Windows of opportunity

Apologies for not updating as often as I should. PLDT has basically given me the shoddiest DSL ever and it's become nigh-impossible to catch it working at home.

I am in a fascinating time. There are so many opportunities and activities opening up for me that I can't help but get excited at all the potential I'm smelling.

For three weeks now Mav and I have been jogging at Bonifacio High Street. We basically thought of turning to running as a way of keeping ourselves fit and maybe lose some weight, but so far we've been enjoying ourselves pounding away at the hard-packed concrete sidewalks. Mav is steadily getting better as she gets used to the demands of jogging.

Team Flat Out also invited me to Don Pastor's plan of making what they call a "gentlemen's racing series" - basically an open wheel-to-wheel racing class for daily driven cars and amateur drivers who have no racing licenses. If you can imagine what Keiichi Tsuchiya and his fellow race-driver co-hosts do on every episode of "Best Motoring" around Tsukuba Circuit, I reckon you wouldn't be far off.

Also when I try figuring out what I want to do with my life, it seems everything points to the direction of cars. Summit Media, that publishing giant with its offices just three floors down from mine, had a number of job vacancies, and Mav encouraged me to send in my application. Sadly there was no opening for "Top Gear Philippines" but maybe I could start elsewhere with that dream of being an automotive journalist in mind.

My only reservations revolve around leaving my comfort zone, I suppose. For better or worse I've adapted to my current situation pretty well, and there's a part of me that's fearful of leaving something that's already pretty secure. Then again I seem to have hit a wall and have stopped growing...perhaps because I've grown tired of my daily work grind.

So many opportunities, yet so many insecurities as well. It's an exciting time to be alive.

Deep blue something

This morning as I drove to work at 6:30 am, I saw a pleasant surprise climbing up the C5 off-ramp. I was about to pass my old steed WHH687, my 1999 SX8 Honda City 1.5 EXi.

It had been neglected by the new owner, at least cosmetically. I saw only its left side and rear; the rubbing strip had come off the left rear door exposing the mounting holes beneath. However, WHH687 was still mechanically sound. It was nice to know that my trusty, wieldy SX8 was still purring along without any smoke from the tailpipe.

The encounter was all of five seconds, but it was enough for me. It's nice to see you again, old pal.

"Don't fall in love with your car"

I spent the week without Aibo as I sent him into my friend Butch Ortiz's shop, CrossFive Auto, for rust removal around the rear hatch area. This rust sadly seems to be the legacy of that major rear-end crash Aibo had with a bus one year ago.

When Aibo came out of that crash sporting a new rear bumper and rear deck spoiler, people were amazed that he looked much better than ever. Unfortunately things weren't so rosy on the inside. One day while hosing down Aibo's dirt, I had noticed the water from the hose seeping into the same rear bumper everybody adored. Sure enough, when I dismantled the rear interior trim panels, I spotted a few rust spots on the welds. When Butch's crew took a closer look, they found even more rust around the lower lip of the rear hatch.

Fast-forward to today.

My dad had spotted me wrenching away at Aibo's misaligned tie-down cargo hooks this morning and asked me about the particulars of the repair job I'd just had done. He figured out the rust was due to last year's Friday the 13th crash. Afterward, he told me that once a car figures in an accident, I should be prepared to sell it. He repeated his advice: Don't fall in love with your car. Treat it as you would a pair of jeans. If even crash-free cars sprout rust, Papa said, what fate awaits those that have had a bus-sized suppository rammed up their rears?

Unfortunately I'll have to be stubborn on this one.

In the back of my mind, I had already decided that Aibo would figure in my life as my car for at least seven more years. I don't want to replace his GD1 Jazz frame with a brand-new GE6 Jazz; I was never as smitten by the GE's Joan Rivers-style stretched facelift looks as I was with the lovably cute GD, and it's just not enough of an improvement anyway. He is also my ongoing lesson in becoming an adept DIY mechanic, having had so many parts installed to it with dust and grime on my hands and sweat all over my brows and shirts. And have I not already mentioned that Aibo was my very first trackday experience?

