It perplexes me when people register in car club forums, but never show up during actual meets, and then EXPECT to be one of the gang online, whining when they think someone picks on them or ranting that they don’t get treated the same way as others.

Back in the days, before the advent of the internet, people actually got word of a car club hanging out somewhere and actually WENT there. For me and other “tandercats”, the concept of lurking online, feeling your way around the forums and being content to be an anonymous name is totally alien to us. Matter of fact, when I register, the first thing I try to find out is where the group actually meets up, then attend at the first opportunity I could. Why? I can sum it up in two words: PROFESSIONAL COURTESY.

When you go out of your usual routine to look for people of similar interests, the first thing on your agenda is to actually meet them in person. It’s the ONLY way of actually establishing genuine rapport with the rest of your peers. Your car may be the catalyst that binds you to the club, but it is your PERSONA that will forever define and endear you to the crew. Once you have their trust and respect, everything else will come naturally.

I honestly don’t believe that there are any hindrances or excuses for you to not go out and mingle with people who share the same passion. Got work? Ay putang ina, i-sick leave yan! You got 12 for a whole year, put one to good use. File vacation leaves when you know there’s an event coming up. Your significant other takes up most of your free time? Take him/her to one of the meets. Let that person know you more, because the real keepers are those who will go with you and actually find themselves enjoying as well, and in the event that they don’t, they will at least understand when you ask to spend time away from them.

Seriously, I find people who are content with merely foruming just a little bit askew, because I believe that you’ve got something to hide if you don’t like to meet me personally. So with that out of my chest, I do hope that anybody reading this actually takes time to digest my two cents of wisdom. Go out. Have fun. Enjoy your ride but enjoy the people you meet; those people who share the same addiction, even more.

See y’all at the next meet.

One of the new shows on History Channel that previewed this January is titled “American Pickers”. The first episode aired last Monday at 11:00pm, and it chronicles the adventures of two friends, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, as they travel through the backroads of Middle and Southern America looking for curios and antiques that they will either collect or re-sell (check out the official PR of the program and their website).    Now, for retro heads who have a passion for more than just our cars, this program is a must-watch. You will instantly relate to the travails and adventures of those two individuals who haggle their way into deals and steals. Being a thrift shop, curio store and junkyard addict myself, I can’t help but stop whenever I pass by a place that I think may hold hidden treasure just waiting to be picked. That said, I’ll list some of my favorite spots and hopefully others will share theirs too, especially the ones that are outside Metro Manila…

1. Evangelista Road- Located in Barangay Bangkal, Makati, the place is home to a dozen or so thrift shops selling almost everything imaginable from antiques to second hand clothes and footwear to curio items. These shops are scattered along the side streets and most of them are open all week. This spot is one of my parents’ favorites and I go with them whenever I have the chance. Best find: A 1960’s pedal car in pretty decent shape. Bought it for what it was worth in scrap. Turned out to be worth $200-$300 in the condition it was in.

2. Cubao X- Located at the back of what was Rustan’s in Cubao. Lots of curios, old toys and knick knacks, bikes, records and furniture. The place has spawned a sub-culture of artsy fartsy types who hang out there especially on weekends due to the numerous indie art galleries that are interspersed among the thrift shops. Best find: A Tomica diecast car from the ‘70s I got for P20.00 which turned out to be a very rare limited production model.

3. Kamuning Rd.- Almost the same items as Cubao X but more on furniture. There’s a store there though that sells vintage toys and another one that routinely stocks old firearms and militaria. Best find: A genuine World War 2 Japanese Bayonet which sold for spare change.

4. Rosario Floodway- Haven for “katay” parts. You have to befriend the locals there and leave your contact number just in case parts and accessories turn up. Unfortunately residents have gotten wiser and now mark-up their finds, but every now and then there still are steals. Best find: A set of 13×7 Keystone mags in PCD 108 taken for P1,000.00. The scrapper tried to fit them to an owner jeep which had a 114.3 bolt pattern, and warned me that it wouldn’t fit any old school car.

