Cambodia Mechanic builds car for BD340(900 US Dollars)

Gulf Daily ^ | 07/14/03 | Gulf Daily

[Pikamax]

Mechanic builds car for BD340

A backyard motor mechanic has won widespread applause for producing Cambodia's first automobile with flair, and at a cost that would confound car manufacturers across the region.

The "Angkor-2003" is a dashing two-seater convertible that takes four months to produce at $900 (BD340.2) a unit in Nhean Pholeouk's Phnom Penh garage. A new motorcycle costs about the same.

"It is the first home-made car in Cambodia, I'm very proud of my work," he said while polishing-up the finished product.

Dozens of orders have poured in since the 46-year-old, who subsidises his income by washing cars, drove his product to a park outside the home of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

There, thousands of people gathered to check-out the "Angkor" and offers have quickly come from tourist operators looking to ferry Western tourists around this country's famed temples.

"People always ask me if I bought it from abroad. When I tell them it was made with my hands, they are very surprised and often do not believe me." But he complained that the government has shown little interest.

"I am told that in Western countries, if someone builds such a thing, he would get a medal and become rich. I have to struggle, it is very difficult," he said.

The Angkor has a top speed of 60km per hour and is powered by a 100cc motorbike engine with a four speed gear-box. But plans are on the drawing board to increase the speed to 120km an hour. Bucket seats and panelling were made at home while spare parts from motorbikes and scrapped cars were used to complete the Angkor.

Its four litre fuel tank can cover 100km.

"People have asked me if they could build 10 or 20 cars at a time. I can make them but I need contract labour to build them in the required time," said Nhean Pholeouk, who was described as a "budding Henry Ford" by the English language newspaper the Phnom Penh Post.

Nhean Pholeouk hopes to enter a joint venture that would raise much needed capital and possibly prepare his product for export.

"My plan is to build more big and better cars, but I am short of capital. I want to kick-start a joint venture and make bigger cars," he said.

[LibWhacker]

Looks like a golf cart.

[Rate_Determining_Step]

Cool car. Very respectable effort indeed. Hope he makes a million!

[Hitlerys uterus]

I build go-karts and chopper mini-bikes in my garage in my spare time. A couple of years ago I shoehorned a 22 HP Briggs & Stratton horizontally opposed motor into an elctric golf cart with all the electrics gutted out of it. I mounted up some used 22" professional laws service equipment tires. The kind with big paddles rather than tread or knobs. It wouldn't corner all that fast but on the straight it would go like hell. I had it up over fifty before I had to get out of the pedal because the front end was shaking. The motor hadn't even broken a sweat yet though.

I would take it out in the fields behind my house and play for a couple of summers. What a beast. Strong as all get out. It would go over any terrain easily and could pull my 88 ford conversion van. Not quite as polished as the car in the article but it was alot more fun and I only had about 350 bucks in it.

Power to that cambodian fellow. I understand and apreciate exactly where his heads is at!

[Aracelis]

Great job, and the durned thing is cute too!

[ido_now]

How let's see. Four months to produce, that's 17.3 weeks or 693 hours on a 40 hour week. At an average U.S. auto worker labor cost of $45.00 per hour this wonderful car could be produced in the U.S for only about $32,000.

What a steal!

[Jaxter]

[wildbill]

I doubt we could build it for less than 10,000 with all the regulations and necessary clearances, not to mention manufactured product liability insurance and union labor.

We could have--once. Sigh!

[dalereed]

The only sales I see are to a Cambodian who can't currently afford anything but a rickshaw!

[dalereed]

He might find a nitch in the golf cart market!

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Mannaggia l'America]

This is what the environs/libs want you to drive. Expect to see lots of interest from California...

Maybe I'll get one and keep it in the bed of my Chevy pickup. Instead of a spare tire, I'll just have a spare car.

[Centurion2000]

That's not a car ... that's a golf cart.