Is it advisable to buy import (subic) SUVs?

[dbulido]

My ride was also from subic but not Pajero, 1995 Toyota Estima Emina. It's true that when buying a converted vehicle you should know how to DIY. Im the one who change the engine oil, Automatic Fluid, Drain the radiator, Clean the airconditioner, Change brake pads, Change tail lights when it was hit by a Jeepney. Sometimes my neighbor thought I was a mechanic they asked lot of questions. Im using my van for 2 years now, the longest trip I did is from Manila to Dagupan then back without a problem.

[nyll]

My pajero is also from subic and Im using it for 2 yrs, so far ok pa naman ang unit ko. If your planning to buy a converted pajero, the first thing you should do is to replace the gearbox, pitman arm and joint assembly with original pajero parts for safety reason. Karamihan kasi sa mga converted units na Pajero pang toyota at trooper ang ginagamit na gearbox. Dapat medyo mabusisi ka pag mamimili ka ng units at dapat may kasama kang trusted mechanic. Another advice, kung mahilig kang mag butingting ng kotse you can go for the converted units, pero kung hindi go for the local na lang.

[AC]

sori po sa mga surplus owners but
para sa mga bibili palang try to stay away po..

madami po akong personal frnds na nadelekado ang buhay dahil dyan. one of my frnds na nadisgrasya dyan actually ay isa sa dating nagpaparating ng surplus.. well tinigil na nila yung business at inubos nalang stock dahil sa incident. buti nalang ay ok na sila lahat ngayon

and i have heard alot of stories na mahirap na ikwento dito dahil sa maraming dahilan which i believe are true.

[carnovice]

Thanks for the info. By the way, how much did you buy your Pajero carnovice? Anong year model mo? Satisfied ka ba?

92' GLX, P435k po, some reasons why I think it was a good buy:
- it was gray which I wanted talaga (champaigne gold or beige cladding)
- the A/C has been reworked already, so even if I don't have tint, lamig pa rin kahit tanghaling tapat (orig "air box" installed kaya medyo tahimik blower)
- dashboard reworked also, well improved from "stock Subic" work
- have cruise control that works
- have height adjuster that works
- have complete tools (except flashlight) sa rear door
- have the orig flashlight (magnetic) at the left rear panel (inside)
- have orig jack and extension
- have the orig sunroof cover (inside)

Of course may hindi rin ako gusto:
- the moldings sa roof that go all the way down the windshield, nagpeel na yun black plastic wrap nya. Pati yun on top of the windshield.
- front window moldings medyo pangit
- the headlight washer motor didn't work (but Prichard got it working December, kakanit na lang ulit)

..and other minor stuff that I can live with naman or that can wait. Change color naman pag repaint pangarap ko. Am VERY happy with mine Pero ako kasi matyaga maintain ha, and I detail kasi.

Basta don't rush, walang perfect talaga tayo makukuha kaya CHECK and TEST THOROUGHLY - don't be shy! Choose the one with the problems that you can either live with (muna) or have the time and resource to fix/replace.

I hope this helps.

BTW: After buying, go straight to servitek/rapide or wherever to have it checked para kampante ka din. And required na daw na from February dapat R134a (tama ba?) na kasi freon bawal na. So consider that kung ikaw pa paconvert.

[carnovice]

My pajero is also from subic and Im using it for 2 yrs, so far ok pa naman ang unit ko. If your planning to buy a converted pajero, the first thing you should do is to replace the gearbox, pitman arm and joint assembly with original pajero parts for safety reason. Karamihan kasi sa mga converted units na Pajero pang toyota at trooper ang ginagamit na gearbox. Dapat medyo mabusisi ka pag mamimili ka ng units at dapat may kasama kang trusted mechanic. Another advice, kung mahilig kang mag butingting ng kotse you can go for the converted units, pero kung hindi go for the local na lang.

Worth considering yan

Of all the stories I've heard and read regarding 3DR Pajero accidents one thing is common -high speed. Those considering to buy 3dr Paj should understand that although you can possibly reach 170kph (like my barkada), this was not designed for high speeds at highways bec:
-The high center of gravity
-Off road tires will skid on high speed braking (ABS only minimizes this)

But just the opposite - the above are great if for off-roading and rallying, if you're into it

Mabuti dami share +/-..

[alwayz_yummy]

tsaka safety comes from with-in and you cant blame the ride just because its converted..6 years na ako JDM user and na ramdaman ko na lahat ng maaring palitan(except ung newer models with ECU, which im now learning from my current liteace) and i know what safety is...for me, kung personal ride ko lang(like my liteace) kukuha nalang ako ng jdm, makamura ako ng malaki sa first cost, madali nalang ung restore kasi pwede namang unti-untiin un..

pero kung family use, i'll buy either a used car from someone I personally know that he/she baby's his/her ride from day 1..or a reputable shop or a brand-new..

just as i alwayz say: CONVERTED UNITS/surplus/used-vehicles-->swertihan and kung may kusa

class-a used/brand-new: DRIVE-AND-RIDE persons.

