Jump to content

YoungGrasshopper

Members
  • Posts

    19
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by YoungGrasshopper

  1. For A/C Repairs, I recommend Thinon Engineers, which is on D.M. Colombage Mawatha, just past Kottu Labs and the MAS Active building. Ask for Mr. Prasanna who is the owner. He's very friendly and has been in the business for ages. He charges around 10k to 13k for a complete A/C system service, and his work is solid.

    For mechanical work on Japs and especially 4x4s, there's this place called R.D.S. Motors down the Pitakotte-Thalawathugoda road. They know what they're doing, but cost-wise sometimes tend to be on par with T0yota Lanka, St@fford, and AEmW

    For Nissan March cars, there is some ex-AEmW guy who has his own shop somewhere in Borelasgamuwa. He specialises in March apparently.

  2. Hi guys,

    Back on AL after a long time. I recently stumbled on this website called howacarworks.com . They've got an amazing course on auto engineering that costs just $25, but will teach you basically every little thing you need to know about cars. It comes jam packed with high quality videos as well! Fully recommend it to anyone, especially those who want to learn. I personally think its very important for a car owner to at least understand how a car works so that they don't get ripped off by a makabass mechanic. 

    Course link: https://www.howacarworks.com/video-course/

    Admin: Not sure where exactly to place this, but feel free to move the thread if a better home is available.

  3. On 3/28/2019 at 10:00 AM, matroska said:

    Well even though it's apparent electric cars will be the future whether we like it or not - SL wouldn't be the the best place for an EV ...not just yet. If I was forced to buy a b/new EV I'd look for other options for example there are some EV's imported from the agents where they give a warranty as well I think MG, and Hyundai  agent's have the ZS ev and the kona and D#MO are also offering some chinese brand with a very long warranty period. 

    D*MO sells BYD, from the stables of the world's largest electric car maker. Even Mr. Buffet owns a stake in the chinese company :)

  4. Both are good cars, tbh. They're both good at what they were built to do. The choice my friend, lies with you. The 6 is a super car, comfy, rides well, decent on fuel etc. The Premio is a nice family car, ample boot space etc. As far as SL is concerned, the Premio has an advantage in terms of the resale value. And since you want to go a for a brand new version, nothing to worry about the car being hacked.

    Since you're going for a used 6, what you really need to think about is how it has been maintained by the previous owner, and your financial situation (does resale value matter to you and all that jazz). My brother owned one of the first 6s to come into the country, took care of it very well. The guy who bought it from him, doesn't give two hoots about the car. Have seen it just parked on Thalawathugoda road in the hot sun, covered with dirt and all. So it's not always an enthusiast who buys the relatively niche brands, some buy it just to show off, me thinks.

    Hope I've managed to narrow down the variables for you. Trust me mate, it's all about you and your reality, nothing else :)

    All the best!

     

  5. On 1/8/2019 at 2:09 PM, ange88 said:

    Also I do not want to go for a lower price car as it will be a step backward after putting so much of effort to come to this level as I started my journey with a small motor bike few years back.NOT ego but I may not be able to raise my head as I just built a house and those loans are there too :)

    @ange88 Buddy not to be rude or anything, but this IS the definition of ego. This is something most Sri Lankans don't understand, given how we are a society that is obsessed on keeping up with the Pereras, but please remember that you are not your car/job/school etc. Your opinion of yourself should not be defined by things like this, and don't let your self esteem suffer like that. And also, why look at this as a downgrade? If you look at the big picture, you started with a motor bike true, but today you are well on your way to home ownership. Back then, you didn't have a house of your own right? But now you do. To me, that is growth and an improvement in your situation. If you have to stick with a smaller/older car to achieve that dream, is there really anything wrong with that? I don't think so. So don't be so harsh on yourself. Cheer up! :)

    About your car choices, remember that your financial situation is your biggest constraint. Second, keep in mind that in general the second hand car market in Sri Lanka is like opening a can of worms. Avoid if possible, and buyer beware! (Basically, you have to be really really careful and patient to get a good deal). In that context, I would also agree with what the others have said here about going for the Vitz. Second hand hybrids in SL, especially the Aquas currently on the market, have all been used very harshly/or could be due for somemajor repair like battery upgrades and things like that, which is not something you want on your hands right now.

    Coming from a economic and finance background myself, let me tell you one more thing. You might be better off focusing on aggressively settling your debts. Not only will it help you sleep better, that is also the fastest and best way for you to pave the way to upgrade to a bigger, better car later on. The interest costs can kill you, especially in this environment, where interest rates on loan will start moving upwards. Your bank won't tell you this, but a 1% adjustment can make a HUGE difference (I can prove this to you mathematically).

