A Dominican success story (with a sad ending, though).

J D Sauser

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Nov 20, 2004
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Since we here seem to report quite our share of not so successful stories, I decided about a week ago to post a successful one. But then, until I came around to write home about it... it had to take a sad ending... but yet, I feel the story has it's good sides, so here I go:

When I came to settle here around a year and a half ago, I had, with the help of this Forum, quite re-shaped my idea of desired vehicle.
Then, after I saw the "Infomercial" below, being the down to earth kind a guy I can at times be and my childhood fascination for all flying objects, I set my heart on such a vehicle:

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So, after a month of driving something which closely resembled a Hoover vacuum machine I rented, I brought a one year old Toyota Hilux home from Santo Domingo. I never liked the color but it was a great deal and still quite nice looking vehicle, at least, that's what the girls said.
qoauix.jpg


After a couple of months, It occurred to me to add a "camper" roof to the bridge, so I could haul stuff around safer and protected from the rain, but then, the sex appeal of the truck was gone.

Anyway, I always thought that if I'd ever had to do some repairs, I have it's color change to a lighter non-metallic one.
And then one day I passed a Hilux just like mine but with what a purdy roof on the back

p3255f12.jpg


Now THAT was IT... nothing like my funeral vehicle roof. So, I decided to stop the guy on the road and "make'm an offer he couldn't refuse".
So I got my sport lid... but in a different color than my car.
I was facing having to throw the dices and decide whether painting the vehicle to the roof's color or the roof to the car's color... I decided against both and settled on painting both in a light cream white.
I proceeded to do what I mostly do when I am about to do something; I posted on this Forum about it, inquiring about a good body shop.
I got several options and after hitting it off quite well with the owner of Arturo SA in Puerto Plata and Rocky's recommendations, we cut a deal.
Arturo is not cheap... actually he is the most expensive guy around, but he has a reputation on delivering good work ON time (something seldom around here). The deal was, that I would disassemble the vehicle completely and put it back together after they'd be done with the body work and painting. I was also welcomed to suggest some body changes I came up with to the back of the truck.
I had done these jobs when I was 18 and never since. So, middle age crazy as I am often said to be I felt kind'a good about the prospect of doing it myself. My cousin is here and he felt equally. So, we went out and bought some beer and wrenches... then when ol' J-D sets his mind up to disassemble a vehicle... that's what he does:

10i9x0i.jpg



259alfl.jpg


But it's not like we just disassemble things here, we also knew to put things back together after Arturo's body parts maker and his painters did a fantastic job... and, believe it or not... ON time! They polished that thing so good I thought polishing paste and white paint may eventually run out on this island. PERFECT!
Back to hunting for screwdrivers, screws, new clips and plugs and the sorts of things... It took my cousin and me a full week to get her back together but the result made it worth all the time.

311l1zb.jpg


Here she is with a nice rounded "Dominican style" ... erm, tail!

And here she is fully completed:

jkx7rm.jpg



A true success story! :)



Well, sort of.
If only this hadn't been the last picture we taken of her! :ermm:

Then only three days later, we crawled out of this (surprisingly unharmed):

2e5o9s8.jpg


Which after it got turned over, doesn't look much better.

Some nutcase just rammed our vehicle on an intersection between Bani and San Cristobal... fast and apparently with no brakes. His old truck got totaled too but he was fit enough to continue his hi speed journey... running.
The local police later on dragged in a "driver" who had only a sketchy idea of what happened and didn't look like he had been in an accident recently or been running much lately to declare.

What's left over is in the hands of the insurance companies to work out... meanwhile, I am set on going to Santo Domingo and...

get me another one :tired: (I still got that roof... so, this is not yet over!).


Morale of the story... thinking it over, there really is no morale. We're glad to be fine and even to know that the idiot who did this to us is too... at least enough to run!

... J-D.
 

M.A.R.

Silver
Feb 18, 2006
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Wow glad you are ok, te salvaste de un milagro.

btw: it was a beautiful truck.
 

Lapurr

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Jan 25, 2008
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OMG .....She really was a "Beauty" ...like the nicest I have seen
Thank God you made it out safe!! Sorry for your grief!!
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i am a huge fan of big cars. to hell with environment! should you be driving a small carrito it would not end all that well... :tired:
your toyota was a real beaty and i hope you get a nice one again...

btw 5 people from miesposo's family had an accident two weeks ago on a way to santo domingo. the driver lost her hand (it was sticking out through an open window) but everyone else survived untouched. the car was ford explorer and it's only fit for scrap now. a smaller car and they would all be dead. :ermm:
 

drloca

Silver
Oct 26, 2004
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Pleased you are OK. The value of material possessions pales by comparison with the value of human life...pleased you were spared to tell the tale.
 

stig

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Oct 4, 2004
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Learn a Lesson

Never change color of your car.

I'm very happy you guys crawled out of this in one piece - unbelievable. I have to check this next week.
 

laurajane

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May 23, 2005
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Wow all that hard work, but like everyone has said the main thing is that you were unharmed. And i like your attitude, you don't feel sorry for yourself and are up for finding yourself another one of these vehicles (very jelous as wouldnt mind one myself). Glad you are ok!
 

james

Active member
Jan 14, 2002
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JD, I am happy you are ok. I thought when I saw your vehicle in Sosua that the old color was great! Bad karma to change the color.
Good luck finding the perfect replacement.
 

M.A.R.

