The Pirates of Banawe

After burning P3k from my ever-loving mum, I've finally patched up my '89 Lancer. Finally, I can print a sign saying, "For Sale. '89 Lancer GLX. P105k, neg. (0917)8172605." I had the idler pulley adjusted to remove the squeak off the was-loose alternator belt (aww... Kat will surely miss the "chirping birds" in the engine...) and checked the tires up (found a screw, got it removed, then patched the hole up...).

Later on, I drove to Nodalo's at E. Rodriguez Avenue to fix the downpipe. All they did was weld the 4-2-1 headers to the exhaust pipe 'coz the connection broke there. Guess bringing the revs up to 5000 rpm really punishes the pipe. As a result, I had more torque out of the car; ergo, better and smoother acceleration.

And then I hunted for lights and mirrors. Prior to the search, my mirrors, front signal lamps, and fender lights were stolen. Upon hearing the fuming outrage of my parents (they need not shout, but you can feel it...), I've decided to get replacement parts from established shops.

Upon making the turn to Banawe, and even before it, pirate upon pirate swarmed upon my car, giving me offer upon offer for the stolen pieces. All that ran into my head was "F*** you, losers! Get outta my way!" Their offers were cheap, so cheap that I need not wonder how much they've invested on the spare parts.

I then got parking and canvassed the parts. First buys were the signal lamps. It's Taiwan-made, so it's cheap, even from the box. Unfortunately, the shop didn't have the other missing pieces.

The journey took me to another shop that I soon wouldn't forget. For one thing, I won't buy my parts there anymore, even though they claim the parts as "surplus", or parts ripped off from junked cars.

First I ordered mirrors and fender lights. The shop told me to wait a while 'coz they were still "retrieving" the parts.

I wonder where they "retrieved" it.

Ten or so minutes later, the guy I ordered from showed up with two other guys. The guy told me he had to outsource, then told the guys to attach the mirrors... and they were quick...

...and it came from their deep pockets. WTF?!? And it was an established shop.

Another ten or fifteen minutes later, I grew restless. The fender lights were not yet in. I thought that perhaps they're still trying to pinch a fresh one.

So I decided to look at the other shops. Shop after shop, they told me they were out of those and were hard to find.

Then I stumbled upon a shop. The clerk looked friendly somewhat. He told me they got stock of it. But when I told him I'll get it, he told me to wait a while, then he rushed out. I thought he had stock.

Then the guy from the previous shop showed up and told me he got the surplus lights. Upon close inspection, I spotted a minute crack, barely noticeable. I showed it to the guy and rejected it. But the guy insisted that I won't find mint parts anywhere else, aside from the Japan originals costing five to ten times more.

I went back to the other shop and met the clerk. He told me the it was a hard find, so he wanted to up the price. Upon inspection, not even close inspection, I saw a huge crack on one piece, and a hole on the other. Where the f*** do they get those parts?

Upon rejecting the clerk's shitty lights, I went back to the guy earlier, had his lights attached, and paid up. At least the car is nice right now.

Although the car is nice right now, the pirates of Banawe haunt me. Were the parts truly "surplus"? Or is my assumption, that those were stolen parts, correct?

Dammit... I hope they're plain surplus...