The Vehicle Hunt - Part 1

You may remember we were dissuaded from buying a motorcycle after a series of not-so-nice motorcycle related events.

So, the hunt for four wheels began.

First off, it is important to note that here in Togo there are no online classifieds -- or reliable old-fashioned classifieds either, for that matter.

And as we soon found out, used car lots are not the place to buy a car.

One afternoon, Natalie, another teacher at the school who speaks French and I trekked out to a conglomeration of vehicles parked outside the vehicle registration office. Dealers will buy cars from the port, register them and sell them right outside the office.



We made several observations rather quickly.

Firstly, cars here are EXPENSIVE. North American or European blue book values mean nothing. Don't blink twice if asked to pay 10,000 USD for a rusted, battered mid-90's Toyota 4runner. Car values are determined by the availability of parts and how easy they are to repair. For example, Toyota is more expensive than Ford, Mercedes or BMW because parts are readily available and mechanics know how to fix Toyotas.

Secondly, dealers don't only avoid telling you faults; they will bold-faced lie when you show them a problem. The smoke pouring from the engine compartment moments after you fire up the vehicle? It is only because they changed the oil just before you came, and happened to spill some. There is oil/other engine fluids seeping and bubbling from engine block orifices? No problem, the vehicle will be just fine. That is normal. Stupid American knows nothing about cars. Trust us, this car is very strong and will last forever. But for you, special price. Only 3,800,000 CFA (approx. $7,500 USD.)

Needless to say, we enjoyed the experience of looking at the car conglomeration, but vowed not to buy one there.

Which left two options. The Port and Robert.

Now, The Port of Lomé is full of vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Numerous dealers (most who happen to be Lebanese) have massive storage lots crammed full of Mercedes', Reneaults, Peugeots, Fords, and most any other brand imaginable. These cars, I am told, are often the 'rejects' from North America and Europe that have failed emissions testing or were police seizures. I've even seen a few with VIN plates removed and any identifying numbers scratched off.

And should you find a vehicle you like, the price you will be quoted will likely be quite lucrative. But there is a catch. Cars in the port lots have not had their import tax/port fee paid. And at 52%, the tax makes the price of a car quickly skyrocket.

Furthermore, the mechanics at the port are even more crafty than those selling cars outside the registration office. We've been told that several people have had experiences where they will pour some sort of syrup in the engine to mask any rattling sounds. Of course, it will hold together for the test drive around the small lot, but once you pay up and take it out of the lot and drive a little faster -- the engine seizes. And there is no Better Business Bureau. Your loss.

The last option we had available to us is a mechanic named Robert. Over time, many of the teachers at the school have asked him to help them find a car, and he has developed a reputation for being able to find the car you want at quite a good price. As a bonus, he guarantees the vehicles for 6 months and takes care off all the government paperwork to boot.

So we consulted Robert and asked him to find us our vehicle: a two-door 4x4, preferably Toyota. Preferably mid-90's.

A few days later, with our lack of French and his limited English, he informed us that he had found us what we were looking for. He described it as being very much like another teachers' vehicle -- which was a 94 Land Cruiser Prado.

It was at this point we learned another quirk of local culture: prices are not discussed on the phone, at all. But we were told it was within our requested price range.

So the next afternoon, we agreed to meet at 3:00 at the school. At 4:45, he showed up with the vehicle. It was definitely not a 1994 model. This is another cultural quirk. Car models and manufacture years mean nothing. If it looks sort of like something else, it is.

In fact, this one was a 1987 Land Cruiser LJ70. Despite the age, the kilometres were low, and the engine was in remarkable condition. But Natalie had informed me that in no way was she interested in a vintage vehicle. Besides, the asking price was at the top of our range -- and this was a really, really, old car.



Disappointed, we looked a few other cars in and around town, but nothing but a bunch of lemons showed up. We reassured ourselves that surely, by Christmas we will find something.

Robert informed us that he had bargained the price of the vehicle down nearly a million CFA. It was lucrative, but still felt a little too much for our naive taste.

I went back to the Port with Robert to look at some of the other Land Cruisers we had seen, but all had either serious mechanical issues or were even more expensive than the Land Cruiser LJ70 he had shown us. We began to rethink our decision. Maybe the oldie-but-a goodie was the way to go.

Besides, Christmas was just over a week away. And we had another complication to consider: the potential devaluation of the currency, rumoured to take place on January 1. If we were holding on to millions of CFA, we could stand to lose a lot of money. Furthermore, the cost of cars would skyrocket.

And after discussing it with many of our friends one evening, we decided that though the price was still a little uncomfortable, it was in our best interest to buy something now. And a vehicle that was easy to fix, with very few electronics (the radio is the most complicated thing in it) and a great track record was the way to go.

So we called Robert and informed him that we would like to purchase the 1987 Land Cruiser after all.

"Oh, Mr. Daniel. The Land Cruiser was sold in the last hour."