Wheels24 editor Janine Van der Publish recently experienced to replace very a handful of pieces on her outdated 1998 Toyota Corolla, and was reminded of these a important lesson in the system…
I proudly have a 1998 Toyota Corolla RSI. 20Valve, Blacktop – I have to toss this in for the reason that everyone who is an fanatic of the motor vehicle, knows how specific these vehicles are.
Yes, he is 24-years aged, but he’s been real good to me and even now drives rather effectively (The car that is, haha). When I acquired it in Johannesburg fourteen many years ago, I was not as smart, and continue to in a stage of my existence the place I necessary to improve the original wheels and grill. I also adjusted the filter and exhaust. “Cape Town stock” subtle modifications we referred to as it. And I nonetheless produced additional energy at Dyno Times than the Joburg boys with their “chipped” RSIs, and more rapidly on the 400m run at Tarlton Raceway monitor times. They failed to like me extremely a lot.
Wheels24 editor Janine Van der Post’s 1998 Toyota Corolla RSI.
Irrespective, I stored my hand on it, improved the oil and spark plugs pedantically just about just about every 1000km, even when I barely drove it. The outcome was a sweet-jogging engine with a lot more than 380 000km on the clock just before it experienced its 1st overhaul not too very long back. Speedy ahead a number of a long time later on and my dad and mom now travel it so my obsession to preserve it serviced regularly died down.
Nevertheless, as I bought more mature, I needed the level of competition clutch to occur out so it would be much easier for my elderly moms and dads to generate without having so significantly bite. The shortened shocks also arrived and bit me in the bum when they necessary changing – a pricey exercising.
So this is the issue about your automobile – you will need to have a vested interest in it. It should under no circumstances just be an object to get you from Place A to Level B. And, it certainly is not just about checking the oil and h2o once in a while. When the petrol attendant at the filling station asks if he can check out your ranges on your more mature vehicle – usually say, “of course, make sure you!”
An seasoned auto routine maintenance employee looking for a portion in a car sections shop.
My Corolla experienced Ian Glass shortened shocks. The go-to man when you needed this carried out in Cape Town, and the legend that he is, is however doing work. I paired it again then with Eibach springs. I determined to get a established of coilovers alternatively of the traditional Gabriel or Monroe shocks one would typically go for.
It intended I wanted to make a several visits to suppliers and make a couple phone calls to get some charges and source what I was hunting for. Like every little thing else, rates have sky-rocketed. Years back you would pay back R3500 for some ‘coilies’ and even that sounded like an arm and a leg to fork out. Now, they expense about R7000 a established. Ouch.
I known as my standard provider and even his ideal selling price was R6000. I finally got a sweet deal and compensated much less as we necessary to get two sets. When I was old sufficient to commence walking to the ‘Best Buy’ to invest in a loaf of bread, my Father would normally say “question for price cut”. He would do this anywhere we went and as I youngster I would squirm. Now, I do it all the time way too, and male, does it shell out off. But, you have to have to make a couple phone calls, and stop by section shops – even if you have to contact or go to far more than the moment.
The profit about coilies is that you you should not require to exchange shocks or mountings for pretty some time, so inevitable it should really perform out cheaper – but only if you might be receiving actual expensive types that include things like their very own shock mountings. And this is wherever I created these a silly mistake. My rear shock mountings had been kaput. And goodness, if you’re going to swap something like your rear shock mountings, you could as very well fork out the more hard cash and get the front established much too. Straightforward suitable? Regrettably, not.
Turns out shock mountings, specially for my car, ended up like hen’s teeth. But this is a worthwhile lesson: Make confident you know your engine code, and your make and product 12 months off by heart – and make certain no one could argue with you about it. So in my scenario, 4AGE. 1998 Corolla RSI 20V. (5-pace manual, Blacktop).
And they say girls don’t know a lot. The volume of moments I had to inform people today they were providing me the wrong areas for the wrong car I lost rely. A single guy argued with me due to the fact he thought I intended motor mountings. I realised he was talking about the erroneous point when he pointed out the middle shock and “the two usually are not the exact same”. I obtained so aggravated contacting, I decided to check out the portion stores as an alternative in excess of a weekend. A single shock mounting price tag ranged from R495 to R695, excluding vat, Per shock. Thank goodness I was insistent and double checked costs, and also performed the suppliers up in opposition to just about every other. I sooner or later bought all four shocks for underneath R1000.
I was performing very good. R5300 for my coilies, R1000 for the mountings. This was however likely to charge me about R7000, or so I assumed.
News24 Wheels editor Janine Van der Write-up
The largest drama of this physical exercise was acquiring someone to do the occupation. It is really labour comprehensive but I was not anticipating the rates I obtained upcoming. It went from R2200 proper up to R3000 and that was Without the shock mountings. I also desired management arm linkages. I desired to cry, for the reason that I could possibly as effectively have just received common shocks and springs. What saves me is that I won’t have to swap it for really some time or even at all.
I inevitably located a trustworthy mechanic who has encounter with coilies, and he billed me R1100 for the complete task, bringing my tally to R7400. Still agonizing. But the place to all of this, is that I saved a number of thousand rands simply because I did my research. So next time you have to have one thing fastened, never just fall your car off at the very first workshop you obtain. Know your vehicle, and understand the pieces you want. Inquire issues, all the time. And most importantly, question for price cut!