1171 -- Beetle Dreaming

I've blogged about my birth year car dream, my dream Honda Jazz GE, and my dream Super Beetle. It's too bad that the Super Beetle didn't make it to 1980 because out of these three dream cars, the Beetle always ends up moving to the top of my list.

There's a certain charm to the Beetle. The simplicity of the car and the relative practicality of driving something like it is something that will always tug at my heart strings.

So anyway, most long time readers of my blog already know that any dream car of mine will always be a restomod project. I doubt I will ever restore one since I honestly want to get modern tech and safety features in a car as well as improving it's fuel efficiency at the least. It won't be really extreme modifications, but small tweaks that will help improve quality of life while driving a car.

I've been checking out Facebook Marketplace often, looking at old VW Beetles for sale. The price ranges a lot from really cheap beaters with lots of issues (including vehicle registrations and other potential headaches) to really expensive but well cared for models. I'm not really sure what's the best car to get, but I have a feeling something in-between would be best.

In-between meaning it's well cared for and not a beater, but it's not a finished project car. This gives you a reliable base (with hopefully updated vehicle registrations) you can begin your own modifications. And because you won't need mechanical or structural repairs you can use your funds for what you want done on the car.

Out.

1170 -- Birth Year Car

I was browsing Facebook's Marketplace just randomly looking at cars, as I usually do, when I found a candidate for my birth year car. It was a 1980 BJ40 (?) Toyota Land Cruiser.

It is pricey, and it looks like I will still need to do a lot of work on it. Too bad I can't afford it.

I'm also not so sure how "legal" it is. The posting says it has complete documents but how can I be so sure? Plus I also have no idea what the last digit of the plate number is. Still, it's nice to dream.

Out.

1169: The Mitsubishi Lancer "Box Type"

One thing I didn't consider for my birth year dream car was the second generation Mitsubishi Lancer, locally known as the Box Type. I honestly didn't realize it was that look that early.

My dad was able to drive one or two different Box Types when they were assigned to him as company cars, but that was late 80s or early 90s already. So I always thought that that model was a relatively newer model. How was I to know it was from 1979 to 1987? Plus the fact that the Box Type is a classic and I do like it.

Of course, I would rather restomod it than just restoring it. If I could swap a more modern, fuel efficient, and more environment friendly engine I would do just that. Maybe even a transmission swap as well so I don't have to drive stick. Of course upgrading the speakers as well as the head unit to a more modern, Android Auto ready head unit is also up there.

Of course a more powerful air-conditioning system should also be up there in the restomod section to survive the brutal summers here in the Philippines. 

Out.

1168: My New Dream Car

This isn't a specific car. I just thought about it a few days ago and did a quick research on Google.

It would be nice to own and restomod a car that was sold the same year I was born. Sadly this removes the Suzuki Samurai from the equation. For the Volkswagen Beetle I don't know if any were still being sold here (legally, meaning dealer sold) even if they were built in Brazil or Mexico.

So the biggest car I can think of is the Toyota E70 Corolla, or the Corolla DX. And even better, maybe the Corolla Wagon was sold here locally. I've seen a few "classic" Corolla wagons here before anyway.

So there it is. An E70 Corolla or Corolla Wagon. Then restomod it to my desires.

Out.

1167: My "Ideal" Second Car

I've blogged about this before, and will most certainly blog about this again in the future as my preferences and considerations change. As of this moment there are two ideal second cars for me.

The first is the Toyota Avanza 1.5 G CVT. The latest generation not only looks nice, but it's also very spacious inside, at least for the first and second rows. The only reason why I'm considering this is in the event we'll need seating for more than five people, or we'll need more cargo space.

The price is the biggest factor why I like the Avanza. It's just a little below PhP1.1 million. It's the cheapest 5-to-7 seater I know. Other MPVs in the same engine displacement and seating capacity I've considered are the Honda BRV and the Suzuki Ertiga and/or the XL7. Both cars however are way more expensive than the Avanza which is why the Toyota is still the car of my choice.

On the other hand, my "dream" second car as of this moment is the Toyota Zenix 2.0 Q HEV CVT. The biggest reason why I like this vehicle is because it's a hybrid. It's bigger and more expensive than the Avanza but I'm guessing you'll also be getting a lot more features in the Zenix aside from the hybrid capability.

