Attention Nissan Bloggers

If you blog about Nissan cars and issues, then go over to this new site called Nissan Bloggers .


According to an e-mail I received from them,

Our intent is to bring Nissan bloggers closer together, and make a positive contribution to the Internet community.

Shop for a car online

Remember the old days when we had to go around town visiting different car dealer to find the car we wanted. It was often a big hassle and tiring process. Thankfully, with the Internet it's much easier today. We can surf the net in the comfort of our homes sipping a cold iced drink.

It's really easy to get car quotes online from AutoFigures.com using their Free Quote Request process, thus saving us time, energy and of course money. This new car shopping site provides vehicle pricing, reviews and specifications on more than 50 brands of vehicles.

The company partners with several top dealers with a good, trusted reputation. Consumers who opt to use this service will be contacted by a dealer within a few hours.

Sponsored

MG cars production to resume

Nanjing Automobile Corporation, the new Chinese owners of will resume production of iconic British MG sports cars at Longbridge. The company has indicated that it will reopen the plant in a few months and intends to employ a number of former MG Rover workers.

The last car rolled out of Longbridge almost 2 years ago in April 2005. The bankrupt of the MG Rover Group was then taken over by the Nanjing Automobile Group for an undisclosed amount.


2002 MG TF at Yate Car Show, UK. Taken by Adrian Pingstone

Loads of funny videos

There are a lot of jokes about women and cars.

Came across this video of a lady Pumping Gas. Looks innocent enough but it gets really funny in the end. I have done that a couple of times, that is, stretching the hose across the car but this short of thing never happened to me.

Found this video at Jokeroo.com where there are loads of funny videos.

Sponsored

Researchers helping car manufacturers

Watch how University of Warwick researchers are helping car manufacturers ensure high levels of craftsmanship.



Malaysian universities can learn a thing or two from that. However, the question also remains whether Proton or Perodua are willing to work with the Malaysian universities.

The forgotten car collection

It sounds too amazing to be true. Around 180 cars of various makes including some luxury brands lay forgotten and covered in dust, in a warehouse for over 15 years.

The warehouse in Portugal was welded shut and only revealed their contents last year. I got this info from the Jalopnik

Some of those cars would be worth a fortune now (after a bit of restoration).

The original post was on a forum where there are loads of pics. However couldn't understand a word until I used Google translate to get a rough idea of what they were talking about in Spanish.

Get your puzzle piece here

I finally got my hands on one "HP Camera Puzzle Part Deux" opportunity. I was too late every single time an opportunity came out.

In case you didn't know, Michelle, one extremely lucky PPP postie, received a new HP Photosmart M527 digital camera through a previous PPP Opportunity.

This photo puzzle is made up of pictures of her and her family. There are a total of 48 pieces and as in previous PPP puzzle hunts, the first person to find them and reassemble the completed puzzle on their blog will win a $1000 opportunity.

HP is not only famous for it's cameras but for Digital Photo Printing as well.

This is #41 of the HP Camera Puzzle Part Deux.

This post brought to you by HP

Tags: HP Puzzle ppp

Malaysian auto sales down

According to the Malaysian Automotive Association's (MAA) annual report, auto sales in Malaysia were down 11% in 2006 from the previous year's position to 490,768 units. This is the first drop in three years.

The country's No. 1 spot has also been taken by Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd and National carmaker Proton Bhd falls to the second spot.

The lower sales last year were attributed to low second-hand car prices, higher fuel costs and the tightening of loans for the purchase of cars by banks following high default rates.

However, the report had a positive note in that they expected sales to rise this year- predicting 1.9% growth in 2007.

Related Links:
- Perodua firmly in pole position
- Perodua Sales Up, Captures 42 Pct Share Of Passenger Car Market
- 2006 car sales plunge but ‘worst over’

Tags: MAA Perodua Proton

Auto refinance

if you are looking for Car Refinance, I suggest you look at what Rate Genius has to offer. They make it easier to complete your refinance by utilizing a proprietary electronic document process. the entire process is quite fast. The application takes only a few minutes and within 24-48 hours, rateGenius can have your car refinanced.

