Hi JM,
I have a motoring question, but not about cars. It’s about drivers, road safety and accident reduction. To exhort drivers to change behaviour has as much a chance of success as a snowball in hell.
But one move which will certainly have positive results is be to launch a highway patrol division of the police. This would comprise high-powered cars, in a highly visible livery, equipped with properly calibrated equipment to check speed and video cameras to record errant driver behaviour.
The mere presence of these vehicles on our roads will cause some drivers to adjust their technique, and others will do so when it is seen how effective the patrol is in putting drivers in court! This would catch bad drivers before accidents, not after. I’d be interested to get your views on ways of reducing accidents and deaths on our roads.
Regards,
Tony Gee
Hello again, Tony. I agree, talking will not solve anything, nor will the abnormally punitive laws that keep coming up. If anything, those laws will only broaden the scope for extortion.
If one risks a three-year or Sh500,000 penalty for what may be, in essence, a “minor” infraction, think of the possibilities. Even the most moral amongst us will start to seriously consider greasing a palm with a promise “not to do it again”.
Your suggestion, by the way, may already be under consideration by the government. Spotted around town is the MG 6 Turbo, in various GK colours, including the blue-and-white patrol livery.
Also spotted was a fleet of Imprezas, again, in police colours. Sadly, these are not STi-spec (for more of my thoughts on this, please check out blog.autobazaar.co.ke).
The powerful police cars, complete with video equipment, would be a powerful deterrent. In town, I’m thinking cameras would also work: those misbehaving within roundabouts or jumping red robots will soon find themselves in an uncomfortable position as they are presented with photographic evidence of themselves caught in the act.
The government revenue from fining these folks would go up, and even more noticeably, bad behaviour on our roads will disappear.
Hi Mr Baraza
I have an ex-UK VW Touareg fitted with an automatic gearbox. On accelerating, as it auto-changes from D3 to D4 or lowers from D4 to D3, there is this heavy jerk that is startling. A local mechanic (ex CMC) reckons I should change the gearbox, but I am not convinced. Actually, I don’t want to! Your diagnosis and treatment please.
Ms Lucy Ciru
That mech is an expert in burying his head in the sand. Gearboxes are not cheap. Have a diagnosis done, but first of all check the level of the ATF. It may be too low (or too high). Also, first-generation Touaregs had unrefined, slow-thinking gearboxes, and so it could be that the jerking is one of those characteristics that defined the car at the time.
Dear Baraza,
Thanks for helping us grow our knowledge and understanding of cars. I am trying to make a decision between two car models: a Subaru Forester and a VW Golf station wagon, both 2005 versions.
How would you compare the two using the following parametres: ground clearance, general and off-road handling, stability, performance , ‘hotness’ and resale value? And which of the two would you go for?
Clearance: The Forester wins.General handling: I’d still say the Forester. However, if the Golf was hatchback…
Of-road handling: No contest. Forester.
Stability: Hard to call. The Golf has a lower ride height, but the Forester is set up in the fashion of the Impreza, and it has 4WD to boot, so…. Forester?
Performance: Forester. Especially if it has the letters “STi” attached to the rest of the name.
‘Hotness’: This is relative. Your opinion matters here to you more than mine does.
Resale value: Take a guess. Yes, you are right. Forester again. Kenyans are scared of European cars, and oddly enough, they also love Foresters, so reselling one would never pose a problem.
My pick: Ahem… drum roll… and the winner is… the Forester. Especially if it has the letters “STi” attached to the rest of the name.
Hi Baraza,Thank for your informative articles on motoring, which you do with a touch of wry humour. About three or four years ago there were reports on BBC radio that police were investigating the sale of counterfeit Ferraris in Italy. Please let me know :
1. How these counterfeits compare to the genuine article in terms of specifications, performance and availability of spare parts.
2. Whether there is a big market to sustain such an enterprise.
3. If it is legal to own such vehicles.
Regards.
1. I have no idea. I have never owned or driven a Ferrari; real or fake. I once owned a Ferrari toy though….
2. Maybe in China. And maybe Kenya too (we have to admit, Kenyans have a taste for fake stuff. I, for one, own a fake Breitling watch. I realised it was fake because it cannot summon a helicopter, but apparently the real thing can…)
3. I don’t know. I think local laws would apply (they might be legal in China. And maybe Kenya. But they are definitely illegal in Italy).
Hello Baraza,
I applaud you for your good work! I’m happy to tell you that I have accumulated enough savings to purchase an eight-year-old car. However, I can’t make a choice between a Toyota Premio 1800cc and a Toyota Avensis 1800cc. Therefore, kindly enlighten me on the following issues between the two species of Toyota.
1. Which one supersedes the other in terms of versatility?
2. Which one supersedes the other in terms of fuel efficiency?
3. Why is the Avensis not as common as the Premio?
4. I have seen some manual-gearbox Avensis’ but not any manual Premio. Why is this so yet they come from the same Kingdom?