Similar to the Avanza, this ride can seat 5-to-7 people and has a decent amount of cargo as well.

Out.

1166: Tour de France Unchained Season 3

I've been watching Tour de France Unchained on Netflix since I got interested in cycling and road racing. It's an amazing series, but I honestly feel like the editors are creating situations that aren't really there.

The way the music and editing are executed can change your perception of the people being focused on.

Overall it's still an amazing series and it's a shame that this season is the last.

Out.

PS If you're looking for something similar, there used to be a series on Netflix called "The Least Expected Day" which features the World Tour team Movistar. Worth a watch as well.

1165: Birthday Wishlist 2025.02

Here's another set of stuff for my birthday wishlist.

• Nothing Phone 3a (not the 3a Pro). It's not that I need a new phone, but this is a phone I do sort of want. The camera, UI, and hardware is all better than my current OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G, which is a given since the 3a is also I think a higher end phone.
• A Thule Roof Rack System for the Wigo. I think since I'll be getting the "universal" roof rack that means it can hopefully fit on the roof of any car so this will be useful. I'm not sure what model is compatible with the Wigo but I'll be happy with whatever it is. Aside from a roof rack system, of course I'll be needing a...
• A Thule Roof Bike Rack or two, as well as a Thule Roof Cargo Box. The cargo box I want is the one that's half as wide as the car, so that you can mount one bike rack and that cargo box on the roof. Yes, this will tank the Wigo's fuel economy but then again, it'll give me more space so hopefully I can go on adventures in the Wigo with my family or friends. While we're on the topic of vehicles...
• Toyota GR Yaris 1.6L Turbo A/T. My really crazy ideal two-car garage would be the Zenix Hybrid being the primary car and the GR Yaris being the coding car (and my personal car). At least this would have enough power to hopefully overcome the drag from the roof rack and roof mounted gear.
• Nomatic Wallet. I have a Sekrid card holder but honestly this Nomatic wallet intrigues me. It's smaller and theoretically lighter since it's not made of metal. This just means I'd need a coin purse aside from the wallet, though.

And that's my second batch of stuff I want.

Out.

1164: Birthday Wishlist 2025.01

Just some stuff I wouldn't mind receiving as gifts for my upcoming birthday. This comes with a twist because I can probably get some of these things for myself. No order, just explanations why I'd want the specific item.

• 8BitDo's Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard and LoFree's Touch PBT Wireless Mouse. I am seriously planning to get these two, like 60% sure, just because my laptop has too many dongles connected to it. Biggest problem now is something's wrong with my laptop's wifi/bluetooth card (I think) and if I can't fix that then I guess I need to build a desktop workstation. Separate blog for my laptop issues, let's just say I'm really disappointed that at two years old issues are already showing up.
• Toyota Avanza 1.5 G CVT or Toyota Zenix 2.0 Q HEV CVT. As fuel prices go up, and with a possible odd-even scheme to happen along EDSA if the renovations push through, I think it would be nice to have a second car (not that I can afford the maintenance of two cars, but this is a wishlist) to use as a coding car and for weekend getaways and long road trips (again, not that I can afford weekend getaways nor road trips). The Avanza is the cheaper, more realistic option, and the Zenix is the dream option. Honestly either will do since they both tick the boxes I'm most after, which is interior space, practicality, and fuel economy.
• Xero Shoes Prio (Men) running shoes. I'm honestly curious about barefoot running or minimalist cushioning. I have no idea if this will work for me or not, but I would love the chance to experience it.
• Custom all-road / gravel bike. I've blogged about this before and I will keep pining for my dream build, which at the moment is built around the Ritchey Outback Breakaway frameset. New component would be the Shimano Cues drop bar group set and hydraulic brake calipers. And other stuff I will probably blog about soon.
• A two-bedroom condominium with one or two parking slots in Makati or BGC. This is really wishful thinking but having living in Makati would hopefully save my family and I a lot of time. Moving to Makati moves us closer to both my wife's work and my daughter's school. I do expect some expenses to increase, like association dues, but hopefully the time we save more than makes up for it.
• Merrell Embark Lace casual shoes. Actually any Merrell shoe that's light and low cut would do, I just need a new pair of shoes I can wear when going out. Grip has to be great so I don't accidentally slip.

That's it so far. Stuff I would want on my birthday which will be in a few days.

Out.