You can choose a suitable lender that will provide you with the rate, term, and amount to fit your lifestyle from their collection of prominent national lenders network.

For your information, rateGenius is an online loan brokerage company. Their main office is based in Austin, Texas. The company is licensed as a registered lender with the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner and is a member of the Better Business Bureau.

Sponsored

Renewing vehicle licence

Just renewed the vehicle licence for our car. The old one was expiring on the 31st of this month.

The process of renewing the licence was quite simple. Just drove down to the nearest licence issuing post office taking along the original copies of my Certificate of Insurance / cover note and the MOT vehicle test certificate.
I paid £175 for 12 months tax.

The lady at the post office gave me a tax disc, which I promptly stuck on my windscreen. It shows that the car licence is valid for 1 more year.

That's a total of £400 I have spent on our car, this month alone.

It's not cheap to keep a car in the UK.

Tags: vehicle licence

HID headlight conversion

HID stands for High-Intensity Discharge. They are also called 'xenon headlamps', because of the xenon gas used in the lamps. HID lights produce increased amounts of light as compared to halogen lamps and assist the driver in providing an extended and lengthened stretch of the road. They can thus help in increasing the overall safety of the driver. Another positive point of the HID lights is that their life expectancy is up to 10 times longer than the factory halogen Bulbs.


McCulloch 3000K from Xenon King

The new Waja

Presenting the new Proton Waja.










Dashboard




GearKnob (Manual)


GearKnob (Automatic)


Leather Seats








Side panel

Tags: Proton Waja

Pics of the new Proton Savvy

Finally obtained these exclusive pics of the new Proton Savvy. Thanks to Ms. Faridah and Mr. Abdul Azim from Proton.













Nice Rims



Now all we need are the keys.

Tags: Proton Savvy

New Savvy and Waja launched

Yeah! am still keeping in touch with the Malaysian auto industry.

Proton today unveiled two variants of the Savvy and an enhanced version of the Waja. Both cars are available for booking at all Proton Edar and EON showrooms nationwide from today.

The on-the-road prices of the variants of the Savvy are as given below:

- Savvy Medium-line 5 Manual Transmission RM 40,240.00
- Savvy Medium-line Automated Manual Transmission RM 43,182.00
- Savvy High-line Automated Manual Transmission RM 45,841.00

Powered by a 1.2 litre multi-point injection engine, Proton claims that the Savvy is capable of a maximum speed of 170km/h and goes from 0-100km/h in 12.6 seconds. It features a newly-designed front grille and tailgate, equipped with sporty rear spoiler.

Only the highline model that comes standard fitted with safety features that includes an anti-lock braking system (ABS), twin airbags (driver and front passenger), driver and front passenger seat belt pre-tensioners, alarm, and an engine immobilizer system besides the other standard features.

One new changes in the new Savvy is the 14" inch alloy wheels for the medium range model and 15" inch alloy wheels for the High-line model.

It is priced at RM59,388.00 for the manual version and RM 62,888.00 for the automatic version.

Proton claims that the new Waja will "offer the best value-for-money in terms of specifications, safety and equipment level for a vehicle in its class".

It has a newly-designed more aerodynamic front end. The car is available in five new colours, namely, metallic twilight blue, metallic Iridescent white, metallic gray, metallic brilliant red and burgundy.

NOTE: Searched the whole Proton website trying to get some nice pics of the new models but all I got was some small low resolution images in the Flash format.

My advice to their Marketing manager and website managers - allow your customers (and potential customers) to download images from your site. And in case you haven't heard, having good relationships with bloggers help.

Will upload the pics if and when I get them.

Tags: Malaysia Proton Savvy Waja

Good news for expats in Malaysia

According to this recent message I received from UMW Toyota Motor, in support of the Malaysia My Second Home programme, they are now offering new locally-assembled Toyota vehicles without any excise duty and sales tax.

Tags: Toyota Malaysia Offers

Passed the MOT test

Every vehicle in the UK has to go through the dreaded mandatory MOT test. The name derives from the now defunct Ministry of Transport, but is still officially used.

The test is carried out annually to most vehicles over a certain age to ensure that they are safe and roadworthy.

