Saturday, April 11, 2009

Cars

My first car purchased in 1980 using government loan was a brand new German technology Opel Kadett 1.2S, plate number KL 2083. Priced at 11000 ringgit on the road, this was the only car I could afford. Popular Japanese-made cars like Toyota Legenda, Mazda Capella, Mitsubishi Lancer, Mazda 323, Datsun 120Y etc, priced around 15000 to 20000 ringgit were a bit expensive for a newly appointed government officer like me.
Opel was a good car and very durable, and it served my family well for almost two decades before we decided to part with it and sold it to Kak Lang.
Another continental car we had at that time was an Italian-made car Fiat 131 Mirafiori. The car belong to Allahyarham Uda Kudus and it was very kind of him to place the car temporarily with us before flying off to Canada with his family. The car, famous in the early eighties was very comfortable to drive especially for long distance travel and I like it very much for its soft, smooth and spongy seats and road stability.
My experience with a Japanese-made car was in 1991 when I bought a secondhand Nissan Sunny for 17000 ringgit and after using it for seven years traded it in for 14000 ringgit in exchange for the new Proton Wira which Fadhli is using it now.
This Proton Wira bought in 1997 is a good car.
'Bang Ngah, if you want your car to look smart, cuci selalu, kalau bolih polish, lagi cantik'
I had just retired from my government service when Fuad (baru first year at that time at Uitm) insisted me day and night to buy him a car. He adamantly refused to use the campus bus giving me all sort of excuses. I tried hard to remain tough but finally had to admit defeat to this lawyer to be. I bought him a Kancil hoping that he would be happy with it. I was utterly wrong.
'Kancil is too small for me la ayah and it gives me lots of problems. I want bigger car'
He sold the kancil and bought a Gen 2.
Right now Syima is using her mother's first car Proton Saga bought in 1991 (Are you satisfied with the car or are you thinking-thinking of buying a new car?) My wife presently drives a Toyoto Altis and left her second car Proton Waja to me. Fikri, nice, cool, undemanding guy of the family, is the only one who has'nt got a car yet.
'Fikri, if you want I can give you your mother's Proton Waja. I'll wait for my Sijil Simpanan Premium to strike, god willing I might be driving a Merce or BMW, who knows!
OR if not, will one of you buy me one?'


SELAMAT MENDUDUKI PEPERIKSAAN TO FADHLI, FIKRI, FUAD DAN KEPADA SYIMA, SAYANG DAN YANG TERSAYANG SELAMAT MENJALANKAN TUGAS. MOGA ALLAH MEMBERKATI SEMUA TUGAS YG KITA LAKSANAKAN.

20 comments:

  1. boleh polish.. tapi ongkosnya pak??

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  3. sure i will dad, but untill i have my own beemer ok :)

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  4. i'll be graduating soon, my car would be the new Honda City or Nissan Latio after my fifth pay. u can use the waja until it rot, hehe.

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  5. Ahh...cars! always an interesting topic. Well, if you treat them as a medium to take you from point A to B, then there's no issue on whether they're new or old, stylish or mundane, big or small, even very comfortable or otherwise...only reliability. But I guess, time change and cars now are more a fashion statement and/or status symbol rather than the very intent and purpose of their existence. Hats off to those who remain contented with their current ride, so long as it dutifully serve its purpose. Remember the saying... he who laughs last, laughs the loudest.

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  6. yup.. im thinking so so hard to buy a new car cuz it's so hard to part with the one im using now. got sentimental values la ayah.. ;) can i just keep it and also buy a new car. lagipun, laku ke lagi proton saga 1991 tu?.. haha.

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  7. worth almost RM5000 tau. that car already more than 15 years old, u can just trade in for the new protons or peroduas

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  8. Fikri, you think i'm only worthy of a proton/perodua huh? Well...you're in for a big surprise then ;)

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  9. hahaha..

    bagusla.. lets watch and learn :P

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  10. kereta sapa yang mirip panda, ada hitam dan putih. coba teka!

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  11. hahaha.. MINE!!!!
    kungfu panda to be exact!

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  12. that not even close to panda, it is more like taik cicak

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  14. To Kak Long:
    Proton Saga were full of bullet holes before we sent it for welding n respraying, we spent almost rm2k. Remember? So before it rots n gives major troubles, it's better to sell it. Tapi kalau nak impun duit pakai lah lagi, itu pun kalau maintenance cost dia masih rendah maknanya tak ada serious breakdowns. Tapi kereta tua ni penyakit banyak hinggap- darah tinggi, kencing manis, cholestrol tinggi, sendi longgar, mcm2 ada!

    Taik cicak is white on black. Panda is black on white.

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  15. Hmm...what say u kak long? Sounds more like theres already a blessing for you to change car ;) Wonder if the blessing will come with some kind of 'financial aid package' to ease the current global economic turmoil.. he he!

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  16. kaklong masih berfikir dan berkira-kira... hmm...

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  17. Fiat 131 Miarafori---those were the days ! Don't forget the 132s as well. But Fiat was a good car to drive but not to own (FIAT --fiat is always trouble--the famous acronym then ))
    Remember the endles rust problem. But got to give it respect for comfort and road-holding though !

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  18. so.. when is my turn to have the wira sprayed and welded?

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  19. when you are ready to part with it, and got enough money to replace it.

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  20. ehem.. bangah, jangan marah ehh... hehe

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