[pajerokid]

Eto naman nangyari sa officemate ko who bought an Emina against my advise. Nabulag kasi sa price, though for the same amount, he couldve gotten a vanette.

1. AC doesnt cool. Hirap na hirap.
2. Turning radius. Never niya nakuha yung double U turn sa galleria parking ng one click.
3. Ang dami sanang features.... but they dont work!!! For example, reverse sensors etc.
4. Baliktad yung wiper/light switches.
5. The rear sliding door is ON THE WRONG SIDE. Seriously, is this acceptable?! If you need to bail out in an emergency, i doubt if you'd want to do that on the side with oncoming traffic.
6. Dashboard.

Again, im not lambasting these vehicles, kaya lang if youre to get one, you have to accept these shortcomings.

And if you were to ask me, 200k petot worth of savings does not compensate for the above.

[rlp1099]

cguro consult ka kay resident pajero expert jga22bo....he can give you real world figures para maging road worthy talaga ride mo

there are those in the forum who've had their subic rides made road worthy by him and can vouch for his inputs

ballpark figures we discussed then were like this:
purchase cost P350 k
micellaneous P150 k
safe na estimates na yan palagay ko

[XTO]

Ano feedback sa mga imported SUVs galing sa Subic? Im considering the 3 door Pajero in general. Di hamak naman kasi na mas mura talaga sila kesa mga local. The only problem is converted sila from right to left hand drive. Ano feedback sa kanila? Magkano kaya price range ng mga year 2000+ models? Are they worth it?

mura talaga sila compared sa mga locally assembled yun nga lang aside sa converted lang sila ng madalian, talagang hindi mo alam ang "dinanas" ng mga yaon sa pinanggalingan at pagdating sa mileage nila hope for the best ka na lang.

[AC]

forgot to mention.. yung headlight po pala ng ex jdms.. masmataas sa kasalubong na traffic and mababa sa sidewalk.. whichmean.. masisilaw nyo po masasalubong nyo and.. not much brightness sa sidewalk or sa gutter.. where it wont be bothering anyone with a little more light

[Andrei28]

Thanks for the info. Btw, saan pinaka-advisable bumili? Sa auction ng importer,sa mga individual owners or sa mga used car lots along EDSA? Magkano pa kaya additional expense after bumili to get it to work in tip-top condition?

[terorista]

bakit kailangan iconvert sa left hand drive ang koche? bawal dito sa pinas yung right hand drive? pasensya na , di ko kasi alam regulation eh. saka kung may kakilala kang mech, tanungin mo kung pwede sumama sa iyo para tingnan yung koche.

[carnovice]

Andrei28, PM kita, might help. Actually last week pa yan na send, hehe..

Somebody selling his Paj, 2.5l na M/T -good combination. And contact number ni Prichard, who can help you acquire your "subicle" (subic-vehicle) if your decided na.


I hope the info helps.

[AC]

opo bawal na.. dati po pwede eh.. naalala nyo pa po ba mga trucks dati na may sign na caution: right hand drive? hehe

[OTEP]

Buti pa sa U.S. at Canada pwede ang RHD basta malusutan mo ang ibang legal mumbo-jumbo. hehehe. GEN I 5 door Pajero diesel dun around CDN$ 8,000.00 ang bentahan ngayon.

[oldblue]

kakatakot din pala bumili nyan ganyan surplus

ano ba talaga ang rule dyan sa Subic pajeros? dapat sa Subic lang gamitin kasi freeport zone, kung ilabas bawal na d'ba, coz dapat na i-tax?

[carnovice]

Andrei28, any update?

[ian_rex]

haven't mentioned it earlier. one time my neighbor brought home a Isuzu Bighorn '93 model. There is this funny smirk in his face when he drove the vehicle. Thought he could have hit a jackpot. so i decided to to drop by and take a look on the Bighorn. well, the asking price is 500K, pay 50% then another 50% within a year. what a scheme. i checked the interiors, engine bay, etc. short to say, i'm not satisfied. i even tried the engine to see if it is belching, well yes it is. so i gave him my advice, which i think he took seriously. the vehicle is not yet paid so, he gave it back to the seller then a week after bought an Sportivo instead...

[carnovice]

haven't mentioned it earlier. one time my neighbor brought home a Isuzu Bighorn '93 model. There is this funny smirk in his face when he drove the vehicle. Thought he could have hit a jackpot. so i decided to to drop by and take a look on the Bighorn. well, the asking price is 500K, pay 50% then another 50% within a year. what a scheme. i checked the interiors, engine bay, etc. short to say, i'm not satisfied. i even tried the engine to see if it is belching, well yes it is. so i gave him my advice, which i think he took seriously. the vehicle is not yet paid so, he gave it back to the seller then a week after bought an Sportivo instead...

Lucky for him you checked, that's how its done talaga dapat..

[Andrei28]

Nagtitingin pa ko. Kulang pa sa budget e. By summer siguro.