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Hkapd

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  1. Hkapd
    Many of us know that workshops are overcharging us. Whether it is an authorized workshop or it be Ah Tan's Motor (fictitious name). Many times we have no idea at all as to what went wrong and we will blindly listen to what the mechanics are telling us, nodding our heads as though we understood everything they said (or did not say).



    Most other times, we just grumble a little and hand over our ATM card. After all, when something goes wrong with our car, we just want to get it fix as soon as possible. Recently I met with one such incident and, in what I felt, had been totally ripped off.
     
    It was probably partly my fault for being too rough on the car. I had pulled up in a Shell station, grab the gear shifter, and with probably a little too much force, yanked it to "P". What followed was a heart sinking "krucckk" sound, accompanied by all the lights beside the gear indicator lighting up and the car now stuck in "R" gear. The gear shifter now has completely lost all resistance and could freely move from P to 1 with a push of a finger. The gear linkage had came loose.
     
    Now, if this were to happen to your friend (lets call him John), who is the average driver and knows nothing about cars, along say Ang Mo Kio Street 11. He/She would probably have thought the worst and a tow truck would be definitely called for. In his/her mind now, this seems to warrant a pretty serious repair, and equally hefty bill.
     
    The workshops know this and therefore, they charge accordingly.
     
    Let me show you what actually happened to my car.
     



     
    No. 2 is the Gear Linkage that goes to the shifter
    No. 3 is the Actuator Lever that is connected to the Gearbox itself
     
    Due to my excessive force, No.2 came loose from No.3. It is basically a rubber boot (No.2) that slots into a ball end on No.3. However, I had damaged the rubber boot slightly and it will not fit properly onto the actuator lever anymore.
     
    So, the workshop decided to change the actuator lever to another which has a screw end instead of a slot-in ball end. They then drill a small hole into the rubber boot so the screw can be fitted through and a nut can be used to hold it in place.
     
    This actuator lever is only a piece of metal about the size of your thumb. So I thought, Hey! That will be cheap! Estimated about maximum $30 for that piece.
     
    NO. It cost $240.
     
    I was a mechanic in army and I know a little about stuffs like that, $240, that is way overkill. The mechanic who knows me knew it was excessive but he said that's what the boss quoted and he can't do anything about it. Not wanting to put my friend in a spot, I reluctantly paid up.
     
    Now, if your friend John who by now believe that he needs to fork out at least $1000 for some huge damage to his gearbox was told that he will only have to pay $240. He'd be delighted and would have gladly paid up.
     
    Sad truth here is, due to the high cost of cars in Singapore, many people mistakenly think that car components cost a lot when in fact cost price for a basic Suzuki swift can be as low as $6000 -$8000 (est.). Do you think that a piece of metal warrants $240?
     
    If you have any similar experiences, do share under the comments section.
  2. Hkapd
    Ayrton Senna, possibly the greatest driver to have ever lived.
     
    Recently I got to watch the movie "Senna" in which it documented the life of Ayrton Senna from when he first set foot in Europe to race in a karting championship till his highly controversial death at Imola in 1994.
     



    Having driven during the period when piloting a F1 car can be likened to strapping a gorilla to your back, Ayrton Senna not only shone above all the other drivers of his time, he quite literally left them a planet's distance behind.
     
    F1 has also never seen as much drama and as much tenacity since Ayrton Senna's time. His bitter battle with then team mate Alain Prost almost saw him quit altogether. Yet, despite the goliath of the FIA against him, Senna bounced back and claimed his 3rd world title.
     
    Personally, I think that Ayrton Senna's greatest and most heroic moment was when he brought home the championship to his home country, Brazil, in 1991 despite having his gearbox stuck in 6th gear for the final few laps.
     
    He drove so hard, that after he cross the chequerd flag, he passed out momentarily and was in extreme pain from muscle spasms.
     
    His pain was clearly evident in his face when he tried to lift the trophy on the podium in his home ground.
     
    Jump to 3:25 to see the moment when he lifted the trophy.



     
    If you guys have yet to watch "Senna" the movie, I urge you all to go have a look. Be inspired by his humble nature, his out of this world driving skills and his gritty tenacity to never bow down to the uglies of these world.
     
    So, go look it up at your local video stores. I'm pretty sure they stock it for rental.
  3. Hkapd

    Gift an Experience

    By Hkapd,

    Buying gifts has always been a hassle as people grow older. Watches, wallets and even iPads are now becoming run-of-the-mill gifts. Usually to make it simple, we just purchase a voucher and let the person who is receiving the gift decide for himself/herself what to buy with it.
     
    Now though, there is another option.
     



    Gift-an-Experience.
     
    If material gifts are not your type and you like your gift to be something memorable for someone special or a good buddy, consider gifting an experience instead. What kind of experience? How about piloting a real rally car round a dirt track guided by professional rally drivers?
     
    That was exactly what I received from someone close to me recently when I was down under and man...BEST present ever!
     
    Getting strapped in to the car



    What you get is basically a voucher which you can use to book the driving sessions with the rally school. Pre-requisites are minimal and basically as long as you are aged 16 and above and can drive manual, you are good to go.
     
    What I got was a 2 x 8 laps drive + 1 x Hot lap from the instructors. For an extra 50 bucks, you get to have a video of your own drive in an SD card.
     
    You would need to attend a compulsory drivers briefing where they will teach you some basics such as how to take a corner at the apex as well as the braking points and what are the things to take note of when we are out there.
     
    Now the best parts is that they have primarily 2 different rally cars for you to choose, the venerable Subaru Impreza WRX or the Mitsubishi EVO. Make no mistakes, these are not converted road cars, they are truely specially prepared rally cars with stripped out interiors, roll cage, bucket seats, rally steering wheels, short shifters...etc. Basically, these are the cars that they would use to compete in. Each session here has no more than 8 people and we all took turns to have a go.
     
    Once it is your turn, grabbed the provided hair-net (for hygiene purposes) and helmet, and the guys at the rally school will strap you in.
     
    Now, the instructors here are real RALLY drivers and not your SSDC uncle. The latter will tell you to slow down all the time while these guys kept saying "GO FASTER!". Imagine how much fun is that!
     
    You are limited only to how much you dare to drive, although, be polite before you open up the taps and let the instructors know so they can warn you when to brake. Although its a wide open area, there are still the few trees around.
     
    For me, getting to do that little bit of sliding around on gravel was already a lot of fun. At one point being a little too over confident, I did not turn in enough at a corner and caught some loose rocks and the next thing I knew, I had spun 1 full circle kicking up lots of dust along the way.(Yes, my girlfriend and friends were all laughing at me after that)
     
    The instructor was unfazed though and promptly told me to let the other car pass 1st before asking me to get a move on.
     



    The hot lap with the instructor was the icing on the cake. They will take you out sliding around and even experience a rally jump at 130km/h! Definitely an adrenaline fulfilling experience!
     
    At the end of the session, you will receive a certificate as memento for the unforgettable experience.
     
    So if there is someone whom you will like to bless, an experience like this can make the best present yet. Heck, if it is me, I would totally buy this for myself first.
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