MaleCortana

Maybe some foam material between the seat and floorboard might fix the squeak?

Buuut you'll have to find the errant screw inside the dashboard to stop that rattle... not something most mechanics would consider worth disassembling the dashboard for

@Hyaenidae Yeah that's the issue, but it is so loud dude, no point in me spending so much on the suspension and related tit bits if the car dashboard is just rattling like a jackhammer, so frustrating. 

Thats going to burn a huge hole in your pocket. Its true you get too tempted when you find it difficult to save some money. I am drawn towards model cars, RC and watches... very expensive stuff nowadays.

@Gummybr yessir, I made a decent return on some crypto but then I saw some Omega Speedmasters on Chrono24 and hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

@matroska haha you bet, not sure if I want to sell the Camry, but I kinda want to see what the other side of reliability has to offer, regardless of any car I get its only going to be a weekend toy since my 9-5 is WFH 

Buy an old hacked (which is what most of them are underneath the shiny clearcoat) german or any other euro for the matter and you will soon be on your knees for that camry again. 

Try to get a project without selling the Camry.

@AVANTE makes sense, just means it'll take a bit longer for the capital to come around but should be worth it

Most big boy toys kinda dip under half on highways or long cruises. And you Toyota fellas are trying to create trouble. * Cries in Alfa Romeo 156 *

Hope Thermostat is present and functional.

wayin red with bejj interiyal. Premio ciyanne agamac mcn. 

On a serious note - How do you rate the noise insulation on the Premio vs the camry?  

I fully understand the appeal for the Premio by the masses - it's a simple reliable appliance that gets you from A-B and it generally survives a bout of makabassery so for your doctor friend it is possibly the 'ideal' car.  One premio owner mentioned that the lighter coloured interior has a calming effect on him after a stressful day at work and for people like him the car should be just a trouble free appliance that gets him back home without any drama. Not for anyone with a smidgen of enthusiasm for cars though. 

Well....don't forget that the Premio 260 is actually a car from 2007 based on a platform that is at least another 7 years older. So...what you get in terms of features and performance is what was there in the 2000s. In the mid 2010s Toyota stuck safety features to keep the car road legal in Japan but that was also not very good (as it was an after thought).

People in SL are crazy about the Premio/Allion just for this reason. It is old technology and is reminiscent of (or akin to) the Corollas and Carinas of the 80s and 90s they themselves or their parents bought and just ran with minimal maintenance.

By your description I am 100% certain you drove the 1.5 (so the G Superior badge is just a fake one). The 90% of 1.5L variant that were sold here seem to be fleet vehicles (rental cars, business cars, taxis). I recall seeing only a very few 1.5L variants owned by "families" and almost all of them by old people who are definitely retired. The 1.5L is perfect for sitting around in traffic (as most fleet vehicles would). The 1.8 and 2.0 variants are so so different and these are the ones that were popular with non-fleet buyers.

Irrespective of the variant, the Premio/Allion just stopped being popular in Japan around 2012ish as the car was outdated and it was obvious. Cars like the Axela (which were now large and felt premium as the Premio) sold much better. The joke that Toyota kept producing the Premio/Allion just because of the car exporters is actually true.

@fiat fan yep pearl white, car broke in Arugambay, the throttle sensor module got jammed for some reason and it refused to accelerate (would just idle).

@matroska tbh I like the Camry's insulation better, but I like the noises my engine gives when i give it the full beans so I'm not the best person to ask this. Also yeah, that car has not been maintained at all, we learnt there was no coolant in the radiator after we went to Arugambay. The mechanic we found also took one look at the throttle area and said "the owner of this car doesnt drive fast does he?", needless to say I gave it a good Italian tune (drive it like you stole it, much to its discomfort, and a weird belt noise that came from the front idk). Also lmao "calming" istg these guys will come up with the most absurd shit to justify a purchase.

