Scooter

Sylvi, thanks for telling us about the BMW being used by pollies in SL. I had always assumed that the choice of security sedans would have been in the Mercedes camp. (As an aside I remember being gobsmacked in 1981 when President Zia of Pakistan, who was in Colombo for an official visit, gave me a cheery wave from the window of the official Mercedes in his motorcade as he floated past me on Galle Road). Anyway after the info you provided about the BMWs I just had to hive off to find their security site: http://www.bmw-security-vehicles.com/security_vehicles/en/index.html Maybe have a look, when you get a minute, at the pictures of the "shot up in a test vehicles"! And what about the special tyre systems and the doors and the air quality packs? Amazing stuff, eh. The cars must be super heavy, though. I wonder what the top end performance is? The other appealing thing on that BMW site is that they sell second-hand security vehicles.....maybe we should buy a couple.....be good in the supermarket parking lot, eh?

iR, was the long Moke like this rare thing?: http://media.photobucket.com/image/6%20wheel%20mini%20moke/mini500_2006/Moke/Moke021.jpg (Hope link works) Met him once at a UniNSW Seminar back in the 90s. have to say he didn't come across as entirely convincing. Good news about the ladies, likely he'll have a bit more time up his sleeve these days for that sort of thing, who am I to criticise? :-)

Yep, iRage, you'd be right that there is a lot of the propaganda stuff with ex-Pres Horta but he's gotta be a gutsy guy to drive a Moke around Dili where he got a couple of bullets in the belly from an assassin not long back. He seems to like his cars in a regular blokey way. Apart from the government SUVs and things, he's got the Moke and a beach buggy and a VW Beetle in his garage...can't be all bad despite Timor not being exactly a paradise on Earth.

Gawd, Terra, those doors are thick! Can you imagine getting your fingers in the door-jamb,,,,arrrgh. Do you know if the doors are power operated?

However, across the ocean in Timor Leste, they do things differently. Here's President Horta toodling in for a meeting in his usual transport: Hey, I make no comment, whatsover. I'm just having an enjoyable day off work and bludging on the net! Sylvi, thanks for getting us into this interesting topic area. The top team always have interesting cars.

However, if the top-man in Washington has a few friends along for the weekend, well, there's always "The Bus":

Bit of a giggle here as "The Beast" doesn't do too well in Dublin: and here's the crowd making appropriate responses, oh the embarassement: ...they had to get a whacking great recovery vehicle to tow it away!

Lancer This is a really intriguing carbie set up you've got. Not much on the web. That PHH stuff I posted ain't going to be much use to you cos the PHH setup is more like a Webber. So, it's a downdraft with twin chokes on yours? Came across this - cos I enjoy a hunt and I'm having a bludgy day off work today - 2 part article that references working on some Mikunis on Mitsis: http://www.mastertechmag.com/pdf/1988/05may/198805IS_Mikuni2Barrel.pdf http://www.mastertechmag.com/pdf/1988/07jul/198807IS_Mikuni2Barrel.pdf

Lancer, Here's a technical bulletin/schematic of a downdraft solex and other stuff on rebuilding them..... the african samba link there is pretty detailed...... the stuff might be of some help to you with the Mikuni: http://www.g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=87&t=121260 I don't think Solex and Mikuni parts are interchangeable but the technology and the parts and the way they work is the same

Lancer, looks like you have a Mikuni Solex on the vehicle. Is it a downdraft carb? Here is some stuff on sidedraft Mikunis that might be a little help: http://www.190slgroup.com/tech/clamps/Wolf-Creek-Info.pdf http://www.190slgroup.com/tech/clamps/Mikuni-PHH.pdf Seems these Mikunis might also have been fitted to some Toyotas. Good luck with the project.

Cali, you seen the 3-year lease package (pretty hard to get one, though) on the little all-electric US Honda Fit? Bloody amazing monthly price, ain't it considering it covers all the outgoings.

You go for it, Sylvi. I admire you for being prepared to think about something automotive and being prepared to get your hands dirty. Projects mightn't always be successful but I reckon you get a bit of fun and enjoyment out of it all. Next time I'm in Colombo we'll have an arrack and a bit of a natter about the good days of motoring, that's a definite.

Does this video help? I think the Vauxhall motor here is a bigger version of the 1.5 Isuzu diesel you have in your car. If I'm wrong, sorry.

Don't know this particular setup. Here's a catalogue with lots of diagrams: http://www.mikunipower.com/catalog/MikuniCarburetorCatalog2012.pdf (I remember it loads real slow) ,,,,,might get ya out of trouble. Lots of Mikuni stiff on the web....popular on the bike......try a search like "mikuni+pdf" and ya'll get some useful stuff, Enjoy the strip down/rebuild and, remember, white fluffy towel on the bench to catch those bits we always drop and those springs that always spring.