It's that time of the year for our car. So I went over to a nearby garage recommended by some of our friends - TPS Autos Ltd in Foleshill.

I was praying that everything would be OK and I wouldn't have to change anything. Unfortunately that was not to be and I found out that:
1. Nearside front brake pipe excessively corroded [3.6.b.2c]
2. Front headlamp aim too low [1.6]



I was a bit sceptical about the second fault and had a feelign the guy was ripping me off but I kept my mouth shut.

It cost me £45 for the test itself and £80 for the replacements and repair.
Total damage: £125/

Is that costly?

Cars are cheap in the UK but the cost of maintenance, insurance and other extras are really high.

Reminds me of a story I heard from a friend. The story goes that one guy found out that he would have to fork out more than the price he had paid, to fix the car. He just drove it straight to the scrap yard and sold it for a few pounds.

In case you are interested, the owner's name is Pritpal Singh and here's the full add of the garage:

TPS Autos Ltd
14 Boston Place
OFF Durbar Avenue
Foleshill
Coventry CV6 5NN

My only complaint was that they did not have a customer waiting area.

Find your nearest UK MOT test centre here.

Tags: Coventry MOT Workshop

Mitsubishi signs agreement with PSA Peugeot Citroen

according to an announcement today, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and PSA Peugeot Citroen have signed a new collaborative agreement under which by PSA Peugeot Citroen will supply diesel engines to Mitsubishi Motors from mid-2007.

The engine is the state-of-the-art 2.2l common-rail, direct-injection diesel engine. This engine will also be fitted with a PSA Peugeot Citroën patented particulate filter to deliver outstanding environmental performance.

Read the details of this agreement here.

Tags: Agreement Citroen Mitsubishi Peugeot

Different petrol prices

Unlike Malaysia where petrol prices are fixed by the Government, Petrol prices in the UK depends on the market. For example, the prices went down for a while around November but it went back right up soon afterwards. It also varies from place to place and between companies.

Given below are the prices of unleaded petrol at various petrol stations near our locality:

1. Tesco: 84.9p
2. BP: 85.9p
3. Jet: 86.9p
4. Texaco: 87.9p

Mind you, these are prices for 95 Octane unleaded Petrol. 97 octane petrol is costlier (as much as 4p more at some stations)

The nearest to our house is a Texaco station but have never filled up there because it is the costliest. I usually fill up at either the BP station along Lockhurst lane (2nd cheapest in my area and I also get Nectar points there). My favourite is of course the Tesco station - the cheapest + Tesco points. The full address is Tesco Filling Station, Pheonix Way, Coventry Arena, Coventry. CV6 6EN.

What is your favourite station?

UPDATED: (19 Jan 2007) Just found out that the petrol prices fell overnight.

Tags: Petrol octane Tesco BP

Kermit locked out of the NAIAS

100_1329,
originally uploaded by losinghand.

Famous Muppet Kermit the Frog, regretted his role as a "spokesfrog" for Ford Motor Company in Ford's Escape Hybrid commercials last year.

On Sunday, the frog teamed up with RAN, Global Exchange, and The Ruckus Society to kick off the New Year in fuel-efficient style at the North American International Auto Show in downtown Detroit (NAIAS).

During the first press day, Kermit and five other Freedom From Oil supporters attempted to enter the main entrance of the auto show but were immediately stopped by security.

He said, "it's easy pretending to be green, but Ford needs to commit to leading the industry in fuel economy."

Read more here.

Car repair workshop in Coventry

My car was overdue for it interim servicing (it's done 82764 miles). As I am new here in Coventry, I asked around. My dear friend Wahab recommended Taxi & car repairs on Stony Stanton road. It's next to the "Cheap New Tyres" shop. You won't miss it.

Yesterday I heard a knocking sound coming from the back whenever I drove over a speed bump. On checking, found out that my exhaust pipe had come loose.

Went over to the workshop and they did a temporary fix and asked me to come in the morning for servicing the car.

So early this morning I left my car at the workshop. According to my Service guide, it was also time to change the camshaft drive belt (also known as the timing belt). I was shocked when I found out that it would cost me £125 (inclusive of £60 service charge).

