Toyota Starlet KP61 - My story

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It was raining so heavily. I was drenched in a car that was over 20 years old. The air conditioning was not working. The compressor had been stripped down by my father because it was beyond repair.

We were moving out from Alor Setar to Kuala Lumpur. We had very little money left, even to pay the movers. So there was me, carrying the balance of stuff that didn't make it in the first trip (initially, all the stuff was moved using a van). I drove a 1985 Starlet with windows down on the highway in heavy rain. Behind me, there were coffee table sets, some chairs, etc. It was full. I couldn't even see what was behind the car.

I was driving carefully to avoid losing control. The car was wobbly. Maybe the suspensions and tires were at their limit already. However, I just kept moving.

The engine was a 1.3-liter engine and only had about 46kW (62hp) or whatever was left in it after being 20 years old. On the other hand, the car only had a 4-speed manual gearbox. Nevertheless, this pocket rocket still managed to run up to 140km/h.

The rain stopped eventually. I kept driving on the highway until Ipoh. Then I exited and continued to drive via the old road. I was trying to save money on tolls.

I was about to reach Tapah when suddenly a patrol car signaled me to pull over. Damn. What have I done? Was I speeding? Maybe. The speed limit on this old road is ridiculously low. I thought I must have driven more than 80km/h just now.

I obeyed the patrol car and pulled over at the petrol station.

"May I see your license, sir?" asked the policeman.

"Where are you from and where are you heading to? What are all these things you put in your car?" he asked again.

"We are moving out, sir. From Alor Setar to Kuala Lumpur. These are all my family's stuff. I'm helping them," I answered.

I was trying to look calm, but God knows I am terrified when facing the police. Yes, you know you've done nothing wrong. But that feeling of wondering what you've done wrong is terrible.

"OK. But this is dangerous. You shouldn't put too many things in the car like this. Plus, you can't even see what is behind you," he replied.

"I know, sir. But... errr... I don't have a choice. We had to move out already. We don't have much money left to get the movers for all these things. If not, we have to leave them. My mom would not be happy with it..." I explained. I was trying to gain his sympathy as well as trying to make him understand the situation I'm in.

"Hmm.. I understand. Supposedly I can't let you go like this. Just be careful then. Have a safe journey," he replied politely.

I felt relieved.

"Tq sir. I will keep that in mind."

From there, I continued the journey to Kuala Lumpur. I reached at night, almost 7 hours of a journey. I'm glad. The car is still reliable even though it is old. I think that's what makes me believe Toyota always builds quality cars. No matter how you push it, it still delivers."