Wow, it only took a day and I already have an alternative pair of cars I have in mind. Yes, I'm writing yet another blog post about what cars I would pick if I had a two car garage.
Don't worry, I'm still following the rules I set yesterday. The cars should still be available here through a local dealer, they should be practical, and they should not be the same brands. So here we go.
Suzuki Ertiga GL AT - Yup. I'm switching this alternative edition to something more practical. As of writing this Ertiga variant costs less than PhP900,000.00 and it can seat maybe seven or so adults, depending on their height. Powered by a 1.5L engine it may not have as much power and torque as the BR-V I chose yesterday, but with how I drive I don't think that will be too much of an issue.
Honda Jazz 1.5 V CVT - My practical dream car. This one also costs less than PhP920,000.00 according to their website as of writing. I've always wanted to own a Honda Jazz because of the fact that the seat configuration is just so damn practical and amazing. Folding the seats the right way can allow you to still have one passenger and maybe a load of cargo.
These two cars are the cheaper, and possibly more practical, alternative to yesterday's choices. Between the Ertiga and the BR-V you have nearly the same amount of seating and cargo capacity, with the latter only having higher ground clearance and better engine power and torque figures for roughly over PhP100,000.00 more.
As for the Jazz and the Jimny, the Jazz wins in cargo and seating capacity. The Jimny wins if I decide to go off-roading. Both are cars I want.
So why don't I just pick the Jazz and the Jimny for my two car garage? Why do I keep picking a 7-seater as one of the cars?
Practicality. While there are only three of us, I still consider having extra seating a key since there will be times we will be going out with my parents, or possibly go out with my wife's mom. Plus that huge cargo space with the rear-most seats folded will allow us more space to pack stuff should we decide to go on a road trip.
Anyway here are some other two car combinations in case you were wondering. I'd prefer all of them to have automatic transmission if possible.
- Honda Jazz and Suzuki Jimny. Two of the cars I've always wanted. Sacrifices cargo and people carrying capacity.
- Heavily retro-modded classic Beetle and a BMW E30 Touring. Two German cars. Two cars I've also always wanted to own, or in the E30's case, always wanted to own since 2014.
- Subaru Levorg 2.0GT-S EyeSight and Jeep Renegade. Too expensive, I have no idea how much it costs to maintain both, I have no idea how much they will both re-sell. Too uncommon that they will both stick out on the roads when I'd rather blend in.
- Toyota Innova Diesel and Subaru WRX. The Innova was too expensive to be the main choice but is still very practical. The WRX is just a practical sports car, not that I can unleash the beast except if I go on track days.
And those are some other car combinations I'd want for a two-car garage. Sure I can mix and match any of them but just to write down the reasons why I chose to pair them this way or that is a whole other post.
Out.
It's that time of the year again where I start daydreaming about what cars I'd like to own here in the Philippines.
As usual my categories for the two cars I'd love to own should be:
- The car should be legally sold here. Meaning you have to buy it from a legit dealer here.
- Practicality. I could say I'd love two own a Ferrari and a Lamborghini here, but both would be highly impractical. Bad roads, not enough passenger seating, cost of gas, cost of maintenance, size, etc also plays a factor.
- The two cars can't be the same brand. Why? I read a few months ago one of the ideas to help ease traffic in Metro Manila would be to ban specific car brands during a specific day of the week. I don't think this will happen but you never know in this country.
And that's it I guess. Three things I considered. Surprisingly I chose two rides that cost a little over PhP 1 million. So without further ado, here are the two cars I'd love to have for my two car garage 2020 edition.
Honda BR-V 1.5 S CVT. Looks good, can seat seven (if needed, I'm guessing it can seat five comfortably), decent space for cargo if you flip the rear-most seats. This may be the one of the most expensive choices among what I consider it's peers (namely other 1.5L MPVs like the Suzuki Ertiga, Toyota Avanza, Toyota Rush, Honda Mobilio, and the Mitsubishi Expander) but the BR-V also has the best power and torque output among them. Plus the ground clearance is also one of the highest. I don't have to worry about overtaking in the highway with the BR-V nor do I have to worry if it can climb inclines if it is fully loaded. Plus it has decent clearance that you don't have to worry about accidentally scraping the bottom of the car in deep potholes.
