Unsung Heroes

On the Dash-Board, we leave nothing from the motoring world aside, thus we give our new collumn on "Unsung Heroes". Over here we take a look at cars that would make most of you go "Goodness who drives those things anymore??" when someone actually does. Those "things" to our eyes seem somewhat different compared to the automotive sight of a layman. I see an '85 Nissan Sunny on the road and I go "Man that's a tank! It still runs after 20 odd years!". To get from 1 point to another is what a car is all about in daily terms. These cars do just that and to top it off they come with air-conditioning for those who can't take the heat (me included), rear seats to haul 3 small rear-ends and a boot with sufficient space to store a spare person! There you go, anything else you need from your car? But... yes there always is a but isn't there? BUT, there is the question about comfort. Truth hurts because these "Unsung Heroes" can provide you with everything except (in most of cases) comfort.

      Let's look at the costs' point of view. These heroes are usually of Japanese origin which translates to reliability, reliability and yes... reliability. I bought myself a Nissan Sunny 150Y(not the usual 130Y, this comes with a 1.5 litre engine) about a year ago. Cost me RM3500 and repairs were approximately RM1000 and the car was perfect there after apart from minor clutch glitches. All in all, RM4500. Fuel economy? With one full tank of fuel which costs RM50, the car will run a fortnight before its next refill. Economic crisis? Get yourself a Sunny.

     Now the car doesn't look that great I admit it, but you cannot complain as you are paying for the car the equivalent value of fuel for a Hummer! The drive is not as bad as you think and its engine hasn't lost its horses as you might assume. Yes, old cars do have sudden tantrums at which your car would stop moving without warning (or you just stepped on the brakes instead of the one on the right). If your case isn't the latter then just get out, pop the hood and act as if you are meddling something until your mechanic arrives. Easy aint it? These oldies aren't perfect but they deserve much better than what they get. However, there are a few rules to follow if you own an old car:

1) Never intend to transport a dying person to a hospital in it as it may decide to take a nap halfway.

 2) Never intend to transport a dying person to a hospital in it as the ride may kill him.

3) Never intend to transport a dying person.....

.... well you get the picture, it all involves a dying person. Well that's why man created the ambulance for God's sake! Now to the pros:

1) You can park your car anywhere without worrying of it being stolen.

2) You don't have to worry if anyone nicked the back of your car accidentally....it wouldn't make a    difference.

3) If you lost your keys, you still can use a knife.

You see? Can you do that with your Mercedes or BMW? Every car has it's pros and cons no matter how comical they may seem. If you love cars, you just have to love them all. Drive an oldie one day for it is quite fun I guarantee that.

     That's that and we'll  bring you more stories and possibly test-drives on Unsung Heroes only here on The Dash-Board. Next time you see an old cars, remember one thing, it has lived longer serving its driver than yours ever would. As the saying goes, Old Is Gold. Cheers.

-RVD-