I hate my girlfriend, because i love my car.

[Signalian]

So moral of the story is you like problems..

Most of us when we want problems we get married looool

Are you into cars

 

[jamahir]

Silly thread. Personal vehicles, including the cars being so ebuliently discussed in this thread must be banned the world over, for the good of local societies and for Planet Earth.

Making the case for a global ban on privately-owned personal transport cars and two-wheelers

I have often made this topic in posts so I thought why not create a thread for this for discussion and readership. Privately-owned personal transport vehicles ( cars and two-wheelers ) are I believe the biggest form of pollution in the world, directly through their usage and secondarily through...

defence.pk

 

[Trango Towers]

Are you into cars

I love them but hate fixing them.

 

[Sugarcane]

Time to check if your girlfriend can afford fuel then patch-up.

 

[ziaulislam]

I have kept civics before so hopefully I can get this car into working order.

One of my recent previous rides. Koreans have improved their line up.
View attachment 851385View attachment 851386View attachment 851387View attachment 851388

Koreans are now as good as japs..next entry will be vietnamese in USA market.
Ironically pakistan was making cars before both of them but then got side tracked into "dubai" mindset

I own a used rav4 for last 7yrs..havent changed it..gives me no issues but ride is stiff

 

[Signalian]

I love them but hate fixing them.

I had to get a second hand and i usually go for cars and engines that i have kept in past and know about them. Civics and corollas are mostly safe bets. Their engines have long life and maintenance is cheaper sometimes.

A second hand car usually has a bit of drama attached to it. Its someone else's problem that you pay to own. Then it depends how an individual keeps a car. Some keep them top notch, spend money to maintain them. Others keep them in running condition only.

 

[Signalian]

Koreans are now as good as japs..next entry will be vietnamese in USA market.
Ironically pakistan was making cars before both of them but then got side tracked into "dubai" mindset

I own a used rav4 for last 7yrs..havent changed it..gives me no issues but ride is stiff

I had kept toyotas and hondas in Pakistan. I had known their engines especially civics with and without VTEC.

For me a civic with D-17 engine was the most fuel efficient civic. I bought one a few years back, it was a 2004/5 model, what we call "eagle eyes" in Pakistan. D-17 wasnt available in pakistan for 2004-2006 model. It was 1.5 for EXi and 1.6 for Vti, both had good Bhp but not fuel efficient. Back then CNG was there so 90% civics were on gas which shortened engine life unless preventative maintenance was carried out. The thing with Civic is that if you push it, it will get pushed but will drink up fuel. So fun factor with civic is always there. Civic Exi was 115 Bhp and Vti was 130 Bhp. later 1.8 was 140 Bhp.

Now with Civics- Reborn (06-12) and Rebirth (12-16), the engine mount thing was annoying. These names to Civic were given by Pakistani community. I drove the Rebirth in Pakistan along with Swift and Fortuner. Swift was averaging 8-9 kmpl no matter what i did, it was auto. With 93-94 Bhp, it was crispy to drive and I could push it harder towards 110 or 120 kmph easily. Civic Rebirth had suspension noises along with engine mount after 100,000 km mileage. The sunroof gave problems. Rubbers started coming off after 150,000 km. I expected problems from swift being suzuki. Swift was not that delicate as Civic.

Fortuner was the most fun. Put it in sports and it's acceleration for diesel was awesome. Now I had driven older diesel toyota SUVs of 90's where they would run after driving 45 mins so engine gets warm. same with 2.0Ds of that time. Excellent on highway though Bhp was 73 only. Fortuner's service and maintenance was expensive. It used a lot of engine oil on oil change interval. Even the interval was said to be 2500 km or up t0 4000 km. Dealerships service centres and the technicians in them, all had different opinions. The175 Bhp of 2800 cc was nice to drive. Plus the noise of revving reminded me of Army's RKR's 4000cc petrol engine, though Fortuner insulation was better than cars regarding cabin noise.

The best thing about Fortuner ? No one comes near your vehicle. Everyone gives you way. Now imagine this luxury driving in Lahore.

 

[Signalian]

Also what’s the mileage and how much did you buy it for?

Mileage is 230,000 km and to convert PKR, I paid around 8.5 Lac PKR. In AUD its lesser.

have a look at the needle coming down in this pic below. This is Civic 2004/5 with D17 in Australia, mileage 170,000 km. This pic was with 60% crap traffic driving, 10% idling and 30% highway driving so far.

