Moparbastard
Member
Back in 2000 I bought a 1970 Challenger in Bangkok, Thailand. It was sold new there, but I can't find any documentation of the selling dealer or first purchaser. I had Galen Govier decode it. It's FK5 - Burnt Orange with K4 Burnt orange interior, V1W white vinyl roof, bucket seats, console, AM-8 track, heater and air conditioning, fender top turn signals, E24 - 6 cylinder 1-bbl, D31 - A904 Torqeflite. The condition is fair, some would call it good. Since it only snowed once in Thailand in recorded history (in the mountains of Chiang Rai in 1955) you don't have the severe rot that you see in our rustbelt states. The climate is a lot like Florida - hot with high humidity, so the car had some rust under the vinyl around the backlite, which I repaired. I drove this car as my only transportation in Thailand for 5 years, including bringing my newborn, (now 22 years old) daughter home from the hospital in it. I drove it as far as from Pattaya to Surin, a distance of 311 miles and 6 1/2 hours, numerous times. The car never let me down.
I am now getting it ready to send back to the States - lots of red tape and taxes, fees and lubrication money (bribe is such an ugly word). The Thais love red tape. The cost of shipping the car from Bangkok to New Hampshire will exceed the purchase price, but that's OK. Even though this car was made in USA, I will have to pay duty on it when it gets back. Everyone wants their pound of flesh.
Driving a car like this in Thailand is not without problems. First, being a US car it's left hand drive. Thailand drives on the left, so Thai cars are right hand drive. Also, E-Bodies are wide. They are way wider than the little weedwhackers and mini-pickups the Thais drive. I got run off a narrow street by a tour bus - fortunately only one small dent in the left front fender. After a while I bought a righthand drive pickup and stopped driving the Challenger, other than short trips to the little store at the end of the cul-de-sac where I stay. I put the '71 RT stripe on it just because I liked it. I also added a set of '77 Volare dual remote mirrors.
When I got the car it had no heater core (you
never need heat in Thailand) and a York compressor. At one time the seal went bad in the compressor and the air stopped working. I got original Mopar factory air parts and am installing them now. My plans are to do the needed body work and re-paint the car in the original color - no stripe. Then I want to put the vinyl top back on. My only question is: do I keep the slant six or put in a 440 that I have built to stock specs? No matter what I choose it will be a 100% stock appearing installation. I will keep the factory air and even use a factory compressor and R-12. I have several bulge hoods but I'm leaning towards keeping the flat hood.
I am now getting it ready to send back to the States - lots of red tape and taxes, fees and lubrication money (bribe is such an ugly word). The Thais love red tape. The cost of shipping the car from Bangkok to New Hampshire will exceed the purchase price, but that's OK. Even though this car was made in USA, I will have to pay duty on it when it gets back. Everyone wants their pound of flesh.
Driving a car like this in Thailand is not without problems. First, being a US car it's left hand drive. Thailand drives on the left, so Thai cars are right hand drive. Also, E-Bodies are wide. They are way wider than the little weedwhackers and mini-pickups the Thais drive. I got run off a narrow street by a tour bus - fortunately only one small dent in the left front fender. After a while I bought a righthand drive pickup and stopped driving the Challenger, other than short trips to the little store at the end of the cul-de-sac where I stay. I put the '71 RT stripe on it just because I liked it. I also added a set of '77 Volare dual remote mirrors.
When I got the car it had no heater core (you