THM TT (ii)

Compiled and selected pics from Kumar, mtuc and yslim:

1. Kayu Nasi Kandar, Aman Suria. We were sitting outside, till it started to drizzle.


2. Had to occupy few tables inside, as we had quite a crowd.


3. My eye-patch really stands out. It was rather uncomfortable, but no regrets.


4. Steven promoting Zhapalang's lube like a DVD salesman.


5. We moved back outside when the rain subsided.


6. Steven really gave out RM 50 discounts for StarHill spa. He even gave me TWO vouchers! My wife is a happy camper!


7. RM 80 - 12 LEDs that can change (7) colors. Save and preset or change color on intervals, up to you.


8. Headlight shootout. Looks like the Phillips won.


9. Mliven installing the LED in the trunk. Go to his BLOG for more pics.


10. This is the road where we parked all night.


11. Rear X20 light up.


12. Buying THM T-shirt from Accent G's boot sale.


13. X20 with GOLD RIMS?! I'm not sure if this is a camera trick/edited photo or not.


14. Group photos:









15. I went to church on Sunday with (my wife's) shades.

Health is greater than Wealth

I'm feeling much better today. Thanks for your well wishes.

Last Thursday I was feeling kinda sickly, and was half-joking with my colleagues that I can't get sick, cos the weekend is coming =]

Alas, I had a sharp pain in my right eye early Friday morning. It has happened before, and what I do is just to go back to sleep, and everything should be fine the next morning (except a blurry morning after). This time, it wasn't so. I missed a 7am meeting and was bedridden on Friday. I tried to make an appointment to see a very good eye specialist, Dr. Dunstan FERNANDEZ, who has his own practise in PJ Old Town. He would only be available at 3.40pm earliest. *sigh*

The good doctor, is a eye specialist consultant for Assunta hospital. Rotary club PJ president in 1995-1996, and his wife (Dr. Theresa) had a Clinic in PJ Old town, where my mother-in-law used to work as a nurse. He's got many years of experience and it shows. His fees are moderate for a specialist and his medication is superb.

He patched me up and gave some advice, and told me to come back either Monday for a further check-up. Basically the problem is a recurring eye injury that happened before. When I got sick, my body resistance dropped, eyes were dry, and just by blinking, aggravated an old eye injury. *sigh*

Anyway, doctors orders are to go for long term 'lubrication' and artificial tears. Don't use the computer for long hours, and take care of your health. Health is greater than wealth.

Special thanks to my wife who really took care of me during this whole weekend. Love, your hubby.

THM TT

THM - Team Hyundai Malaysia
TT - Teh Tarik

Thanks Mae, for the ride. Just came back from THM TT at Kayu Nasi Kandar, Aman Suria. This has got to be the biggest offical X20 turnout for THM. Let me try to remember the X20s that came (in no significant order):
1. mtuc
2. mliven
3. sugaring
4. navin (overworkedunderpaid)
5. DrD (Dinesh)
6. Midas
7. Christopher
8. Zeke
9. bwfc
10. kumar

Anyone i missed out? Ck and Eric couldn't make it due to went to the wrong Kayu @ Mutiara D'sara :(

It was an exciting night of poison, where Kent Goh from Zhapalang dropped by with some good stuffWe compared ICE systems, headlights, installed LED lights for Mliven's trunk, tested some Guang Dao stuff, chatted and had a great time together with the accent gang. I hope you guys remembered to pay for your food and drinks!

I finally got a THM T-shirt, and found out how to stick the THM sticker properly *malu*. The T-shirts are of great quality and can be found here. Courtesy of AccentG.








Pics from Kumar and Mtuc to come.

Oil Price

Crude oil prices are sub-$70. How much longer do we have to wait for a pump price reduction?


Datuk Shahrir?

THM TT Tomorrow

Oh no... THM TT is tomorrow... looks like this TT will have the most X20s ever. Details:

TT again guys...MAKE IT HAPPEN, LET'S FLOOD THE PARKING LOT AGAIN!!!