110 km driven and then the needle comes down. This is driven in melbourne. Now in pakistan, people boast of their City with 1300 cc engine and driving on motorway constantly at 120 kmph to post such pics. I used 91 regular in Australia, no fancy stuff, just stock car.

Now getting this with 2.0L engine is not possible, but I did read about the 2.0L before buying the car. I was skeptical but changing filters (oil + air) could help. What I didnt know was that the Civic's steering in Australia was electric, as i kept asking for steering oil readings. I will post better pics of car when i get some work done it. I was never satisfied with Civics suspension. I liked Altis suspension more or even Corolla GLi.

Corollas in Pakistan had their market and life. Khota gaari, but their fuel economy in my opinion for 1.8 Altis even was better than Civic 1.8. The swift 1.3 has been disappointing for me in Pakistan in terms of fuel efficiency and build. Indus corolla was durable, I modified one from 2.0D to 2.0L in Pakistan so i had to read up and talk to mechanic alot about it.

I like new cars, their engines are more fuel economical and for lesser engine capacity, they give out more BHp. I have seen I always get better fuel economy in Australia than in Pakistan. Though less in Sydney which is hilly, while Melbourne is flatter. Maybe its the road or speed limits or traffic management system that gives more fuel for buck than in Pakistan. Older Corolla 1.8 in Australia gives out better mileage than civic 1.8.

I am thinking of going for hybrids, whether corolla, camry, Rav 4 or Kluger (highlander). Though I do like Newer Hyundai and Kia vehicles too. I kept Nissan Maxima here too, which has somewhat lost market in Pakistan after our mechanics couldnt understand Sunny at all. The 1988-90 Sunny was durable and better in looks than Corolla 1988 or Civic 1987.

 

[lastofthepatriots]

Mileage is 230,000 km and to convert PKR, I paid around 8.5 Lac PKR. In AUD its lesser.

have a look at the needle coming down in this pic below. This is Civic 2004/5 with D17 in Australia, mileage 170,000 km. This pic was with 60% crap traffic driving, 10% idling and 30% highway driving so far.
View attachment 851709

110 km driven and then the needle comes down. This is driven in melbourne. Now in pakistan, people boast of their City with 1300 cc engine and driving on motorway constantly at 120 kmph to post such pics. I used 91 regular in Australia, no fancy stuff, just stock car.

Now getting this with 2.0L engine is not possible, but I did read about the 2.0L before buying the car. I was skeptical but changing filters (oil + air) could help. What I didnt know was that the Civic's steering in Australia was electric, as i kept asking for steering oil readings. I will post better pics of car when i get some work done it. I was never satisfied with Civics suspension. I liked Altis suspension more or even Corolla GLi.

Corollas in Pakistan had their market and life. Khota gaari, but their fuel economy in my opinion for 1.8 Altis even was better than Civic 1.8. The swift 1.3 has been disappointing for me in Pakistan in terms of fuel efficiency and build. Indus corolla was durable, I modified one from 2.0D to 2.0L in Pakistan so i had to read up and talk to mechanic alot about it.

I like new cars, their engines are more fuel economical and for lesser engine capacity, they give out more BHp. I have seen I always get better fuel economy in Australia than in Pakistan. Though less in Sydney which is hilly, while Melbourne is flatter. Maybe its the road or speed limits or traffic management system that gives more fuel for buck than in Pakistan. Older Corolla 1.8 in Australia gives out better mileage than civic 1.8.

I am thinking of going for hybrids, whether corolla, camry, Rav 4 or Kluger (highlander). Though I do like Newer Hyundai and Kia vehicles too. I kept Nissan Maxima here too, which has somewhat lost market in Pakistan after our mechanics couldnt understand Sunny at all. The 1988-90 Sunny was durable and better in looks than Corolla 1988 or Civic 1987.

Hybrid is the best imo.

 

[Signalian]

Hybrid is the best imo.

I experimented different things on a 2005 Civic Exi that I had for road grip and fuel efficiency.

The rims were 15" and tyre size was 195" i think. I changed to 205 for better road grip at high speeds. Somehow, car height increased a bit but fuel efficiency became questionable. Drving above 150 kmph on GT road or motorway became classy though. I remember i touched 195 kmph on motorway with the 1500 cc stock engine.

