Great Wall Motors. Any good? - Page 6

Keepleft · 05-07-2010, 01:00 PM

Looks fine enough M, will avoid defect issuance at least. Like that rear bar.

As for the LED rear fogs, so long as the lamps are brighter than the standard 'position' tail lamps, and optionally - (but preferably brighter) than the brake-lamp function.

Did you ever have aftermarket paint protection or rustproofing done, electronic or otherwise??

Mitcon · 05-07-2010, 01:35 PM

They are actuallu a LED tail/brake light combo unit, with the wiring only driving the brake light portion which is 18 very bright LED's per lamp and is brighter than the standard OEM brake lights. If anything maybe a tiny bit too bight so I may look at altering them.

And yes I have aftermarket paint protection and also I treat the underbody and chassis by hand spraying as well as installing a CouplerTek electronic rustproofing system.

Mitcon · 05-07-2010, 01:37 PM

Oh and the canopy is steel and had been galvanised, as well as painted with a extra 4 coats of paint and then paint protection added because they cop the most wear 'n tear often.

This I had done not by the dealer as with all the custom work I used small local business, yes I could have done it myself but I do like to support the small true Aussie batlers and it saved me alot of pain and time.

Oh the rear bar was a small local Aussie's design which the purpose of was not just to protect the rear and quater panels but also to improve departure angles. They also made the extra bash plates I added as well as the rocksliders.

It's one hell of a solid bit of work and will more than support the whole cars weight.

Keepleft · 05-07-2010, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mitcon

They are actually an LED tail/brake light combo unit, with the wiring only driving the brake light portion which is 18 very bright LED's per lamp and is brighter than the standard OEM brake lights. If anything maybe a tiny bit too bight so I may look at altering them.

In which case they'll be fine M, I'd leave them, as RF's are usually brighter than Stop lamps anyhow. It'll help protect you from fast approaching loons in torrential rainfall/bushfire smoke, heavy fog etc.

Quote:

And yes I have aftermarket paint protection and also I treat the underbody and chassis by hand spraying as well as installing a CouplerTek electronic rustproofing system.

I had been told that rustproofing (inside doors etc) was the one thing folk should do with GW's.

May I ask, - what price for the paint protection item? Dealer offered a lady $500 on a new car - said no - but might go private.

Any other projects? Do post!

Mitcon · 05-07-2010, 06:55 PM

Well I guess rustproofing certainly would do no harm, I've not heard any such advice but I did hear of one person whom found slight surface rust inside a door panel and also a tiny bit on a roof.

I believe this was sorted out and fixed under warranty, but I would think that everywhere on my vehicle should be protected seeing as I've gone with a Aussie designed and proven electronic rust proofing device. Though there is some skeptics that think this is snake oil, I also use fish oil and lanolin on most vehciles I have owned.

Like insurance any sort fo treatments would at the very least offer some peace of mind.

I think I paid around $500 from memory for my paint protection, may have been a little cheaper. The dealer offered me their own but it was well over $1,000. Infact if memory serves me it was around $1.5kish.

I've had paint protection before and been very happy with it, again lots of people think it's snake oil. Each to their own I say. I employed a small local Aussie detailing business to do it with a written 5 year warranty and I don't have to pay for check-ups, re-treatments each year like some of the scammers about.

I've tried the system before one vehicle with and one without at the same time. Both vehicles used and housed under the same conditions, one remained in very good condition the other suffered quite a bit of fadings and oxidation.

AU's ahve very soft paint and mine did very well once treated if memory serves me well. So $500 from a dealer is quite cheap from what I hear but I would still go private and do some research into what treatment they use and also make sure teh warranty doesn't mean you have to pay for years inspections and touch-ups.

Other projects? Sadly funds are low so atm no more mods or things planned for the V240. Maybe a winch and Diff locks later if funds allow.

For the moment I'm quite happy with the Ute as it is so my efforts will be focused more on my camper trailer and the wildlife work I do.

One thing I will say for folks who do look at these vehicles for serious/fun off-road work is to look at getting a main bash plate made up but even more so a small second one just after the first crossmember to protect electrics back there.

You don't need to do all the mods I have but these will offer worth while protection I feel for not a very high cost. Here's a pic from under mine of the main forward bash plate and if you look towards the rear you will see the smaller one I was talking about.

Forgive it for being a little dirty and scratched, but they are there for protection not looks.