I hope these leads are able to help anyone who wants to go on an urban treasure hunt, and I am again hoping that others can share their own haunts with us. After all, the fun is in the hunt, and the find is the cherry on the top of the cake…

This time let’s all take a break from our beloved rides and reminisce about the things we loved as a young’un.  As a kid growing up in middle class suburbia (Better Living, Paranaque to be more specific), a lot of things came and went, but there are a few (food mostly) that were left seared in my brain, and these are some of the ones that first come to mind:

1.    Tomicas – These Japanese (and later Chinese) made die cast cars were my favorite playthings just because they were, well, cars… And not just cars, they were vehicles you could see on the streets. Sure I had Matchboxes for demolition derby and hot Wheels for gravity races, but Tomicas were for display.  Proof of this lies in the fact that I have several still with me. I’ll expound on the brand in future blogs, since I can’t get enough of them.

2.  Gagamba – Oh yes. Spider fighting.  Blood sports to some, an adrenalin rush to others. I was the best, ahem ahem, spider catcher in our village, hands down. I’d wake up at 5:00am and go to the nearby fields which have since turned into Multinational Village, and fill up to 4 boxes of these prized fighters. Back then they were huge, about the size of your big toenail, and anything smaller were considered “rejects”. Anyone who has dabbled in spider catching will agree that the best part was the hunt, where you would follow the trip web until you saw the silk “cocoon” it made as a home. I made a killing selling them for P10.00- half a day’s allowance for me back then. I kept all the fiercest ones though, hee hee hee.. It’s embarrassing to admit but at my age I still look for the critters whenever I go mountain climbing.

3.    Puffy Cones – Not a lot of people remember what these were. They were miniature cones filled with marshmallow and covered in chocolate. They were never sold separately, but in boxes of 20’s. I used to hoard these back then, as sharing a home with 4 other siblings with the same taste could wipe out a box in seconds, literally. Sadly I couldn’t find a box anywhere nowadays, so if anyone here has any leads, I’d like to know.

4.    Wonder Boy – Now this is even harder to find than Puffy Cones, and I’m sure fewer people know what they are. Wonder Boy is a brand of cracker shaped like a Fita biscuit, only double the size. It was spicy and salty at the same time, and at P.75 for a pack of 3, this was the bomb. I’m pretty sure the manufacturers mixed in some kind of addictive substance that got kids hooked on them. I last saw a pack in the early 90’s, and I have scrounged through Divisoria trying to find a store that still sells this orgasmic junk food. To no avail.  Again, any leads are appreciated.

5.  Magoo’s Pizza – Still my personal measuring stick when it comes to pizza. The outlet in our village closed down some years back but there are still active outlets in AMF bowling alleys. Back in the ‘70’s Magoo’s had a fleet of VW Beetles that delivered pizza from their Magallanes branch. How cool was that?

6.    Binatog – Please don’t ask me how they make it. All I know is that it is white corn kernels mixed with coconut and salt. Some guy on a bicycle wielding a bell roamed our community at around 3pm and my mom would buy bowl-fulls of the stuff. Yummy. I wish that guy was still peddling his wares today as you almost never get to buy this afternoon delight anymore.

7.    Seiko 5 Watches – My Dad’s personal choice of brand. Funky designs! I have read that the “5” stood for the essential elements of the watch, AUTOMATIC, SHOCK PROOF, WATERPROOF, DAY, and DATE indicators. It remains the ultimate JDM retro accessory and the best part about it is that you can still get them real cheap at Arranque and/or Tomas Mapua Street. I still have my dad’s watches as he has transcended into the world of Swiss manufacturers and I will do a piece on them sometime.

This is all for now. Please feel free to add your favorite childhood items!  I’m sure I’ve missed quite a number of things I used to love growing up.  I’ll do a part 2 on this when time permits…

Happy Holidays everyone!!!

It’s funny that quite a few of the “new generation” old-schoolers ( I know, it sounds so contradictory), when engaged in casual discussion during classic car meets, will brazenly describe themselves as “purists” who like to keep their car “period correct”.

