Nickel Tackle. » Auto

Car Junkie

NT — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 03:31:09 +0000

Ever since my youngest brother has learned to drive, he talks and thinks about nothing else but cars, car accessories and driving traffics. He suddenly has become a big auto junkie. The last time I’ve chanced upon him, he explained the latest trend on custom tail lights and his plan to upgrade the family car’s tail and head lights. I told him to secure Daddy’s consent first. Even though, he was technically granted the rights to use the car, I reminded him that it’s not his yet so he always has to ask permission first from our Dad. I wonder when we’ll have a discussion other than car related stuffs.

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Before Hitting The Road.

NT — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:44:04 +0000

Car engine – checked.

Suitcase – checked.

Finger foods and other food necessities while on a trip – checked.

Other things to bring on the checklist…checked.

Ready to hit the road? Nah. Not yet. Before setting out especially for long drives and getaways, we must always have other essential things to ensure safety like hazard devices and road assistance numbers in our mobile phones. Or better yet list down all travel emergency numbers so that they will come in handy when the need arises like accidents or car engine troubles. We’ll never know but it’s best if we are always prepared just in case.

Speaking of road safety, traffic cones, which are used as hazard and danger warning devices to redirect motorist traffic, have always left me wondering why they’re uniquely shaped and generally shaped like that. It’s just now that I’ve learned that the cone shape will prevent this from being knocked over by heavy winds on the road. Further, this will make them stackable, thus, portability is another advantage. I’ve read from TrafficCones.us that they’re usually colored with orange so they will be highly visible. I’ve also discovered from the site, which has a wide catalog of traffic cones, warning flags and traffic barricade, that it comes in 3 different sizes serving 3 different purposes. If you wish to know more about traffic cones, check out the abovementioned site. Not only they have a complete selection of high quality products but they also make a good resource of all traffic cone related information.

Maintenance Cost Times Two.

Maintenance Cost Times Two.

NT — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:15:24 +0000

Car repair expenses are usually where our contingency budget is spent in a quarter. While it may be advantageous having two vehicles, it isn’t in our case. We actually have in possession a Nissan Sentra car which has been the husband’s beloved auto for 10 years now. Aside from that, my in laws lend their van to us since they rarely go out and so as not to stock and let it rot in the garage, we frequently use it, too, as an alternate to our car. And with that, it’s just proper that we shoulder the maintenance costs when it breaks down or needs any auto body parts replacement. Car repair cost times two is what happens.

Our 10 year old dear Green Machine, on the other hand, conks out easily now due to age and long usage most probably. The husband is thinking of selling or trading it with another newer car but this remains a plan for now as we have other bigger projects in line. Perhaps, in a year or two, we can work on this plan so we’ll have a new auto that won’t injure much our wallets due to frequent car repairs.

Before Hitting The Road.

Automotive Insurance for Car Rentals

NT — Sun, 23 May 2010 03:08:42 +0000

It is reckless not to have adequate automotive insurance when you are renting a car. It is also foolish to fall a prey to the sales pitches at the car rental agencies, and purchase unnecessary insurance policies. It is therefore wise to be well informed in matters related to car rental insurance, and spend money with all necessary shrewdness and calculation. There may be people in the car rental agencies that are after your money. To protect your interest you must know the dos and don’ts of car rental insurance before you make your decision about purchasing the right policy.

Here is what you should do before buying a car rental insurance.

1. If you are the owner of a car, consult your insurance agent. It is possible that the same coverage and deductibles as you have for your own car will apply to your rented car also. So, be cautious before you spend your money on something for which you don’t have to make any further payment at all. You should also check if your policy provides a generous or a miserly coverage. If you have rented a brand new sophisticated car, be sure to make your coverage adequate for the requirements of the rented car.

2. If you have your car coverage with a card provided by some financier or some bank, be very careful while checking the specifications regarding the coverage. Banks and financiers vary in their coverage. So, don’t depend on somebody’s words. He may be from the bank or the financier. However, in these cases you should depend on papers, not on words. Be very particular about possible exclusions in the coverage assured by your insurer. Be sure that you are not landed with a fancy car, which is excluded from the insurance coverage.

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Auto Show Schedule.

NT — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:37:29 +0000

Does anyone know when the next Manila Auto Show will be? My youngest brother, who has just learned how to drive and has just got his driver’s license, was so heartbroken when he learned that the one for this year was just held last month. Ever since he got the hang of handling the steering wheel, he suddenly became so hook with cars. The strong interest was probably prompted further by his circle of friends in the neighborhood who are all so into autos and cars. It’s from them whom he has learned the trendy accessories like spoilers, dash kits, billet grills and more. I was just wondering why they didn’t know about the last auto show. Perhaps, they’re so busy looking at their cars that they missed out the announcements.

