Introducing: "Black Betty"

The day after I got back from my teachers camp, I headed over to Gwangju with my friend and Korean mentor, Riann, and went car shopping.

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Objects in the mirror...

I was hoping to get a Kia Sportage, but after meeting a couple of Rianns Korean friends, they convinced me that the Hyundai has the more reliable engine and is better value for money. Personally I think it may just be their bias, as they both work for Hyundai... but I went along with it.

The car: Hyundai Galloper Inter-cooled, turbo-charged, 2.6L diesel, short-wheel-base 4WD.

The car I bought is basically the same as Riann's and he's had no troubles with it so far. I figure it's handy having someone with the same make of car anyway.

So after a half hour of looking, we came across a car that looked perfect. A little more than I wanted to pay, but certainly not out of my budget. Of course the offer for a test drive was put forward and we happily took it.

Unhappily, before we even left the parking lot, we found the engine wasn't running so well. Then Riann realized there was no fuel left... That must
be the problem.

After some running around, the car is finally fueled... but still not running well. We finally decide the battery isn't charged.

Volts are a bit low VRRRrrrrrrrooooommm

All the while the used car dealer is trying to tell us he will reduce the cost of the car by the amount of a battery and wanting me to sign the papers then and there. We tell him, there is no way we will buy the car without taking it out for a test drive first. He seems to have difficulty understanding this concept, but eventually agrees to let Riann put the batter from his car into this one so we can test it. The used car dealers seem surprised that we know how to do this. I get the feeling they don't know much about what goes on under the hood.

So the new battery goes in and she's now purring like a kitten. You know... that deep throaty growl that lions sometimes get. This is a diesel after all.

Off we go on a test run, and right away it's apparent that the
intercooled,

turbo engine

has much more grunt than Riann's. After a good run round the streets, highways and a quarry that we got kicked out of, we decided this was a very good deal.

A couple more hours of negotiating and I drove out with my new car.

I'm a happy man.

So Please say "HI" to my new car.....

"Black Betty"