New Petrolhead in Dubai

[stuckmojo]

Hi all,

I'd like to introduce myself as new to the UAE and specifically Dubai.

Moving in from Singapore and looking to make the most of the petrolhead-friendly environment in the UAE.

I have 2 priorities:

1 - find a suitable 4x4 with bike rack at the back, so looking at a G-wagen (I know, but where else in the world will I ever have the chance to own one, albeit used?)
2 - find a KTM 450 or something like that to thrash around in the dunes and so on.

Keen to hear your perspective on the do's and don't and look forward to the move.

Thanks for reading.

[stuckmojo]

Wow,

thanks for all the great feedback.

I'm there next week and will have a sniff around cars etc.

Not keen on bubbly SUVs like X5, Cayenne or ML. I am (for now) planning to have 1 car only so was looking at the G as I thought it to to be fairly bulletproof and there seem to be hundreds around Dubai.

is something like this a stupid idea?
https://dubai.dubizzle.com/motors/used-cars/merced...

I like the Raptor - who doesn't? - but I have to have a proper look.

Rich_AR, do you have a photo of the bike rack? That's the solution I am looking for (unless "Raptor", of course)

Thanks again

[stuckmojo]

Rich_AR said:

Rick - Here's a pic from the weekend. You get the idea. Works pretty well, its stable and you cannot tell it's hanging off the back. When back home I chain the carrier to the bike, just to deter any potential opportunist thief.

Hi Rich, looks great. The bike especially. Can't wait to start looking at stuff like that in the next couple of weeks.

[stuckmojo]

So, after lots of painful bureaucracy, I finally managed to get myself a car.

Against all common sense and logic I bought a 2008 G55 AMG with 140,000 KM on it. I bargained very hard and got a great price, which means that I have a 10K or so budget to fix any gremlins I find. (Which I can pretty much guarantee I will).

So far, the car works well, it's had the interior redone, a G63 body kit with wheels and all, and seems to have still all the 507hp it came with.

Rich_AR helped me with the hard task of going through car dealers last sunday. We saw a couple of cars and test drove them. The little test track in Ras Al Khor is quite a nice feat.

I did not buy from a dealer as I sensed something was wrong, and later found out one car I looked at had been clocked to ****.

So, here's a few pictures.
First things to do:
-Remove silly spacers and fit more reasonable ones.
-Fix number plate light
-Get the car serviced. In theory it doesn't need it for another 8k km but I'd like to get it in top shape. It's always been my philosophy to buy used cars at the cheaper end of the market and fix all the issues so I know for sure they are fixed indeed.



next, a dirt bike and carrier - after the xmas break.

Thanks for reading

[stuckmojo]

XB70 said:

Wow! That is stunning looking - well done.

We really do need to organise a PH Saturday Service or a drive while the weather is good.

Thanks! Look forward to a PH Saturday.

Now off to find someone able to add a USB port to the stock MB infotainment system. Or bluetooth.

[stuckmojo]

shirt said:

nice work, would love a g wagen. how does it drive?

i do hope that wood looks better in daylight though otherwise i'd be on ebay looking for something a little less garish.

Thanks.

It's basically like a big old LWB Defender with 500hp and 700lb/ft torque, so a lot of fun, if a bit of a blunt tool. The spacers do spoil the ride a little. they will be replaced in January with narrower ones.

The noise is amazing. Any tunnel demands a kickdown

The wood is not so bad. This is all how they came unless you specified a darker finish in plastic which is hard to come by. I'll have to think about that. Locals love garish so it's easier to resell when the time comes.

Now the priority is to find a decent car audio shop which can fit a usb port to the MB stereo/nav

[stuckmojo]

Thanks Steano and Dxbtiger.

not sure about bork factor. It's an old school truck. If it breaks, it will be fixed. My approach is that I've got to live a little and the resale value of these things is high enough for me to swallow some bitter pills if they come.

I'd be much more worried about an SL500 or any modern Mercedes.

the only modern thing the G has is the engine (up to a point, and it should be pretty strong) and the infotainment system (which I only need an excuse to bin anyway).

Look forward to a PH ME Meeting.

Edited to add: purchase price, the average for these with same age and mileage is difficult to guess. Local cars are around 200k or above. I paid about 25% less than that give or take.

Edited by stuckmojo on Thursday 17th December 07:58