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Bumper Stickers For Concealing.

NT — Thu, 13 May 2010 04:40:31 +0000

The husband was a bit upset when he saw the new scratches on Green Machine’s front bumper. We have been using MIL’s starex van these past few days because Green Machine’s engine was sounding weird and it took a while before the husband got it fixed. We have stayed last week at my folks’ place in Makati so it’s just also recently that we saw the new scratches. It turned out that it was FIL’s fault when he wrongly maneuvered the car in the garage and brushed the bumper thinly against a beam. He was mentioning that there’s a fluid or some sort of paint that can remove the scratches. Unfortunately, a portion of the paint got off as well so the husband’s thinking how else he can cover it without having to undergo repainting which is a lot more costly and time consuming. I suggest that since it’s relatively small, why not place strategically a bumper sticker that I saw from the internet. MaverickLabel.com customizes creatively designed bumper stickers. These are printed on durable vinyl and have a protective laminate. I believe that this is the most practical way of concealing the scratch for now.

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Motorcycle Purchase Plans.

NT — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 09:40:54 +0000

The husband has been thinking lately of buying a motorcycle which he can use when we transfer to our own house in Batasan. The village is a few meters away from the main road and he said that he needs a light means of transportation should he’ll need to go to a nearby place for an errand or for emergency purposes. With all honesty, I’m kinda skeptic about his plan. Who wouldn’t be horrified with all the motorcycle accidents being featured on news, most of which are resulting to fatalities and serious injuries. This is the reason why the San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyers are always on their toes because of such very rampant accidents. Their law firm, O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath, has already helped thousands who got involved with personal injury cases in enforcing their rights on compensation for motor vehicle accident injuries or workplace accident claims. But still, I’m quite hesitant about his motorcycle purchase plan. We’ll thoroughly deliberate the pros and cons of owning before buying one.

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Buy and Sell.

NT — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:47:47 +0000

We have a neighbor who’s into an automotive buy and sell business. He’s just young and I can say that he’s really decisive and brave. His marketing skills and know how about automotive is impressive. He doesn’t have a showroom and makes our street his parking space so we can see how fast the turnaround of his car sales is. New cars, new models can be seen each week. The reason is that he sells them at a very cheap price. He doesn’t put too much markup for each sale so in effect, his cars are way cheaper than the second hand ones sold in auto shops. Another secret that he has (which is no longer a secret because I know…and you do know now, too) is he buys old automobiles with used engines, upgrade and doll them up with new accessories, painting and any beautification process he may think of so he can sell them as good as new. He also told my husband (through which I’ve known his secret) that the used auto parts and used transmissions sometimes are also sold in Banawe, a shopping haven for car parts and accessories in Manila. So just imagine how he’s raking in enough profits and money with all the sales he has since early this year.

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Instant Movie Date and Gift Idea

NT — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:31:21 +0000

We spent our Sunday afternoon just plain lazing around as opposed to our original plan that we’d go malling. After we got tired of playing with the little one in the garden, the husband popped in the DVD of the 2006 movie The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift into the player, brought out the popcorn and there..it was an instant movie date.

I’ve already watched this movie a couple of times before so even though I know the plot and the story line already, I still enjoyed watching it again because of the interesting and seemingly-robot-type-flying cars. Wow, they surely can drift. I wonder what type of engines and accelerators those cars have. The lambo doors and custom headlights cap off the package complete. The husband suddenly thought of replacing his “Green Machine” Sentra’s original factory headlights with a pair of Crystal Clear Dual Halo Projector Headlights that he saw from CARiD.com. He got more interested when he read that more than the modern appeal looks, such halo headlights are for safety too because it provides better focus and sharper illumination during night time driving. Well, if he pursues this liking, I think I have an idea what will I save up for on his birthday this year.

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First Damage

NT — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:13:18 +0000

We’re on the first week of the first month of the year…

..and we’re once again about Php 4K poorer. Our ever-reliable Green Machine is up for a registration renewal so there goes the first major damage to our wallet. Nevertheless, we’re still lucky that we were able to replace the insurance package with a much cheaper monthly premium this year. That’s the goodness of having several options and keen and careful comparison of insurance quotes before giving it a go. Frugality is this year’s theme. Life is not getting any easier.

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