Toyota Starlet. MOT, preservation and sustainability

The phone rings early in the morning. I have just arrived at my workplace with the Peugeot 107 loan. Auto Verhaag, with Daniel. He calls me. An initial inspection of the Toyota Starlet 1.3i Sport has shown that something needs to be done to approve the car MOT.

The Japanese is almost 25 years young, has driven 242.000 kilometers and feels fresh motor and mechanically. Yet it is the Starlet necessary upgrades. I had already noticed that the car collapsed deeper than usual when accelerating at the rear. Furthermore, one of the springs at the front was at the beginning of its latin, although little was noticeable while driving. One of the axle sleeves was also cooked. I had neatly mounted the Vredestein straps at the back and they needed to be replaced. And later the handbrake cable showed a tiny crack. Add to that the clutch fluid had to be replaced and the Toyota needed a little turn, then you know it. The MOT plus turn for the Starlet would cost something.

I quickly made a calculation and split the work into maintenance and repair. Shock absorbers, tires, small service, clutch fluid? Maintenance. Suspension, axle cover, parking brake cable and dashboard lights? Yes, those are repair costs. But again: almost 25 years. In that perspective, maintenance is not so bad. Of course I consulted with my wife, but that was for the form. Because I knew she was the same about it as I was. In addition, I invested a lot in the past three years. And I did that for the long haul, not the Starlet tomorrow to put aside. I called Daniël Verhaag back within twenty minutes. Just make it right.

Really. Even now I had seen a few things coming. But a car over twenty years old sometimes needs a repair. That all makes sense. Yet you get questions like: "Is it still worth it?" Such questions are certainly not pointless. But a Toyota Starlet does offer the assurance that you will never be on the hook for thousands of Euros. And that you don't have to buy a replacement that you don't know what to expect. You can hardly drive more economically.

The base of the Starlet is also still fine. And technically the car is more than good enough to keep it on track. Maintenance and occasional repairs are the basic conditions for this. And the nice side effect is that you can sometimes do something about the Starlet yourself.

I have been coming to Auto Verhaag in Leeuwarden for years and that is not without reason. This time, too, because everything was fine again. The service-oriented craftsmen made the Toyota fresh again and that at an entirely acceptable price. The Starlet is good again for a few years of carefree driving, for pizazz and for a smile on the face. Really, there will certainly be something again with the Toyota. In the short term, something has to be done at the back of the right sill. And the boot lid needs new gas dampers. That's all. There are plenty of reasons to continue to reap the benefits of good and punctual maintenance. This, in combination with some repairs, extends the life of older cars for a long time.

For me, that's the sustainability idea. Do long with your stuff and take care of it normally. It is easy to put into practice. And the reward is great: you never have to say goodbye to a car that gives you a lot, a lot of fun. And what you attach great importance to. The Starlet offers pure and multiple fun. If you only see it. There is one more thing that makes an investment in conservation worthwhile: this Toyota belies more than once the premise that younger is often better. And also puts the sustainability idea in a different perspective.