My new ride

Found out that fixing my old car won't be worth it. I had never imagined that replacing a blown head gasket would cost me around £500/. I plan to put it up on eBay under "spares or repair". I would be lucky to get a few hundred pounds. However, I plan to remove the new tyres I fitted quite recently and replace them with older ones, remove the car stereo (I already have a buyer) and drain the fuel (I had a full tank when I set out on my journey on the unfortunate day my car broke down.

Anyway, after a few frustrating days of searching for a used car I liked, (read "Buying a used car - my experience 1" and "Buying a used car - my experience with Station Garage") I finally bought a Volvo S40. It won't win any award for good looks nor is it the best in terms of performance but it is still in great condition for it's age and was within our budget. Here's hoping (and praying) that it would not give us any problems.





It is slightly bigger than my old car and as our old car was a hatchback, I have to be careful with side parking and get used to the fact that this car has a boot. The light also comes on automatically when I start the car (even during the day). Initially, I thought that it was a defect until I looked it up on the web and found out that it is a safety feature. YOU CAN'T TURN THE DAMN HEADLIGHTS OFF.

Now that I think of it, I used to get annoyed with the guys who have their car headlights on during the daytime. Now I am one of them.

Financing a car

One of our friends was recounting how they bought a car and to finance it, took out a loan. The interesting thing was that their decision was based on the advise of the salesman at the dealer where they bought the car. According to them, the salesman made it sound so attractive and that they were the best deal around. However, as they later found out, that was really not the case.

It's not surprising as I also financed my previous car - Proton, with a bank recommended by the dealership. Talking to a few other friends also confirmed the same thing. That is apart from a few other guys who were wiser because of prior experience. They had done their research and went with a lender that gave them the best deal.

It's amazing with a wealth of information at our fingertips on the web we still depend on the salespeople at dealerships for our financing. There are numerous sources on the web that can provide comparisons between the various offers available.

If you are looking to finance car purchases, do check out the the car finance section of the Motors Today (http://www.motorstoday.co.uk) website. They have links and information relating to loans, insurance and a link to HPI, a UK Company specialised in checking the histories of used cars.

They also a car tax calculator that will show the tax payable for the next three years. As for insurance, the company has paired up with Money Supermarket so that you can instantly compare quotes from leading UK motor insurers.

BP and Shell

Did you know that the petroleum companies, BP and Shell, were once a single company?

BP and Shell-Mex Ltd had merged in 1931, to create Shell-Mex and BP Ltd until they separated again in 1975.

I only got to know when I visited the Coventry Transport Museum. It was not mentioned anywhere in the museum but my father-in-law, who's in the oil and gas business noticed this classic petrol truck.


Read about our trip to the museum with loads of pics here.

Not related, but the BP fuel station here on Lockhurst Lane, happens to be my favourite, along with Tesco's at Ricoh Arena - because they are the cheapest.

Tags: bp coventry shell coventry transport museum

Why you need breakdown cover 2

Continuing from where I left off in my last post.

I rushed back and picked up Naz. Learned that the AA people had come and left. The mechanic had refused to wait and told Aznil that it was out of his hands. Really felt bad for Aznil. He had just arrived from Malaysia and jet lagged. And there he was, freezing by the motorway.

When we reached him, another tow truck had just arrived. The tow truck was to take the car to the nearest service area - being Tamworth. It was about 5 minutes drive and for that he took £115. He also informed us that the car had been left on the highway for way too long and a police fine might be coming in the mail soon. I hope not.

I was relieved that we were at least out of the motorway. Aznil called up the AA as soon as we reached the rest area. They informed that they would be sending someone 90 minutes later.

We went over and had drinks and some snacks. I suddenly realised that I haven't had lunch. Felt sightly better after that.

The AA guy finally arrived right on the dot. He put in a temporary hose and recharged the battery. Our spirits lifted when the engine started but went down again when it died. The mechanic's diagnosis was the the engine had been damaged and it wouldn't take them either to Nottingham or to Coventry.

At that moment in time, it was like a blur and I couldn't think of anything. Can just imagine how Aznil and Naz were feeling.

Finally there was some good news, the mechanic was able to get in touch with a mechanic who would be able to tow them back to Nottingham but they would have to pay around £50. Of course, they readily agreed.

I returned to our house in Coventry to fetch the kids (around 22 miles). It was around 10 pm when I reached the Tamworth service area. The tow truck was not there yet but was on the way. So with nothing more to do, I went back home. Had gone back and forth between my house and their car 8 times yesterday. Not sure how many miles I had driven. You go do the maths.