Here's a closer pic

RangerStacey · 18-06-2011, 05:05 PM

A friend of mine that works at Ultra Tune saw a GW with 15000kms that has had 3 gearboxes.
Under warranty though...

xm289 · 18-06-2011, 06:56 PM

mate bought a great wall and had it for about 1.5 to 2 years. He had overheating issues and couldn't get spares for it so he traded it in for a new ranger 4wd turbo, he's pretty stoked with his ranger.

LUXO_8 · 18-06-2011, 11:03 PM

the update front looks alright.
disapointing still no turbo diesel.....id consider buying one if it was offered

what did your mate get offered as the trade in price if you dont mind me asking...

sudszy · 19-06-2011, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimNiki

I'm just curious as to how people think.
There's no right or wrong answers here (which is why there should be no argument anyway). I have my personal opnion and I'm expressing it.
...

I actually thought you wanted to know whether anyone knew GWM was any good?

but all you really wanted to find out was how people think?

sewing seeds for "lets make a chinese stuff is crap, buy aussie" rant?

gassed250 · 13-01-2013, 10:25 AM

Bit of a thread dig here

I recently bought a new GW V200 tdi 6 speed leather trim dual airbags etc etc, I didnt purchase it on price alone but more that it will do what I need it to do, so far Im happy with it

Its a little under powered off boost but cruises great in 6th and has no troubles with hills etc, Apparently there's a free ECU remap offered buy GW to fix the low down lag

I was told the engine is based on a Hyundai engine and the turbo is made by Borg Warner, the 6 speed gear box is made by Zomax and looks like a Toyota R154 with a larger extension housing (may bolt to conversion bellhousings to make a cheap 6 speed conversion???)

My mum has a 2010 Toyota Hilux workmate and I can tell you that the GW drives heaps better and the interior is much nicer, overall finish of both is on par, the Hilux kills it for performance though, We own a small fleet of Toyota vans so Toyota was going to be my first choice but they just don't have anything outstanding to offer to justify the price, they only have a 5 speed, service is every 10000k the GW is every 15000 both have rear drum brakes, and I wont swallow the Toyota = reliability thing as I know they have heaps of dramas !

I have a friend that owns 5 GW v240's and all of them are well over the 100000km mark, one being over 200000 and have been fairly trouble free

99AUXR · 13-01-2013, 09:03 PM

At work we put a great wall up on the hoist and then compared to a new ranger and hilux as we have access to all. The ranger by far had the biggest chassis with the great wall being the smallest.

4 out of 5 great walls in our town have been back to dealership for atleast one reason with 1 being back 4 times in under 15000km.

They are alright but if doing 4WD or hard on vehicles don;t go near them.

smally289 · 13-01-2013, 09:08 PM

They are fantastic at keeping me in a job! Towed plenty of them.

Auslandau · 13-01-2013, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gassed250

I recently bought a new GW V200 tdi 6 speed leather trim dual airbags etc etc, I didnt purchase it on price alone but more that it will do what I need it to do, so far Im happy with it

Congrats on the purchase. I only know of 1 other person with a GW and they have had no problems at all hitting 100,000 k's and they said they will buy another because of price and (dare I say it) quality!

Don't let anyone poo poo it as there are worse out there. Hope you enjoy.

old mate · 13-01-2013, 09:17 PM

I can speculate based on personal experience, not with a GW vehicle but with my exposure to chinese engineering. i work for an australian engineering company, we have offices in bejing and shanghi. essentially what you get with most things chinese is a soild design and adequate materials/parts. the grey area comes with assembly. typically they dont pay folks well in this field, so what you get is a chinese farmer with excellent work ethic putting together the end product. this bloke working away on your car might be the best worker on earth, but he/she has no clue about the component they are installing or anything about the car it's self. also becuase they pump out such huge volumes their quality system does not really encapsulate the majority of the product. in the end it's a lucky dip. you might get the best rig on four wheels, or you may end up with a dud. hence the price i guess. most of the blokes on this forum are gonna be savvy enough to fix up some bolt on defects, so does it matter? i don't think i could go past a nissan or a toyota, but for the price the GW's are offering it might be worth a gamble??