I am not sure but i think a bigger rim size and wider tyre size means more fuel consumption. I had a Camry hybrid in Australia and one fine day, i filled in 40 bar of air in all tyres. Drive became stiff, but fuel efficiency increased. In pakistan, people go for 28 and 30 bar. Probably 30 in front and 28 in rear. The standard in Australia on every filling station is 32 bar for filling air in tyres.

This civic i recently bought has 225" tyres and 17" Rims - the sports look. Above 205" is common here. I filled air 28 bar and started getting 8.2 km/L. I filled up air to 34 bar next week and started getting 9.2 Km/L, no other change. I drive with a soft foot. Speed fines are heavy here and if i wanted speed I would have gone for a modified V-6 or stock V-8 engine car.

I think this civic should give 10 km/L or higher.

 

[Trango Towers]

I had to get a second hand and i usually go for cars and engines that i have kept in past and know about them. Civics and corollas are mostly safe bets. Their engines have long life and maintenance is cheaper sometimes.

A second hand car usually has a bit of drama attached to it. Its someone else's problem that you pay to own. Then it depends how an individual keeps a car. Some keep them top notch, spend money to maintain them. Others keep them in running condition only.

I am an engineer and notice every little change in the sound. I try to keep my vehicle in top notch condition. Not only mechanically but aesthetically. I won't allow my family to eat in the car (I know looool). But I want the place to be clean. Water is fine and the wife can have coffee. No chocolate bars. Loool
Japanese cars are excellent. I have had a Honda and a Toyota in the past. Now I drive a Mercedes GLE 350d. Absolutely gorgeous drive. Alhumdulillah

 

[Signalian]

I am an engineer and notice every little change in the sound. I try to keep my vehicle in top notch condition. Not only mechanically but aesthetically. I won't allow my family to eat in the car (I know looool). But I want the place to be clean. Water is fine and the wife can have coffee. No chocolate bars. Loool
Japanese cars are excellent. I have had a Honda and a Toyota in the past. Now I drive a Mercedes GLE 350d. Absolutely gorgeous drive. Alhumdulillah

I have seen many people notice sounds in car while driving, even non technical. I keep an ear towards sounds too. A smooth engine sound with less or no cabin noise is soothing. Imagine my grief when I hear that low buzzing of bearing noise.

I haven't got close to Mercs yet, probably coz in my circle mostly are jap and korean cars. I had been looking in second hand C-class, not too old, but was told my dealers to stay from European cars. They have their own reasons I guess, but I didn't venture there also. Maybe you had Mercs in family before or ventured out on your own to start a Merc legacy in family lol.

My first interaction with Merc was a S-series of some embassy where dad was deputed on protocol and security. The staff car Corona actually looked puny in front of it. I was young so was amazed with so many buttons on the dash. The driver was a Civvie so couldn't get my hands on wheels like military vehicles. When the driver hit 120 km/hr on kashmir highway, it felt that car was cruising around 60 km/hr. Behind us the staff car was struggling to keep up. This was in 90s so maybe it was S-350, im not sure. It was a long car as i remember and in black in colour. Funny enough, the staff car driver told the Merc driver to put Star plates on car as my dad would travel in it in uniform in Merc. Perhaps I didn't gather the courage to ask driver for the keys coz I though dad wouldnt let me sit in ut anymore lol.

I usually look into engines of car first, the reason could be that I am looking for more horsepower in lesser capacity of cc. I learnt driving on an Army Landcruiser RKR, 85 model or later one. It was risky as my dad didn't know that I was actually bent on jeopardizing his career, though I didnt know the consequences back then but now when i think about it I feel it strongly. Even later on, I drove other military vehicles including staff cars and green plated ones. I wasnt even in my teens when i started driving, my legs would reach pedals somehow. RKRs 3F engine was 4000cc with 155Hp. The sound in 4th gear was awesome above 70 kmph. Later out of interest i started to sit in Tanks, M-109, M-113 and trucks (not drive). I remember I even sat in M-109 as it was climbing the long trailer and later i joined gun crew in cabin of truck as it drove back to unit lines from exercise area, I was very young. Regarding other military vehicles,BJ-40 wasn't fun while Unimog had many gears, I couldn't understand it. Defender came late, I was sneaking into drivers seat of staff cars then. Coronas were fun and again I was testing different staff cars whenever i got the chance, away from MPs prying eyes and dad's notice. Though I am aware he knew but I never got caught somehow. However, i had to befriend drivers, second seaters and also mechanics in EME workshops. The green number plate ones included new corollas, civics, Pajeros, Hilux's etc.

