purchase motor vehicle , buyer beware

Niskivich, I don't think it's a list of models, it's cars imported whole, not chopped up, in a certain time frame that did not have duty / tax paid on them.

 

Update on vehicle purchase ,we did buy the vehicle that was in the picture in an earlier post on this thread , the relevant paperwork was all presented to us yesterday , being in Cebu myself did make it easier , lets see if it gets us to Negros on Saturday with no problems , all seems to be pretty good though (famous last words), out of 6 vehicles that we own , this will make it 5 mitsubishi's in that list , this being the first diesel Mitsubishi though , the others are all 3.5 litre v6 petrol , thanks to everyone that posted advice on this thread it was appreciated , especially since we started to purchase this vehicle when we were in Australia,

regards Tony

 

Buying a Car in Dumaguete?

I plan to buy myself a 4x4 Suzuki Van when I return, but I was looking through a Facebook page and those in Cebu where it seems most come from look to be chopped up into small pieces then welded back together in workshops there, am I correct to assume this??

Coming from a Panel Beater background spending the majority of my lifetime building Custom Cars and Hotrods etc this disturbs me, GREATLY!

WHAT IS the advice to buying a Car in Dumaguete?

I wanted to buy a small 4x4 Suzuki Van that can carry 5 to 7 passengers, Automatic, hopefully one with the half Glass Sunroof with Aircon etc...

I did email a Guy from Sulit regards made to order Suzuki Vans and this was his reply;
sorry i don't think we can provide a unit with all these specs.
we sold a unit with sunroof before, it was also automatic transmission but no 4wd and very hard to find and no replacement parts for the sunroof.
there are automatic transmission with 4wd but also very hard to find this will take a very long time to find and if there is one not sure about the power windows, there are units with power windows but with all this specs combined i'm sure it's impossible to find.

if there was a unit with these specs
suzuki van= 163k
automatic transmission with 4wd= 5k
power windows= 3k
power steering= 5k
dual aircon= 15k
wrap around body kit= 5k
brand new magwheels size 13 with tires= 15k
surplus mag wheels size 13 with tires= 10k
Total= Approx. 210,000 PHP

Am I expecting too much? Am I going to buy a death trap that is pieced together from a chop shop special? I do not want to buy a flash brand new vehicle as I will be living in the barangay amongst fellow filipino and wish to 'fit in' to their lifestyle but do so without rubbing their noses in it... I NEED a Car due to my disabilities, but one that fits into my surroundings and does not make me stand out like some bodacious tool to get up their noses...

So brand new is out, hopefully something that has not been submerged at some time or tack welded together and bogged over to look pretty either. Maybe I am asking too much?

 

Brian, it sounds like a tall order.

I would not just look on Negros if you want something special as it sounds you do, I would search Cebu and Luzon, bigger markets, better chance of getting closer to what you want. Getting it to Dumaguete will just be one of those incidents of passage. I think you need a bigger market.

I remember the need for the automatic, but is the 4 wheel drive a necessity? Off roading? I ask because I believe that toyota light ace van and mitsubishi delica/space gear/L300 whatever they are calling it could be had with the glass roof and power windows dual air auto trans and the hold-up might be the 4 wheel drive. I have gotten pretty far in life so far with just a limited slip or locking differential on a single drive axel. I don't think you would look to affluent with a 15 to 20 year old car, at least no more affluent than Kano are assumed to be anyway. Just some thoughts i hope may help.

 

I thought it may have been a tall order, well those options were marked down on the page I visited, but getting them all into the one Car I felt I may have been pushing the parcel, but they did say; "Cars built to order" but again, maybe I was expecting too much...

I saw several of the Suzuki Vans in Dumaguete that had the half glass roof on them, I quite liked them as I am a 'Car Guy' having been involved in Customs and Hotrods but I am sure that would make me a big target living there, so wanted something that would 'fit in' so to speak...

