Bumper to Bumper IV

Another Auto Show for this year. It’s not only a car show but grand car club eye ball and DB drag competition as well.

• Venue: Silvercity’s Automall
• Dates: November 29-30, 2008
• Event Schedule: 10 am – 10 pm, Saturday & Sunday.

And, Tsikot.com is its official media partner.

For more information, please click here and here.

For Sale: 2005 Toyota Vios G A/T

My friend is selling her 2005 Toyota Vios G.

Details are:

• Color : Silver
• Plate ending :2
• Transmission: Automatic
• Mileage: 42,000 kilometers
• Casa maintained
• In very good condition
• Lady driven
• Acquired : August 2005
• Price: P450,000

If you are interested and wish to inspect the unit, please contact Tom at e-mail: j_avonni@yahoo.com or at mobile phone: +63 (920) 9555249 or at office phone +63 (2) 9179431 local 530 or at home phone (weekends only): +63 (2) 4173231.

Sold!

Finally, our 2005 Toyota Innova J is already sold. I just delivered it to its new owners this afternoon.

I first advertised that’s for sale in this blog last September 23. Then, I linked it in my other and my wife’s blogs. I also posted the sale in BuySell.ph and OLX Pilipinas for free.  My wife also published it for free in Buy & Sell advertisement paper. My gratitude for the publishers for the free advertisements. I also spread the words to my relatives and friends through text, emails and words of mouth. Likewise, I put posters at the rear and right side of the vehicle.

With these efforts, I received more than 50 queries - mostly from agents. At first, I tested the water by asking for P530,000. Nobody bit. The counter offers I received were as low as P400,000 up to P455,000 only. And some agents were very aggresive. If I’d agree, they’d pay me immediately without even inspecting or test driving the car. No way, Jose! Your offers were too low.

Every passing week, I reduced the asking price until I found a direct buyer who countered with a better a price; and, I closed the deal.

At the Manila Auto Salon 2008

Yesterday was the first day of the Manila Auto Salon 2008 at SMX Convention Center.  After office hours, I proceeded to the venue.  I stayed there for an hour only.

If you want to watch the show, it’s until November 23 (Sunday). The entrance fees are:

• Adult : P60.00
• Senior : P40.00
• Child : P 30.00

I posed as a child; but, the tellers didn’t believe me.  So, I posed as a senior citizen, they neither believed me.

And, here are some of the pictures I took:

See more photos at

• Think of Me & Laugh
• Think Of Me!
• My Other Thoughts
• My Photobucket album

No Swerving

I saw signs along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), particularly in Mandaluyong City, that swerving or changing lanes is not allowed on solid lines but on broken lines only.  I think that defines what unauthorized swerving is.

Solid lines along EDSA are the yellow line separating the bus lane (first two outer lanes) and the white lanes before the foot of the flyovers and before the entrance of underpasses.  The solid white lines mostly indicate that the road ahead is divided and it is dangerous to change lane.

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is now strictly enforcing this rule. The fine for this violation is P2,000.00.

Related stories:

• MMDA Warns Drivers Against Swerving on EDSA
• MMDA: Absolutely No Swerving Along EDSA or Else… 

Manila Auto Salon 2008

I got this from Tsikot.com - the official E-Media Partner of Manila Auto Salon 2008.

2008 People’s Choice Awards - November update

As of November 8, 2008, Kia Carens still leads the ongoing 2008 Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards as the Automobile of the Year 2008:

• Kia Carens –14,293
• Hyundai Grand Starex – 12,231
• Honda Civic –11,372

The updated partial results (top three):
Sedan Sub Compact

• Kia Picanto – 9,130
• Hyundai Getz – 7,504
• Volvo C30 – 7,008

Sedan Compact

• Honda Civic – 14,698
• Hyundai Accent – 9,482
• Volvo S40 – 4,668

Sedan Midsize

• Toyota Camry – 9,460
• Honda Accord – 7,186
• Hyundai Sonata – 5,460

Sedan Large

• Volvo S80 – 7,903
• Hyundai Azera – 7,449
• Mercedes Benz S-Class – 6,241

Sports Cars

• Mitsubishi Evolution – 9,432
• Subaru Impreza WRX STi – 7,238
• Hyundai Coupe – 6,226

AUV

• Isuzu Crosswind – 10,724
• Toyota Innova – 10,572
• Mitsubishi Adventure – 2,858

SUV Compact

• Hyundai Tucson – 11,345
• Honda CRV – 10,586
• Kia Sportage – 8,833

SUV Midsize

• Hyundai Santa Fe – 14,103
• Kian Sorento – 8,568
• Volvo XC90 – 4,462

SUV Large

• Hyundai Vera Cruz – 9,200
• Porsche Cayenne – 8,394
• Isuzu Alterra – 7,975

Mini Van

• Kia Carens – 18,328
• Toyota Previa – 6,803
• Suzuki APV – 2,760

Full Size Van

• Hyundai Grand Starex – 18,920
• Kia Carnival – 13,342
• Nissan Urvan – 4,819

Pick-up

• Nissan Navarra – 11,101
• Isuzu Dmax – 8,216
• Mitsubishi Strada – 4,370

Please keep on voting and get the chance to win prizes!  The poll ends on November 30, 2008 or 22 days to go.

Smoke belchers

November is Clear Air month.

The Land Transportation Office requires that all vehicles for renewal of certificate of registration must be subject and pass the smoke test to be conducted by an LTO accredited smoke testing center.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) and Local Government are also conducting actual smoke testings on the roads.

These measures, if properly and strictly implemented and enforced, would minimize if not eliminate, smoke belching vehicles plying our roads.

However, I wondering why there are still so many smoke belching vehicles running within the metropolis.

A few days ago, I photographed a smoke belching bus along Commonwealth Avenue.  The photo was taken at Philcoa at around 6:00 AM.

This is the bus when it stopped. Unfortunately, it’s blurred.

Free bigas (rice) when you gas up

A Shell station in North Fairview, Quezon City has a current promo for its customers.

For every 40 liters of fuel products (V-Power, Super Premium, Unleaded, and Diesel) in a single or accumulated purchases, the motorist shall get a free kilo of rice.  The promo period is from September 15 to November 15, 2008. To claim the free rice, just present the original and duplicate copies of the receipt/s at the station’s Select Store.

I’ve checked with other Shell stations; but, they don’t have this kind of promo.

I’ve accumulated about 82 liters and claimed my 2 kilos of free rice last weekend.

Assuming an average cost of a liter of fuel is P45, 40 liters cost P1,800. And, if an average kilo of rice is about P36, the savings for gassing up at Shell North Fairview is about 2%. And, if you add up the discount for using Shell Citibank Visa, the total savings is 7%.

No to GSIS takeover of CTPL insurance

Yesterday, the Court of Appeals issued a preliminary injunction against the takeover of Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) of the Compulsory Third-Party Liability (CTPL) insurance business in the country.

The injunction has no deadline.  That is, it will be lifted once the CA issued its final decision on the case.

The battle over who should issue the CTPL insurance policy started last year.  To stop the issuance of fake CTPL policies by unscrupulous persons, GSIS is attempting to monopolize this insurance.

However, the GSIS move is being opposed by the the Bukluran ng Manggagawa sa Industriya ng Seguro, Alliance of Non-Life Insurance Workers of the Philippines (Alliance) and the Movement for the Upliftment of Non-Life Insurance (Munli), who sought the injunction.

Please read the news.