Pajero was not that fun on highway, they were more fun in city around 70-100 kmph. Hilux was stiff and jumpy. I was trying to get a hang of VTEC on civics. Oh yes, there were Surf's and Nissan Patrol too. I still remember the surf with VIP number CK-0001 sindh registered. It was auto and had 1KZ 3000 cc diesel engine. Surf had good acceleration but compared to RKR, i found it lesser in everything. RKR was jumpy for rear passengers so ladies hated sitting in RKR as they had to sit n the rear. FCNA in Gilgit was perfect terrain to test RKR, there always a spare RKR standing somewhere lol. Surf and Hilux's were common in Baluchistan and testing their top speed was fun on Bolan highways. Patrol would also climb up on barren mountains of Quetta. I remember once in Khuzdar, a Levies escort 4x2 hilux with 2800cc engine was trying to keep up with Nissan Patrol and you can guess who was driving Patrol lol. I don't remember much about Patrol's engine though. I did drive Pajero in Sibi in desert and it performed alright.

There weren't many CJ-X's around like CJ-5 or 6 or 7. Though I did get to sit in a CJ-5 Bahawalpur in a LAT Punjab Regiment based at nawabshah but defenders were coming in for LAT's then for replacing CJ-Xs. I thought CJ-5 was a better off roader than Defender in desert. There were few HQ's that had that Suzuki Potohar or SJ-410. I drove that on road but it wasn't stable on roads, i found going above 80 kmph was tough but it was a devil in the desert, it was very fast in the sand. it was fun too. It had good ground clearance. The engine was 1.0 I think, and later on I kept thinking if alto 1.0 and the Potohar shared the same engine.The gear ratios were less and the engine was not that exciting in alto.

When my career started, by a chance of luck I was given company cars and driver, Pakistan and abroad. This continued on for many years. I ahd chance to drive Hummer H-3 and Trailblazer. I sat in Avalanche but didnt get chance to drive it. Back in Pakistan, it was 2.0Ds and civics again. However, for off road runs, there was surf and other SSR-X Hilux available. In between I remember there was also a Hilux called Tiger. Immediately after, Vigo arrived with the 3.0 D4D engine 1-KD. This one packed a punch back in mid 2000s. It could generate bhp between 160-170, now imagine that from other 2L and 2L-TE engines which were crap. Even the 3L 2800cc of older Hilux was good in off roading but not much fun on road. This was jump from 90-95 horsepower to 160+ hp. In the same time, I got my hands on LX-470 in Pakistan for a day or two, the petrol 4700 cc, a fuel guzzler. I still think diesel engines are fun to drive than petrol engines for SUVs in Pakistan. I think the name was not LX-470, it was Cygnus or something different. Later Vigo Champ was introduced with 2-KD, one of the most pathetic engines, a 2500 cc with only 102 Bhp. There was uni-chip that was introduced to increase Horsepower by 40-50 for this engine and sold in Pakistan. Still, the imported 3.0 D4D was better though fuel filter was changed constantly because of low diesel quality in pakistan. The 80 series LC had already broken Pajero market with its 4.2 engine and there was "multi valve"engine with 24 valves instead of 12 valves, this was also called 4.2 Turbo engine. This Land cruiser was successful, I liked it but never bought it. The 4.2 diesel engine legacy continued on in LC 100 also with Amazon and other variants. Driving one was pleasure. It went everywhere but didnt own it.

Back then engine modification became a trend, mechanics proudly showed off engines they swapped. I bought a 1999 2.0D and got it swapped with black top 4-AGE toyota performance engine. It had around 165 Bhp. manual gear and no performance brakes. Drum brakes all over. It was 20 valves engine so acceleration was awesome.

This drum brake issue was even in other cars and SUVs and most owners didnt know about it. Toyota, suzuki and Honda would give disc brakes in front wheels while drum brakes in rear wheels. With disc brakes, the discs would erode over time and need to be changed like 40,000 km or above, while with drum brakes there was brake shoe that needed to be replaced after 100,000 km. Today still in Pakistan, there was drum brakes in rear wheels of some models and owners dont know.