Venue : Kayu Nasi Kandar at Aman Suria
Time : 7.30 pm onwards
Date : 11/10/08

Objective :
1. Mainly get to know new members.
2. For those long time no see and missed each others.
3. Like to poison, to be poison....share poison!
4. To discuss about the trip to SG (mancando).

Please list down your name here:
1. Alfee - since we have 41 X20s, we should see at least 20 cars turn up?
2. Zeke - kira TT Raya la ni
3. StevenChen - this time we will conquer the whole parking lot
4. Mliven
5. Kumar
6. Mtuc2003 -I will arrived on about 8.00-8.30pm
7. kkng - Hi, all THM members. Let put all ur names here la... TT Raya ma...
8. SugarIng
9. ywlim76 - hopefuly my sick baby will ok on that day.
10. Eric Choong - TBC
11. dzextreme - new member...
12. catchmeifyoucan
13. DrD
14. rezza_arif (i must go, long time never socialize..)
15. Haremeow (me too..)
16. bwfc (yeah Man! I will be there!!!! this time... will not miss this opportunity to meet up with you guys!)
17. Christopher - Will drive my 'tr33e88' over:-p See u guys!
18. Ck0112 - TBC (Hopefully my blackie still can manage to start cos almost 3 month never "touch" my blackie liao..hehe)
19. Accent_G (TT raya pakai baju raya lar hehe)
20. Midas - Count me in!
21. abgcomel
22. xxplainn - TBC
23. Kent Goh - TBC
24. Kronick-Jr [TBC]
25. pex9609 (TBC) - hopefully can make it.... lame dh tk jumpa kwn2 THM nie.... :-)
26. sangdiva (make sure you all wear baju raya ok.. I don't want to be the only one to do so)
27. marky (TBC)
28. shaznemo Getzzone (datang kejap kutip duit raya)
29.osaga (TBC)

I'm on MC and will only be back to work on Tuesday due to an eye patch. Wifey says no TT this weekend. Mmm... :(

Pray that I'll get well by tomorrow so that can go for TT :)

Thanks Zeke!

...for the call this morning! Now I know what to do!

Its all about the OIL!

The crude oil price has dropped sub-$90 as of this evening. Thats the lowest I recall since Feb 2008.

On Sunday, I was chatting with a IT support in the petrol/diesel industry, and he mentioned, according to his calculations, the government isn't paying a single cent in subsidy. Based on the official reports, the government is paying RM 0.30 subsidy for each liter.

Anyway, I'm just looking forward to the next reduction in the petrol prices in Malaysia. Earliest this will happen? November 2008, no thanks to our leaders who have to wait for a cabinet meeting to determine & announce the new petrol price. In the meantime, just make a hell of a 'profit' and then reduce the pump prices to 'ease the rakyat's burden'. Source: Bernama.

MSNBC reports blame the global financial crisis (economic slowdown reducing the demand for crude oil) and the strengthening of the US dollar to UK's Euro as the causes of the crude oil price drop.

Sea Park Sightings... again.

I think someone who works in Syarikat Aik Huat Tyre & Battery owns a saphire silver X20. First sighted here. Then again on the Sunday (5th Oct):


Btw, the accent has a nice no. plate.

Going, going DOWN!

Going UP:
- Inflation jumps UP to a 27-year high.
- Prices of food and stuff went UP.
- Interested rates went UP.

Going DOWN:
- Stock markets are going DOWN
- Our beloved currency is going DOWN (weakening). Peg or no peg?
- Confidence/transparency/freedom/trust in the ruling government is going DOWN (since March 8th)

However, we do have some good news, that if the average prices of crude oil stay below USD $104 we should see a further reduction on petrol prices, said our Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad. Source: Paul Tan

Alignment, Balancing & Cross Tyres

The sports rim shop advised a 10k tyre check-up which consists of:
1. Alignment
2. Balancing
3. Cross tyres

Actually balancing is done first, this is to ensure that your steering wheel doesn't wobble at higher speeds. The the tyres are crossed (swapped locations) and then only the alignment is done.