It was a tiring day but I learnt a lot of lessons with #1 being:

"Don't procrastinate! Go get a breakdown cover ASAP."

Why you need breakdown cover 1

Have you ever been stranded on the highway? I have never been but yesterday, I learned why we NEED a breakdown cover.

I was just back home after a few hours at the Furnace End car boot, where I had gone with my daughter. My wife informed me that her friend Naz, was stranded on the M42 motorway. Naz was with her 3 kids and cousin and were on the way to Birmingham airport to pick up here husband who was arriving Malaysia. The car had broken down and unfortunately they were not a member of either the RAC or the AA. They called us because we were the nearest.

This is where I made the first mistake. I rushed off without asking anyone for any advise on what to do. Was under the impression that the car had overheated or was a simple battery problem.

It took nearly 35 minutes to get there via the M6. They had pulled up against the hard shoulder of the motorway. I checked the engine oil - Was ok but I topped it up. Checked the battery - water level was ok and the car even started. It was then that I noticed the big crack on the hose connecting the radiator to the engine. Didn't have any duct tape or anything that I could use to do a temporary fix - to at least get off the motorway. Called a few people but they were not much help and so we decided to go over to our house and contact a nearby workshop from there. This is when I miss Malaysia and all the tow trucks that roam the highways.

Got all of them into my car and Naz requested that I drop here at Birmingham airport as her husband had already landed. This was my second mistake. I didn't know that we couldn't leave our car on the side of the highway for more than an hour.

I dropped her off at the airport- she would be coming to Coventry by train along with Azmil.

It took another half an hour before we got home. Soon received a call - they had already reached Coventry station.

Brought them to my house after picking them up. We made the decision to call up the AA and see whether they could fix the car or tow it even though they were not members.

"Yes!" Our spirits went up when we learnt that they could, but of course Aznil would have to fork out a little more than £100. They said Ok and joined up,

The person from AA said that a tow truck was on the way and so we set off for the car. Halfway there, Aznil suddenly realised that the car keys were still with his wife. Oh No!

This is where I made another mistake. As we were nearly there and the AA petrol was on the way, I decided to leave him there by the car and go back for the keys.

Part 2 tomorrow.

Super cars database

Like most guys, I love fast cars even though I don't drive one. When I was a kind, I used to have a big poster of a Porsche 911, which was my dream car at that time (still is). That was one reason I also started my auto lah blog.

Anyway, if you love fast cars too, check out the Fastest Car database. Lists all the super cars and exotic cars. At last count the database had total 175 cars listed with 888 pictures.

You can view the specifications and extra information of each car. At the same time, don't forget to vote and rate the cars from 1-10. When I last checked, the Lamborghini 2006 Murcielago LP640 was tied with the Shelby 1967 Cobra 427 Super Snake at 6.3 each.

Interactive tool to learn driving

When I first applied for my driving license, I was really confident. Maybe too over confident in hind sight because I failed my driving test and had to retake it.

After obtaining my driving license, I only drove short distances and that too near my house. It took me another 2 more years before I could pluck up enough courage to navigate through the crazy roads of Kuala Lumpur. I actually had to relearn how to drive all over again. I guess a lot of people go through this process.

Now it's so easy to learn to drive. This award winning 105 minute DVD from Vat19 is loaded with so many interactive features. It is hosted by teens that will relate to the driving student, and boasting high quality production values.

Some of the features include Interactive Quizzes, Multi-angle 3D explanations and Road Sign Tests among others. I really liked the fact that they put in a bonus section on basic maintenance of your vehicles. As noted on the site:

"A properly maintained car is safer and more reliable."

Also check out their AAA-certified emergency auto kit. They have thought of almost every emergency, including a bungee cord "for holding down a broken trunk or keeping a door closed".

Crazy about the Nissan Skyline GTR

Do you have a Nissan Skyline GTR or dream of one day driving this awesome, iconic Japanese sports car? Well if you do, go and sign up at the Nissan Skyline Forums.

In case you didn't know, the Nissan Skyline GTR was called the "Godzilla" by reputed Australian car magazine "Wheels" when it was released down under in 1989.

