stock pads in favour of aftermarket (usually performance oriented) pads in order to improve braking characteristics There are compromises though - most performance or aftermarket pads (personal experiences with StopTech & EBC) tend to offer better bite or feel (this again varies based on the product line each manufacturer offers based on use) but this often comes at the cost of longevity. In certain cases when there is excessive friction from the pads it can wear out your rotors sooner than you'd like as well I've personally had a poor experience with some Brembo's locally but the agent is good/reputed and was keen to help rectify things. It may have been an anomaly given the usual stellar reputation Brembo has but keep in mind that not all Brembo's are made equally or have the fancy multi-pot callipers+discs to make the most of things. It ultimately depends on what you want out of the brakes and the models on offer to match the requirements Be careful to stay away from the really performance oriented ones as they're honed for track use which means they will be better when there is excess heat to contend and work to avoid brake fade from prolonged use. These can be borderline dangerous when used on a road car. Have look at brands like StopTech, Hawk, ProjectMu, Endless, EBC, Ferodo, Pagid etc - the good thing is that the pads are usually small enough if you order the front & rear axle sets separately to even make it home without being held up at customs on occasion as the packs are quite small but the disproportionate weight may cause it to be held as well

@iRage wasn't there some site to get the auction sheets checked or validated as well?

That's an interesting question Theoretically you can get modifications/changes (wheel size, colour etc) changed by informing the RMV along with a inspection at their technical division followed up specified payments The exhaust though also raises the issue of noise pollution and the specified decibel level (105db for horns?) so is it the kind of modification the RMV can/will sign off on at all??

@NadC the 6 speed normal automatic gearbox in the Mazda 2 is an absolute gem! One of the best conventional auto's IMO There is one car advertised in the Autolanka classifieds right now http://www.autolanka.com/view/mazda/2/80629.html

@Pericles don't forget that scam the cheapskates pull where they take the cars to the agent just for the service once every other interval or so - just to be able to show some records from Toyota or whoever but get their "maka bass" to handle any actual repairs!