AndyXR6T · 13-01-2013, 09:19 PM

A plumber I know had one. After 7,000kms it needed a new gearbox. Interior was very cheap and brittle with things falling off all the time and the engine had an unusually ticking noise that no one could fix
He sold it and bought a hilux lol

Vekgib · 13-01-2013, 09:23 PM

Wife bought an X200 Wagon in December. So, obviously, we've only had it for 5 weeks and only put about 3,000km on it. So far, fine. Turbo diesel. Lacks a bit of punch off the lights but besides that, all good.

Auslandau · 13-01-2013, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyXR6T

A plumber I know had one. After 7,000kms it needed a new gearbox. Interior was very cheap and brittle with things falling off all the time and the engine had an unusually ticking noise that no one could fix
He sold it and bought a hilux lol

The engine's are Mitsubishi Triton's. Not built by GW but bought from Mitsu direct so not necessarily a GW engineered fault?

TC200six · 13-01-2013, 09:44 PM

My old uncle now has a single cab Great Wall. It was just a replacement for his late 80s Triton that he had for years, so he obviously wasn't after anything too special.

old mate · 13-01-2013, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by old mate

I can speculate based on personal experience, not with a GW vehicle but with my exposure to chinese engineering. i work for an australian engineering company, we have offices in bejing and shanghi. essentially what you get with most things chinese is a soild design and adequate materials/parts. the grey area comes with assembly. typically they dont pay folks well in this field, so what you get is a chinese farmer with excellent work ethic putting together the end product. this bloke working away on your car might be the best worker on earth, but he/she has no clue about the component they are installing or anything about the car it's self. also becuase they pump out such huge volumes their quality system does not really encapsulate the majority of the product. in the end it's a lucky dip. you might get the best rig on four wheels, or you may end up with a dud. hence the price i guess. most of the blokes on this forum are gonna be savvy enough to fix up some bolt on defects, so does it matter? i don't think i could go past a nissan or a toyota, but for the price the GW's are offering it might be worth a gamble??

I might add that chinese producers will almost always give preference to bulk purchasers. do they have their own dealerships here? or some sort of alliance partners? i'm not sure. units with 'below par' quality typically never go back for repair etc. they will be spooned off to small orders. it's a better return for them to do this than send the unit back for repair. i.e.: burn a small client and keep the big ones happy. again this is speculation about GW but it's pretty typical business acumen over there. if this is the case it might be worthwhile sourcing a major dealer if you want to buy one

babyf6 · 13-01-2013, 10:47 PM

so, from what i have read, with a great wall, it is a 50/50 luck of the draw to get one that is good. Some people get one that is brilliant and runs like a dream, whole others get one that needs the transmission changed every 5 000 km.

XBROO · 14-01-2013, 10:30 AM

Macca's only a 50/50 chance when you use the drive through of getting what you ordered, and they're doing fine.

csv8 · 15-01-2013, 11:27 AM

There is a Great Wall in 10th place in the DAKAR...

csv8 · 15-01-2013, 09:09 PM

Dakar Stage 9...GW now in 6th place....

Ben73 · 15-01-2013, 09:36 PM

Guy at work has an SUV one. He says a lot of random small things have being going wrong. Door handles breaking, power windows and things like that.
Nothing major just stupid little things that should not happen on a car that's less then 2 years old.

79FordEsky · 15-01-2013, 11:20 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xANaO_Hp54

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhtubaEeZtI

This is all you got to know..Imagine this at a high speed crash it would be like a tin can getting run over by a track

nuthin' fancy · 16-01-2013, 01:20 AM

You

Get

What

You

Pay

For.

MAFIA · 16-01-2013, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

You

Get

What

You

Pay

For.

So True, as the old saying goes "Real car are made with tools, the Rest are made with Chopsticks!"

Jack960 · 16-01-2013, 11:49 AM

mate at a reputable service centre that has worked on a couple said some of the gaskets contain asbestos. they refuse to service them.

revcore · 16-01-2013, 11:56 AM

Personally I'd avoid the Great Wall vehicles like the plague. The bloke a few doors up bought one brand new and it's spent more time at the dealership being repaired than what he as driving it. He said it's by far the worst vehicle he has ever owned and he has owned heaps of cars during his 52 years of driving.

TC200six · 16-01-2013, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 79FordEsky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xANaO_Hp54

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhtubaEeZtI

This is all you got to know..Imagine this at a high speed crash it would be like a tin can getting run over by a track

To be fair, they didn't do that bad in those crash tests.

Compare them to the Proton Jumbuck or even the old Ford Ranger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh22Pm7GwW4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atFiywo4r-8