I'm not sure I believe my ears, but - anyway - here it is:

Engine Workshop Manual 4G9 http://109.87.33.216/manuals/auto/Mitsubishi/20.pdf

Mazda 626 GF full Workshop Manual: http://109.87.33.216/manuals/auto/mazda/116.pdf

Full Honda Civic EG8 Workshop Manual: http://109.87.33.216/manuals/auto/Honda/58.pdf

Sylvi, the full Malaysian accident report on the Lear Jet used to be around but, like yourself, I couldn't come up with a link now. However, here is a link to the Sri Lankan official investigation report + part of the Malaysian report (read starts at page 445): http://books.google.com.au/books?id=5xsnq5NW0IcC&pg=PA445&lpg=PA445&dq=upali%2Bmalaysian&source=bl&ots=jZBJsxxiyP&sig=65_bJTK7LgsmuhfP1nWvc9d0tbw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Nt

The official Malaysian report of their enquiry into the circumstances of the disappearance of the Upali jet is floating around on the net. Interesting read, worth a search. The investigators speculate but reach no definite conclusions. So what cars have been made in SL apart from the Upali Mazda and Fiat, and the Micro? BMC had an assembly operation? ....and were there some Triumph Heralds screwed together? Any others in the dim distant past that we know of?

OK, OK, I know I said I was going to chuff off for a while and let the young folk adjust their dress but how could I not resist briefly contributing to this significant topic. Probably the best thread on AL, at the moment, actually. Anyway, here's a car-focussed write up on Upali: http://www.island.lk/2004/02/13/featur01.html What a guy! Loved his businesses, his cars, his horses, his dogs and a whole lot more beside. In Oz some folk still remember the story of how he was there for a short visit, was going to the races for a day, and splurged $150k on a horse so he would have something to cheer on. They say he was a pretty decent driver on the track too. Even after all these year since his Lear jet went down, he is remembered by name by many in the international business-community. Some say that with the Mazda and the Fiat initiatives he was steering the SL industrial base in a direction it's a pity it didn't take. Plenty of room for discussion there, though. I believe the Mazda Luce had a rotary engine in Japan at some stage of its life, but I could be wrong. Drove a Mazda 1500 a few times in the early 80s....sweet looking European-style body, well screwed together, thought it could have done with a bit more guts in the engine bay (but I would have been used to beefy Fords at the time) but it loped along OK once you get the speed up. Is anything left at Upali's old factory sites to reflect what happened there? Anybody want to do a bit of urban exploration and bung up a few pics of anything left of the buildings?

Back in the time machine and it's off to 2004 and the AutoLanka administrator imploring: Hi guys, First of all we are happy to see more and more people join and participate discussions which carrying out in this AutoLanka forum. However recently we noticed that some people are using inappropriate vulgar/obscene materials when posting messages. To prevent that and to maintain a “civil” and “friendly” environment in here we came up with few forum rules. We hope all of you guys will respect them and follow it when you post messages in this free forum in the future. • You may only register one User ID. Multiple IDs are not allowed. • No posting of vulgar or obscene material, or other material inappropriate (if you really want to type something like that at least type first letter and put rest of the world like “$%#^”...which look bit civilized) • No derogatory comments against other posters, including slurs based on race, religion, gender, sexual preference, or political affiliation. No personal threats or harassment. • No commercial posts without authorization from the Admin Please appreciate the fact that AutoLanka receives a wide spectrum of guests ranging from very young ages to the elderly, male and female and thus we need to keep the site suitable for all. Not to mention professional. Thanks in advance for your cooperation. Administrator [email protected] Ah, plus ça change, plus c'est la meme chose, as we used to say in the old days in the Automobile Association Club bar, whacking down a Rockland or two and chewing on the odd devilled prawn and sucking on a Havana, while the peon loitered outside rubbing down the Mayflower with an oily rag...and all the while we understood the good lady was waiting at home with bated breath for our return...terrific times, eh, Silvi. Anyway, for me, it's off to new pastures for a little while so as to let the young fellas me lad settle down and adjust their trousers. Toodle-pip old bean!

Ah, the Automobile Associations. I had happy years working for the AA in the UK where I was involved in the mapping and the hotel inspection side of things. My father-in-law used to enjoy the hospitality of the AA Club bar in Colombo. I still have his old membership card in the family archieves. I know that he was very keen on fuel economy devices on his Ford Consuls but none of them proved very effective.

....and do flip through the numbers at the bottom of the screen to get the full set of videos. You will love the different car marques. One of the drivers on these Oz rallies was by the name of "Gellignite" Jack, his trick was to throw a lighted stick of Gelly behind the bush toilet when some poor soul was having a quiet dump, crazy but true!

Sylvi, you'll remember that Redex were big in supporting car rally stuff? Here's a short clip from an early Aussie one to warm your heart: http://aso.gov.au/titles/documentaries/1954-redex-trial/clip1/ ...a varied mix of vehicles, to be sure.