desertdude

Easy to figure out with the new Nissans. If its not a Patrol or Armada. Then no. Also general rule of thumb for other cars is, if it looks like an egg with wheels then its most probably a no.

If I only had a dollar the times I've been approached for the Saudi scam thing. Cant say its the car I drive because Ive been approached on foot even before I got a car. Actually the first time way back in the mid 90s it was a Omani plated car and even then I didn't give him shit. I had a dirham coin in my jeans which I pulled out a said this is all I had if you want it, you can have it. In the 2000s it became Saudi plates plus I was driving a relatively new Land Cruiser and I guess I look like an Arab ( dont ask me even till date grocery guys, cabbies etc etc see me and start talking to me in Arabic!, personally I don't see it nor do I wear Arab garb ) and every so often a Saudi would pull up at the lights, gas station etc etc and start off in a thick Saudi Arabic accent Other scams similar Ive been subjected to like a young clean shaven smart guy walks up and says he's here on a visit visa looking for a job and hes exhausted all funds but has an interview in Abu Dhabi and needs to get there, so here take my watch its a blah blah and give me a few 100dhs. But during a time I used to go every evening to Crowne Plaza on Shk Zayed in the evening to pick up my wife from the office and this chap approached me, offered me some like tiny tiny 2-3 page booklets with religious scripture, I said no thanks but he said they are gifts so not wanting to be disrespectful. I took one. Then he stood there ....waiting. I said what? You said they were gifts. Then he laid on a big sob story blah blah and how he needed money. Said domt have money and returned his booklets. Then again after a week or so, same guy comes up to me, I told him no again, didnt seem to recognize me. Then again after a week or so same guys comes up to me while I wait. I'm like WTF dude this is the third time now, he was kinda taken off guard. I asked him what's the story man. Then again another sob story, he's here looking for a job etc etc so I asked what is it that you do. I think he thought of what would be a weird profession where no one could help him out and he said he's a florist. Well I said you are in luck there is a florist shop right in Crowne plaza with a help wanted sign, he definitely gave got caught off guard and started making all sorts of stories so I also gave him a piece of my mind. Then he saw he wasnt going to get anything from me, so he asked if he could at least use my mobile phone to call his mum back home. I was like seriously dude! Even after all this your still trying to get something off me. Well didnt see him after that time though!

Well that's why the Darwin Awards were created. People die doing useless and totally stupid and unnecessary shit all the time, like taking selfies! Or in search for the next big adrenaline rush. Like those crazy Russian kids hanging of mile high towers with just two fingers and then one day they slip and end up all splattered over the concrete, sorry no sympathy there!

Well in India its a different case as I read a few people actually ended up dead as false religious and racial news had been spread via WhatsApp which just incited a mob for some lynchings We as humans can always find a way to fuck up a good thing. Like social media in this case. Now if only someone could get Donald Trump off twitter!

Could be that, since I've never paid by card since the self service thing came along.

Well we have today who have driving licenses for decades now and still don't know how to drive. Long ago I had a friend Bharat, educated guy, smart, nice job well settled, but couldn't drive for shit. But somehow he had managed to get a license and drove for many many years without ever getting into any sort of accident! Someone up above was truly looking out for him.

Not a big deal, since Adnoc rolled this out 3 months ago here in RAK. Been filling my own car since, because of this usually less longer cues and you are done faster as you don't have to wait for the attendant to come and remove the nozzle and close the cap long after you are done, because he is busy. But the moot point of all of this is. You still have to wait for the attendant to come and beep you in before you start filling. Because the pump doesnt work until the guy swipes his ID on the pump.Maybe this will change now? Although I doubt it. So its still not 100% self service and attendant free like in other countries.

Yeah that's the unfortunate side of a slow market, cars are not moving and end up sitting for long periods of time in the sun without much care other than a wash outside every other day by the tea boy. You leave any car sitting too long in this weather and its going to show. But I guess of you really looked hard you could find the right one. I'm the opposite of you. I would buy a fresh import rather than one driven here where greasy mechanics already their hands on it. To me there is no used car from anywhere you just buy and drive, regardless of how much the seller says it's the case. There is always something that needs to be done, I call it the teething phase

Adding to that forget all the driving aids and modes, learn to drive without them. So if tomorrow you have a car that doesn't have "sand mode" you'll be just fine. It's like rear cameras and parking sensors. I know a few people now who cant park or reverse a car if it doesn't have them. Relying too much on automation just makes you lose your own ability and skill. Very soon we will have people who won't be able to change lanes if the car doesn't have lane assist!!!

No not really, just call one of them ask

Stay off dubizzle, these are the big dealers trying to make a bigger profit, best it to just visit the place and walk around. Its right behind Aweer used car complex and closed on fridays! P.S : Not a fan of the CLK because of its stubby fat ass, never liked it, just makes it looks really weird.