I have never been keen on actual Four Wheel Drives as such, but where we live in Zambo it is a bit of a trek zig zagging between trees along a track to cut our way through several other properties to reach our Hut... I still need to negotiate a "Right of Way" with our neighbours yet so as to gain access using a car as they turn a blind eye to the Scooter and Tricycle cutting through their backyards but a Car I am sure they will be $-$

I would like something where we can throw a Scooter in the back of if need be, go pick up firewood or furniture etc, so it will be a work horse as well as family transport... My @ss gets too sore sitting in the Tricycle on the ride to and from Duma! :(

Just reading some of the posts here makes me cautious as to exactly what I should be buying.

Thanks Robert...

 

Robert mentioned a Delica. This may be a much better option for you than a Suzuki.

5 adults is max for the Suzuki. With auto trans it is going to be very sluggish, with AC even more so, 4X4 even moreso.... Scooter in the back? Possible, but not likely.

The Delica, on the other hand, is a much larger/heavier/more capable vehicle. It is easy to find in AT AND 4X4, and has ample engine to
get it back onto the pavement once you drop off. 7 passengers? No problem. Being diesel it is not a lot more costly to drive than the overloaded Suzuki, and will last a lot longer doing it as it is not being overworked.

The biggest mistake people make here when buying a vehicle is buying a vehicle not suitable for their needs.

Larry

 

Very good point Larry, I did see a Suzuki Van in Bacong one day and saw 11 people exit it, and some were quiet portly looking too! I chuckled and thought to myself; "Only in the Philippines" :D

But you are correct, a Diesel would be better as long as I can find on in Automatic due to the pain a Manual Clutch causes my hips with my broken leg... Here in Oz Mitsubishi's (mainly the early Sigma's, Magna's and Pajero's) are notorious for Engine failure, electrical problems and a multitude of problems. Pajero's are virtually given away sue to no one wanting them here, more so if they are a tad savvy about their Cars.
*EDIT: Referring to the petrol engines not diesels.

I just liked the compact size of the Suzuki but at 6 foot tall and weighing in at around 140 kilos maybe one of those will be NoSoSqueeeeazyyy to fit into :(

I will probably go around some of the used dealers in Duma to gauge what is the go and prices etc before I do buy so I can gain a better idea regards parts availability, servicing and so on as I am no longer able to service my own vehicles...

Thanks mate.

 

much better option for you than a Suzuki.

5 adults is max for the Suzuki. With auto trans it is going to be very sluggish, with AC even more so, 4X4 even moreso.... Scooter in the back? Possible, but not likely.

The Delica, on the other hand, is a much larger/heavier/more capable vehicle. It is easy to find in AT AND 4X4, and has ample engine to
get it back onto the pavement once you drop off. 7 passengers? No problem. Being diesel it is not a lot more costly to drive than the overloaded Suzuki, and will last a lot longer doing it as it is not being overworked.

The biggest mistake people make here when buying a vehicle is buying a vehicle not suitable for their needs.

Larry[/QUOTE]



I can't agree more. I had the older box type Delica, and I hauled up to 10 people up a mountain path in low 4x4. Had it almost trouble free for over 5 years, sure regret selling it..

 

Is the Delica a Diesel Engine? I know most here have a Turbo badge on them (they are all privately imported here not brought in by Mitsubishi) and can be had here quite cheap nowadays which makes me think there might be a problem with them (maybe parts?)

I want to steer clear of all Petrol Engines if it is to be a Mitsubishi as the old Mum In-law owned two Sigma's and both I replaced Engines in. The first a GE Wagon we fitted 3x engines to it and the GH Wagon we ended up fitting 4 Engines to it before she traded that on a new Hyundai Excel then that on a new Mazda 6 Sedan.

The Mazda I must admit has been a BRILLIANT little motor car! I have not looked into small people mover's in the Mazda line up.

But I would like to do it in 'Stealth mode' so that I blend into the traffic with other Filipino Drivers (minus the crazy driving part thanks hehe)