@iRage bingo, it was a 1.5, honestly if you could afford the fuel, I'd 100% choose a Mark X or a newer Camry over this everyday of the week and twice on Sunday. I remember going full throttle for a good 10 -15 seconds only to be like "wtf do you mean I'm only doing 60!?!" when the Camry would be in the triple digits, I guess just difference in needs and wants

Once one of my colleagues wanted to test drive my CHR. That's the only instance I got to ride in the back seat. It was a nice experience.

Must've been a surreal experience haha

I guess most of the time its the case. Its same with me  cz i hate sitting in the back and not driving.

Happy new year to you and Bess !

Happy New Year!!! 

@Hyaenidae haha thanks buddy, padinawa hadanawa, restaurent eke wathura order karanawa, that is the life!

@PerfMad haha! Yes that's where I got her fixed, took only a day :D, have to do a cold start to see if issue is fixed, they used the RAV4 Kit (2AZFE and Gearbox are the same)! 

Well You've been naughty during the last year and Santa knows it 😛 

Enjoy the early Christmas (2) ! 

@matroska looks like it!

Yes...black (dark) color cars are a pain in the rear to maintain. Bird poop does that to all colors...it is just that the black shows it more. You need to keep it waxed (paste to start and liquid to maintain) and/or use a good coating like AUTOGLYM's Ultra Shine or a Chemical Guys Synthetic detailer or quick detailer.

It gets worse when they age and the little dings, scratches and swirl marks begin to show. If you have a new coat of paint waxing will slow down the process. Darker colors like maroon etc. too show age quickly. 

@AVANTE @iRage @matroska Thanks guys I shall try to take this advice, I'm really struggling for time when it comes to taking care of the paint. The paint is already swirled up and has spots I have no idea why. Let me give it some attention over the Winter Break.

@Educated_Buyya bruddah DM me, 2.5 mil is too much, I will give for 2.0 mil also will throw G Superior Badge for you

@MaleCortanamehemai.. adama wadey karanawa.. im coming from dehiaththakandiya... mama dan pitawenawa gedarin.. 18ta close karamu da? 

It seems the buyyas are getting desperate now 

Selling the barge now would mean the potential buyers would low-ball it - you'd lose out. I get the fuel rationing is tough specially for them barges - but it would be such a waste to let her go. 

Box Lancer's are cool AF - I got one as a beater till the starlet get's fixed :it's loads of fun to drive. 

I moved to public transport. Cant be bothered to refuel every week for 3-4 days worth. Might as well fill it up and keep for personal emergencies.

@Hyaenidaeyeah that is true, I might keep it for a year more and get a beater on top of the Camry.

@matroska that is true, now is not the time to sell, especially with quota system and high fuel prices.

@Gummybr I've started to walk, anywhere that is 5km in range, I walk XD

How much did the R16's cost @Hyaenidae 

OT - are you living in that area?

Thanks @Hyaenidae I went and bought some 195s!

@matroska 27000/- per tyre back in April 2022

Accelera Eco Plush 215/60R16

@PerfMad hmm seems like a bit of surgery, but sounds like a cool RetroFit job. Do you have any suggestions to whom might be able to do this?

@MaleCortana Try Pet#o lanka. They do these kind of things. Once they have done similar job like that for a friend of mine taking a Aux in cable out from the headunit. you can also do something similar or ask them to insert an aftermarket bluetooth gadget inside and wire it. May be some good audio shops also can do these kinda things. This is the only option for you to keep the existing one and have bit of modern tech in it  

@PerfMad I have a good experience with them, I shall try it! Thank you very much.

@MaleCortana I'm getting constant 15+kmpl readings from the onboard computer by not exceeding 2000RPM + Coasting like mad

Low to moderate traffic tho

I managed to pump a full tank of 95 last week and ran on a cocktail of 92 +95 previously  - fuel figures haven't changed. I keep the revs just around 2000. The civic does 16-17 KMPL on long distance runs. Within Colombo it drops to around 12. But mostly I use the Starlet for city/suburb runs. 

@Hyaenidae my onboard reading is waaayyy off. I should probably get my spark plugs checked. I have no idea why its guzzling gas at this rate.

