Supra_Natural

ah yeah machan.... thanks for relaying the message... my car was there too, did you see it?

This one has been floating around the net for awhile ne?, some of those things are not really accurate anymore.... MAzda for example..... the Jeep and LR ones are SPOT ON though...

sorry i didnt see this earler..... I guess it'll fetch whatever somebody is prepared to pay for it, but when i saw the first ad in the observer for this car, several weeks before, the asking price was 900,000..... subsequent ads dont mention price, so im hoping that was a misprint

ah yes, that was the one that was advertised in the Obs Classifieds some time ago as well ne? wording on the ad was the same.... I thought the asking price in that ad was just a Tad ridiculous, rebuilt or not.... has it come down even a bit?

FINALLY!!!! something got through.......

Sorry Peri, that was a tad outta line..... wont happen again.

Im not too sure about the current Microbus market.... but i CAN tell you that a few examples were up recently in the papers for around 3-350,000, in "good condition" according to the ads... still with VW engines (dunno if they were the originals though... Milindu might be able to give you some more detailed info..

Sorry Machan, I Over Reacted there...... you had every right to ask the question, and there was no way you could have known the scene about the ad..... anyway, being very honest, if had to pick a 4x4 i'd use on a PROPER expedition, the vehicle i'd pick would be a Toyota Land Cruiser!!! no hard feelings i hope? cheers S_N

XL7, Fronitier?? whatever for mate? Frontier is the Land Rover agent right? so what connection to Grand vitaras?

no probs.... glad to be of service... Cheers

Sarcasm is a foreign language to you isn't it?

ah hello, Its doing very well thank you.... fuel consumption is hovering around 4 in colombo, which is not too bad i supose.... it rides very decently, and goes EXTREMELY well.... as for your little insinuation about the resale value.... the vehicle i purchased (and what this thread is about), is the GRAND Cherokee.... the vehicle on sale for 6.8Mil with 3000Km up was a CHEROKEE, which is a COMPLETELY different vehicle... i know because i checked.... the picture in the paper was mixed up... please do get your facts straight before making statements Land Rovers are nice vehicles, but they are by no means the "Best", and there is absolutely no call to run down other peoples products intentionally or unintentionally just because you promote them... Cheers S_N

okay well, as i said above, the best option is to spend a bit more and buy a car which has had all the work done on it.... but if for whatever reason, you want to do a restoration... firstly, with beetles, there are no "Partial Rebuilds", if the car is taken apart, everything is going to have to be done, and rest assured that if there is visible corrosion on the floorpan (or, as in my case, Holes), then the whole thing will have to be redone. So if you are intending to rebuild, best to buy a fairlyy cheap, running car... and work from there. the rough cost estimate for mine is as follows 230,000 - cost of Car 150,000 - repairs. included complete rebuild of floorpan and chassis rails, re-fitting of doors, numerous mechanical repairs including overhaul of the braking system, and paint and polish. (note that this was not a complete paint job) 22,000 - Additional parts. included new Brake Master Pump, Entire set of door and window rubbers (beadings) plus various bits of trim. 27, 000 = 5 Roadstone 165/70 R15 Radials plus tubes. Total cost - 429,000 Approx as you can see, buying a "halfway" car is not the greatest option if you're going to have to rebuild. best bet would be to buy a 150,000 ish runner and start from there.. most parts are available in a few places in panchikawatte, but some take time to be brought down.... if you have relatives abroad, shipping it down will prove cheaper for smaller items. runing costs are pretty low once everything is sorted, properly tuned cars will do around 10KM/l in colombo, insurance on a value of 300,000 comes to around 12,000 comprehensive.... and you dont have Radiator repairs to worry about !! that about covers it..... i dont claim that this is a comprehensive guide... but it should provide a starting point. feel free to ask any questions do read everything possible about the car before buying one, a Manual like Haynes (from Vijitha Yapa) will provide some good insight. use judgement and dont rush and you should be fine... Cheers S_N below are some links that might be useful the discussion i initiated when loking for my beetle http://forum.autolanka.com/index.php?showtopic=3017 Wikipedia Article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Beetle Several beetle links http://www.maggiolinoweb.it/uk_links.html A Site Containing Owners manuals http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/type1.php A Californian parts site (Mods if this is not allowed, please delete) http://www2.cip1.com/ A general Info Site http://home.hiwaay.net/~jfrohwei/vwac/home.html and last but not least, pictures of my own rebuild.. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5759...mp;id=506251059 Good Hunting!!