Couple that with a shaky, uncertain post-recession future and my preference to prioritize housing over a new car, and the decision to keep Aibo, rust, body filler, warts and all, is a no-brainer.

Sorry Papa. I already own my dream car, and I want to run it till I have a family of my own.

'Tis the season for mechanical curiosity

It's been a very interesting couple of weeks for a gearhead like me.
===

Because of a runaway piece of debris (concrete or dense wood, I'm not really sure what) snaking across the SLEX, one of Aibo's wheels had a very strong impact---strong enough to bend the rim out of shape and rip my Bridgestone S-02PP rubber along with it.


I had planned on replacing the S-02s---great tire with full tread depth, but due for replacement at seven years old---for a while now, and it seemed like the best opportunity to do so. After I had the wheel repaired, I raided the phone line looking for tires in my 205/45R16 size. Disappointed that the Yokohama S.Drives were out of stock just about everywhere, I decided to experiment this time with a brand that's not very popular here: Toyo.


After hearing about their great performance from overseas, I had already inquired about the Toyo Proxes T1R. They didn't have those in my size, so I ordered the Toyo Proxes 4 all-season radials instead. Armstrong, the distributor, even offered free dry nitrogen fillup for the lifetime of the tires. 200 kilometers in, I find the Proxes 4s quieter and more refined than the noisy S-02PPs, but are just as grippy and have a much longer treadwear rating.

The only downside to all this is the state of my Digo fund, which is now completely spent.
===

Yesterday saw me at Glorietta to check out the all-new GM-chassis Honda City. Unlike its GD forebear, the GM's styling no longer looks like a Jazz hatchback with a trunk (still at a capacious and usefully shaped 506 L) hurriedly grafted to its rear. Indeed, it's different enough that it doesn't share the GE chassis code of the new Jazz. The car is gorgeous, well-equipped and looks like a slightly smaller FD Civic; however, the price is not quite as pleasant. Its price encroaches dangerously close to FD Civic territory, and at PhP806,000 is even a few thousand pesos more expensive than the top-flight GE Jazz. The car itself is great, though, and deserves to succeed.

===

Finally I got not just one pleasant surprise, but two, in today's Jazz and City United monthly EB. Forced-induction pioneers Rico and Ken invited me to hitch a ride on their boosted rocket sleds. As Rico wound the engine to 5000 RPM, with 8 psi of turbo boost jamming into the cylinders and hissing like a vacuum cleaner on steroids, I was astonished at how the GD Jazz could handle such acceleration and speed. The sheer muscle these two silver hamsters had defied all my expectations---I had a hard time believing these started life essentially the same as Aibo!


We screamed along the Kalayaan flyover, dashing past cars with no need for downshifts, such was the torque of these blown L13A3 motors. Ken's Jazz sported TEIN Super Compact coilovers, one of my erstwhile dream mods. I got to sample their ride for the first time, fully expecting my backbone to be jarred stiff and silly...but it didn't happen at all! Even while seated at the back, a problem area for the GD Jazz, the TEIN dampers just kept the forces of the car's body at bay while delivering quite the supple ride. I daresay it even rode better than Aibo's stock suspension. Maybe I should reconsider getting these...

Aibo becomes famous?

My friend Francis from Jazz-City United spotted this on the recent issue of Honda's Challenge magazine.

Apparently my Aibo just got its fifteen seconds of fame. Aibo is right beside the lead black GD Jazz.

When you realize you're too old to study...

I think I've come to the point where I've become tired of putting in the effort to study. I had Tuesday off; I spent it doing everything else except study.

Wait, that's not entirely true. I did spend some time studying. Anyway...

Aibo's 40,000-km service job went pretty well. Most importantly, it came out a couple grand cheaper than I was expecting. Any money I save is important, yes.

The big news concerned the A/C system check I requested along with it. According to the service advisor at Honda Makati, they found no problems within Aibo's A/C compressor, although they couldn't recreate the no-cooling problems I got. They said the problem may go away if I sent Aibo in for full A/C system cleaning. That slashed my potential expense to just 25% of my initial estimate. PhP8,000 is still kind of pricey for an A/C cleaning job, though, but hey, any money saved...