Embrace the rattles and squeaks.  The civic thankfully doesn't make too much noise - but the starlet makes up for that : But in a way it just reminds me the damn thing has been alive more than me - has seen the fall of communism, probably survived a couple of earthquakes in Japan, survived an insurgency, a civil war, bombs, a tsunami and still lumbers on - it's earned it's right to rattle and squeak! 

are you sure it is the seat and not your knee, hip and elbow joints ?

@matroska true true, although my Camry has seen Sri Lankan roads from Day one 😕 

@iRage I'll have you know that I am extremely physically fit! XD hahahah but should lose some weight maybe that will help 😛 

I've seen this video - he seems to be doing a decent resto.

What I don't like about this Video (just the video) is how they market it using KMPL and as a replacement for a tuk -and not as a classic. This is the problem with  old car scene in SL  and the whole mess. People tend to think of a classic as a replacement for their Scooter, Bike or Tuk : not considering that they require a lot of TLC and is costly... they get the under the tree mechanic in the village to mess up the carb to get more KMPL and then with the messed carb, you have to do a bahirawa pooja each morning to get the damn thing to start. 

Regarding land - well it might be a good idea to get it in an accessible place not too far off. My late uncle bought a significantly large plot  of land in the Badulla District  - somewhere around Hali-Ela area if I'm not mistaken. It was rather in accessible and after the excitement died down he kind of forgot all about it - many years later there was a massive landslide in the area and the land was not able to be located. The authorities requested him to visit Badulla to discuss the matter/ identify the land or something but as he was terminally ill  he never went and I think that was the end of that plot of land. 

Yes...these things are rare....like unicorn rare...so anything of this vintage that is in any state that is road legal fetch massive prices. Then there is the maintenance cost....maintaining anything out of warranty in Japan is expensive but these older cars (even cars like E100 Corollas) get really pricey as there aren't parts easily available and not everyone (including the agents) are willing to work on them...so even with the agent one has to wait till a mechanic is assigned to your local dealer or take it to a specialist shop.

So one's pockets need to be deeper and deeper as these cars get older...helps if one is able to do some basic one themselves.

Hmmm interesting;

I agree with Matrsoksa, I didnt pay much attention to the KMPL (The 2.4 Camry stands as a testament to that hehe), and yeah I dont think it is a good alternative to a tuk and scooter as well because of the TLC needed, I was just ogling at that pristine dash and the vinyl doorcards hehe.

Hmmm yeah land also  I need to think about that.

iRage I assumed B211s might be easy to maintain here for the sheer number of cars here, interesting..

Saw that car on ik... Is your friend so generous to give a car to a mechanic for free ? When giving away it was probably worth a considerable sum... 😐

It was in a very shitty condition, (as a car with close to 600kms would be), after a couple of engine rebuilds the car was always living at the mechanics anyway because everytime they fixed something, another thing broke, making the car an expensive paperweight. It was too much of a hassle for them so I guess they gave it away to their mechanic?

Got an update from my friend, same chassis, everything else from interior to body panels replaced. Engine and transmission was replaced from a car with 50k kms. So should be a good buy. They went and checked it out at the car sale lol

@DerpyDanteOne in kirillawala.. the other one is ragama... @matroskathere is one at ragama he quoted me 90-100k with warranty. Maybe cuz I know him well but actually he does a good job. This is only to paint the outsides, not the insides. 

One of my friend got his CB1 painted (both interior and exterior) for 120k few months back from a place near Malabe. He seems to have booth painting as well (price may differ if you opt to this).

Thank you for the response

Hmm that is interesting I didn't think about that, looks like I'll have to find a guy who handles imports if I don't want to get rekt on import taxes

By mats...I assumed he meant the carpets...like the fluffy kind with cute little logos and stuff.

That...I EMS'd a set for my Mark X and customs didn't care too much....I just declared it as used and I hthey charged a few hundred rupees....only thing is...those things are heavy...so it simply was not worth the shipping cost which was like 8000yen at the time.

But... @MaleCortana will have to find another party to bid and take delivery of the Yahoo auction items anyway as 98% of the sellers on Yahoo Auc Japan will not deal with anyone outside of Japan (issues with receiving payments, shipping, etc...). So you will have to go to Buyee or some other proxy service. 