I was really happy when Mr. Isfaq, the boss at the workshop told me that the timing belt had been changed early last year according to a sticker on the engine and after opening the engine, he had confirmed that it was still new. I saved quite a bit.

Isfaq showed me the old oil filter. It was filthy and looked like it had never been changed since the previous owner bought the car.

I paid £100 (considered very reasonable) for everything including the parts and service charges. This also includes 2 new wipers and for fixing the exhaust.

Actually felt a big difference in the car's performance when I drove back.

Thanks a lot guys.

I whole heartedly recommend:

Taxi & Car Repairs
563 Stoney Stanton Road, Foleshill, Coventry CV6 5ED
Tel: 024 7668 7000

Tags: Coventry Workshop

Is GM acquiring stake in Proton

The Business Times (The New Straits Times) reported that General Motors is planning to make a bid for an unspecified stake in the Malaysian automaker Proton Holdings, as early as this month.

However, according to Proton's head of group corporate communications Faridah Idris,
Proton Holdings Bhd is not aware of a reported move by GM.

Related post:
- Malaysia's Proton says unaware of reported approach by GM for stake
- Report: GM may bid for stake in Proton

Tags: Proton General Motors

Chevy Volt unveiled

Until recently, only Toyota, Honda and Ford sold gas/electric hybrid vehicle in the U.S. It was in November last year that General Motors announced its intention to produce a Plug-in Hybrid SUV.

GM today unveiled the the Chevrolet Volt at the Detroit’s North American International Auto Show.

The car uses what GM calls E-FLEX technology - GM’s next-generation electric propulsion system. The Volt is a battery-powered, four-passenger electric vehicle that uses a gas engine to create additional electricity to extend its range.

The Volt is called a plug-in hybrid because its batteries can be charged from a standard household outlet. It can be fully charged by plugging it into a 110-volt outlet for approximately six hours a day. When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the Volt can go 40 city miles. When the battery is depleted, a tiny 1L, three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine spins at a constant speed to create electricity and replenish the battery.Thus, the car would never run out of electricity, even if driven around the clock. The engine functions solely to power an on-board generator.

In addition, the Chevrolet Volt is designed to run on E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Using E85, fuel economy of 150 mpg would translate into more than 525 miles per petroleum gallon.

Would love to see this vehicle becoming a reality rather then just remain a concept.

Related Links:
- GM Seeks Green Cred With Chevy Volt
- GM shows Chevy plug-in concept
- GM unveils Volt plug-in concept
- The Story of the Volt


Tags: Chevrolet E-FLEX Hybrid car Volt

Pimping it MTV style

One of my favourite TV show is MTV's Pimp my ride.

Over here in the UK, I watch the series on Sky's US5 channel (207). They have 2 episodes almost everyday starting 6pm GMT.

Most of the cars are so beat up, I am amazed they are still allowed on the road. I love the US version more than the UK version. I guess they have a bigger budget in the US. Further more, most UK cars that are on the road are OK, because they need an MOT certificate every year.

These people can sometimes go crazy with their modifications - some of the vehicles won't even be road legal in Malaysia.

I love the show and wish they would come over and pimp my old tired Ford Escort.

Tags: MTV Pimp my ride Modifications

Ryton factory to close

The Ryton factory in Coventry will close completely later this month. Peugeot had stopped production of the 206 before Christmas.

The factory has a long and varied history. It was built in 1939 to manufacture engines for war planes during the 2nd World War. They only started building cars there in 1946 with the Sunbeam-Talbot by the Rootes Group.

The Rootes group lost control of the factory in the 1960s due to financial difficulties. Chrysler Europe bought over the group and continued to build cars at Ryton. However, they too faced problems and sold the plant to Peugeot in 1978 for the sum of $1. AT that time it was known as the Talbot Motor Company. Peugeot built the first car there in 1985.

Some facts
- The Talbot names was dropped in 1995 and the company became Peugeot Motor Company Plc.
- Robots were first used in 1985.

- The plant stopped production of the 306 in 1999 and the plant was left producing only the 206.

- The closure of the factory by Peugeot leads to the loss of 2,300 jobs in Coventry.

The British should be thankful that Proton is not leaving Norwich.

Tags: Coventry Peugeot Ryton