You may be wondering why I didn't choose the Suzuki Ertiga GL AT as the first car. The Ertiga is actually my "If I could only have one car for the Philippines what would it be" choice. This post isn't about owning one car, it's about owning two. So the reason why I'm not picking the Ertiga now is because I'm picking this Suzuki as my second car.
Suzuki Jimny GLX (Monotone) AT. A three-door, smallish true four-wheel drive vehicle. This would be the back-up, color coding car. Or if my wife learns how to drive, this will be my car and she can use the BR-V. Yes, it's small. Yes, it's cramped. Yes, it doesn't seem very practical. But for a city driving, occasional off-roading vehicle? Yes please.
Finally, what colors would I want both cars? Simple, white or silver. Reason being that they don't get as hot as dark colored cars if they stay long under the sun. Plus they hopefully will be easier to spot both in the morning or in the evening.
Anyway that's it. Two practical cars I would love to have in my garage. I didn't choose the Innova since it's really pretty expensive, and the latest model is massive in size. With the traffic and tight parking spaces you'd need smaller rides. Plus both the BR-V and the Jimny have good safety features.
Makataya nga sa lotto.
Out.
I've been dreaming up of things I would do to my theoretical dream car, any classic Volkswagen Beetle (meaning either regular Beetle or the Super Beetle). Yes I've been daydreaming a lot about it, but honestly there's an alternative vehicle I could do my theory crafting on -- my dad's Suzuki Samurai.
It's old, rusted, and needs work done. It could also be something I could work on with my dad instead of a classic Beetle. So what's the difference, why don't I focus on that?
They both have just two doors. The rear seats are both a bit tight. I guess I could do my research on the Samurai. I've seen some DIY things to do on it from youtube.
My biggest concerns with the Samurai would be stability and ride quality.
I don't know if it's available in the internet but during the Samurai's run there was an article in a magazine about it failing the moose test. Basically that means it tipped over when doing relatively high speed slaloms. Of course you could counter this with the following arguments: a) the Samurai wasn't build for speed, and b) if you drive carefully enough it won't happen.
If I do decide to take the Samurai on long trips how safe would it be when we get to the highway? I won't be surprised if we could hit maybe 70 kph to 80 kph since my dad told me it was capable of going at that speed when he brought it to Lucena from here in Manila.
The ride quality is my second concern because unlike the Beetle, the Samurai is a legit off-roader with high ground clearance. I was able to ride in it a few times and sitting in the front is okay, it's sitting at the rear that's concerning. It is a bumpy ride. I don't know if there are ways to improve ride quality.
To be honest I've also been talking to my dad about what we can do to the Samurai. We haven't done anything yet since we don't really have too much funds to buy the mods I want and we're not really sure what the plans are for the Samurai. We might end up selling it or something.
Out.
Before anything else...
I always check my phone when I wake up. After being woken up by my alarm around 4:10am I checked my phone and was surprised to read about Kobe Bryant's untimely death. It was surprising and shocking news, and I had to confirm via google before believing it. Rest in peace to everyone who passed away in the tragic helicopter crash, including Kobe Bryant and his 13-year old daughter Gianna.
Now onward to what I was planning to write about. Another Beetle post.
I've posted before and the more I read online about the Beetle the more I flesh out what things I would do to the Beetle to make it a bit more roadworthy and safer for the modern times.
As always in the event I get to own a Beetle the very first things I would do would be to ensure it's roadworthiness, reliability, and safety. Just make sure everything is running as great as it can. No problems with the engine, brakes, transmission, suspension, and electrical system. Then make sure there are seat belts for at least the driver and front passenger. And make sure the wipers are working and the wiper blades are new.
Once those are done the next step would be to check the entire car for rust. Fix or replace whatever areas are rusted out and make sure to rust-proof everything else.
Those two steps alone would most likely be very costly in terms of expenses but that would just be the most basics things I would need to make the Beetle a reliable daily driver.
Then comes the fun part, the modifications. These are the mods I would do in order.