okay, now to the important part, BUYING first decide which model you want - personal reccomendation would be post 1967 1300... best combination of features... Super beetles are More comfortable, but wont be as economical runners as the standard cars (maintainence-wise) while the 1300 engine has the best power/economy compromise.. the 1200 is a bit slow, bigger ones are thirstier and rarer the next step is to find the right car..... a trawl through the major papers (esp sinhala ones) which have classifieds will provide several prospective buys... even the AL classifieds have a few up at the moment an early one(oval window) http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=1800 a 50/60's example with the large rear window http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=2126 a supposedly 1970 car with alloy wheels http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=1710 a modded 1967 car http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=1616 a couple of super beetles http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=2845 http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=2808 .. as you can see from the above, the price range is HUGE... basically, realistic running cars can be got from around 150k-200k up, although at that price there will be a lot of sorting out to do.... a decent runner with nothing major to sort will be around 350,000-375,000, while near Mint standard cars will be in the 400-450,000 range. Super beetles being rarer will cost more, and one that has been done up (AC CAN be fitted) will be priced around 500,000 additionally, some people will go totally over the edge with their pricing.... a 1970 1302 advertised recently wih "Alloys, sports exhaust and Racing Seats", as well as a "herbie" paint job was being quoted at 900,000!!! incidentally, outstation provides a better chance of getting good cars at lower prices than the colombo area. it is adviseable to look at several cars before making the final decision, preferably take a mechanic who knows beetles along with you.... even that is no guarantee of getting a good car, i myself looked at 27 (yes 27!) and still bought one that needed some major work, so use good judgement. Next, what to check... the biggest problem with beetles is corrosion.... the car comes in two basic sections, the bodyshell and the Chassis/Floorpan section, which holds all the mechanicals, the car can rot so bad that the ENTRE chassis will have to be rebuilt, which is what happened to mine.... and even if the seller says that the corrosion has been repaired,even that is nt a guarantee of success, as to do the job properly, the two sections have to be completely separated as above..... most garages just dont bother because of the difficulty involved.... they fix it by just raising the body a little, which doesnt work entirely.... so this needs to be checked... corrosion repair is a messy business, so it is best to get a car that is in good nick and avoid it altogether, Areas to inspect Body check under carpets, get underneath the car (or put it on a hoist if you can), check around the edges of the bonnet and engine lid. check the heater channels (the bit under where the door closes) as well as the fit of the doors themselves. see the floorboards, light surface corrosion on the surface is ok(but cars without are even better), any more and just walk away, dont be afraid to poke into areas that look rusty, if it gives to the pressure, leave the car alone. also check all door and window rubers for possibility of leaks, sorting them out is a NIGHTMARE!! one area that is important to check is the CHASSIS HEAD where the body and chassis connects... if this corrodes, it compromises the entire structure, this can be noticed by a "wandering" feelng in the steering. the only sure way to check this from above is to remove the fuel tank, as that is impractical, you will have to crawl under the car to take a look.. Beetle engines are basically bombproof, but do check for oil leaks, a drop or two is normal, any more can be a problem.... remember that the beetle relies on oil for cooling as well so ensure that the oil level is topped up! Also, check that equipment such as lights, wipers etc is fully functional.... sourcing replacements is increasingly difficult. additionally, MAKE SURE THAT ANY ADDITONAL EQUIPMENT SUCH AS RADIOS AND FOGLIGHTS HAVE BEEN PROPERLY WIRED, as the wiring sytem AND the fuel tank are in the front bay, an electrical fire can have catastrophic consequences!! on the test drive, listen for any abnormal noises from gearbox, engine and suspension.... the engine has a unique (and loud) note but excess noise/smoke/backfring indicates an issue. Ensure that the gearbox shifts smoothly (and that the reverse selector works) check to see that the steering has no "dead zone" (where when the steering is moved slightly left to right the wheels dont move). After the test drive check for leaking engine oil or hydraulic fluid. that covers the major areas, but one thing you should keep in mind is BUY THE BEST CAR YOU CAN AFFORD..... sorting a halfway good car out will always cost more than the original estimate..... speaking from experience most importantly, there are plenty of beetles to be found so DONT RUSH.. (end of Part 2)

umm.. i tried to add pics to illustrate the article but it says "too many pics" i'll post the rest of the guide in a bit