Did this at C.K.L tyres in SS2, PJ. They charge a bomb, but I'm pretty confident on their workmanship. However, this time I had to wait super long just to get these 3 relatively simple things done.

My car is still pulling slightly to the left, but not all the time. Its really weird. I've asked a few friends to drive and they agree with my conclusion. Today at a flat car park, it was perfect. No alignment problems. But sometimes while driving, the car pulls to the left. Anyway, I've adjusted to it, coz I drive with my right hand and gravity plus my right hand pulls the steering to the right and balances the car.

ps - for those with safety/custom 'nuts' for your sports rim, make sure you bring along your 'key' to remove your rims. Don't waste time making this simple mistake :p

ICE and Sightings

1. Finally a free Saturday to do car related stuff. Dropped by at 3 accessories shops today to look for a player for a friend. She finally settle on this one:


Its actually more of a Ipod controller than a CD/Radio player. From my initial observation:
- It looks good. Simple and elegant. Adds a taste of luxury to the otherwise conservative-boring interior. The blue lights would so look good in the X20.
- The sound quality is more balanced than the original built-in player. Btw, the original is manufactured by Alpine Electronics, China. I dunno if its the same "Alpine" that we know.
- The big volume dial is quite useful
- There are quite a bit of audio functions, including Low-pass, high-pass filters, 7-band EQ (2 customize), Sub phase, Built-in EQ settings, Bass related settings, etc.

However:
* Its not user-friendly. Takes a while to get the hang of the thing. The up down left right and press can get quite confusing.
* Although there is a "Mute" button, the "Pause" button is hidden deep in the "Function" menu somewhere. Why?!
* Its more an Ipod controller than a CD/Radio player. There are no buttons to preset the radio channels. For me, this is a MUST HAVE.
* Although there are A FEW Bass controls, theres no Subwoofer level output.

Installation done at Autogadget. These guys are well versed with the Honda City. I wish there are accessories shops out there very familiar with the X20. However, I think Amoi Siam may qualify! :D

2. While my friend was installing this, I spotted Steven driving pass. Thats all...

Breaking News - Petrol Price Down RM 0.10 (Midnight tonight)

Its official (from MalaysiaKini) that pump price is at RM 2.45

I just filled up on Monday evening. Dang! Could have saved RM 4-5 bucks.

I had dinner at the SS2 Indomie mamak where I ordered my favourite "Kum Heong Kai" dish (Its chicken with onions, dried prawns and black sauce). The price went up by 50 cents to RM 5.50 (sad)

Finally some good news, compared to the drama politics that we've been having.

Comment Reply

Before the comment reply, I saw a black X20 on the way to Jln Kuching, KL this morning! BJY xxxx. Rushing to work, didn't have time to snap pic.

Anyway, here's akt's comment, and following that, my reply (a short one, as work is calling out...)
-------------------
Hi, I wished I had read your input before doing a test-drive. Anyway, I had a test drive and as much as I love the car's interior (well, who doesn't? So luxurious and the driver is so pampered!) but while taking the car for a test drive on a highway, I can hear sounds like wind pushing against the side of the car, a little vibration on the seat (not much, just a little) and maybe it is just me, the blue lights were getting abit uneasy to look at. Mind you, the test drive was done while it was raining and it was really a test of one's driving! The handling of the steering was ok. However, it was difficult to get oneself used to the way the lights and wiper knobs/switched (sorry, dunno the right term to use) were designed.

By the way, since I drive a Waja, the gearbox is designed to have a straightforward path (is there a term to this design) but Elantra x20's gearbox has an up/down maneuvering path, is there a reason for such a design?
I also found out the engine used in the US is Beta engine, so what is the difference with our local Elantra x20's engine?