This car ceased production in 2002 but is still sought after. One of the reason is because the Skyline GT-R's robust engine makes it very popular for modifications. If you are a Manga or anime fan, see if you can recognise the car in "Initial D", "Wangan Midnight" and "Over Rev!". If you know all of this and want to share your own knowledge about this car, head on down to the forum. It is still new but I can see that they have a lot of stuff including photo galleries coming up.

Sponsored post

Car parking portal

Finding a parking space in the city can be nightmare, especially on special holidays as I had experienced during my trip to the Bullring in Birmingham during Boxing day. It's not unusual to go round and round trying to find parking and wishing that there was some way we could have booked a space beforehand.

Well, there is finally a website, which allows us to do precisely that. Peasy.com (the name stands for Parking made easy) is an online portal for parking spaces in the UK.

How does this work?
Homeowners and existing commercial car parks can join for free and rent out their parking spaces. Customers can register for free and book available parking spaces online instantly. Peasy.com will take a small commission of the rental fee.

It's an easy way to earn money, for home owners with an unused driveway, garage or secure parking space. According to the site, driveways near to train and tube stations, town centres and sporting events are likely to be in the highest demand.

They estimate that in general driveways can be rented out for £10-£60 a week, potentially earning in excess of £3,000 pounds a year.

If you only want to rent your space out for only a few hours each day, no problem!
You can still do that.

Interesting concept.

Sponsored post

Tags: Parking Peasy.com

Find new and used cars

When you are looking to buy a car, either new or used, what method do you use?
I expect most of you to reply, "Car Classifieds".

There are a number of online auto classifieds out there on the web. Lemonfree.com is one of them. However, what makes it different from other sites it that it's online classifieds are 100% free. Yes that's right. They enable users in the US and Canada, to list their new and used cars and trucks for free.

As usual, you have to fill up a few required information about your car. The great part is that you are allowed to post up to ten pictures of your automobile. Most sites allow only one or two pictures. You are also allowed to write as many words as you require to describe your vehicle. That's good for people who really love their car and want to write paragraphs and paragraphs in praise. Well! Now that I think about it, that is probably not a good idea.

I really like their car reviews, which is quite extensive. To go there, click the text link or click here.

So if you are looking for a car or truck, you can go over to the site and search by Make, Model, Year, Country, Price and Mileage.


Tags: Auto E-commerce Classifieds Review

Car serviced..... FINALLY!

Woke up early in the morning and sent my car for servicing. I had to leave it at the workshop on Stony Stanton road, for a few hours and I didn't know what to do or where to go. Read my post here.

Fortunately, I suddenly remembered that Malaysians usually had a gathering every Saturday, at the MRC nearby. While I was walking over there, I called up En. Wahab my good friend to see whether he was coming today. He was but found out, unfortunately that the gathering was an hour later.

So got back to the workshop and was able to chat a bit with the owner. I passed away the time reading the car service manual and I actually learnt a lot about the car.

Later went to the MRC around 10am and the families started arriving soon after. The Malaysian community in Coventry is quite close knit and it was nice meeting up with them - listening to what they were up to and to their experiences here in the UK.

Later went to En. Wahab's house to pass the time while my car was being serviced. Chatted about life in Malaysia and my previous job. Quite interesting.

Finally got back my car around 3pm.

Thanks Wahab for all the help. I won't forget it.

Tags: Coventry Malaysian

Tips for teens on the highway

According to a web release on the Carinsurance.com site, GEICO has added "Teens and Trucks" to its online library of safe driving materials for teen drivers. The brochure, developed with the American Moving and Storage Association, includes valuable information for teens on how to safely share the highway with large trucks.

In case you didn't know GEICO, which stands for Government Employees Insurance Company was started in 1936 and the name was derived from their first customers who were government employees and Military personnel. At present they have a customer base of about 7 million auto policyholders and growing and they insures more than 12 million vehicles.

Anyway, the GEICO teen safe driving Web site focuses in providing teens with a library of material for driving safely. Parents and other drivers of all ages might find it helpful too. For example in "Teens and Trucks," there are some very valuable tips for safe highway driving around large trucks:

-Stay out of a truck's blind spots or "No Zones."
-Be careful when attempting to pass a truck.
-Do not swerve in front of a truck or cause the driver to come to a sudden stop.
-Avoid "Squeeze Play" when a large truck needs to make a wide turn.
-Do not cut off a large truck or passenger bus.

The materials are at no cost to families, driving classes, law enforcement officials and state agencies. I recommend that all parents and teens should visit GEICO's teen safe driving site

Tags: Car insurance Geico