Regarding the rust spots and the droplets of white paint marring Aibo's deep silver skin, I paid a visit to Supreme Motors and got a sweet deal on rust removal, detailing, painting---the works. I scored a jackpot right there considering it would have cost me twice more to have Honda Makati do it. Again, any money saved...

So far, the expenses don't seem to be reaching above and beyond the amount I've saved up. Unfortunately I might have to let go of some of my plans. I should save harder...much harder.

How much is enough? part deux

The past couple of weeks have practically depleted the time I planned to spend on studying for the CSTE certification exam. Due to "magical events" out of my control (and I meant that very, very sarcastically), no matter how perfect my attendance record had been, I am forced to render overtime just to earn the right to take time off. Some anonymous, unknown idiot had mucked up the computation of that now-kingly figure, chargeability, that had left us all with a bitter taste in the mouth and an inability to take vacation leave.

Fast forward to today. I have now clocked 16 hours of overtime, and my body has started to complain by succumbing to colds. Add to that my inborn inability to sleep on time and I've found myself over-fatigued yet again, barely a month after I last succumbed to flu.

At least some help has come over to my side. I'd been given Tuesday off because I would be stuck at work with nothing to do---perfect timing for Wednesday's CSTE exam. Yesterday, Mav also volunteered to quiz me on my grasp of the CSTE Common Body of Knowledge, over cups of coffee and so many snot-riddled pieces of tissue from my overly sneezy, runny nose. (Thank you, beyb.)

The same title question I dedicate to my efforts to save money...and the expenditures that seem to grow along with them at a discouraging pace. As mentioned, the Jazz's 40,000-km tuneup, new tires and the A/C compressor are big woes, but now I've had the misfortune to discover my brand-new rear hatch has grown a thin rusty crust on its bottom edge, too. Any attempt to budget money for the modifications I want just gets put aside by the expense of basic maintenance. While I've managed to save up an impressive amount of money in just a few months, I get the feeling it's never going to be quite enough for the things I want to do.

So, how much is enough?

2008 CY4A Mitsubishi Lancer GT: Shotgun impressions

Lately I've had the chance to sample my dad's new Lancer as a shotgun passenger.

The interior is a gaping black hole, but with nicely supportive seats. Interior fit and finish isn't quite a patch on the FD Civic just yet, due to a few cheap, hard plastics, but what is there works quite well. The folding grab handle doesn't feel comfortable to hold after half an hour though.

In-car entertainment consists of a 6-CD multichanger that can read MP3 files. ID3 tag information displays on the narrow LCD screen, but doesn't seem to display more than 60 characters. The head unit (HU) then powers what seems like a 6-speaker setup, with a pair of tweeters hidden in the front mirror mounts. Audio quality is okay, with nice imaging, but I'm sure it can be improved with the fitment of an aftermarket HU. How that will fit in place of the integrated HU will be a big headache, though.

My dad was stoking the 2.0L 4B11 engine along the length of NLEX. The engine has impressive overtaking punch and grunt, and it did not want for smoothness either. According to the instant fuel consumption gauge it could do 10 km/L. How reliable these gauges are remains to be seen, though.

The best part about the CY4A, however, has to be the suspension and chassis. Tuning of the springs and dampers hovers on the stiff side, but the ride quality does not suffer and the car handles road acne quite well on its 45-profile tires and 18-inch wheels. One has to force clumsiness to make the Lancer pitch and roll.

Color me impressed.

Craziness on our driveway

The ECU on my dad's old Trooper decided to give up the ghost a week ago. Without an ECU, the big hulking SUV gets relegated to the role of "nice, imposing go-anywhere vehicle that can't go anywhere."

Because my dad visits farms regularly, he really does need the four-wheel-drive off-road capability on his ride (unlike a lot of posers I know). Unfortunately, the ECU will cost PhP91,000 to replace and, because the dealers don't keep it in stock, they have to order it from Isuzu Japan...which automatically introduces a three-month wait. Three months!!! For someone who visits farms in Baliwag regularly, the loss of the Trooper is more than a minor inconvenience.