Interestingly, I also drove Hiace, yes the commuter and also laid my hands on the old Ford "wagon" in village. For the Hiace, it was a relatives wedding and they had hired a few Hiaces. Me and other cousins were young, still early teens but loved driving, so got hold of keys from one of the drivers and drove the Hiace all around the cantt in morning lol. The Ford wagon was like a truck, no fun. Its still good for villages. I remember driving a 1986 Corolla, it was a famous car in 80's and 90's. 1300 cc engine but excellent handling and acceleration on road compared to cars of its era. In the 90's some army officers got Hyundai Excel and Daewoo Racer. Excel was pathetic but Racer made a good market well up to 2000s. They were sold cheaply for 3 or 4 Lacs back then.

I was just pushed into nostalgia for this post, truly nostalgic !

 

[Trango Towers]

I have seen many people notice sounds in car while driving, even non technical. I keep an ear towards sounds too. A smooth engine sound with less or no cabin noise is soothing. Imagine my grief when I hear that low buzzing of bearing noise.

I haven't got close to Mercs yet, probably coz in my circle mostly are jap and korean cars. I had been looking in second hand C-class, not too old, but was told my dealers to stay from European cars. They have their own reasons I guess, but I didn't venture there also. Maybe you had Mercs in family before or ventured out on your own to start a Merc legacy in family lol.

My first interaction with Merc was a S-series of some embassy where dad was deputed on protocol and security. The staff car Corona actually looked puny in front of it. I was young so was amazed with so many buttons on the dash. The driver was a Civvie so couldn't get my hands on wheels like military vehicles. When the driver hit 120 km/hr on kashmir highway, it felt that car was cruising around 60 km/hr. Behind us the staff car was struggling to keep up. This was in 90s so maybe it was S-350, im not sure. It was a long car as i remember and in black in colour. Funny enough, the staff car driver told the Merc driver to put Star plates on car as my dad would travel in it in uniform in Merc. Perhaps I didn't gather the courage to ask driver for the keys coz I though dad wouldnt let me sit in ut anymore lol.

I usually look into engines of car first, the reason could be that I am looking for more horsepower in lesser capacity of cc. I learnt driving on an Army Landcruiser RKR, 85 model or later one. It was risky as my dad didn't know that I was actually bent on jeopardizing his career, though I didnt know the consequences back then but now when i think about it I feel it strongly. Even later on, I drove other military vehicles including staff cars and green plated ones. I wasnt even in my teens when i started driving, my legs would reach pedals somehow. RKRs 3F engine was 4000cc with 155Hp. The sound in 4th gear was awesome above 70 kmph. Later out of interest i started to sit in Tanks, M-109, M-113 and trucks (not drive). I remember I even sat in M-109 as it was climbing the long trailer and later i joined gun crew in cabin of truck as it drove back to unit lines from exercise area, I was very young. Regarding other military vehicles,BJ-40 wasn't fun while Unimog had many gears, I couldn't understand it. Defender came late, I was sneaking into drivers seat of staff cars then. Coronas were fun and again I was testing different staff cars whenever i got the chance, away from MPs prying eyes and dad's notice. Though I am aware he knew but I never got caught somehow. However, i had to befriend drivers, second seaters and also mechanics in EME workshops. The green number plate ones included new corollas, civics, Pajeros, Hilux's etc.

Pajero was not that fun on highway, they were more fun in city around 70-100 kmph. Hilux was stiff and jumpy. I was trying to get a hang of VTEC on civics. Oh yes, there were Surf's and Nissan Patrol too. I still remember the surf with VIP number CK-0001 sindh registered. It was auto and had 1KZ 3000 cc diesel engine. Surf had good acceleration but compared to RKR, i found it lesser in everything. RKR was jumpy for rear passengers so ladies hated sitting in RKR as they had to sit n the rear. FCNA in Gilgit was perfect terrain to test RKR, there always a spare RKR standing somewhere lol. Surf and Hilux's were common in Baluchistan and testing their top speed was fun on Bolan highways. Patrol would also climb up on barren mountains of Quetta. I remember once in Khuzdar, a Levies escort 4x2 hilux with 2800cc engine was trying to keep up with Nissan Patrol and you can guess who was driving Patrol lol. I don't remember much about Patrol's engine though. I did drive Pajero in Sibi in desert and it performed alright.

There weren't many CJ-X's around like CJ-5 or 6 or 7. Though I did get to sit in a CJ-5 Bahawalpur in a LAT Punjab Regiment based at nawabshah but defenders were coming in for LAT's then for replacing CJ-Xs. I thought CJ-5 was a better off roader than Defender in desert. There were few HQ's that had that Suzuki Potohar or SJ-410. I drove that on road but it wasn't stable on roads, i found going above 80 kmph was tough but it was a devil in the desert, it was very fast in the sand. it was fun too. It had good ground clearance. The engine was 1.0 I think, and later on I kept thinking if alto 1.0 and the Potohar shared the same engine.The gear ratios were less and the engine was not that exciting in alto.