First off would be upgrading some engine components, like more efficient distributor caps, spark plugs, and upgrading the generator to an alternator. Also from what I've been reading, I'd move the fuel filter from the engine to somewhere nearer the fuel tank.
Brakes are also an important upgrade I would want. Ideally it would be great to upgrade all wheels to disk brakes, but of course even just upgrading the front would be okay. This is one area that I will not accept frankenstein upgrades. Brakes are there to stop the car, and something I'd be more than willing to spend on.
Apparently there are companies that sell wiring harness updates. They use the more modern tech for the electrical system. This includes more modern fuses and the option to upgrade lighting to LEDs as well as using an alternator instead of a generator.
I'd also upgrade the Beetle's carburetor. None of that twin-carb stuff because that would be too complicated. A simple single-carb dual barrel upgrade would be more than enough.
I'd also upgrade the Beetle's lighting. Adding a roof mounted rear facing LED light bar to serve as both a third brake light and additional turn and reverse lights as well. Aside from that I would most likely mount a pair of fog lamps on the front bumper for added illumination when I need it at night. If it's possible I would also upgrade whatever lighting bulbs can be replaced with LED ones, not limited to brake lights, turn signals, and interior lights. Headlight is also a possibility since I've been reading that some 7-inch round headlights meant for the Jeep Wrangler can also fit in a Beetle.
Speaking of bumpers, I'd also switch out the front and rear bumpers with custom tube bumpers in matte black. Give the Beetle a bit of an off-road look as well as hopefully have a sturdier bumper just in case. Since we're in the topic of tube bumpers, I'd also replace the step bars with Baja side bars just to have a consistent look.
I'd also have a Kamei front spoiler mounted to help with stability and fuel efficiency (supposedly). I have no idea how fast I'll be driving this theoretical Beetle but you bet I'd want it to be stable at highway speeds, even if I'll probably be maxing it at 80 to 90 kph.
A roof rack would also be a priority since storage is a bit of a premium inside a Beetle. It doesn't have to be period correct, and in fact I wouldn't mind if it was a custom tube-frame roof rack. I would just want the roof rack to be durable, light-weight, and not cause too much aerodynamic drag. I'd also get a few securing straps, chains, and padlocks to keep the stuff on the roof rack secure and safe.
As for the interior, where do I begin? I'd love to have a Sabelt semi-deep dish steering wheel. I'd probably replace the stock pedals with a racing pedal box, not because race car, but because I'd want something a bit more modern. I'd also get a sport shifter to improve the interior look.
For the seats I'd just upgrade all seats to have headrests. This is a very crucial safety addition in case of accidents since headrests help prevent whiplash. I think.
There are other upgrades I'd want to install but I need to research them some more, like oil coolers and air-conditioning units.
Of course before all of this happens I'd need to own a Beetle first. At least I have a plan already. I just need the funds and the car.
Out.
On the afternoon of the 17th of January, 2020, one of my good friends passed away due to acute myeloid leukemia. He was 48 years old.
My friend was my first lead in my first job. He handled my interview and gave me my first opportunity to join the world of 3D.
He taught me a lot. He taught me to be professional, he taught me to know the basics. He gave me confidence to grow as a 3D artist.
Outside of work he introduced me to serious photography. By serious I mean learning the rule of thirds, composition, lighting, exposure, and using full manual controls. He introduced me to different genres of foreign films. 13 Tzameti was one of the more memorable movies he introduced me to.
I worked with him twice, in my first job and later on in my fourth job. He helped me grow even more the last time we worked together. I willingly volunteered to be trained as a Unity VFX artist and he was very impressed and happy with how much growth I had. It was unfortunate our employer had issues and I had to be let go due to redundancy, but such is life.
We stayed in contact, as we always do. We couldn't meet up since we were colleagues since we were both busy with our lives.
Imagine the shock I had when I heard from second and third-hand sources that he had passed away. I informed our other friends and they were in as much shock as I was. I went to the wake, saw his body.
Thank you for everything, "Quiapo Ilalim," you taught me a lot and I wish you were still around.
Fuck cancer.
Out.