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Feb 18, 2006
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JD, I am happy you are ok. I thought when I saw your vehicle in Sosua that the old color was great! Bad karma to change the color.
Good luck finding the perfect replacement.


REALLY?!!! didn't know that.:ermm:
 

J D Sauser

Silver
Nov 20, 2004
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Thanks to all for the positive flattering and warm comments.
I'm going to Santo Domingo tomorrow, to see if I can pick up a new one and rescue my roof and some of the chrome. We'll build another one but in original white... just for karma safety.
Who knows, maybe I even get it over to Puerto Plata in one piece. Any bets?

i am a huge fan of big cars. to hell with environment! should you be driving a small carrito it would not end all that well... :tired:
your toyota was a real beaty and i hope you get a nice one again...

btw 5 people from miesposo's family had an accident two weeks ago on a way to santo domingo. the driver lost her hand (it was sticking out through an open window) but everyone else survived untouched. the car was ford explorer and it's only fit for scrap now. a smaller car and they would all be dead. :ermm:

Yes, you are probably right about the size. Yet... bigger cars cause more damage to others, which may get them to buy even bigger cars.
Actually that vehicle is quite gentle on the environment (depending on how they're going to dispose of it)... I'd give me an average of 42 Kms to a Gallon! It has a neat little 2.5 liter 4 cylinder turbo diesel engine in it and I usually got just over 800km on a full tank!
I'm very sorry to hear about the bad luck tuesposo's folks had.

Never change color of your car.

I'm very happy you guys crawled out of this in one piece - unbelievable. I have to check this next week.

Well, I'll have to meditate about that... so, you would favor I'd just buy a white one now?

Can't keep a good man down, JD, at least not for very long. 8 more lives left :) .

WHAT? Already down to only 8% left to go?!?!? :surprised I need a re-fill, and quick!


... J-D.
 

Lapurr

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Jan 25, 2008
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I'm reallllllly diggin the Toyota FJ Cruiser, I think that will be my next toy!!
Do you see any of them around in DR??
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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There are plenty of them in Santo Domingo, but then, Santo Domingo probably has the highest rate of SUVs per capita anywhere on the planet. Seriously.
 

jalencastro

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Dec 15, 2004
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WOW! you are both lucky to be alive! sorry to hear bout your accident :(
whereabouts did this occur? i know you said between Bani and San Cristobal, any idea exactly? i cant tell by the picture [trying to ID the business in the back, is that a Picapollo way in the back?]...
 

J D Sauser

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Nov 20, 2004
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WOW! you are both lucky to be alive! sorry to hear bout your accident :(
whereabouts did this occur? i know you said between Bani and San Cristobal, any idea exactly? i cant tell by the picture [trying to ID the business in the back, is that a Picapollo way in the back?]...

Cruze de Nizao. One intersection East of the Nizao River.
We were many times over lucky... because this intersection is usually quite crowdy as there is a Shell gas station on the South border of the main road and a pica pollo, colmadon on the North border corners. Luckily we hit nobody while landing upside down.

I just came back home tonight from Santo Domingo. With a brand spanking new one. The old "sport lid" cover (which is only slightly damaged) pre-mounted (to be fixed and re-painted)... in other words, we're back at it.
On the other hand, we found out, by visiting the insurance company that this will be a case we will have to fight quite resolutely.

... J-D.
 

ExtremeR

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Mar 22, 2006
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Wow, they did a excellent paint job in your truck, a shame that it ended this way, but as you said you are going to pick another one so there's no difference...
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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jd, yes, we are counting our blessings too...

you are right with economical side - my father in law has a new hilux and it drinks far less petrol than nissan murano of my mother in law...

in any case, big cars are better for this country, i was driving small honda the other day and i felt like a dwarf among giants, scary. not to mention i did not know how to take a big hole in a road, in our jeepeta i just drive thru... :)
 

J D Sauser

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Nov 20, 2004
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Wow, they did a excellent paint job in your truck, a shame that it ended this way, but as you said you are going to pick another one so there's no difference...

Well, the same, not quite... probably never. I know that I will have to take quite an economical hit. The insurance is far from even making a proposal of compensation yet (so I have advanced all the cost of a new one, just to be back on the road before the end of all days) and I know that the amount I can hope to eventually fight out of them will only be what they deem the old vehicle worth BEFORE we rebuilt it... as we did not have the time to file the renovation and all the added goodies with them (filing we were indeed going to do on that very same day, if we only had been able to reach Santo Domingo instead of being shot down on the way.

jd, yes, we are counting our blessings too...

you are right with economical side - my father in law has a new hilux and it drinks far less petrol than nissan murano of my mother in law...

in any case, big cars are better for this country, i was driving small honda the other day and i felt like a dwarf among giants, scary. not to mention i did not know how to take a big hole in a road, in our jeepeta i just drive thru... :)

Yes, the bigger, uglier and potentially damage causing the more street authority one has. Old Mack Trucks, preferably with all the hood missing, RULE.
Nudge guards also are one item which will not really protect ones vehicle from impact damagage, but others just show more respect (well, concern for their own vehicle) when they are on yours, when navigating around it.

I think this reflects one of the main road mindset differences new comers and tourists may find themselves surprised to encounter when visiting this and similar Latin American countries' streets: The weak comes last (if he even manages), then the strong comes first and at all price and that couple with a constant "YO primero!"

... J-D.

... J-D.