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  1. #21

    Did any of you guys hear that for VW cars it is compulsory as of 90.000km to have the toothed belt / cogged belt replaced? I apologize, i am not sure i am using the correct term in English for that car engine part...


  2. #22

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    As one of the posters said the MOT costs depend on what stuff has to be fixed in the car before it goes to the examination, so one of the cars we are interested in has to go for MOT and license in November, is it possible that we ask the current owner to get it done and then we purchase it?
    Is it at all feasible?


  3. #23

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    With so many 2nd hand cars on the market I would be expecting at least the MOT to have been done prior to sale !! In my view having driven in Hong Kong for 18 years the bigger the car the better, if you drive a tini car the taxi's etc will just bully you out of the way, however drive a big car like a merc, bmw or as I do a range rover and they soon move, also safe when up against a container truck on the highway... I had a small car go under the rear of my lorry a while ago and the car just crubbled with the driver requiring hospital, the lorry had a broken numberplate !!! so go big !! Range rovers from about 1995-1999 can be found for 20-30K


  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by gunsnroses:
    As one of the posters said the MOT costs depend on what stuff has to be fixed in the car before it goes to the examination, so one of the cars we are interested in has to go for MOT and license in November, is it possible that we ask the current owner to get it done and then we purchase it?
    Is it at all feasible?
    Sure you can ask them to do it before the sale but they will just increase the cost of the CAR to cover the MOT and pre-inspection + fix.

  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by mrsgunsnroses:
    Did any of you guys hear that for VW cars it is compulsory as of 90.000km to have the toothed belt / cogged belt replaced? I apologize, i am not sure i am using the correct term in English for that car engine part...
    Most garages recommend you change the belt before it reaches 100K KM because if it breaks while your driving, it can cause a lot of damage so better to change the rubber band before reaching 100K

  6. #26

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    Right, I guess we'll have to negotiate it better then...unless car is really good...


  7. #27

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    You can always request for a mechanic to look over the car first at your cost, if you need a british mechanic to do this please pm me and I will give my guys details to you.. he has saved me from a few bum buys before...

    gunsnroses likes this.

  8. #28

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    Mr and Mrs GNR, you say you will be moving into the woods:

    1. Whats the road conditions like to your new house, is it in some NT Village, some village roads are very bad, driving a low clearance car will be very hard.
    2. Will Mrs GNR be driving the new vehicle as well, getting a bigger vehicle has its pros n cons


  9. #29

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    Thanks kingsize, I'd appreciate the details of your guy...

    wtb, the roads are in good condition, we are moving in your nick of woods actually...
    Actually, initially it'll be mrs who'll be driving, she has her license ready, and for me to get back my license, I've to make a trip all the way to the transport office of my hometown in India, before I can even think of driving...LOL


  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by gunsnroses:
    As one of the posters said the MOT costs depend on what stuff has to be fixed in the car before it goes to the examination, so one of the cars we are interested in has to go for MOT and license in November, is it possible that we ask the current owner to get it done and then we purchase it?
    Is it at all feasible?
    Timing belt replacement will take a days labour in the workshop, the belt itself is actually quite inexpensive.

    Another consideration though, a lot of cars these days do run timing belts, and when they let go, they usually cause valve train, piston and cylinder bore damage, and on a car worth 40K pretty much bricking it, costing more than the car is worth to repair.

    Coincidently, the Toyota Prius and E class Mercedes don't use timing belts, they use a single row timing chain on the Prius's Atkinson cycle petrol engine and a double row timing chain on the E320 V6 motor, which will last the life of both engines, usually replaced when the engine would be due for a complete overhaul/rebuild. So, many years of trouble free life before that's required.

    I'd imagine it would cost around 2 - 3K ( at a local mechanic ) ( a lot more if it is DCH ) to replace a timing belt on the Vee Dub, which will need to be done every 80,000 - 100,000kms depending on what the replacement schedule is.
    And I have never purchased a car in HK yet that didn't already have a current MOT included, if it doesn't have one, then there might be a good reason why the owner of the car doesn't want to mess around.

    I will say one thing though, the MOT inspection centres have really cracked down lately, scrutinising on even the slightest front end / steering issue. They wont let little things slide like they did previously..
    Last edited by Skyhook; 01-11-2012 at 01:46 PM.