My Wife wants to Drive the car!

[Gerald Glatt]

I started teaching Fe and she only Sid six thousand damage to a seven thousand dollar car.  She has studied for two years to take the written test and attempted it about 8 or 10 time.  Each time she does I make the sign of the cross and ask my Angel to talk to her Angel, mine must be very convincing, she freezes and fails. She did get within two points the last two times.  If she ever passes HELP. We'll all be KILLED

 

 

 

[robert k]

22 minutes ago, Gerald Glatt said:

I started teaching Fe and she only Sid six thousand damage to a seven thousand dollar car.  She has studied for two years to take the written test and attempted it about 8 or 10 time.  Each time she does I make the sign of the cross and ask my Angel to talk to her Angel, mine must be very convincing, she freezes and fails. She did get within two points the last two times.  If she ever passes HELP. We'll all be KILLED

 

 

 

I learned my lesson. If I'm going to teach a filipina to drive it's going to be in a cane truck with railroad track bumpers in the middle of nowhere with a chase driver/vehicle instructed to stay half a kilometer back at all times. 

[OnMyWay]

Pray for us.  We bought a used little Honda Brio today.  Fun little car and very easy to drive.

The reasons to buy it are:

1.  Use it for all of our local running around town including the back and forth school runs.  Those alone are 24 km a day and the Trailblazer is piling up the KM at a very expensive rate.  We will cut the use of the Trailblazer down to longer trips that need all 5 of us in the car.  Or if there is local flooding like today, the Trailblazer will get the job.

2.  Small car that the wife can manage, I hope.  She has never driven on the road and we have a few driving schools to choose from here, which I will insist on.  We have an old go cart track here in Subic and I will take her there for a little practice.  Nothing to hit although with all the rain right now you could probably get stuck in the mud.  I let her drive my Honda Accord back in the U.S., in a school parking lot, and she did ok.

3.  I really need for her to drive.  Where we live you need a car.  We both will have a lot more freedom if we have two cars and the flexibility it adds.  And, an emergency could arise where she needs to drive.

Wish us luck!

P.S.  After driving the big heavy Trailblazer for 2 years, the little Brio is a joy to drive.  I think the Trailblazer is going to spend a lot of time in the pits!

[AlwaysRt]

My wife needs more practice with my stick shift.... umm before I will consider buying a car...

[Dave Hounddriver]

5 minutes ago, AlwaysRt said:

My wife needs more practice with my stick shift.

Just make sure its well lubed.  I don't recall any place in Phils that offers a lube job.  Where do people go to get their joints lubed?

[AlwaysRt]

2 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Just make sure its well lubed.  I don't recall any place in Phils that offers a lube job.  Where do people go to get their joints lubed?

ummmm, my wife is my mechanic. Sorry, no openings for new customers as I keep her appointment book full...

 

[Dave Hounddriver]

25 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

 Where do people go to get their joints lubed?

Yes, I made it a joke, but seriously:  Does anyone in Philippines do preventative maintenance?  I asked the mechanic where I am getting my car restored from some preventative maintenance.  I wanted an oil change, rad flush, check all belts, hoses and filters and give it a lube job.  They looked at me like I was from Mars.  Seriously.  Where does I guy get this done on an old car here?

[OnMyWay]

25 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Yes, I made it a joke, but seriously:  Does anyone in Philippines do preventative maintenance?  I asked the mechanic where I am getting my car restored from some preventative maintenance.  I wanted an oil change, rad flush, check all belts, hoses and filters and give it a lube job.  They looked at me like I was from Mars.  Seriously.  Where does I guy get this done on an old car here?

I guess it depends on the car.  It seems that many expats find a trusted mechanic that can do all that stuff but I have not found one yet.  I'm getting my Trailblazer serviced at a Yokohama tire dealer here and they seem to be ok for that type of stuff, and much cheaper than the dealer.  The service manager seems fairly sharp and knowledgeable, but I haven't asked them to do any lubrication yet.

I got my last oil change at a small petron dealer, and I was able to inspect the underside of the car.  I'm sure the guy would have shot some grease around under my instruction.

[Jake]

4 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Pray for us.  We bought a used little Honda Brio today.  Fun little car and very easy to drive.

 

Good job Don!  I do remember that little go cart race track and was fun racing around for beers during my Nam days. How are the Honda's tires for this upcoming rain/typhoon season?  That hill going down to my old high school could be slippery, as you may know.  

 Vrooom, vrooom 

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, Jake said:

How are the Honda's tires for this upcoming rain/typhoon season?  That hill going down to my old high school could be slippery, as you may know.  

Tires are great, like new Michelins!  However, if it is raining like today, I will use the Trailblazer with 800 mm wading capability!

Speaking of hills, the downhill from Tipo gate into SBMA is the bad one.  Yesterday a newer Innova lost it and swerved across the uphill lane, ending up in the trees / ditch.  A lot of damage but I think the people were OK.  They put lots of cones and "slow" signs, but people frequently lose it on that downhill during heavy rain.