5. Which of the two is stable at high speed when all other things are held constant?
I hope your answers will not polarise the customers of either species lest you be accused of bias.Regards,
Peter Waweru
1. None
2. None
3. The Avensis was sold in small numbers new, from Toyota Kenya. The used Avensis being imported are mostly ex-UK (where they are exclusively assembled). The Premios are mostly ex-Japan (where they are also exclusively assembled). More imported cars come from Japan than the UK, so there.
4. Actually they don’t come from the same Kingdom. As pointed out in 3 above, the Avensis is assembled in the UK and has a European target market. The Premio is a JDM car. Market forces/dynamics and vehicle classification led Toyota into deciding that the Premio will be auto-only, while the Avensis would have the option of a manual gearbox.
5. They are the same.
Hi Baraza,
While I have no reservations about the performance of the Subaru Outback, kindly help me clarify one or two issues:
1. How is the fuel consumption of the car in comparison with the Toyota Premio 1800cc, which I own?
2. I am a moderate-speed driver with an average income of Sh250,000. Do you think I can maintain the Outback comfortably? I am a family man with two daughters and I don’t drink or go partying.
3. Are the spare parts for the Outback expensive?
The Premio has been wonderful so far but I am in love with heavy cars not exceeding 2500cc. Also, if you were to choose between Toyota Mark X and the Outback, which one would you go for?
Regards,
James.
1. The fuel consumption is definitely much higher in the Outback than in the Premio (I want to add duhhh… at this point).
2. Ahem… I really can’t answer that. I don’t know your priorities, or your budgetary allocations for the basic needs and wants of your family. And to be honest, I’d rather not know. That is personal information. Only you can decide whether or not keeping the Outback will bankrupt you.
3. A little bit more, compared to the Premio.
Between the Mark X and the Outback I’d go for the Mark X. But one with 3,000cc and a supercharger (316 bhp)
Hi Baraza,
Great column, Sir! Just read your piece stating that you want to supercharge a Carina. ’Been considering turbo- or super-charging a 1992 Corrolla AE 100 but was held back by the many modifications I would have to do to the engine for it not to fall apart, and to the brakes and suspension (guessing would need stiffer suspension). ’Curious, therefore, to know:
1. Where I can get a super-charger or turbo-charger compatible with a Toyota engine.
2. What mods I would have make to the engine (guessing air intakes, fuel pump, engine block and pistons, heads, valves etc); the suspension stiffer and responsive, the transmission, and the brakes (I prefer ventilated discs, rear and front). Please be specific on brands and cost, if known.
3. Which garage should I use? Most guys I speak to don’t have the faintest idea how to go about it.
4. The overall costing.
5. Would nitrous be a better option? What is the resultant power and cost implications? What garages, if any, can do a proper job? I did consider just buying a stock Starlet GT engine, but feared compatibility and performance issues (AE 100 is much heavier), or getting a trubo Subaru Forester engine and plugging it into the AE 100, but then again compatibility cropped up. Although it would be a labour of love for me, the logistics (getting products and reliable garage) and costs (might just be cheaper and more reliable buying a WRX) have made me reconsider. So I’m quite curious to what you have in mind and how you would go about it.
BTW: On the V8 Land Rover, I have a friend who just bought a 500hp 6.4 litre Ford F150 Raptor and he has been going on about it. It sounds like a good idea and a much simpler project to mount a V8 on a 4×4, although you could just buy a V8 Land Rover or Range Rover and avoid the headache. Thanks, and sorry for the long mail.
PH (Petrol Head) Nzoka.
Nzoka, actually, it’s an Allion that I want to supercharge, not the Carina. Anywho:
1. Toyota Racing Development (commonly known as TRD). Either that or get one from someone else. I may know one or two people who want to get rid of their TRD superchargers (if they haven’t already done so)
2. That is one long list you are requesting there, and requires a bit of research. I haven’t come up with a proper check list of all the mods I intend to do, mostly because I don’t have the Allion to start with (or the money to supercharge it). But it is a serious plan. I will let you know once I embark on it.
3. I will use The Paji’s garage (Auto Art K Ltd). He does this kind of thing all the time, and I want to abuse my friendship to pay less (or nothing) for the work.
4. See 2. And 3. Mostly 2…
5. I really abhor the use of nitrous injection, so if and when I start modding an Allion, I will eschew that line of tuning. Power implications are heavily dependent on set up (dry shot, wet shot or direct port), while cost implications will be bad for anybody who depends on you for survival.
It will burn a huge hole in your pocket, and your cylinder head if not done properly. Garage? Auto Art. Or Unity Auto Garage, somewhere near Auto Art.
That friend with the Raptor: Where does he drive it? I’m curious. Stay in touch for the time when I start the modification. It may not necessarily be an Allion, but I definitely want to modify an NA engine with a supercharger, just to see the effects (turbos have been done by many, I want something unusual)
