Lebanon! The charming ancient land we call home. Lebanese! A nationality of which we are so proud of, a nationality of diversity, cultures and a nationality we consider to be the smartest most talented among all the nations that exist now or had existed back in the dusty history. But are we?
Let’s keep the evolution going!
- A good deal!
Some of the fellow rev-heads was too generous to point to a serious subject we encounter every single day in our multi-surfaced country, a problem yet a contamination. I am surprised to see that the same public who succeeded thousands of years ago, to sell the world the alphabet in its basic form and make a fortune from selling glass cups and mugs, is failing today when it comes to picking a right passenger car!
Since it seems that we all agree on the fact that safety is not an option, this means that we all must agree on the fact that we must have a safe automotive market; when it comes to second hand vehicles, the Lebanese ports are being used as a junk yard for the foreign cars. Huge numbers of vehicles is reaching our docks every day and few of them turns to be meeting the minimum mechanical health required to be reused again by a new unfortunate driver who has absolutely no idea about what errors and malfunctions his machine will have.
A 3D disorder.
- A race and the finish line is “Lebanon”
This problem, and please note that it is an opinion opened to any discussion, can be broken down to:
The main reason, something we grew old discussing, the administration; I am sure that since the government is the organization that collects the enormous amount of taxes we pay on each car or car part entering the borders, than it’s the administration’s reasonability to run a continuous “level or standard scan” on the fuel breathing monsters that enter. Our ports should be junk free even thought we have to make a compromise when it comes to the selling price later on! Our ports should be fit to differentiate between safe and not safe when it comes to vehicles. Yes we need a staff to be qualified to interface the public but also we need staff capable to talk to the car itself and trust me this can be possible. All we are asking for is to have a chart of criteria or scale to compare the entering vehicle to, safety wise.
An additional significant reason is our public. The public who claims to know everything about anything without relying on a solid knowledge, without reading at least a brochure about the topic they are enthusiastically augmenting! Yes, we know everything but few things we don’t know; it seems very well that we are ignorant when it comes to picking. Elegance is important, style is important but safety comes first, no matter what. Let go of your half Lebanese half Italian curse and note that the price of a brand new safe mid or economical sized car costs the same as a classy black and chromed BMW that suffered a lifetime of hand braking, accidents and that probably had a 100m swimming competition in the chilling river waters. However if your Italian pride cannot be let down, here are some “basic” steps to pick you’re a car from the forest of junk we have:
-Take your time looking to the body work; make sure the assembly of the parts is symmetric in the car and the homogeneity of the color in general, or even granulated paint.
– Keep away from rusty cars, not only the disk brakes; but also any metallic part that can be oxidized from underneath the car.
-The interior can give you a great idea about many things: how many person the car used to seat regularly, and how much it’s original user took care of it. Also how soft is your steering when the car is in a standstill is an important factor And inside the dashboard opening can give you a great idea whether the car had taken a little swim or not. Try noticing if heat is being generated on the outer surface of the dashboard itself, this will blow a cover of any insulation or electrical problem.
-If you were allowed to test drive the car, do it slowly for safety reason and to be able to hear or sense any unusual noise or vibration. And if you were able to get under the car, the screw and how they fit in their wholes can be a good indicator although this needs the eye of an expert. Also try to check for oil leak beneath the engine, gearbox and suspension assembly. And test your seat belts and brakes the moment you start rolling.
-Always compare cars of the same model if you are unfamiliar with the model you are choosing.
And many other factors can be monitored to help an unprofessional client pick a good, fit, healthy and safe car. What is good about these steps is that they are applicable if you are not well skilled in the mechanical meaning of the term.
The third factor that is secondary but truly influencing the quality of the cars on the Lebanese road network; it’s the “veto” between dealers and famous mechanical garages. Watch out my fellow rev-heads, money can buy silence!
An advice from a fellow rev-head
- Only trust these car as fish traps
Just drive safe, and never fully trust a second hand car. Make sure that if you bought one replace your tires by a new set, change all the oils, and replace your disk-brakes and brake pads with brand new ones. Also it is essential to run a check on the braking, traction and suspension systems. Please note that what has been stated in this article does not include all the steps of safe checking a car. Just beware and drive safe you guys.