A-Musing: Automotive Reflections

This is my very first blog entry, and I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself and set the tone for future blog posts.  I’ll try to be succinct below.

ü      I am a car enthusiast, and started detailing the family car when I was 9 years old.  I am not an expert or authority in any particular area pertaining to vehicles, but through professional automotive industry experience, personal experience, connecting daily with car enthusiasts on the internet, and tons of self-directed learning, I know a lot about cars.

ü      I am most well-versed in the areas of automotive parts, maintenance, cleaning, detailing, mechanical repairs, ownership, buying vehicles, saving money, being defensive as a paying consumer, and keeping up to date on all models by all makes past and present and their reliability history.

ü      I love writing and disseminating information in interesting and easy-to-follow ways, as well as to help and serve people from my heart.  I wrote for my University newspaper, and have been published in a few internationally-distributed health and fitness magazines.

ü      Cars excite me and are a huge passion of mine. I am continuously learning every week on industry trends, new models, reliability history of aging models, sales performance of various makes, and technology.  I plan to share my opinions here on various automotive issues in the news.

ü      I have previously served as an automotive parts consultant at the retail level, as well as a Service Advisor at the dealership level.  I have seen all kinds of customers and car owners, good and not so good.

ü      By nature, I am resourceful, a strong multi-dimensional thinker, extremely detail-oriented, observant and have ultra-sensitive senses.  Thus, when it comes to cars, I am well-suited to performing excellent work, diagnosing car issues, figuring out ways to get answers, and finding ways to save money.

ü      I am a stickler for proper vehicle maintenance, using quality parts and lubricants.  I am not a licensed mechanic, but am fully capable of repairing and maintaining vehicles, and confidently know my stuff.  I insist on doing all maintenance and repairs myself if possible, and doing things my way unless a job is too messy to do without a hoist, or beyond my capabilities.  I choose my mechanics and network of automotive contacts very carefully, and take good care of all of them.

ü      I am literally and figuratively a Car Buff.  I love talking about them, driving them, and in the summer months, I keep my car impeccably clean and yes, buffed by dusting and wiping her down at least once everyday with automotive detailer and a microfiber cloth (until it rains, then I wait for when I can wash her again). 

ü      Luxury cars are my favourite vehicle segment.  I love fine cars, but also like to be frugal because I believe in saving money, never overspending and owning a car within one’s financial means.  I plan to share info on how to meet these goals, because when it comes to buying cars, one of my Canadian automotive writing idols Phil Edmonston aptly summed it up best: “Symbol doesn’t always equal substance.  Just ask any disgruntled Jaguar owner.”

ü      Lexus is my personal favourite make, and Infiniti is a very close second based on their value.  To me, Lexus vehicles are beautiful, finely built vehicles that stand the test of time both mechanically and stylistically, and my favourite model is their flagship LS.  In case a Lexus executive is reading this, I would love for you to provide me with a new or used model, black on black, with the long wheelbase and Executive Package!  In defence of Toyota and Lexus, both NASA and the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded in February 2011 that there were no electronic causes for the unintended acceleration debacle, though Toyota and Lexus will still have to re-build their trust with the public at large. 

I plan to use this blog as a medium to share my $0.02 on all issues related to cars and the industry.  I also hope to connect with the internet community and deliver insightful views, information and lots of personal tips through two decades of experience that will help people.

Ladies and gentlemen, this PDI passes with flying colours and is ready to go.

Drive On….