short term wishlist

I actually wrote most of this before the posts of Gani and Frag. But it seems right that its only being posted now. This is sort of a synergy of the 2 previous articles. The cars on this list have a reason for being here. They're on my wish list (just like the STi is on Gani's) and they are all cars that have impacted me in my youth.

This is not a fantasy wish list, but more of a goal for the next maybe 3-5 years for myself. Meaning the cars and the plans in this post must be more or less realistic for me. Now I don't see this as a limitation per se, as I've always been a pretty practical guy. Of course I'd love to have a Bugatti Veyron and a Rolls Royce Phantom, but thats just dreaming. 

So within the next few years, I've been eyeing these cars:

1. A late 90s-2000 Toyota Hilux. 

This will be my workhorse. If I need a car to load something in, the pickup has the bed in the back to hold most anything (as long as secured properly). A high car, and outfitted with nice off road tires, it can go almost anywhere. Outfitted with a snorkel, and even floods are no match for it. 

Now I love pickups. With a passion. I've had the privilege of having 2 already, an Isuzu Dmax 4x4 and an Isuzu Dmax 4x2. Yeah, I know, 2 of them. Well one was my personal car and the other was a work car, though I didn't have them both at the same time. Also, the 4x2 was a company "hand me down". 

So why a Hilux? And why an old one? One is the limitation of funds. I can't just shell out over a million for a new Hilux. Budget for a workhorse pickup is around php350k-php450k. And from a quick scan on sulit.com.ph, well this fits the bill.

As seen in Top Gear, the Hilux is nearly indestructible. And we all know how easy it is and how cheap it is to find Toyota parts in this country and get a Toyota serviced, so extra points for those.

edit: if i had my way, this would actually be a Toyota T-100, a pickup my uncle had (same one that owned the FJ-40). I had a chance to inherit that car, but my dad backed off because the car was an import and he was worried about parts and service. we did have a white one in the office a while back, and that was tough as nails.

2. BMW e34 Touring.

The weekend traveler. Something I can take on a trip to Tagaytay or Batangas or Subic and I know everything I need will fit in it, and I can take a bunch of people with me as well.

I'm actually eyeing one right now, and am just saving up enough money to buy and restore it. I've looked the car over, verified the papers, and even had it checked by Klassik BMW (which is now a Hyundai showroom). 

Projected price is somewhere north of php300k, with repairs going somewhere north of 100k. If ever, I'll also want to repaint it.

edit: my love for the e34 stems from my dads e34 sedan. i've actually been on the lookout for an e34 for a few years now, and the touring just speaks to me for some reason. probably because i also loved my grandma's old benz td300 wagon back in vancouver. 

3. Mercedes Benz SLK or BMW Z3 late 90s-2000 

The Sunday car. I've always wanted a roadster and told myself I would have one before 35. So I literally have 5 years to get myself one. Crossing my fingers on this one (and working harder).

Benz or BMW? I can't really choose between the 2. The prices are very similar, with the Benz being maybe a little bit more expensive (unless I go with the 200, which seems kinda slow with only 134bhp). The Benz is the prettier of the 2, the BMW the more iconic (Brosnan James Bond). So it will all depend on what I see when I'm ready to buy, but the budget here is only around 1.5M tops. I know cheaper ones can be found, but I prefer local units. You never know when they decide to crack down on imports and grey market cars.

Now unlike the previous 2, it will take more time for me to be able to afford either one of these. By that time, maybe I can afford better, but right now these are it. 

edit: one of my uncles had a bmw z3, right after james bond came out. he brought it to the house during a family dinner, and it was just awesome. because the local models only went up to the 1.8L engine here, he indent ordered a 2.5L engine to put in it. his brother owned the ferrari 308 in Frag's post. 

Thats it right now, and I think the goals are very realistic in the next 5 years. Well, maybe not the roadster, but the pickup and the e34 seem reasonable enough. 

The 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi

You can ask birdman or frag, I am a "ricer." I am a huge fan of Japanese (and to a extent, Asian) cars. Yes I do like Euro cars, but since I became a serious car nut I've mostly been biased towards the Japanese cars.


What are my three favorite Japanese car models? The Nissan Skyline, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and the Subaru Impreza WRX STi. My bias leans either way for the Evo or the STi, depending on the model and what year. Right now I am leaning more towards the current hatchback STi. Why?

It looks better. The wider fenders, the aggressive stance, and the hatchback shape just makes it look so mean. If the Evo X looks like a shark, then the STi looks like a coiled cheetah ready to pounce.


It sounds better. Seriously, I've encountered STi's and Evo X's on the street. You can hear the STi coming. The deep rumble of the boxer engine makes sure everyone can feel the STi's presence. The Evo just sounds like a louder normal car.


It seems like a more sensible family car for me. Being a hatchback, the luggage space is definitely bigger than a normal sedan. I'm hoping it can fit my kid's stroller, a bunch of groceries, or other big luggage.


It's less expensive than the Evo. Last I checked, at least. The Evo X is, I think, around PhP2.8M or higher, while the STi is around PhP2.5M. Actually the Hyundai Genesis Coupe is the most affordable, but seeing as how I have a wife and kid, I need as much seating capacity and luggage space as possible - but I also like the Genesis.