When my career started, by a chance of luck I was given company cars and driver, Pakistan and abroad. This continued on for many years. I ahd chance to drive Hummer H-3 and Trailblazer. I sat in Avalanche but didnt get chance to drive it. Back in Pakistan, it was 2.0Ds and civics again. However, for off road runs, there was surf and other SSR-X Hilux available. In between I remember there was also a Hilux called Tiger. Immediately after, Vigo arrived with the 3.0 D4D engine 1-KD. This one packed a punch back in mid 2000s. It could generate bhp between 160-170, now imagine that from other 2L and 2L-TE engines which were crap. Even the 3L 2800cc of older Hilux was good in off roading but not much fun on road. This was jump from 90-95 horsepower to 160+ hp. In the same time, I got my hands on LX-470 in Pakistan for a day or two, the petrol 4700 cc, a fuel guzzler. I still think diesel engines are fun to drive than petrol engines for SUVs in Pakistan. I think the name was not LX-470, it was Cygnus or something different. Later Vigo Champ was introduced with 2-KD, one of the most pathetic engines, a 2500 cc with only 102 Bhp. There was uni-chip that was introduced to increase Horsepower by 40-50 for this engine and sold in Pakistan. Still, the imported 3.0 D4D was better though fuel filter was changed constantly because of low diesel quality in pakistan. The 80 series LC had already broken Pajero market with its 4.2 engine and there was "multi valve"engine with 24 valves instead of 12 valves, this was also called 4.2 Turbo engine. This Land cruiser was successful, I liked it but never bought it. The 4.2 diesel engine legacy continued on in LC 100 also with Amazon and other variants. Driving one was pleasure. It went everywhere but didnt own it.

Back then engine modification became a trend, mechanics proudly showed off engines they swapped. I bought a 1999 2.0D and got it swapped with black top 4-AGE toyota performance engine. It had around 165 Bhp. manual gear and no performance brakes. Drum brakes all over. It was 20 valves engine so acceleration was awesome.

This drum brake issue was even in other cars and SUVs and most owners didnt know about it. Toyota, suzuki and Honda would give disc brakes in front wheels while drum brakes in rear wheels. With disc brakes, the discs would erode over time and need to be changed like 40,000 km or above, while with drum brakes there was brake shoe that needed to be replaced after 100,000 km. Today still in Pakistan, there was drum brakes in rear wheels of some models and owners dont know.

Interestingly, I also drove Hiace, yes the commuter and also laid my hands on the old Ford "wagon" in village. For the Hiace, it was a relatives wedding and they had hired a few Hiaces. Me and other cousins were young, still early teens but loved driving, so got hold of keys from one of the drivers and drove the Hiace all around the cantt in morning lol. The Ford wagon was like a truck, no fun. Its still good for villages. I remember driving a 1986 Corolla, it was a famous car in 80's and 90's. 1300 cc engine but excellent handling and acceleration on road compared to cars of its era. In the 90's some army officers got Hyundai Excel and Daewoo Racer. Excel was pathetic but Racer made a good market well up to 2000s. They were sold cheaply for 3 or 4 Lacs back then.

I was just pushed into nostalgia for this post, truly nostalgic !

Wow...you do love your cars..what an interesting read. All those military vehicles from tanks to jeeps to green plates and EME experience. Thankfully you didn't destroy your dad's chance of pension although in todays pakistan even that is not safe for retired officers.

My venture into mercedes was the adverts at university. We didn't have a car in Pakistan and upon arrival in the UK my father had a simple job and we were starting a new life with very humble beginnings. When I arrived at university there were many adverts regarding mercedes cars on TV and I just wanted one. After graduation and many years the thought of mercedes remained and finally I went out and purchased a brand new CLK 220CDI with beige leather matching carpets and wood paneling sunroof and command system. It was gunmetal grey. Absolute pleasure to drive and it caught everyone's eye because in the UK cars seldom have beige leather etc. They usually have dark interiors. I sold my business and left the UK lived in dubai for 3 years and 7 in Pakistan. There against advice I purchased a brand new Toyota corolla Altis. What an amazing car. 7years I kept it and it never let me down. Upon my return to the UK in 2020 I purchased a 3 year old mercedes gle 350d with all the bells and whistles. It's a superb car. Spotless inside and out. When I purchased it it only had 23500 miles on the clock. Full services history and only one elderly owner from new. The car has so much power that even driving at 70mph you put your foot down to overtake - the car accelerates in such a way that you are pushed back into the seat. Lovely lovely car. I would recommend a mecedes to anyone. I also love Japanese cars. Have had Honda Toyota and even European cars like vauxhall and ofcourse the American Ford's, but mercedes is mercedes.

