HardHat

Komi, absolutely brilliant job mate! I followed every post in this thread - all 809 of them - over the so many months as it went on and its an absolute pleasure to see the end result. It was refreshing, for a change, to see someone actually focus on what matters, go through the level of dedication, research, have patience and attention to detail as needed to bring about a true restoration. Words cannot express the exhilarating feeling you get, when you've been involved in getting an automobile stripped to its last nut and bolt, laid your hands on every piece and then seeing it all come together one tiny step at a time and finally it all works!!!! And as you have already mentioned, it's not over yet - it never will be, you will probably continue to find little bits of tweaks and refinements to do for some time to come. Guess the next project will be the Datto? It's your choice end of the day but I'd say that Datto will look the best the way it rolled out of the showroom back then.

a lerner's permit doesn't give one permission to ride without a licensed rider in the pillion or following closely on another bike.anyway, nice Hawk mate - hope you'll restore it or at least keep it safe

You sir should have obtained my permission before you put pictures of my residence and my collection of fine automobiles on the internet!

Jaffna? heard that when the war was on, folks over there used to mix kerosine oil with petrol, as petrol was a bit hard to find / or was expensive. That might explain the messed up carbs and perhaps an underpowered engine due to high build-up of carbon.No issue as you will be changing the engine and carbs anyway

a repair place run by an insurance company? Wouldn't that raise a conflict of interest? The insurance company will most probably aim to keep the cost down rather than do a proper repair job. Not saying that other repair places around town do a proper job either

Why would anyone run a dedicated place / a business for colliding cars? Doesn't enough of that happen on the roads already? Is this some kind of "Demolition Darby" place?

yeap! that's what we used to do more often than not, to get granddad's Morris Minor or Austin A30 running.As for the new, flashy, premium rides are concerned, what the seller is probably trying to say is "push button start" well, it's not so a new feature anyway is it? Most old cars had a push button or a pull-knob for starting the engine, before the ignition key took over the job.

quote from a local advert for sale of a premium vehicle "......., push start, scoop light, multi function, height control, ......." spot the joke? and it appears many sellers in SL are referring to this feature of their vehicles with this incorrect term, which, if misunderstood, would make the vehicle rather less desirable to potential buyers.

would be next to impossible to think of a car which does well on all four criteria listed

ah, got it. I think it's to do with budget and cost cutting. They simply don't want to (or cannot) pay much to come up with new designs or even a little bit creative model names for that matter.

Very true... but let's face it - Toyota has been having a winning formula with Corolla for many decades now. They are selling shiploads of Corollas around the world every year so if it's not f#cked why try to fix or change it?In general, the Corolla is designed and built to perform in acceptable levels in a number of envoronments, ranging from tightly packed cities to highways and inter-states to rural roads full of potholes. So as the Corolla's features or performance may not feel well refined or well suited to any particular terrain or locality, it ticks many boxes of the mass motoring public - thus sells well.

and what has this got to do with my post?

The new shape hatch has been on sale in Aus for a few months now. One variant even comes with paddle shift. Drove one and felt like it's the same old platform undernethe new clothing. http://www.toyota.com.au/corolla/range?WT.ac=Toyota_ShowroomPage_Cars_Corolla_RangeandSpecs

People who buy vehicles usually first have a clue on whether they want a sedan or a hatchback or a van or an SUV or a pick-up, so on an so forth, based on what they intend to use the vehicle for, their life-style, the type of journeys and places they will go, how many people and how much gear they will have to carry, etc, etc.

Is it me does anyone else think that the supposed new X-Trail looks very much like the current Murano? Not sure if Nissan is going to loose the plot here as there are still a lot of people who like the boxy shape of the current X-Trail, which is somewhat distinct from the Murano, Dualis, Harrier, CRV, Sportage lot.

Mate, you claim to be the "Rough Rider" yourself so perhaps your car is trying to live up to your expectations sorry, that didn't help. Coffee machine out of order and bored to death this morning. Please do some basic checks as members have advised above, before a typical makabaas running a so-called garage around the corner suggest that a complete engine overhaul is needed. I would suspect the fuel filter as well, especially if you have an after market plug-and-paly thingy fitted.

absolutely. I think as croocks find a hundred different ways to circumvent proper rules, regulations, procedures and processes to get anything and everything done in SL, the general public and sometimes even the authorities are so confused on what's legit and what's not. This is more or less the same for anywhere in the world but SL could easily make Top 10 I guess.

whole vehicle imported legit or not? Guess not as it does not seem logical if authorities allowed importation of a whole vehicle intact for the purpose of replacing a body on an already registered vehicle (or chassis in this matter)

I thought you did and retro automobiles look a whole lot better when drivers and passengers dress the part. Kneepads? didn't know they were part of the kit back then. So that could be the origin of knee airbags we get in modern cars these days eh? I'm also in the process of searching for an old Nolan to match my '79 CBX. All modern helmets are so high tech that they seem out of place on a classic ride.

Thanks CJ5 yes I guess calling RMV is the way to go although info one gets from them is as clear as mud in the best of cases. Is there anyone in the forum who has gone through this process of obtaining a body permit and importing and fitting one - all legit?

great photo!MD you need a retro helmet and goggles

Mate why are you praying to God for a simple matter like a tyre change?

Hmmm.. yes I've seen a few vehicles being advertized here and there for sale as 'body permit' ones. And after seing the photos and stuff they looked like a whole new vehicle sporting an old number plate, rather than an old vehicle crowned with a new body. So what CJ5 says seem to make sense. Ok so while we are on the subject, appreciate if someone can shed a light on how do one apply for a body permit? Can any civilian do it? Can the whole body, interior trim, seats, instruments, wiring and stuff be imported or is it just the body? Are there any service providers arranging importing of 'bodies'?

tiv, A diesel 4x4 should be able to manage a few notches of wheel upsizing without much struggle, owing to the ample low end torque and the confirguration of the transmission. So guess you already know that as far as your Hilux is concerned. But any serious modifications including huge tyres and suspension lifts and all would also require changing the diff ratios as well, if to be done properly.