He called me aside once and admitted eyeing Subaru's new Forester. He said he was torn between it and the new CY4A Mitsubishi Lancer/Galant Fortis, but was leaning toward the Scooby because of the mud-plugging ability. If he bought the Lancer, he'd keep the Trooper. Our garage already struggled containing four cars, so rationally speaking I expected the Forester to show up in the driveway.

Imagine my surprise when I pulled up to our gate last night at 11:30 pm and saw this in the driveway.


My dad is nuts. He got a Lancer 2.0GT with a manual gearbox. A manual gearbox!!! Here was a bloke who complained about sore knees pushing and feathering the clutch in city driving. Yet here he was, with a brand-spanking-new Lancer with the "dreaded" clutch pedal. And where is the Trooper going to sit when it's repaired?

I mean, the CY4A Lancer/Galant Fortis is a handsome car, no doubt (notwithstanding a very high rump---a curse for backing up), but I shake my head at the sheer impracticality of my dad's decision. I survived 25 years of him acting rationally. I guess this wasn't without precedent, though.

Oh well. It's his money.

Welcome back, partner

Looking back, perhaps the crash was a blessing in disguise. I had been relegated to driving Bianca's ZZE121 Corolla Altis for a month, but the insurance company gave me the opportunity to finally fix the cosmetic faults I found on the car to begin with. I lost the rear mudflaps and some uniqueness/rarity afforded by the pre-facelift LED taillamps, but I gained a meaner looking rear bumper and a rear wing for the trouble---and provision to mount a high-mount brake light, with pre-drilled holes in the new rear hatch.

Major kudos to Raymond Tan and the men of Supreme Motors in Makati. Apart from some damaged fender liner rubbing on my wheels, I have no complaints whatsoever. My aibo (partner) looks better than ever.

It even has the much-vaunted new-car smell back.

Oh, the agony of waiting...

Friday the 13th: Bus 1, Jazz 0

EDSA Guadalupe. June 13, 2008. 8:30 am. Second lane.

A green EG Civic sedan had to stop in front of me because a bus cut in front of her. I braked a reasonable distance behind. A Partas bus on the other hand failed to brake in time and plowed into my Jazz's rear.

The momentum of the packed bus was such that I even hit the EG in front of me from the impact.

Especially infuriating: I had my DIY-installed LED taillamps for less than a week and this had to happen. Damage was appraised at a whopping PhP130,000---thank God for insurance.

This is the reason why I've been inactive for a month. I came out of the crash with nothing more than whiplash.

Reassuring proof that I was not alone in my predicament...

Wasting a week

Today is the last day of my week-long vacation. What was supposed to be a break to repair my Jazz's underchassis turned out to be just a simple break, due to the many customers requesting repairs at Honda Makati's body repair shop.

At least I made some sense out of this break, though. I caught up on my lack of sleep. I had the hub-centric rings for my wheels fabricated and installed. I finally met my friend Grace on quite a wonderful date. I canvassed the tire shops on Evangelista St. for prices of the Yokohama S.Drive tires I planned to replace my aged Bridgestone Potenza S-02s with. I went to Robinsons Place Manila and spelunked within its brand-spanking-new Midtown wing. I cursed the heat. I spent whole days texting with my new friend Mav about anything and everything. I drove to Trinoma, Banawe St., Greenhills, Aurora Blvd., and C5---basically wandering around in boredom.

Perhaps the next time I have a vacation this long I should put it to better use. But on balance, this wasn't so bad.

A series of expensive mistakes

It's funny how my priorities have changed. Not too long ago I was a college student constantly ogling plastic models, obsessing over the expensive ones.

Now I'm afraid I've started to indulge myself in a far more expensive hobby. I suppose it was just a matter of time and the drive for it was always there, just dormant, but now I'm looking at every which way I can dress up my GD1 Honda Jazz. And it started with a set of 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels.

