Greetings from Bali !! - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

tc20 · #16 11-02-2006, 03:23 AM

Ahh the Fuego... how did i think that was a sexy looking car?

Just kidding, in the right colour (black) and the right spec (2litre- there was a turbo version wasnt there?) i liked them, but not with the lesser engines, or some of the gaudier 80s colours. My friends old man had one, quite a practical car with the hatch, but not built to last. God i havent seen one of those in ages..
Tuk-tuks are a hoot, the drivers are nuts, i think they enjoy scaring the pants off people

dacia · #17 11-02-2006, 04:42 AM

Yeah, in the 80s they looked good (the Fuegos, there is a red one in one of the Bond movies), they had problems with the real break cylinders, the ignition module fried around 200,000 km, and the rear springs broke around the same mileage (looked Iike I lowered the car

).
Other than that they took me anywhere between Quebec city and Key West, never let me stranded.
The 2.2 l engine was by far the best choice, the 1.6 turbo was troublesome.

Tuk-tuk drivers and those motorcycle taxis are crazy, no question.

I didn't see a single accident in Bangkok in 4 days, I was very surprised.

Alex

tc20 · #18 11-02-2006, 08:34 AM

Im just young enough to remember the 15 & 17s, i think they were kinda liked the predecessors of the Fuegos. the R16 was funky too but they did lose the plot with some of the last "numbered" models (9, 11, 14 were bland boxes, how the 9 won the ECOTY i'll never know)

Tony

t walgamuth · #19 11-02-2006, 08:54 AM

haggling is good sport.

the place i have been that is the most extreme for it is morrocco. when i was there in 73 i discovered you had to get them down to about 10% of the first price to be about right! they enjoyed it too.

a very poor country back then and there were frequent roadblocks checking for folks who were plotting to kill king hassan.

one day while in agadir there was an incident off the coast of a spanish fighter strafing a morroccon ship....or vica versa. they were feuding over the sub sahara south of morrocco proper.... although i cannot imagine what strategic importance it may have been.....(OIL?).

my first car was a 60 simca aronde. a lovely looking and driving car but the mechanicals were rubbish.

tom w

tc20 · #20 11-03-2006, 03:22 AM

Tom ive read about that area of the sub-sahara, isnt there a permanent refugee type settlement, with some sort of Spanish involvement, a displaced ethnic group?? I came across it in one of Michael Palins travel series (Sahara)
I dont think theres oil (in commercial amounts) in that part of the world, i must check up on it again

t walgamuth · #21 11-03-2006, 07:16 AM

it sounds like you know more about than i do.

the sum total of my knowledge of it is listed above. if you find something out about it though i would be interested to read about it if you can point me in the right direction.

i found it an interesting place to visit.

by comparison, spain was like being back home in indiana.

tom w

tc20 · #22 11-03-2006, 08:21 AM

Tom, im sure you're familiar with Michael Palin from Monty Python, well over the last 10+yrs, he's presented a BBC travelog, with an entire series devoted to each endeavour (Pole to Pole, Himalaya, Sahara etc) beautifully filmed, and with Palin as your guide- he's a very down to earth amiable guy. Each series has a companion book, and makes very entertaining reading. If you go to the following link, im sure you'll enjoy it. Follow the path for Sahara, i think the name of the refugee encampment is Smara.
Start on Day14 of the travels, "Tinfou to Tindouf" and it'll give you an overview
http://palinstravels.co.uk

Tony

t walgamuth · #23 11-03-2006, 08:27 AM

i took a quick look. that looks very interesting. thank you i will check it out in more detail later.

i was aware of his travel stuff and have watched at least one show or read one book of his. he is very good.

i think i may have seen or read the hemmingway one.

tom w