Manila Auto Salon | Sights & Highlights

The Manila Auto Salon 2019 is finally open together with the Sport and Truck Show this weekend will certainly be a busy sightseeing expo for friends and family. For the car enthusiast the annual event will definitely bring some nostalgia that grew up with classic cars at the same time aspire to see something new and exotic. This event also brings the interest for those in the Sport Utility Vehicles with the wide range of vendors with never before custom trucks that you can only find in this event. This is not just your usual automotive event as it offers some interesting sights & highlights.

Auto Journals | Slow Wednesday Grind

It was just any other Wednesday as I go down the stairs from the locker room as he mechanic I assited with the pre-dev double checked what I did from yesterday. He torque the wheels on the pre-delivery of the 2018 red Mazda 3 before brought it down the basement. The day seemed to be fast but it’s also the part when things become slow in-between. It’s challenging to compare it from last year when there was no down time in sight. But this always comes to any job either in the workshop or in any industry there will always going to be those days when everything was slow.

Auto Journals | OJT Week at Reynella Mazda

On-Job Placement week once again at Reynella Mazda and the experience was a learning experience the last time I was here. Though as an apprentice there’s much more to learn about becoming a technician and this is the place I also enjoyed it. Being a mechanic or a technician as some dealership defines this job takes a lot of knowledge and skill to become one. This time around it’s more about being familiar with the process in servicing a vehicle. Besides that have the patience in taking each process as an additional work experience.

Jafs Last Cruise | End of the Year Ride

Jaf’s Last Cruise is an annual event held at the parking lot of Westfield Tea Tree Gully, which originated as a usual hang-out between car guys that become a phenomenal gathering for anything that has something to do with automotive. The event for this year surely will be a big one, which usually happens on Boxing Day in South Australia.

Auto Journals | Last Day Training

Last day for the placement and its going to be another hectic time for Mazda Reynella, which doesn’t come easy though the last four days was educational getting to know how working as a mechanic is fast pace and sometimes too much down time. But that’s how life being employed in a workshop offers a different perspective. It may be end of the week for everyone, but not here at Mazda Reynella as they’re opened until Saturday. Though with a bit of short working hours still their dedication to accommodate servicing over the weekend means they’re here to help with your car.

Auto Journal | Getting Over Thursday

When you work as a diagnostic technician or a mechanic it’s a challenging job. It takes a lot of effort and management to get things done. At Mazda Reynella it’s a team effort that make the servicing a well-oiled machine. Thursday was one of those days that give you understanding that this ob doesn’t come as easy as anyone thought. But personally it was a rewarding experience getting to know the people at the workshop. At the same time having that patience to keep things together is essential in a very demanding work environment.

Auto Journal | Learning Experience

Like any Wednesday it was a hump day going through the middle of the week on the third day of the placement at Mazda Reynella. The momentum through the servicing of vehicles was fairly right on target with different kinds of tasked was given to each car that went in the workshop. There where instances that between the services it was just dead stop pretty much no cars coming in. But yesterday was a full on the development and learning thanks to Dylan, one of the technicians who was generous about sharing his inputs.

Auto Journal | Workshop Life

Tuesday rolled in with a pending job for a vehicle and at the same time new ones being parked on each bay area. It wasn’t that full-on when work started yesterday it was more like a slow grind for most of the apprentice technicians who worked on each of the cars assigned for them. I assisted on the cars handled by Dylan, being generous and accommodating without the need for permission from his workshop foreman he was gracious enough to let me be his assistant for the rest of the day.

Auto Journal | Vocational Training

The “Vocational Placement” at TAFE is part of the requirement for the Light Vehicle Course. It’s also a requirement from immigration to take this as part of the curriculum in completing the studies in related to become an automotive technician. This also gives the would-be apprentice the knowledge in applying all the skills in becoming a skilled mechanic. The first day would have been light with the workload, but the day would become full when the cars rolled over the workshop for some quick servicing. The apprentice at Mazda Reynella is all set and ready for the day.

Auto Journal | Orientation & Site Visit

Yesterday was the orientation for the studies in Light Vehicles Technology at TAFE Regency Park. The orientation not only covers what to expect in the course study, but also a site visit of the facilities will be used during the upcoming semester. Jaime Campbell is the lecturer who will be handling the International Students and first impression is the man is passionate with automotive from motorbikes to his adoration for cars down to modifying and racing machines that a true ‘motor head’ can be defined about what the course is all about.