Also...when they mail it...beg them to NOT put the actual invoice with the items and NOT to declare the actual value. They will strongly suggest they declare the actual value for insurance reasons. Stand your ground and say NO...take the risk of having less insurance.

Yep yep fluffy kind with the logos I usually use FromJapan as a proxy, but yeah I realized the cost of shipping because they are heavy, guess I'm waiting until one of my friends come from the middle east or japan  

There is....but the full job description is "I''ll tighten that one screw inside your dashboard for you and break a few clips along the way".

Jokes aside...sometimes its not just the screws..with heat it is only natural for dashboard components to warp..so even if you tighten a screw it might not seat properly, or the plastic clips will be ever so slighlty loose that it just causes that annoying chili chili noise...

Hmm interesting day by day I'm coming to the realization that the car really is 17 years old and the odd rattle or two is to be expected. Not like any of them are constant rattles and happens when the car is going on perfectly smooth road anyway. I will look to getting other goodies for the car then  

If I were you, I'll be happy buying a 30 year old vehicle for a cheaper price reduced for fixing it up. If the  body is in good shape, I won't be  caring about " how the interior is vandalized and the paint is worn out."

Sourcing a complete interior trim, a good paintjob and with some preferable tweaks will be making the vehicles stunning at a far less price. 

Example A Pajero MK1 with pending works costs 2.3 - 2.8 Million. And a 'good condition' one is being priced from 3.5 - 4+ Millions. Even if it is In "Mint like Condition" you can still be lead to some work afterwards. 

In my opinion reconditioned parts sourced from abroad are way better than lankan ones. You could resell the older parts for cheaper prices. 

@Hashif Riyas...yes...but the point is....these guys lie to you to trvel all the way to look at the car with the hopes that the person travelling will buy the car because they travelled all the way there. Then on top of that...they just do some fake repairs to make it shiny....and 99% of the people just fall for it. Even if one does not care what the condition is and willing to put the time, effort and oney in to fixing it up...it does not change the fact that these people lie and cover up cars and then insist on asking for high prices (especially for popular ""market" cars....because they know that there will be some ignorant guy out there who will pay it). So even a clunker for restoration costs way too much than what it is worth...
and still..you do get your time wasted.

True... Last month, my dad was looking for a 2006 Nissan SK82V DX advertised in ryswn.

The seller was friendly over the phone and told tales like '" Mage Wahane Cataloy gram siyyak thyanawanam Wahane nikan dennam. And all ". and called us repeatedly requesting to have a look at his vehicle and pay an advance. Finally when we went out there ( 150+ Km Ride) . At the first look itself we knew the van was used for hiring purposes and has been vandalized fully. ,Interior, Exterior, and the body have had minor damages and repaired improperly, even the engine sounded bad. The guy didn't talk the way he did over the phone.And was demanding 3.5 Million for that shotload, and was firm in 3.45 after negotiating. (We would have taken it if it was around 3.2 Million reduced for fixing it up) We assume that he was more of a scammer waiting to grab an advance and dissappear... We had to vehicleHunt for weeks.

But, finally we found a 2007 SK82V VX (Highest Grade) for 3.4 Million.( Vehicles similar were advertised for 4 Million+) We had only minor mechanical issues which costed around 30K+ and 2 days and the engine sounds good, interior is okayish, paint is slightly faded but a detailing job would cover it up. 

Had to suffer a bit. But it's worthwhile. Now we could spend 1-200K for restoring it like new (if we want to) and still profit if we decide to sell. 

If car sellers are genuinely aware of their vehicles condition and price fairly.  There would be an awesome marketplace out there. 

Even we are limited with time. But we know how awesome it is to build. 

hmmm good question.. Saw someone has posted good comments. If im not mistaken, he compared it with hangkook or gt radial. And was saying it has very less road noise and no sacrifice in level of comfort either.

Yes I also saw good comments about road noise and comfort, but real question is grip and rain performance, too much inertia in my land boat  😢 

hmmm.. It should be good if the tyres are having the same quality as exporting ones.