 

[SQ8]

Silly thread. Personal vehicles, including the cars being so ebuliently discussed in this thread must be banned the world over, for the good of local societies and for Planet Earth.

Making the case for a global ban on privately-owned personal transport cars and two-wheelers

I have often made this topic in posts so I thought why not create a thread for this for discussion and readership. Privately-owned personal transport vehicles ( cars and two-wheelers ) are I believe the biggest form of pollution in the world, directly through their usage and secondarily through...

defence.pk

I hope you have begun on that endeavor.

I have seen many people notice sounds in car while driving, even non technical. I keep an ear towards sounds too. A smooth engine sound with less or no cabin noise is soothing. Imagine my grief when I hear that low buzzing of bearing noise.

I haven't got close to Mercs yet, probably coz in my circle mostly are jap and korean cars. I had been looking in second hand C-class, not too old, but was told my dealers to stay from European cars. They have their own reasons I guess, but I didn't venture there also. Maybe you had Mercs in family before or ventured out on your own to start a Merc legacy in family lol.

My first interaction with Merc was a S-series of some embassy where dad was deputed on protocol and security. The staff car Corona actually looked puny in front of it. I was young so was amazed with so many buttons on the dash. The driver was a Civvie so couldn't get my hands on wheels like military vehicles. When the driver hit 120 km/hr on kashmir highway, it felt that car was cruising around 60 km/hr. Behind us the staff car was struggling to keep up. This was in 90s so maybe it was S-350, im not sure. It was a long car as i remember and in black in colour. Funny enough, the staff car driver told the Merc driver to put Star plates on car as my dad would travel in it in uniform in Merc. Perhaps I didn't gather the courage to ask driver for the keys coz I though dad wouldnt let me sit in ut anymore lol.

I usually look into engines of car first, the reason could be that I am looking for more horsepower in lesser capacity of cc. I learnt driving on an Army Landcruiser RKR, 85 model or later one. It was risky as my dad didn't know that I was actually bent on jeopardizing his career, though I didnt know the consequences back then but now when i think about it I feel it strongly. Even later on, I drove other military vehicles including staff cars and green plated ones. I wasnt even in my teens when i started driving, my legs would reach pedals somehow. RKRs 3F engine was 4000cc with 155Hp. The sound in 4th gear was awesome above 70 kmph. Later out of interest i started to sit in Tanks, M-109, M-113 and trucks (not drive). I remember I even sat in M-109 as it was climbing the long trailer and later i joined gun crew in cabin of truck as it drove back to unit lines from exercise area, I was very young. Regarding other military vehicles,BJ-40 wasn't fun while Unimog had many gears, I couldn't understand it. Defender came late, I was sneaking into drivers seat of staff cars then. Coronas were fun and again I was testing different staff cars whenever i got the chance, away from MPs prying eyes and dad's notice. Though I am aware he knew but I never got caught somehow. However, i had to befriend drivers, second seaters and also mechanics in EME workshops. The green number plate ones included new corollas, civics, Pajeros, Hilux's etc.

Pajero was not that fun on highway, they were more fun in city around 70-100 kmph. Hilux was stiff and jumpy. I was trying to get a hang of VTEC on civics. Oh yes, there were Surf's and Nissan Patrol too. I still remember the surf with VIP number CK-0001 sindh registered. It was auto and had 1KZ 3000 cc diesel engine. Surf had good acceleration but compared to RKR, i found it lesser in everything. RKR was jumpy for rear passengers so ladies hated sitting in RKR as they had to sit n the rear. FCNA in Gilgit was perfect terrain to test RKR, there always a spare RKR standing somewhere lol. Surf and Hilux's were common in Baluchistan and testing their top speed was fun on Bolan highways. Patrol would also climb up on barren mountains of Quetta. I remember once in Khuzdar, a Levies escort 4x2 hilux with 2800cc engine was trying to keep up with Nissan Patrol and you can guess who was driving Patrol lol. I don't remember much about Patrol's engine though. I did drive Pajero in Sibi in desert and it performed alright.

