Parrot on a PorchA Journey Toward the Little Mansion Dream

I’m so exhausted now as we were out the whole day today.  We attended a birthday party at 10 am, picked up the paintings on canvas that were framed then bought ornamental plants at the nearby city seedling bank.  It shouldn’t be that tiring but what made us all uncomfortable and tired was the long, humid trip.  Mr. Sun was terrible that even the aircon of our aged Nissan Sentra which we fondly call Green Machine, couldn’t bear the heat.  It was stalling every now and then so just imagine how drenched we were inside the car while cruising along Espana at 1 PM!  This got me and the husband brought out the idea of replacing our beloved 10 year old car.  With all the frequent repairs and maintenance checks it has been undergoing lately, I believe that it’s really the right time to retire it and perhaps, upgrade to a newer car.  Not necessarily brand new and the top of the line since we don’t have a budget for that.  Perhaps, a second hand sold in casas and auto shops or even repo cars from banks and other car businesses will do.  I actually got this idea when I came to know about the services of cars-central.com.

As the name suggests, the business of www.cars-central.com is all about cars.  To be specific, repossessed cars, trucks, SUVs or any other vehicles being used as collateral for bank and credit loans.  Right now, they have on stock about 3000 in good condition, thoroughly gone over, repaired and cleaned repo cars ready to be sold.  Definitely, buying from such are feasible given with our meager budget since they are not brand new but as long as we’ll be able to scrutinize closely, we can still get the best and high quality car we’ve always yearned to have.  This way, we won’t have to bear driving on scorching hot noons because the air con is not stalling but instead, just keeps us all cool.

I just browsed my Facebook account and my attention was suddenly caught by an intriguing profile picture.  At first, the thumbnail is misleading and in fact, scandalous.  So when I clicked on it and saw it up close, I just had to laugh at myself because it’s actually an interesting picture of car spoilers.  I was reminded that this particular friend is a big fan of cars and his passion is dressing up his car collections.  In fact, his profile consists of tons of car accessory pictures, the names of which are unknown to me.  So lesson learned, research and read more about various stuffs so as not getting “scandalized” by peculiar things.

I forgot from which insurance blog that I obtained this image.  Obviously, it’s an advertisement that is done with humor and I believe, a little bit satire in some points.  I don’t know if women should be offended by this advertisement but I think (and I’m sure men will agree) there are some issues raised that’s totally true.  Generally speaking and I hate to admit it, men are indeed better drivers.  However, women are the cooler type, not hot headed and do not blew their top right away when engaged with even minor fiascos on the road.

Automotive insurance is insurance purchased for cars. In many jurisdictions, it is compulsory for you if you own a car.

Car insurance provides insurance against losses and liabilities that could be incurred as a result of traffic accidents. In most states in the United States of America, it is compulsory for the car owner to have car insurance that covers liability for injuries and damage of property. Non-purchasing of car insurance attracts penalties, which varies from state to state.

The offender may not only have to pay a substantial fine, but may also have to do jail time, not to mention having his/her license and/or registration suspended or revoked. Generally, the minimum requirement is third party insurance that protects third parties against loss, damage or injury. However, it is preferable to have comprehensive coverage to protect yourself from financial loss.

In the United States of America, there are different coverage types to protect the consumer, depending on the insurance purchased. In some states, motorists are required to carry liability insurance coverage. This ensures that the driver can cover the cost of damages in the event of an accident. Liability insurance can cover claims not only against the policyholder, but also against any other operator of the vehicle insured, provided the address of such operator is not the same as that of the policy holder, and that he or she is not specifically excluded on the policy.

However, sometimes, if the policy holder operates any car other than his or her own, the liability insurance does not protect him or her. This is because in such cases the policy holder is covered under the policy of the party that owns the car. There are non-owners policies that cover an insured on any car he or she drives. However, this type of policy is available only to people who do not own a car.

It may be a little too early to think about but the husband and I have agreed that our next two projects after we get settled in our Little Mansion this year are 1.) BB #2 and 2.) a car upgrade. But weighing the two, the latter appears to be easier to undertake in terms of the budget and the urgency. Green Machine’s (our 10 year old Nissan Sentra) is still in a good condition and is functioning well but the husband’s contemplating to be updated with the latest models in the market. Since there is no new addition yet to the family, a car will still do like a honda civic or a ford mustang. But as the husband has got used to driving the in-laws’ van every time we go out on weekends, a similar Starex model (2004) is also among his top choices. He also likes the exteriors and looks of a chevy colorado but pick ups are known to have high mileage and with the high rocketing petroleum rates lately, it’s a no-no for penny pinchers like us. He is still looking further for more practical options. We’re not in a rush anyway and as I’ve said, this project won’t be taken on not until we’ve fully settled and recovered from Little Mansion’s expenses.