    Therefore, do consider the option of selling the 121 and going for something like an Elite, or kei car like the Wagon R, which should lower your running costs, and also won't add to your already high debt load, thus reducing the financial breathing space you have. The amount you save, you can divert towards paying down your debts or saving for a rainy day. I have a friend who did exactly this, and he is glad he did it.

    And finally, there's something else. It's very easy for all of us sitting on the other side to give advice, but when it comes to something like this, remember that this is Sri Lanka (i.e. Keeping Up With Perera syndrome). Therefore, even if you take the prudent way of downgrading to a more economical car,  you decision will be vetoed by your wife/mother in law/neighbour/ Albert Uncle in London etc. Especially your wife, if you are married. First have these tough conversations and then decide for yourself :)

      

    • Like 2
  6. Hi guys,

    So a colleague at work got delivery of his new MG ZS on Friday (Drove it to work on Tuesday). Of course, everyone was complimenting him on the looks of the vehicle, since appearance wise, you can;t get anything like it for LKR 5 mil.

    I didn't have a chance to go for a drive, but I did manage to hop in and have a look around (My colleague got the 1L 3 Cyl Turbo).

    Based on first looks, it looks pretty good...to the untrained eye. An average person will not notice anything negative, at least as long as the car is new.

    If you look closely though, you can see where corners have been cut. If you take the seats, the top part (the part that you rest your bum on) is made out of artificial leather. But the rest is all cloth.

    The dash looks "shape"..but A/C vents and stuff are quite similar to the BAIC X25.

    The entertainment system comes with Apple CarPlay support but not Android Auto (weird).

    There is decent legroom at the back, plus some decent luggage space.

    Since the car is new, my colleague was getting around 7.2 kmpl. So it is likely that with time, fuel consumption might settle in the 7-8 kmpl range.

    What I cannot comment on are the mechanics (didn't get a chance to pop the hood). Lots of folks here on AL have also raised concerns about the really bad quality of aftersales service provided by the agent, so that's something to think about.

     

    • Sad 1
  7. On 6/15/2018 at 4:16 PM, Hoonigan said:

    Maybe something you don't want to hear, but it sounds like you settled on the Alto with an idea of upgrading soon-ish?

    If that's the case, maybe you want to reconsider if you want to spend on non-essential add ons. Investments like these rarely adds to the recovery at the point of sale.

    But if you still want to go ahead, pull one of the wheels out (maybe your spare doesn't have the same markings as the other wheels) and find the offset. You may even be able to find it if you google.

    Then, figure out which wheels you want to go for and get the offset, diameter and width of those wheels.

    Feed those into the site below and it will say exactly how much the wheel will move within the wheel well and you should be able to figure out any clearance issues.

    https://www.willtheyfit.com/

    @Hoonigan that's true, I've also been thinking about it. I'm actually thinking of upgrading within the year.. So yeah, it kind of doesn't make sense to go for the alloys right now... 

    Thanks :)

  8. Hi @Davy,

    Thanks for the info. I can definitely understand the subject better now.

    Do you know how I can find out the offset and rim as per manufacturer specs? I tried combing the interwebs and also going through the owners manual, but I was only able to find the whee size (12")

    Today, I popped the spare wheel out (still stock from the factory) and examined it. There were 3 things stamped on it:

    1. 1508H SSWL 3.5BX12 65AR3

    2. H 25

    3. 270815 06 A95136

    Any idea about what these numbers mean? Can I find out the offset and width from one of these 3?

     

    Cheers!

  9. Hi guys,

    Posting after a long time. Extremely sorry if I'm accidentally duplicating a thread that already exists (I couldn't find one, so I opened this).

    So, the last time I posted, I was trying to save up to buy a car. Now, I've successfully managed to buy a relatively new 2015 Alto LXI (the indian one). It's nothing crazy, but a starting point. Works well for me because of the good fuel economy and affordable maintenance costs, which is what my salary allows for now.

    I have lately been thinking whether it is a good idea to upgrade the wheels to 13" (the car currently runs on 12" 145/80 R12 CE#T Milazes- Stock from dealer). If I'm upsizing to 13", I also want to install a set of alloy wheels.

    Mr concerns are as follows:

    1. First of all, in a car like the Alto, is this a good idea?

    2. Will there be any running issues?
       I spoke to a service advisor at A*W and he said that if I install 13" wheels the tyre might scrape against the inner wheel well when making a turn. Another chap at A*W told me that upsizing is not an issue when I went there for a wheel alignment recently. Needless to say, I am totally confused.