Not helping my situation are a few fauxes pas I've committed along the way. The 205/45R16 Bridgestone Potenza S-02 tires I drive on look brand-new, but already have six years in them since their manufacture---critical as tires deteriorate even when unused. The existing scratches and scrapes on my Jazz's rear gained another "friend," as I accidentally dented the rear cross member under the trunk with an overenthusiastic floor jack. Last but not least, the Rota Circuit 10 wheels I bought did not fit flush over the center spigots of my wheel hubs, resulting in a car with its weight supported by wheel studs that were never designed for the strain.

I've brought the car in to Honda Makati for an estimate on all the rear-end body repair, now planned sometime in August---I even plan on upgrading the rear light clusters to later-model LED units. I've brought the car to Autoplus along EDSA to have hub-centric rings fabricated for proper fitment of my wheels. Most recently, I've scoured the Internet for tires at the same size as my current set as I plan to replace them before the year ends.

All this is going to cost me quite a pretty penny, even at my current penny-pinching mode. My 13th and 14th month bonuses haven't yet arrived but in my mind I've spent them already.

Every time I look at my beloved GD1, though, it feels worth all the trouble. What can I say? I really, really like my car and I plan to keep it company for a long, long time.

Mechanical temptation has beckoned yet again...

...and this time I've given in.

Last November I wrote about how tempting it was to buy parts for my Jazz. At the Jazz-City United EBs I'm the only guy who has an almost-completely stock ride. Not to say that the Jazz is a terrible car in stock form---I love it to bits---but there are a few areas where it could get better. It's no secret that my dad and sister find the Jazz's ride harsh, for instance.

So began my yearning for suspension modifications. According to fellow JACU members, even fitment of lowering springs already soothes the restless stock ride. I did my reading and learned that just fitting lowering springs on stock dampers will just not do, unless I want the stock dampers to go kaboom in a few months' time. Coilovers---a matched set of springs and dampers---are the best and most hassle-free way to go, but are very pricey.

Fast forward to tonight. I found Gustav, a moderator/acquaintance from HCP, selling his slightly used TEIN Basic Wagon coilover set for 2/3 the brand-new price. He and his wife were arguing about the ride height---he wanted to ride low, she wanted to ride high. He decided to refit his stock suspension as a compromise.

Long story short: I made him a deal and I'm on my way to owning them.

I'm about to blow a very large amount of money, so I'm a little nervous about the worth of this modification. My consolation comes in TEIN's solid reputation over the years.

I should take photos of my car's present ride height...and I can't wait until Monday.

Meeting the ladies of the Girl Racers Club

I was at the Fort Strip again this afternoon for Jazz-City United's monthly EB. This month's meet was a little more special: it was a joint meet with the now-famous Girl Racers Club.

Francis, one of our moderators, had the presence of mind to note two records held by this event. This was by far the meet with the most attendees at the earliest time, and 95% of them had no one else with them. I guess that's what a little "incentive" can do for EB attendance...

Anyway, I've always been a little hesitant about reaching out to the GRC ladies online. Let's just say I have my reasons. I'm happy to report though that the handful of members that did show up (today was a Sunday after all) were quite all right. They even found us "disappointing" because we were too shy.

After the EB proper, Jobs, Steve, Andrei and I hied off to Pier One for an early dinner with the rest of the GRC ladies. I got to meet Cherish, Chalie and Jackie.

All in all, a nice day.

I should cut down on these trips a little though...the expense is eating into my bank account. Heheheh.

Down the hatch!

My mom and I fetched a vacationing Auntie Carole from the airport at midnight, and so we took my dad's Trooper to fit all her heavy, bulky luggage. Being the SUV-hater that I usually am, I wondered if we really had to contend with the Trooper's clumsiness and size just to get the job done. Even loading the heavy, bulky suitcases was a chore because of the Trooper's high load lip, and it wasn't even that roomy.

Taking advantage of a half-day off work, the moment I got home I hauled out Auntie Carole's bags and did a little test on my Jazz. How well will the little Honda swallow the bags without folding any of the back seats?

See the results for yourself.

