Proton Wira upgrade - progress update June 2016

I had made several plans but as they say, the best of plans of mice and men often go awry.

First of all, there was an issue with my hand brake. It was getting loose and so I went to my nearby Proton service centre, Senaxis Sdn Bhd and got it fixed. They changed a few things including the brake pump (RM79.50) and brake fluid (RM10.60)as well - I was not sure why they needed to do that. They also replaced a faulty brake lights (RM21.20). All together it cost me RM111.30 including GST.

Anyway, I later discovered that the brake was still not working and decided to go to my favourite mechanic - Paul who owns Pusat Perkhidmatan Kereta Pelangi  at Sunway Damansara Technology Park. He fixed the brake in a couple of minutes and I also changed the radiator cap.

While I was there, I talked to Paul about the terrible vibrations when ever the car as at the traffic lights or idling anywhere. According to him I needed to change the engine mounting. So I decided to leave the car and get it done.

When I picked it up two days later, the car was so quiet it felt just like a new car. The damage was RM461. This includes RM285 for the mounting set and RM150 for  labour. Bloody GST was RM26.10.

I then got the power window fixed as well - one issue that has plagued Proton cars for a long time.

Also realised that the two rear tyres were nearly bald and replaced them at a nearby tyre shop - Wah Hoe Tyre services. 2 Continental tyres + balancing and alignment cost me a total of RM339.20. Was a bit annoyed as they changed me more because I used my credit card. Apparently if you  pay cash, I can get it about 10% cheaper. I wish they had told me earlier.

In total I have spent a total of around RM1000 on my car alone, so all the upgrades I had planned have to be pushed forward to the next month,

Carriage Barn 1899 Victorian Queen Anne Style, Los Angeles

Found on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Time-Travelers-come-travel-back-in-time/284477301577152?fref=nf

Mill Garages for Volvo cars

I recently wrote about the exciting new Volvo V40 R-Design and how the new breed of models are slowly changing the perception of this brand. Anyway, I just found out that besides the great looks and specifications, I found out that this hatchback is quite economical to run. It gives you 83.1MPG and you do not have to pay the DVLA car tax. You can now have the car for only £299 per month with a £299 deposit.

If you live in the North East of England, check out the V40 R-Design and other offers on the Mill Garages website (http://www.millnortheast.co.uk/).   One of the biggest car dealers in the region, I discovered that they have a long and fascinating history. The first Mill Garage was established in Sunderland in 1947 by a guy called George Rollings. They have had a number of ownership changes and the current owners have been running the company since 2008. They now have 4 dealerships at Sunderland, Stockton, St James Retail Park and Newcastle.

They website is really clean and easy to navigate with clear links. I really liked the videos as well. I was going through the testimonials and noticed that many of them referred to the staff by their name which says a lot about the service quality of this company. 

Southport mechanics restore couple's classic Morris Minor wedding car

Pictures by Martyn Snape, Champion Newspapers

A COUPLE who used their beloved classic car as their wedding transport have just had it lovingly restored to its former glory by a West Lancashire firm.

John and Jean Fagan, of Snape Green in Scarisbrick, told The Champion this week they were delighted that Molly, their 1963 Morris Minor Convertible, had been restored by mechanics working at the Southport branch of West Lancashire car repair specialists Karl Vella.

The car holds a special significance for the couple because John originally bought it for Jean in 2008 as a wedding present, and the couple used it as their wedding car at a ceremony at Briars Hall in Lathom.

Jean told Life On Cars: "She made an excellent wedding car - the little car has given us so much pleasure and happiness. Wherever we go in her, people wave and smile and want to know her story.

"Molly was in good condition when we bought her but more recently we noticed a bit of rust and some of her paint was starting to crack. We made the decision to have her paintwork completely renewed, and some of the metalwork has been replaced. She looks absolutely magnificent now thanks to the work of John, Peter, Darren and Kieran at Karl Vella in Southport."

Jean, a lifelong Minor enthusiast, added that although she didn't drive at the time she learned and passed her test just so that she could use Molly as her own car after the wedding. The couple brought the car into the company's site on Cemetery Road last December, and during quieter periods at the garage the car has been brought back to its former glory using new paintwork, improvements to the metalwork and a restoration of the interior.

Karl Vella MBE, Managing Director of the Karl Vella Group, said: "I'm delighted John and Jean are happy with our work. The lads have done a cracking job - I was really impressed at how they pulled out all the stops to ensure the car was restored to its former glory."

 Do you have a story you'd like to share with Life On Cars? Get in touch by sending an email to david.simister@hotmail.co.uk or leave a comment below...