racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

Remember my recent post about a friend looking for a used car? Well, that “friend” is actually me. The kids are growing and I thought it’s high time we bought a car for the family, especially since it’s well within our reach now. Last time I had a car was right before Caren and I got married, up to the time Pia was a few months old. It was lent to me by a relative long-term when he got a new vehicle. I had to return it when he left to live in the US, though.

I had been car-hunting for the past two weeks and I finally found a great buy, and it was right under my nose! I had been searching high and low in the nearby areas (within Quezon City only, but I’ve tried the Car Finder magazines and online ad sites like tsikot.com and adpost.com/ph) but I didn’t realize it would be this close. I was able to acquire my landlord’s 1997 model Toyota Corolla GLi (TRD Sports Variant).

It had been used by the landlord’s son until he migrated just recently. Caren and I had been eyeing this car since we moved into this new apartment–we thought it was well-maintained for its age (about ten years now, as it was acquired late 1996). And we thought it was best to acquire a used car from someone we personally knew (they’d been our neighbor for the past ten years before we moved in, and I got to know his son personally, too, before he left).

It’s not new (obviously) as I can’t afford a brand new automobile right now. And unlike Abe, who probably paid cold cash from his pocket for his ’97 Mitsubishi Lancer “that blogging bought,” this purchase was financed through a personal loan from a relative and business partner. So the title _the car that blogging bought_ should actually be _the car that blogging (and other online ventures) will pay for_, but the former sounds better, don’t you think?

The Hunt

The last two weeks were a bit hectic. I was IM’ing, texting and emailing my old classmates, my friends and online buddies if they were selling or know anyone selling cars. I had no good leads, though.

I was limiting my search to either Toyota or Honda, as I was advised these were the better choices when it comes to second hand cars (and Toyota is the cheapest to maintain, too). I had been eyeing a 1998 Honda Civic LXi Automatic for PhP 260K, but it was over the budget, and the seller (another neighbor of ours down the street who does auto detailing) seemed to have a problem with giving us a copy of the car’s OR and CR for verification with the Land Transportation Office. Well, he showed the originals to us, but they weren’t under his name (they were registered under a financing company, so we had our doubts). This neighbor also had a late 1998 Nissan Sentra Super Saloon Automatic that fit my budget, and we almost decided on this one, but the neighbor still wouldn’t share a copy of the documents.

I also got to test drive two other Corollas. One 1995 XE (the 1.3 liter variant, but with power steering) looked like it wasn’t taken care of properly (engine was okay, but body was not). Another was a 1997 XE, but set-up with American-version bumpers (longer), lowered one inch, and had the innards converted into all-power (windows, side-mirrors, etc.). I didn’t like it much–I’m not a fan of über-set-up cars! I tried it out because I wanted to check out another car the seller was offering, but had sold right before I arrived at his place.

We also had reservations about buying from dealers who were not the original sellers, but were doing buy-and-sell. While there’s nothing wrong with doing business for profit, I didn’t exactly appreciate a car’s being marketed as “first-owned,” if it was that just on paper (i.e., open/blank deed of sale) and not in fact.

The Price Is Right

The car wasn’t as inexpensive as other similar models in the market. The owner wasn’t actually actively advertising it, but was simply contemplating selling it since he already has a new compact SUV and would rather not maintain an extra car. When I mentioned early this Saturday that I was on the lookout for an auto, he said he’ll still have to check with Toyota for an appraisal. He gave me a quotation early Sunday morning, and I inspected and test drove the car. By Monday noon, the Manager’s cheque had been issued, deed of sale signed and notarized, and keys handed over!

It felt weird to transfer a newly-acquired used car just one gate away! Actually, the car’s usual parking spot is right here in our driveway! It’s still very much at home there now that it has a new owner.

I didn’t haggle down the price much. The premium (which is not much, actually) I paid was for the peace of mind knowing the history of the car and how the original owner treated it (first-owned, and mostly _casa_-maintained).

Lighting McQueen

We had the car blessed early this morning, and we even have a name for it: Lightning McQueen–my daughters’ favorite character from Disney/Pixar’s Cars.

What Has Blogging Given You?

Marco of The White Hawk asks, and David echoes over at Blogging Pro: What has blogging given me?

Well, I can say that the car is only one of the things that I’ve earned/acquired through my pro-blogging and other online activities. It’s not all material, of course. In general, blogging has given me and my family better quality of life. And I’ve been able to help other people achieve the same, too. That’s what matters, right?

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