Tokyo Marui, are they always a safe bet?

[RostokMcSpoons]

As we're still 'motoring' I guess I'll throw this in the mix, apropos the jap cars vs character vs reliability thing I commented on before... 
And I don't know whether I'm arguing for or against my previous comment, or moving the conversation forwards, backwards or sideways

I've owned 4 (count 'em) MX-5s.  They've all been very reliable considering I've had a Mk1, a Mk2 and two Mk3's - all with plenty of years and miles under their belts.  I've had a couple of O2 sensors fail, I've had a window winder fail (with the window down, and on a rainy day when I'd travelled a long distance for a game of golf, natch) and a mystery misfire that never got fixed but still let me drive around.

So famed Jap reliability.  And I loved 'em, so they had character.  
Performing reliably was a part of that character I loved, I guess

(Being able to provoke mini-powerslides at any/every corner in the wet also helped immensely!

I'm looking forward to the time when I can buy a relatively-nearly-new Mk4, but current COVID / job market situation is dictating otherwise unfortunately)

PS Eezer, what sort of Mondy are you driving?  One of my earlier cars was a Mondy 2.5 V6 (just the base version, Mk1), that was a great car.  Smoothest and best engine I've owned I think (all my other cars have been 2 litre V4s or worse)

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

2.0 TDCi, Dw10 engine. 140hp. Zetec Business Edition so lots of useful additions (dual zone climate, satnav, BT which wasn't too common 10 years ago, voice command, parking sensors, all round leccy windows, tinted rear windows, heated windscreen etc). Fantastic car. The old V6s were nice, sadly gone now due to high fuel prices and rampant EcoNazi-ism. Can't be having proles enjoying themselves, can we.

Always liked the mk1 MX5. An MG B for the 90s, only more reliable!

Apologies to the OP for powersliding gloriously off topic.

 

[BigStew]

Only airsofters could derail a topic so much. Anyway my second car was an 82 trans am it had character. it however was a steaming pile of shit. My current work 1ltr civic is faster and much more fun to drive. Still miss my Pontiac. Oh and the dream is to eventual build an electric 68 dodge charger that is stupidly quick.

Back on topic TMs are well built and will last for years if you leave them alone.

 

[SBoardley]

Only airsofters could derail a topic so much. Anyway my second car was an 82 trans am it had character. it however was a steaming pile of shit. My current work 1ltr civic is faster and much more run to drive. Still miss my Pontiac. Oh and the dream is to eventual build an electric 68 dodge charger that is stupidly quick.

Back on topic TMs are well built and will last for years if you leave them alone.

Started badly, but a great recovery!

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

Royal Enfields have character.  I'm not saying that my 2008 with 1950s designed British technology made to Indian QC with ropey Indian steel is a great bike, or even a good one, but it's by far my favourite.

A group of us went through a phase of playing with them.  Upgraded oil pumps, Amal carbs, Brit pistons, bigends and valves set in new seats as they often leaked from new.  Converting the 350 to 500 was easy IIRC.  My uncle had a genuine 1940s example, teles but still rigid.

Not many people think that fettling a bike, car or rifle is an essential part of enjoying ownership.  I think that's the sector of the market that TM  aim for.  

 

[Rogerborg]

Upgraded oil pumps, Amal carbs, Brit pistons, bigends and valves set in new seats as they often leaked from new.  Converting the 350 to 500 was easy IIRC.

I cheated and went for an AVL 500, which has a better (but not great) oil pump and some of the iron barrel issues sorted. Amal, of course, and bin off the comically constricted stock exhaust. The exhaust valve is getting a bit cooked, but I've not even bothered sorting it, I'll probably replace it when it burns through and drops.  

The electric foot is a trap, the fragile sprag clutch will grenade itself on any kick-back: mine's on it's third in under 12,000 miles.  Not really a problem though, it always starts reliably on the first kick, about 60% of the time.

Not many people think that fettling a bike, car or rifle is an essential part of enjoying ownership.  I think that's the sector of the market that TM  aim for.  

Indian made Enfields from the AVL onwards are like AEPs: heavy, under-powered, some peculiar engineering, they shouldn't really work, but it turns out that they're surprising reliable all year round.

Hah, back on topic.  

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

The AVL slid passed my radar.  I feel yet another two wheeled project coming on.  The last rh change bike I rode I nearly came a cropper on (ex-wife's ex-husbands B40) braking by mistake on snow.  A lefty may be a safer big crobber all round.   

If you fitted a WL45 style Thompson scabbard to the military version AVL 500 you'd have pretty much the ultimate cool prop vehicle IMHO.