For those in the know, that last bunch of words I just put down is already a sign of ignorance on their part. Normally I smile and politely excuse myself, but there have been instances that I’ve had to put people in their place.  So why all the fuss, you ask?  Easy. The classic car scene is something YOU TAKE PRIDE in enjoying.  It isn’t some club you think you can just enter and then try to get away with pretending to know shit by throwing big words with little meaning. It’s amazing how many people think they can fool others who actually know the history of their cars and the hobby.

But back to the “purist” topic.  Most newbies don’t have a clue as to what the word really means.  Simply put, a purist is someone who will NOT alter anything on their car.  Or if they restore their ride they will go to great pains in making sure that their vehicle will only get the exact parts, making sure the year and, to some extremes, the month of manufacture is correct.  Down to the last screw.  To help explain further, I have come up with a checklist of what a purist’s car should look like as explained to me by a concourse car show judge.

1.  Are there any added-on accessories on your car,  like a non-stock air filter or map light?  Sorry to disappoint, but that isn’t a purist’s car.

2.  Got ’82 tail lights on your ’87 Box, or is that a ’74 grille on your ’72 Sprinter?  You’re out of the running bro..

3.  Lowered?  Forget it.

4.  Are those non-stock wheels and tires on your ride?  No chance that’s gonna win you anything.

5.  Any lacking, replaced or incorrect parts, trimmings or emblems?  Take your ride somewhere else..

6.  Anything added or removed from your car that was or wasn’t there when it left the factory?  Disqualified!!!

If you did not meet all of the requirements listed, then please don’t go around claiming to be a purist, because you aren’t one.  Most of us, including yours truly, are PERIODISTS.  We like to customize our cars using period correct parts, and we normally do not like being tied to such conforming standards of puritanism.  Unless you happen to be one of those obsessive compulsive car geeks, but then again if you are, then you probably won’t be reading this…

So, still want to be a purist?

Most of us in the old car community are scrappers.  Admit it.  The sight, sound, smell and feel of a “katayan” or junkshop is too strong to resist.  It is one of those places where some people’s trash is literally another’s holy grail.  In these places, an item bought for a pittance could turn out to be something literally worth a fortune.

It may be incomprehensible to others, but a true nostalgic buff knows that the best stuff are usually the items that you pay almost nothing for, like an old emblem or a neglected set of wheels, that turn out to be rare, valuable, or both.  And we aren’t even limiting it to stuff for our cars.  I once found a 1960’s pedal car that turned out to be worth $500.00 unrestored, and on another occasion picked up a rare 1930’s bicycle that was sold for its weight in scrap.

To most “mambubuloks”, nothing is more exciting than the hunt for items.  Sure the gratification comes with the find, but don’t we all get that urge to visit a scrapyard every so often “just to look”?  Hell I go out of my way to make trips to places such as the Rosario Floodway just to see if there are any overlooked set of mags that are lying around.  Such an experience is likened to winning in a casino or a lottery, and the top-of-the-world rush it gives you is something money cannot buy.

Same goes for thrift shops.  I was lucky to be born into a family that loves antiques.  At an early age I tagged along with my parents to various curios (Makati Cinema Square, Cubao X and Evangelista are the first to come in mind) and soon enough I acquired the taste for old toys and watches, which I will expound on in future articles.  Experience dictates that you will, on more than a few occasions, find something that cost waaaaay more than what you purchase it for.  Case in point: Paying P20.00 for a rare Tomica diecast car that would cost 100 times what I shelled out. You have to love that mark-up.

To wrap it up, these establishments give us the opportunity to find something that is worth so much more than its price tag.  Going through their doors or gates presents a chance to own something you never had as a child, or buying an item you previously thought was inconceivable or unaffordable.  More often than not, they are mediums- the “great equalizers” so to speak.  Few other places can equal that.

So what are y’all waiting for?  Let’s go hunting….just don’t forget your tetanus shots!

I was in a very exclusive subdivision this weekend visiting a friend of my mom.  Upon entering their gates I was taken by an old owner type jeep that was spotlessly clean in a garage filled with a late model Audi and several Benzes and BMW’s.  Upon asking the owner, he explained that it was the first vehicle he bought with his own money, and he used it to haul fish and shrimp until business prospered.  When asked if he still used it he said “yes” followed by “you know, Iho, I would sell off any car in this garage, but that one stays.”