There weren't many CJ-X's around like CJ-5 or 6 or 7. Though I did get to sit in a CJ-5 Bahawalpur in a LAT Punjab Regiment based at nawabshah but defenders were coming in for LAT's then for replacing CJ-Xs. I thought CJ-5 was a better off roader than Defender in desert. There were few HQ's that had that Suzuki Potohar or SJ-410. I drove that on road but it wasn't stable on roads, i found going above 80 kmph was tough but it was a devil in the desert, it was very fast in the sand. it was fun too. It had good ground clearance. The engine was 1.0 I think, and later on I kept thinking if alto 1.0 and the Potohar shared the same engine.The gear ratios were less and the engine was not that exciting in alto.

When my career started, by a chance of luck I was given company cars and driver, Pakistan and abroad. This continued on for many years. I ahd chance to drive Hummer H-3 and Trailblazer. I sat in Avalanche but didnt get chance to drive it. Back in Pakistan, it was 2.0Ds and civics again. However, for off road runs, there was surf and other SSR-X Hilux available. In between I remember there was also a Hilux called Tiger. Immediately after, Vigo arrived with the 3.0 D4D engine 1-KD. This one packed a punch back in mid 2000s. It could generate bhp between 160-170, now imagine that from other 2L and 2L-TE engines which were crap. Even the 3L 2800cc of older Hilux was good in off roading but not much fun on road. This was jump from 90-95 horsepower to 160+ hp. In the same time, I got my hands on LX-470 in Pakistan for a day or two, the petrol 4700 cc, a fuel guzzler. I still think diesel engines are fun to drive than petrol engines for SUVs in Pakistan. I think the name was not LX-470, it was Cygnus or something different. Later Vigo Champ was introduced with 2-KD, one of the most pathetic engines, a 2500 cc with only 102 Bhp. There was uni-chip that was introduced to increase Horsepower by 40-50 for this engine and sold in Pakistan. Still, the imported 3.0 D4D was better though fuel filter was changed constantly because of low diesel quality in pakistan. The 80 series LC had already broken Pajero market with its 4.2 engine and there was "multi valve"engine with 24 valves instead of 12 valves, this was also called 4.2 Turbo engine. This Land cruiser was successful, I liked it but never bought it. The 4.2 diesel engine legacy continued on in LC 100 also with Amazon and other variants. Driving one was pleasure. It went everywhere but didnt own it.

Back then engine modification became a trend, mechanics proudly showed off engines they swapped. I bought a 1999 2.0D and got it swapped with black top 4-AGE toyota performance engine. It had around 165 Bhp. manual gear and no performance brakes. Drum brakes all over. It was 20 valves engine so acceleration was awesome.

This drum brake issue was even in other cars and SUVs and most owners didnt know about it. Toyota, suzuki and Honda would give disc brakes in front wheels while drum brakes in rear wheels. With disc brakes, the discs would erode over time and need to be changed like 40,000 km or above, while with drum brakes there was brake shoe that needed to be replaced after 100,000 km. Today still in Pakistan, there was drum brakes in rear wheels of some models and owners dont know.

Interestingly, I also drove Hiace, yes the commuter and also laid my hands on the old Ford "wagon" in village. For the Hiace, it was a relatives wedding and they had hired a few Hiaces. Me and other cousins were young, still early teens but loved driving, so got hold of keys from one of the drivers and drove the Hiace all around the cantt in morning lol. The Ford wagon was like a truck, no fun. Its still good for villages. I remember driving a 1986 Corolla, it was a famous car in 80's and 90's. 1300 cc engine but excellent handling and acceleration on road compared to cars of its era. In the 90's some army officers got Hyundai Excel and Daewoo Racer. Excel was pathetic but Racer made a good market well up to 2000s. They were sold cheaply for 3 or 4 Lacs back then.

I was just pushed into nostalgia for this post, truly nostalgic !

You aren’t a true motorhead unless you have owned an Alfa Romeo… or if in Pakistan the 92 civic.

 

[jamahir]

I hope you have begun on that endeavor.

Well, the one car in my family belongs to my brother, and I generally keep telling my family that personal vehicles should be banned. Every year in India there are 450,000 road accidents which result in 150,000 deaths and this is other than the injuries, crime, pollution, chaos and disharmony resulting from the personal vehicles which in India must be around 750 million.