Sun 12.6.2022
Ari and I both had this new old car experience these last two days. Mine happened here yesterday in Seremban. Ari's happened this morning in Kluang. This is not reflective of the ages of these cars, rather about something that can always go wrong with things mechanical, but if you're lucky, it happens where it least troubles you. Or maybe the ages of the cars are part of the problem.
I'd spent the whole of Friday in Shah Alam, getting possession of my new old modified Honda Accord 3.0 V6 VTEC. Sam had arranged everything for me in the last 4 days. You know, the documentation and stuff, on top of the inspection and test-drive. "You tell me if everything's ok, Sam. And try and get the lowest price possible." Seemed like a tall order, but I was satisfied in the end that this, my first Japanese car ever, is worth the money, in a replacement for my old MB S280, which Sam also bought for me. Jimikoling, who drove me to Shah Alam, I put to good use to also inspect the car while waiting for the JPJ documents to arrive by the runner. He, too, gave the thumbs-up.
The terrible working-day traffic made me choose the Lekas Highway, hoping for the normally much lighter traffic there. The traffic was maybe twice heavier than normal, but still lighter than PLUS KL-Seremban. In fact I was able to put top pace on the new car, and was satisfied that I have the speed when needed, just like the S class. Upon reaching home at close to 7, I got Idah to hop in for a short ride around the Ampangan area, and she was impressed, especially as she had earlier joked about this "ger ger ger" of a car I was going to collect from Shah Alam. There were no ger ger gers. Dekna's Carnival blocked the front gate, so I parked outside. Thought I'd drive it in, after returning home from dinner at Man Tomyam.
Everything was A-OK from Shah Alam to Idah's short ride. It was not OK when I inserted the ignition key into the starter switch. Nothing happened. I phoned Sam. All his instructions didn't work. OK it was 11 pm, and I was tired. I said I'll try again tomorrow morning. So at least I was safe - it happened right at home.
It was the same no-go the next morning. As I had to attend a kenduri at 11, and Ari was fetching me at 2 to go to Segamat and then Kluang, I called for towing to the S2 workshop, after asking Mahfis to do the needful. On the way to Segamat later I checked the workshop for progress, telling them I want to collect the car on Monday.
Ari drove Mizi's MB 350 S Class with the other 3 of us, first to Segamat, then to Kluang, straight to Mizi's house (his F.I.L's). The laksa Johor (eaten with the hands), the otak-otak and the delicious durians that Mizi phoned for, plus the almost 5-hour total drive made me tired and sleepy. In fact by the time I was undressing in the hotel room that Mizi had booked, I was feeling dizzy. Idah gave me some minyak cap kapak, and I went to sleep without watching the tv I'd switched on. But in the morning my head was clear.
When Ari tried to start the car parked in front of the hotel that morning, there were the starting noises, but the car won't fire. Mizi came to the rescue and got alternative transportation for us. Again it was safe. It didn't happen in the dark road somewhere.
We went to the old Kluang railway station for its famous coffee. The train now uses the new lines just 30 meters away. But this old coffee shop is keeping the old place very, very busy. Just as the Batu Pahat Chinese couple said, when asked why they came, "to enjoy the atmosphere". So we all waited for 1 hour before getting to the counter, getting our tables and making our orders, and then spent the next half-an-hour enjoying the hard-earned nasi lemak, roti bun bakar, telor 1/2 masak and of course, the famous Kluang coffee. Worth it? "For the atmosphere - ok lah".
We thought it'd be safer if we took Ari's old Toyota Harrier returning to Seremban. I said I suspect it's the fuel pump. This happened to me before, with my MB S 280. Mizi agreed. He added maybe by September when the current road tax expires he'll replace this MB to another SUV as addition to the one he's driving now. Well, Mizi may not be an active golf pro anymore, but he sure seems to be making good money with whatever he's doing now. The 2 hotel rooms we stayed last night was paid by him. He even said "go ahead, take it" to Ari, after Ari collected the RM100 deposit returned on checking out.
We made good time in coming back to Seremban. The traffic was ok until we reached Pedas. Then we crawled all the way to the Senawang junction. We made one short stop at Ayer Keroh for lunch, then Ari sent us home, tired and happy.
The Segamat stop was a rather abbreviated hour only. One, we wanted to reach Mizi's house by 8.30, because they have prepared for us some food, and two, it had started to rain heavily well before Segamat, and Segamat is flood-prone. In 2 stretches at the Paya Besar area of Buluh Kasap, water was already spilling onto the road. We didn't want to be trapped.
Kluang we headed for via the "inside" old Federal road. But "waze" guide Ari put on directed us on the less used "kampong" road. It was already dark on the dark, unlighted road, and there were consequences on the old driver. The road was dark. No petrol stations were seen on our side of the road. The driver needed "to go" but cannot. We didn't stop anywhere for the break right until we reached Mizi's house. Everybody was busy unloading personal bags from the car. Ari rushed into the house, clutching a large white towel he had with him all the time in the driver's seat right from Seremban. He had simply "let go" even as he was driving, wetting his underwear, trousers and the seat cushion. We wouldn't know what happened if Ari himself didn't tell us as well as his "besan".
This was the sort of impromptu travelling Ari and I had done before, but looks like being practiced again. The destination doesn't seem to matter too much. It's enjoying the journey that prompts us. Even as we drove back to Seremban we discussed a Trengganu trip, ostensibly to send Aza & hubby to do their hajj. But it's the drive along the coast, putting up in a hotel, and "shopping" around that appear to excite us. But we'd have to be careful if it's in any old cars available. Even if it's a new old car. We don't want to add Trengganu to the list.
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