Which brings me to the topic.

Most of us in the old school car scene have owned and seen a lot of cool nostalgics over the course of our hobby, but only a chosen few can lay claim to having a one owner classic.  It may not be a super rare, never-before-seen ride lke the Dela Merced family’s ’70 Toyota 2000 GT or Francisco Motors’ 2 door Isuzu Bellet 1600, but having a car in your possession that had been your grandfather’s or dad’s or even uncle’s first car is something special.

We’re not talking about some random car bought from the original owner, but the ride you grew up with, or in some extreme cases, the car that brought your mother to the hospital when you were about to be born.  These cars, no matter how mundane or common they are, still mean something more than an ultra-rare model . They are part of the family.  They exude a certain sense of belonging that one would never part with, no matter how much someone offers for it.  And even though it may be a worn down four door sedan, it is still driven with pride, and in many instances where the car is well kept and serviced, it embodies a regal presence every time it is brought out to stretch its legs.

Lastly, and most importantly, it says a lot about the owner. It tells us that he or she has shown a certain degree of loyalty to the machine and has trusted it to take him or her to places for the last decade or two (or three), and has gone to great lengths to see to it that the car runs like clockwork, and even though they are neglected or forgotten sometimes, there is a certain sentiment that prompts them to keep the old chugger rather than sell.

That is the essence of a first-owned vehicle.  Now I’m sure quite a lot of us wish that our parents never sold our first car…

I am an 80’s child.  I was too young to enjoy the swinging 70’s, and my pre-pubescent to teen years- that age when you “get to know the world”  revolved around the era of  “Bagets”, New Wave,  acid washed jeans and… CARS.  Yes cars!

My mother always told me that I could identify any car on the road that they would point at since I was two years old, so it came naturally that as I grew up,  so did my fascination for cars.  And the 80’s, a lot of them left an impression on me.  In this article though, I am limiting the list to 5 cars of different marques,  in no particular order,  and only those that debuted from 1980-1988, so Sprinter, VW Bug and L-Type owners won’t think that they were left out.  These rides have made me into the car nut I am now.

I will not go on and do a litany of year model or engine displacement or maximum horsepower (Google can provide that),  just the experience and joy of living during the time that they were masters of the road…

1. TOYOTA STARLET –  These cars were the epitome of what the EG Civic Hatches are today, except a four door model was an alternative option back in then.  In the Starlet you had a base platform that was so stable, quick and very easy to handle, you would’ve been stupid not to like it.  The Toyota boys got it so right during this era in terms of combining all the aforementioned traits, it’s no surprise that this car and its bigger cousin the AE86 still continue to dominate slalom and drift events respectively.  Moreover, it is the second most collectible local Toyota after the Corolla Sprinter (which I couldn’t include as it is technically a 70’s icon). The Starlet was the quintessential Teen Car, with a lot of aftermarket accessories capped off by the wide body tarmac kit. And yes, it looked good both in stock and modified guises. This is one car people will tell their grandchildren about for years to come.

2. FORD LASER –  The “Bagets” boys are to blame for this choice. We all know that the movie of the same name and its sequel made it big in the box office, so much so that it has become a film icon and a symbol of the 80’s.  What most of the general public doesn’t know that almost every actor who starred on the film (with the exception of Aga Mulach who got a Lancer Box) bought a Laser after they received their pay checks.  The Laser, which was actually a re-badged Mazda 323,  came in three body styles, 2 door hatch, four door hatch, and four door sedan.  It had an innovative front wheel drive design that was lightning quick on the straightaways, but was never a threat to the Starlet on the slalom grounds due to the layout. It was a choice of modders though, as they were quite popular during the heyday of the White Plains late night runs. Apparently consumers thought it was a good car as well, since I remember that they were so numerous on the roads that I used to see one every five seconds. Me and my busmates even made up a game to count as many of them on the trip home. Its claim to infamy is that it was the car the late bomba star Claudia Zobel met her end in. Today it is rare to see one in pristine condition and it is always a treat to come across a mint, untouched example.