The Volkswagen Beetle (A.K.A. Type 1, KDF-Wagen, bug....) is probably THE most recognised car on the face of the earth.... production of the beetle finaly ended in 2003 in Mexico, by which time a little over 22 Million (NOT a misprint) of these fine cars had been built in a career that lasted for almost 60 years, making it far and away, the vehicle with the highest ever production figures. the basic design stemmed from Adolf Hitler's idea in the mid 30's to prduce cheap transport for all citizens in Germany, and the basic design (first produced in 1937) was so right that it lasted with minor modificatons and upgrades, all the way until 2003. the beetle was initially produced in the VW Factory in Wolfsburg, Germany.... production there ended in 1978, when production shifted to Brazil and Mexico, and continued till its eventual death in 2003. this link provides an in depth article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VW_Beetle moving on, of the 22 million cars produced, according to various sources, just over 2000 Beetles are running on the roads in Sri Lanka.... apparently the very first car being brought down in 1948!! so the choice is wide. for those who are contemplating buying a beetle.... several factors need to be kept in mind.. First: which model to choose... the beetle has gone through an amazing number of variants and variations on the basic theme from day one, and a detailed analysis of all of them will take an entire book, so i'll simply break them down into the basic models that we are likely to find in numbers in Sri Lanka.. 1. Split Window - 1949-1952 - earliest (and of collector value) identified by the small rear window divided by a centre bar, very basic specification, 6V electrics and cable operated brakes. not really suitable for day to day running anymore, and also very rare. Generally found on Pre "Sri" Licence plates. Engines - 1100cc, 1200cc 2. Oval window 1952-1958 - identified by the lack of a central bar in the rear window, slightly more numerous than oval window cars, still with 6V electrics, Hydraulic brakes introduced by the early 50's.. signal lights moved to the tops of the front wings (Semaphore, a.k.a "Hand Signal" indicators used before). later models are more practical. Engines - Most are 1200CC, may have had engines replaced with 1300's 3. Large rear window 1959 - 1967 - Small oval back window replaced by large one, progressive improvements over the years in interior and exterior, still with 6V electrics, Engines - 1200CC (most common) 1300CC 4. Post 1967... Beetles made after 1967 are the most practical choices if frequent usage is an objective, improvements to the braking system, rear axles and clutch, as well as fitment of things such as two-speed wipers, better door locks and most importantly, a 12v electrial system, make it fairly practical compared to it's predecessors. esiest method of identifying is that post 1967 beetles have headlights that stand vertically. earlier cars have sloping headlights. Engines : 1200CC 1300CC (Most Common), 1500CC 5. Super Beetle (1302, 1302S, 1303) - really a different car in some ways, also known as the "Pregnant Beetle", it is longer by several inches (mainly in the nose), looks somewhat ill proportioned, but has better luggage space and a much bigger fuel tank. also has a more advanced front suspension system which gives a much smoother ride but at the expense of parts being more expensive and harder to find... (engines, 1300CC, 1600CC)... the later cars came with a padded dashboard and also a curved windscreen... generally much rarer in sl Tech specs (general) along with a list of model year changes (note: mainly for the American market, could be different here) http://home.hiwaay.net/~jfrohwei/vwac/home.html Some General info (Dealing with post 1967 beetles) "Kane Mile" - reffers to beetles which have crescent shaped air intake vents behind the side rear windows, this came generaly in addition to a engine lid cover which had slats / vents (all beetles have a set of intake vents below the back window, these extra vents are on the ENGINE LID... however, these vents CAN be incorporated into earlier engine lids as well...) interiors : standard beetles came with a metal dashboard that was painted the same coulor as the exterior until the mid 1970's, later cars had plstic covering but still a flat dash... the LAST super beetles came with a entirely different padded dashboard. Tail Lights, small triangles with brake, signal, park and reverse until mid 70's wen they became the big round "Elephant foot lights" Alternator/Dynamo - dynamo cars have slower battery charging, slightly dimmer headlights and a slight reluctance to start... alternator conversion can be done on most dynamo cars (End of Part 1) Note: the above secton was written entirely by myself to assist potential buyers of a beetle. t is lkely to have various mistakes in relation to specs etc, so please feel free to correct me if im wrong, or ask any questions.... the following post will deal with the buying part...

dude SERIOUSLY, it gets annoying when you keep trying to push the same damned point!!! also, changing shocks and a power window malfunction hardly counts as serious issues mate, try to remember that the FB15 was introduced in 1998!! that's right, 9 YEARS AGO

umm actually, right hand drive vehicles are assembled in Austria, when you add VAT it actually isnt cheaper than any toyota or nissan of similar size ( Prado etc), not in Sri Lanka anyway...... also, thank you for your opinion, but if you read the WHOLE thread you'll realize that i already bought one.... welcome to AL btw

here are some recent ads for carinas btw.... http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=2721 http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=2859 http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=2850 and a decent AE110 http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=2864 cheers S_N

spot on GTAm, no self-respecting terrorist is going to even attempt to target ANY of these jokers... it serves their purpose much better to have them all in office, screwing things up.... The only one they even tried was GR, and recent evidence has proved that they really shouldn't have bothered, hes just as incompetent as the rest!!

without wishing to sound pessimistic mate, this is Sri Lanka, things CAN get worse.... so lets hope they dont...

eerm... tough one, okay wild guess, Daihatsu Charade Diesel?

how much did you'll buy it for machan?

hmm... how about Gioacchino Colombo's 1947 design for Ferrari?, as used in the 1947 125S? that i believe had a displacement of 1497cc and approx 100Hp@7000Rpm...

umm... Perhaps the Toyota Prius?