I know that right now the STi is still out of my league, but a guy can dream, can't he?


Out.

Top 10 Most Memorable Cars of My Youth

As with all petrolheads, the cars we grew up with and around played a huge role in our petrolheadedness. For this - my first - installment of my Top 10, I will list cars from my youth (until my 13th birthday) that had an impact on my life. It had to be either something my parents owned, or a relative, or a family friend, and made an impression on me and influenced my taste in cars. (In other words, no pin-up and dream cars - these are cars that I had personal experiences with).

10. 1980s Toyota Tamaraw

This humble tin box was the car that used to take me to and from school, delivered bakery goods and other products to my mom's little bake shop, and was the workhorse of the family. It had no seat belts and no airconditioning, just a flap below the windshield that you could open and close to reveal a few holes punched into the sheet metal that allowed air to come in. Still, since it had bench seats, I could change gears while my dad or whoever else was driving operated the clutch. I'd just slot the lever in the gear that they told me to. And when you're 6 years old, that's something to look forward to.

9. 1984 Toyota Landcruiser FJ40

My uncle had one of the coolest cars ever - an FJ40. Rugged and tough as nails, it was noisy, bumpy, and spartan, but that just made its character stronger. I imagined being on safari, or in a military expedition, or traversing rivers and rocky terrain, and the Landcruiser just taking everything in stride.

8. 1990 Mercedes Benz 500SL (R129)

I remember coming out of church one day and my dad's friend waiting for us a the bottom of the church steps. Behind him was a gleaming red 500SL, black canvas top up. As I ran up to the car to admire it, dad's friend said, "stand back! Watch this!" and with a push of a button, the convertible roof slowly folded itself away into the boot, completely automatically, as I watched wide-eyed and amazed. To this day, everytime I see one, I have this urge to own one.

7. 1990 Volkswagen Type 2 Vanagon Multivan (T3)

Dad bought this as a family runabout, with the idea of using it to take my mom, my brother and myself on long road trips. And road trip we did - most memorably from Vancouver to Edmonton, and later, from Vancouver to San Francisco. It had a little fold-away table, a cupboard, curtains, and a pop-up bed up on the roof where my brother and I would take naps in when my folks would take rest stops. Thanks to this wonderful dark blue minivan, we were able to have great family vacations that were truly memorable. But this wasn't our first VW Bus...

6. 1980s Volkswagen Type 2 (T2)

...This was. In a typically VW-like yellow-and-creme two-tone color scheme, this VW Bus was the first car we ever had with a moon roof, which was operated with a rotary windup mechanism. I can't recall how many times we would open up the top and poke our heads out while the good old VW cruised around the Manila streets. nearly 20 years later, my cousin snapped a picture of it, still alive, in Baguio. It feels great to know that this part of my childhood lives on.

5. 1987 Volvo 740 Turbo Wagon

This was my first encounter with forced induction. On the left side of the instrument cluster was a turbo gauge, with an orange band at the end to tell you that you were entering boost territory. I remember watching that gauge waiting for the dial move and approach turbo range, and scream "TURBO!" when it finally got there. It also had a pair of jump seats - a third row that face rearwards - that my brother and I would ride in (even if nobody sat in the second row) to play "punch buggy" or pretend to be gunners in a fighter-bomber.

4. 1984 Mercedes Benz 230E (W123)

My dad's first Benz is certainly a memorable one. When I went missing as a 6 year-old, the best place to look was the garage. My favorite place to be was inside our white 230E, marveling at the vacuum-operated central locks. I looked forward to seeing the 3-pointed star on the hood as we drove past, imagining it to be crosshairs on the nose of a fighter jet. Such was the magic of the 123 Benz.

3. 1991 Mitusbishi Montero

This was one of the cars I learned to drive in. And yes, I was 13 years old. When the family would take trips to Batangas, I waited eagerly to approach the sparsely populated back roads and dirt paths for my dad to finally tell me to get in the driver's seat. He didn't have to tell me twice! I begged and pleaded for my dad to keep the car 'til I was old enough to get a driver's license, to no avail. I still would love to own one, or its later iteration, the Fieldmaster.

2. 1988 Ferrari 308

A trip to San Francisco to visit family rendered a big surprise - my first REAL encounter with the most famous marque of all - Ferrari. My uncle's 308 was tucked away in his garage, and it seemed unreal that I was so near automotive greatness. It was a the treat of my life 'til that point to get in the back seat and get a ride around town while my dad drove and my uncle riding shotgun, but that lasted just a few minutes. But it was then that I realized that dreams can come true, and if it could happen to my uncle, then I may be able to make it for myself. I still hold on to that dream to this day.

1. 1989 BMW 525i (e34)

This was my first encounter with the marque that would capture my imagination. Because of this car, I started reading up on both classic Bimmers and (then) current ones, leading to my infatuation with the 6-series shark, the exotic M1, and my favorite sports car of the time, the 850 CSi.The 5-series blended performance, reliability, sporting character, and luxury all wrapped in a handsome package. Even today a clean one catches my eye, and is a reminder of those magical days when the Bavarian brand first stole my heart.