3. LANCER BOXTYPE –  This car needs no introduction as I have already done a write-up on it a while back. Simply put, this car WAS the 80’s. If the Starlet is a car we will be telling our grandchildren about, then the’ Box is probably what they will still be driving around when they’re old enough. These cars were so good, so tough, and so sexy that Mitsubishi never altered the body style for 8 years and never even thought of bringing in the 3rd and 4th generation Lancer models. It was the choice of every upper middle class executive and in its GT homologation captured the hearts of every boy racer of the times. Aga Mulach made it famous in his film “Miguelito” complete with that oh-so-desirable FOHA body kit. Even now you’ll see an average of 10 a day on the roads, testament to its legacy and endurance. And we haven’t even talked about the EX Turbo yet…

4. OPEL MANTA B –  The bruiser of the bunch. When this car came out the rich boys finally had their chick mobile. I personally chose it over the Corona “Macho” Jaworski edition simply because of the oomph factor it had in terms of body design. It was muscular, brutish, and in its quad-lamp configuration downright nasty. It was so fast and powerful Corona owners started shoehorning 18RG’s into their rides just to keep up. In full Irmscher get-up and sitting on 15×7 ATS Classic rims, this car looked like it could fly. It was sex. Pure sex. And time has not diminished its appeal; go try and check how much a decent example is selling for nowadays and you’ll know why I picked it.

5. ISUZU GEMINI TX –  Yup, surprise surprise! I picked this particular classic over the Toyota Corolla Liftback/DX because of only one reason: it had a diesel engine. A reliable one too. Show me a person who hasn’t ridden in one before. As the choice of taxi operators nationwide this car was so ubiquitous they were still in service during the mid 90’s albeit having gone through a hideous attempt at making them look more modern. It wasn’t a bad looking car either, owing to its smooth European lines. A former officemate had one before and we would take that thing anywhere with P100.00 of diesel in the tank. It never faltered. In recent years resale value has picked up too, and they don’t come at basement bargain prices anymore.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

TOYOTA COROLLA LIFTBACK/DX –  Almost as iconic as the Boxtype, but suffered during the latter years of the 80’s because of the Delta Motors crash.

FORD CORTINA – Daddy groovy cool. Sexy lines and European pedigree.

TOYOTA CORONA MACHO – Two words: Robert Jaworski.

VW PASSAT – Another Euro with a nice combination of looks and performance.

RENAULT 20 TS – The 3rd Euro on the list. Impeccable ride, its downfall was parts availability and they weren’t just too many of them to have made an impact.

So there you have it.  This is not a legitimate, researched list.  Only an individual’s opinion on which cars influenced him during his time growing up.  Feel free to add on to the list… Cheers!

1. Your modern daily driver sits in the sun, exposed to the elements, while your prized “baby” is snug inside your garage.

2. You can afford to spend six digits in hard cash on a set of deep dish 13 inch rims but can’t seem to cough up enough change to replace your Nokia 3200 and buy a set of new undies.

3. You never put an air freshener in your classic car because it will interfere with the heavenly smell of gasoline fumes.

4. You have perpetually dirty fingernails from tinkering with your souped up engine everyday. (This is a PRE-REQUISITE, you MUST have gunk under your nails to be classified as an old schooler). Dirty toenails are another thing altogether though, that’s just a sign of bad hygiene.

5. You spend more time in Saulo and Tango than you do in malls. You spend more in these establishments too.

6. Driving a modern car makes you sleepy.

7. You do not let anyone in your household come within 20 meters of your ride.

8. You have a diecast replica of your car/s, or in some extreme cases, hundreds of them.

9. You think animal cruelty is justified when a dog wee-wees on your Compomotives.

10. Most of your house shirts have grease stains.

11. You have a hard time getting up to drive your significant other two blocks to the salon but you have no problem leaving at 4:00am for a classic car meet.

12. You know a lot more than the average mechanic at a gas station.

13. You don’t second glance too often anymore when a pretty girl passes but crane your neck to breaking point when a classic drives by.