Yes, jap imports are a great choice unlike US imports, I know tons and tons of people who have bought all sorts of jap imports, including mercs and never had any issues , just make sure its a fresh import and not registered in the UAE before. Jap imports are not damaged or insurance write offs like US imports and usually very well taken care off, low mileage and go through a very strict auction process in Japan. You can learn to decode the jap auction sheet and most sellers have it, so you can ask to see it. This site use to deal strictly with the jap import market behind Al Aweer used car complex but now it has a few private sellers mixed in so don't assume all are jap imports, but majority still are. Here is what you can expect in your budget https://www.dubicars.com/search?view=&o=&l=&ma=69&mo=0&c=new-and-used&pf=&pt=20000&yf=&yt=&kf=&kt=&b=&co=&ci=&s=&gi= Oh and the only annoyance with Jap import cars is if the car is a bit modern and has displays, its usually in Japanese. So can be a bit weird to navigate through menus and all. My dad bought a jap import Cadillac STS and all electronic displays were in japanese ( Trip meter, fuel consumption etc etc ) but he eventually had it changed by just getting someone to change the language via a diagnostic computer. He bought it at around 45k kms and drove it almost 300k kms before it sold it. So stop looking for crappy jap eco boxes and get something decent.

Yes correct, but calling it a waste was also not correct since like mentioned earlier it has its uses.

Since I've been living here for the past 1 1/2 years. I think this was one of the cool aspect of the easy going unrushed small town life. Not too many weird rules. There are many many abandoned cars here, but not that cause any hazard or impediment to traffic or pathways. Most are just tucked away in side streets or covered parking in front of houses. just in walkable distance from my house there is a cool early 90s Range Rover classic with a factory fitted brooklands kit( in fact right in front of my villa gate and is sort of a landmark now for delivery people! Lol ) A 70s Land Rover 110 pickup, a beetle, A 2dr Tahoe etc etc. All cool cars which give the place character in my opinion. I've only seen a Honda Coupe CB6 in white ( rare colour ) as almost all were in dark brown, parked on the main road close to a S500 but both cars parkerld properly, at worse you can say they are taking up parking ( also no paid parking here in RAK )

Searching for a solution to a problem is different from what I am describing. Like your car shuts down, you will search for possible reasons but you will not post to the forum and wait for someone to get back to you. Like I said WhatsApp does have its advantages. For instant communication. After actually calling someone, it's the next best thing.

Ras Al Khaimah is land of the older gen Lexus LS 400's and 430's.There are literally more LS's here than yellow cabs in NY. There is even a scrap yard totally dedicated to the LS. I'm sure there are some shops specializing in them here, if you are willing to go an adventure that is.

you can't buy taste !

And not mention it just looks cool on the G. Not so much on a 1996 Hyundai Galloper though.

Overdrive really doesn't come into the picture because its technically the last gear on your transmission with a ratio of less than one like say 0.67:1 Unless some cars actually use that as a "sports" mode on their autotrans which modify the shifting patterns usually by holding a gear longer before upshifting. So the actually overdrive function would not come into play in the desert unless you are at highway cruising speeds in top gear while climbing a dune!

With all due respect, when you are stuck out in the desert by yourself, or broken down on some highway. The last thing you care about is information being 100% searchable and accessible for other. At that moment you are in need of instant assistance. For example If you are lets say on your own and have a breakdown or stuck you can't fix yourself. Would you 1- Post your situation here on carnity and wait for some to reply. 2- Call someone failing that (ow battery, line busy, phone off etc etc )WhatsApp someone. P.S : Lets not debate the practise of going out alone, this is just a hypothetical scenario.

Well WhatsApp has its uses, because its "live" that does have its uses in many situations for example if someone is stuck, broken down or some other emergency. You need an immediate response and not left to the mercy of forum members, if and when someone logs in. Just sharing of knowledge, that's where forums are more useful than WhatsApp groups. Other than that WhatsApp groups are just a nuisance and people just end up sharing memes and useless garbage. I have blocked my own brother on WhatsApp because of this!

But you gotta be careful, there is a lot of misinformation and fake CGI videos out there, hence making it difficult for the average joe to separate the wheat from the chaff. A not end up looking like a conspiracy nut. Real VS Fake

Not true, there have been UFO sightings all over the world, the media just makes a bigger deal of it in the western world. If you search you'll find UFO sightings in all places even Dubai.

Or just get a Mclaren F1

I think the bigger question is why just a handful of countries refuse to give up on RHD? Imagine how much easier it would be for the car and parts manufacturers. UK dont get a lot of cars specially American muscle because they don't do RHD. We don't get a lot of Jap cars because they don't do RHD in some of their models. Just like US refuses to join the rest of the world by not having the metric system. Ever watched an American DIY video and were left wondering what size would a 17/28" spanner would be in the normal world? UK being the middle child with half metric and half imperial Oh and RHD. As for the OT yeah I had a car stop inches from my legs because I looked the wrong way and crossed the street ( also see a lot of new expats do the same here though! ) and drove LHD just a little. First time going into a LHD roundabout had me go all wonky in the head!!!