    3. What would be a good tyre size?
    I ran through some online calculators and they all recommend 155/65 R 13 tyres. (this is also the same spec that the Alto K10 comes with)

    4. What's a good place to buy tyres and alloys?
    I've heard good things about U&H in Col 2. Any other places you guys would recommend?

    Cheers!

  10. Hmm.. these viewpoints are quite interesting. I'd like to add my own perspective.

    I have talked to quite a few high ranking executives, sometimes by chance, sometimes by choice. From what I've gathered, they all seem to have a completely different perspective.

    What these executives look for in a person are normally 2-3 things, Attitude, Social skills, and Problem solving skills. 

    Why attitude? Skills can be taught, knowledge can be imparted, but one's attitude cannot be changed. So those with a good, positive attitude are sought after.

    Why social skills? By this I don't mean conversational skills alone. I'm also talking about dispute resolution skills, EQ etc.

    Why problem solving skills? All companies seek to do business, and business is all about solving problem. And these problems don't come with prior warning and practice exercises like exams do.

    So, at the end of the day, the hiring decision boils down to this. The truth is, even if you have a Ph.D from Harvard, it will only help you get your foot in the door. Once you get the job, it's all about your tenacity, drive, and on-the-job performance.

    The thing with the local education system is that it encourages people to stay in their comfort zone, doesn't force them to challenge their assumptions about what they've learned. Perhaps this is why for instance, people who study engineering think that they absolutely must pursue a career in engineering, even though they have no interest in the field.

    The local education system doesn't help its students to realise that they live in a great big world where one's academic credentials don't have to dictate their future. Just because you study medicine doesn't mean that you have to become a doctor. If you like branding, there is nothing stopping you from becoming a branding professional instead.

    This same problem is prevalent in the British system too. But that is not the case in the American system. Maybe that explains why the US leads the world in terms of innovation.

    Just my two cents though :)

    • Like 1
  11. Hey guys,

    thanks for the info. will check out that other thread.

    And @iRage and @Crosswind, I do have my eye on PIM for now, but even on the MBA scene, nothing is concrete as yet. I'm keeping my options open (local vs. foreign). I'm involved with  few startups over here, so that's the basis on which I'm trying to lodge my application.

    Anyway, back to cars...

    What do you guys think is a good brand new car for a guy like me to buy, once I've saved up some more money? Something that won't embarrass the better half would be good :D 

  12. Hey guys,

    thanks for the info. will check out that other thread.

    And @iRage and @Crosswind, I do have my eye on PIM for now, but even on the MBA scene, nothing is concrete as yet. I'm keeping my options open (local vs. foreign). I'm involved with  few startups over here, so that's the basis on which I'm trying to lodge my application.

    Anyway, back to cars...

    What do you guys think is a good brand new car for a guy like me to buy, once I've saved up some more money? Something that won't embarrass the better half would be good :D 

    ----------------------------------->

    Sorry guys, wrong thread I guess...

  13. Hi Guys,

    Thanks for the input! Keep 'em coming!

    I probably should have mentioned this earlier. The central bank a.k.a "The Parents" are willing to lend me another 200k or so, and have told me to go for a loan or whatever if I need more money for a car.

    On the career side, I've completed my professional qualifications, but have a plan to enroll in an MBA next year. The total cost of an MBA is around 600k. I've been thinking about all this, and I realize that there is a high chance of me ending up in a tight spot if I try to juggle funding both a loan and an MBA.

    So @gayanath and @fiatLife, I hear you loud and clear :)

    Also @Crosswind, interesting perspective machang! What car did you buy?

    Cheers,

  14. Hi guys,

    I've been a regular visitor to the forum,but decided to finally create an account today. It's always  great to see a community of car lovers trying to help out each other. 

    I need a small favour from you guys, and it would be great if you could help me out.

    One of the things on my bucket list is to buy a car by the time I turn 23, which I will be next year. I just managed to snag my first job a couple of months ago and I now want to somehow achieve my goal of owning a nice, decent car. As you might have guessed, I make a basic executive level salary (around 45k a month). I also have about 200k saved up, which I can use towards a down payment.

    My dilemma is as follows:

    1. What would be a good car to buy?

    The criteria: Has A/C, Good engine, decent mileage,  Looks okay, and doesn't cost a fortune to run and maintain.

    2. In your opinion, what would be the best way to fund the purchase?

    The FinMin has this new Loan To Value limit of 70% on leases (thanks Ravi, VATman and dasher of dreams) which has been brought down to 50% through the new budget. On top of that, banks have age limits on cars, which also impact the amount they're willing to lend.

    Please help. Should I go for a car, or save up more (and use uber or our trusty tuk tuks to get around till then)?

    Your opinions would be really helpful. 

    Thanks in advance! :)

     

     

     

×
×
  • Create New...