14. People at home don’t complain about you checking out too much porn, they rant about you ogling at the OSP website most of the time.

15. You defy office policy to write about stuff like this during work hours.

Only the Toyota Starlet comes close, but not quite.

Affectionately called the “Boxtype” because of its, DUH, boxy features, it set the standard for automotive technology during the ’80s and was the dream car for a whole generation of “Bagets”, so much so that until recently, it was proclaimed THE SEXIEST CAR ever by a popular magazine, besting established supercars and luxury cruisers.

Sure, we still see a lot of them running, most of them carrying the patina and battle scars of an era gone by, but that is exactly why it still carries such high regard and distinction. Simply put, the car was built to last. Eight years of production cement that case.

I myself was not the biggest fan prior to owning my first ‘Box, since, as aforementioned, I thought there were still too many of them on the road.  The hardcore individualist in me didn’t like the idea.  But having owned two ’87 SL’s (I still own the second one) completely changed my point of view.  I fell in love with the fact that it was a car that combined the best of old and new; iconic styling and modern conveniences.  It was something that I could use everyday and would still get lots of approving nods and thumbs up from people.   For comparison’s sake I also own a ’73 Dodge Colt and a ’75 Mazda RX3 that get even more oohs and ahhs, but I wouldn’t dare drive them in 90 degree weather.   The lack of air conditioning would met my underwear in no time.

Now for those people with newer cars reading this, I am not saying that your vehicles don’t turn heads. I’m sure people admire your rides, but there is a difference when casual observers see a classic.  Whereas a modern car would probably fetch praises such as “that ride is really well done..”, a classic with original paint and all the period correct stuff would elicit much more than that.  Let’s face it, a contemporary car with a clean setup next to a classic? No contest.  Nine out of ten people check out the retro.

But back to the ‘Boxie.  To sum it up, it is a car that I will, without any fear, take anywhere, anytime, because I know it’ll get me there, and it will get me there in style.  I’m sure I won’t be the only one who agrees…

Just about anyone who meanders by our house in Paranaque just HAS to ask this question every time they chance upon me cleaning my classics. EVERY freaking time.

It’s as if they see me as some sort of weirdo who refuses to acknowledge that time has passed him by. I usually reply that it is my lifestyle, that my classics still appeal more to me than, say, any typical late 20th Century egg-shaped, cab forward, front-wheeled ride. They do not seem to fathom that I am part of a small (well, not THAT small) but resolute population of people who love owning and ACTUALLY DRIVING their retro rides.

Yep, there is a reason I stressed on the second attribute. I honestly believe that you are only a true blooded enthusiast IF you take your car out often, drive it hard, and drive it fast. No offense to those who own garage queens that see sunlight once a month, but unless you actually experience your car AT LEAST every other day, then you’re just a dude with a nice car. I’d never put you in my league.

That’s the reason I am glad that I’m part of a group that actually gets to use their cars daily and are actually proud of it. They are the Old School Crew of MITSULANCERPH, the premier Lancer club in the country. Most of them use their Box Types, Mirages, 1st Gens, Colts and Galants as their daily drivers, and none of them are ashamed of the fact that their cars are at least two decades old. Sure, some of their beloved rides may be in various stages of restification, but if someone told me I had to drive to Aparri and the only choices were a friend’s daily driven ’82 Lancer SL with bad paint or a show winner that is only driven once a month, I wouldn’t even think. Give me the rusty ‘Box any day.

What’s even more amazing is these guys’ dedication toward their rides. Meticulous won’t even begin to describe their attitude as they constantly find cost effective ways to make their rides run better, faster and farther. A visit to any meet would confirm that. Instead of the usual “Ok, we’re here. Let’s drink and stare at our cars” sort of thing, they actually TINKER.

One EB in particular stands out, wherein my ’73 Colt experienced carb problems and the boys actually replaced the troublesome carburettor on the spot. Only in an old school meet, I tell you. That’s what you call classic car love, and that’s why, whenever I get caught by some passer-by with the same question as I wipe dirt off my car, I never forget why all my rides are old, and I make sure that the person gets the message.