We have a neighbor who’s into an automotive buy and sell business. Recently, he got a chance to talk to the husband and he was sort of wooing our Green Machine, the husband’s ever reliable 10 year old Nissan Sentra car. It’s been maintained very well over the years and still looks good as new. The car’s performing and serving us well but the husband is thinking if it’s time already to do an upgrade. After all, it’s been 10 years. So now, he’s thinking if he can sell the car or trade it in with another available model that our neighbor currently has. No final decision here yet since we’re concentrating with the Little Mansion at the moment. But we will see. Who knows by the end of the year, we’re parking a spanking new car at Little Mansion’s carport.

Speaking of cars and vehicles, I’m quite drawn with one particular auto these days every time we pass by the showroom of Chevrolet along EDSA. It’s the chevy silverado 1500, a line which falls under the Full Size Pickup Trucks. I normally do not fancy huge pick up trucks but the exterior styling and features are just gorgeous. It’s charmingly huge that it can claim the “King of the Road” title. One of the line, which I think is the 1550, comes in three trims in regular, crew and extended cab body models. I further researched about this truck on the web and came to know that the Chevrolet 1500 Silverado is the driver’s choice in terms of engine specifications among full size pickup trucks. With the Ford 150 as its close competitor, the engines have been efficiently modified and refined for that everyday cruising and towing and with its hybrid model, made with a better gas mileage. Many consumers favor this over the F150 and in fact, it ranked fifth in the trucks with the best gas mileage. The hybrid engine enables the electric motor to keep the truck running when idle so the gas engine can be shut off, thus, saving enormous amount of gas. Now it’s possible to own a truck that has a good towing capacity, power, able to carry large loads and best of all, a remarkable gas mileage.

We drove yesterday morning to Banawe, a place in QC where suppliers of car accessories and auto parts abound. The van’s speedometer has been malfunctioning since the other week. It was just yesterday the mechanic had a time to drop by and discern what’s wrong. It turns out that the bearing and rubber (or whatever that is called) that makes it function has worn off. He says that the wear and tear of such part is expected to last not that long. Although the broken part won’t affect the engine and the van will run smoothly, it is recommended that it’d be replaced soon to eradicate the inconvenience of driving with a busted speedometer. Also, it’s for safety precautions. You wouldn’t know how fast you’ve been running without the meter, right?

And so, we looked for that part in Banawe yesterday but after checking out a number of open stores, we didn’t have one. That certain part’s out of stock. We could have readily bought one from other bigger stores but alas, it was a Sunday and most auto parts shops as well as the major distributor of that stuff were closed to business. So we decided to just drop by again next Saturday.

While checking out the auto parts shop, I was so overwhelmed how varied and how plenty of auto parts that there are. From the biggest to the smallest and even to the colorful and interesting parts like projector headlights, I was asking hubby to name them and what they are for. At first he gladly answered my queries but later he got tired and told me to just check out CarID.com’s site if I’m really interested to know. He says, it’s an online shop of auto accessories and parts and it has the most comprehensive galleries across all car makes and brand. I’m browsing the site now and he’s right. I also checked that they have the part we’re looking for. If only they are shipping internationally then our problem could have been solved.

Aside from the housing project we have taken on, the husband is looking for a chance to do some “upgrading” on our ever-reliable Green Machine. Our Nissan Sentra is already a decade old but it still looks as good as new and I have to credit hubby’s really good handling and maintenance skills for that. It occasionally goes through some breaking down spells but our ever reliable mechanic always find an antidote to put him back on his healthy smooth running condition.

As I was saying, the husband is thinking of remodeling or should I say redesigning the wood dash kits to make it look more modern and newer. It’s also about time to change since the old dash kit is starting to wear off. He stumbled upon Carid.com last night and he thinks that he found the design he has in mind. This is made of premium real woods and coated with polyurethane for a lifetime protection. What’s great about this is that it comes in a full kit with 14 pieces at a guaranteed inexpensive price and easy installation process guide so there’s no need to bring the car to a dealer for an installation fee.

Looks like Green Machine will have a spanking new interior look before the year ends.