Thanking you, sifu, in advance!
-------------------

1. The sound proofing of the X20 is poor. The noise from the tires, high-engine rev, can be quite disappointing. I've done sound proofing on my front doors, rear seats & tires and full boot but still can hear road noises. However, I don't hear any significant wind noises.

2. The blue lights take a little to get used to. I prefer to dim it as it can be quite bright.

3. The gear design (i call it 'staggered') is a brilliant idea. It prevents you from shifting to a wrong gear. I've seen cars (eg. Honda City) at a traffic light shift from P to R! Maybe coz while shifting, they stopped too early. You won't have this problem on the X20. Just push slight left and pull the gear towards you, and it'll stop at D.

4. I don't think the US engine is different from ours. However, do google the GEMA engine on KIA cars if you're free. Too bad the X20 doesn't come with the GEMA heart. Oh well...

5. I'm not X20 sifu, "there is another". Did you watch Return of the Jedi? :D

ps - you can always test drive AGAIN!

Long Overdued Snippets

1. Just as petrol prices were dropping and in the low USD$90's, it had to take a hike recently. Paul Tan's take here. Btw, Jeff Ooi's blog has a oil price graph. I'm gonna copy it!

Well, the fuel price will be discussed tomorrow (Paul Tan again), and by the looks of it, I don't think anything good will come out of the discussion.


2. Sightings: There are more and more X20s on the road. I saw 1 last Saturday (13th Sept) afternoon, 2 on Sunday (14th Sept), my wife saw this one in Subang near Taylors College:


I saw a Silver Incus kitted X20 in KLCC parking today. But too slow to snap a pic.

My friend who went to SG for work was quite demoralised to see so many avante's on the road. Why? Cause the Hyundai X20 is a good car, however, she's driving a Honda City. This is a super cool number plate:



3. Paul Tan (Harvinder Singh Sidhu) Review on the Elantra
- The pics are awesome
- Its good points are stated
- Reviewer doesn't like:

## Blue lights - I love it! That was an attraction factor for me. It could be an 'age' thing, I dunno.

## 'Rubber' Climate control buttons may turn yellow over time - I think its hard plastic, not rubber, but I could be wrong. Again, its unconventional design and color was an attraction factor for me.

## Bad handling, going all over the place under pressure, drives like a cow - I think he might not be used to the light steering handling and lack of steering feedback. I felt the same way when I first pushed my car. But now, I'm quite confident on taking hard corners and maneuvering around town. However, I'm not on stock tires :). I do have to be fair that overall, there are many cars that can out-handle the X20, due to the suspension settings, center of gravity, etc.

## Soft suspension causing "floatiness" - Yeah, also to mention that the X20 has got a high center of gravity, compared to eg. a Wira.

## Not enough gear ratios - The reviewer is comparing the Hyundai X20 gearbox with a VW DSG gearbox. Well, I wish Hyundai and VW will co-op and work out a 7-speed DSG gearbox for the X20. Also this will cost 50k more? Anyway, I do agree that a 5-speed gearbox would be more attractive and definately kick the Toyota Altis' ass.

## Weak brakes - I have no idea what this is about. Maybe the test drive car has some braking problems. Please sit in my car and allow me to jam the brakes, and feel the ABS kick-in.

Anyway, its got 38 comments so far. Check it out.


4. What do you think of Incus kit with RoadRun Grill? Pics courtesy from Getz2Avante (ClubHyundai Forums). The bonnet is SGD$900 (including fenders and spraying).





5. I have a blog follower. Not sure how this works, but thanks for the visit and following, Ms. AKT

X20 is currently Away

Sorry for the poor updating. Been busy at work, training & reports, personal, etc.

Will blog about the following over the weekend:
- Petrol prices (world pricing dropped, M'sia pump prices? Goods prices?)
- Sightings - By my wife and friends
- Paul Tan's review on X20 and its 'poor' handling
- Incus bodykit and Road Run grill... *yummy*

Regards,
X20