Blowing my bonus

My left headlight bulb gave out on Tuesday night. The only way I could have both headlights functioning was by driving the whole time on high beam...which would have made me a lot of enemies. I considered it one more "configurable item" on my Jazz...which this weekend was dedicated to.

First thing in the morning, I drove to Autoline Makati and got myself a black-and-gray Momo Fighter steering wheel. This was to replace my stock one with the sticking horn pad. Originally I wanted an all-black Tuner model as it was much cheaper, but proprietor Alex Ong told me he had the Fighter on his Jazz before and it matched the dashboard plastics better. He did have a point; when it comes to cars I'm not into loud and gaudy things. It cost a pretty penny at PhP8,500 including the requisite steering wheel adapter, but I'm satisfied. The slightly increased steering effort and smaller diameter take getting used to, though.

Next came my search for headlight bulbs. Originally I had the much-vaunted OSRAM Silver Stars in sight, but due to the difficulty of finding them, I settled for OSRAM Bilux All-Weather bulbs which are just as highly praised. Plugged in, the OSRAM All-Weather bulbs give off a yellow light with a faint but distinct violet tint---cool. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow night.

Compared to other cars, changing headlights on a Jazz is not child's play. Due to the tight engine bay, the right method is to pop open the front fender liners and pick the deep-seated assembly apart by feel. There's no escaping the dust and dirt buildup ending up on your fingers and arms, and you're bound to get snags working your way through to the socket. On my first attempt it took me almost an hour, most of it spent trying to figure out how to pop open the hold-down wire. Once I got the process down pat, though, I could replace bulbs in five minutes.

Finally, I went to our local Goodyear Servitek to have my punctured tire vulcanized, get a wheel-alignment check and a wheel balancing job. Short of a full oil change, my silver Jazz has been really pampered today.

Now yer honking with power!

I sent the Jazz into the Honda Makati service bay to have the steering wheel and busted horn checked. When I got it back, they said they found nothing wrong with the steering wheel's horn pad, and that the horn was the culprit.

Sick of the funny-sounding stock Jazz horn, and the lack of attention it gets from naughty PUV drivers and pedestrians, I decided to get an aftermarket one. So off I drove to Autoline in Chino Roces Ave. once again. I got my Pioneer DEH-P7950UB head unit from them earlier this year and I was pleased with the job. I opted for the Stebel Magnum twin-tone electromagnetic horn: not scandalously loud that it attracts the cops' attention, but powerful enough to make for a good early warning device. At PhP900, it's money well spent.

This afternoon, I felt the steering wheel's horn pad sticking up again. Apparently it's heavily dependent on where you strike the pad, as well as how hard you do so. That is strange---I had no such problems blasting the horn on my old City.

I don't want to risk blowing up more fuses and my new horns with a sticking horn button. Since I don't have the CVT's shift buttons and an airbag system, I don't really need the stock steering wheel. Perhaps it's time I plumped for an aftermarket steering wheel---and Autoline has a lineup of pretty good Momo yokes that aren't ridiculously overpriced.

Yep, the tuning bug has slowly but surely bitten me.

Toot the horn, blow one fuse

While Paolo C. and I were at Yonex Sunrise Badminton Club for the 4th Accenture Badminton Club Cup, a paged message bearing the plate number of my car called my attention. Apparently someone spotted my car blowing its horn by itself in the parking lot.

When I walked to my Jazz, it had already gone silent, so I took a look at the fusebox. Sure enough, it had blown a fuse due to the prolonged horn blast. My steering wheel's horn pad had developed the habit of getting stuck. Strangely, it had to happen when I wasn't even in the car!

The blown 15A fuse protected two circuits: the horn and brake lights. With new fuses at hand, I tried the horn again. A faint but ominous click was audible, but the horn kept silent. Driving around with no brake lights is pretty dangerous, so I put in a new fuse and resolved not to use the horn for the remainder of the week.

The long and short of this incident is, my quest to customize my Jazz might have taken another unexpected step. The short-circuited stock horn wasn't much good at making my presence known, anyway. This might be a good chance to get a set of more powerful air horns.

If only those new horns don't short from the horn pad getting stuck again...