Last July, I took my 1981 Toyota Starlet to the Autotouch (located at No. 69 Mac Arthur Highway corner Del Monte avenue, Malabon City) for a major body work.

During the 15 years I’ve owned it, the Starlet’s little body shell was twice subjected to a major painting job. It was already colored yellow when I acquired it from my late father’s "stock exchange" buddy Florentino Tan.

Sonny Oliveros of AutoTouch applied a "2K finish" paint material for a wet look surface. Because of its yellow color, many called the Starlet "Tweety." The underchassis was meticulously painted with rust proofing.

The Starlet has undergone engine replacement for its original single carburetor 3k 1300cc to a more powerful and very reliable 5k 1500 series with twin down fuel system which is still in top shape up to now. Striking chrome finish dominates the engine room. To retain its originality, nothing was altered in engine mounting and propeller shaft.

The magwheels were also changed from the six-inch wide Mini-Lite design to a set of five spoke AMG Commodore series that was a hit in the ‘80s. Now it runs on sleek 185/R13 Series 50 Yokohama tires. To complement the original Starlet Japan-made Murakami side mirrors, the AMG magwheels were painted gun metal black. Luckily, I found a brand new set of original Koito tail lights during endless scouring along the Banawe stretch in Quezon City.

Another Starlet component that was a hit in the 1980s which I preserved is the center roof-mounted Bosch Antenna. Although the old two-spoke steering wheel has been changed, it was replaced by a wood Momo Indy series which has also come to extinction.

The seats are slightly modified, now having the Concept One bucket seats paired with Concept One four-point seatbelts. But I made sure that the mocha-shaded leather seats were properly matched with the rest of the car’s classic light brown interiors.

The sensitive aspect of restoration of old cars lies on dashboard repair. Twenty-five years after it rolled out from the Toyota Delta Motor Corporation, my Starlet’s dashboard remains intact.

And probably the hardest part in the Starlet’s restoration was looking for the original set of chrome front and rear bumpers with plastic ends. It took me three years to complete them and the price was unimaginable.

And why on earth was I retaining a 25-year-old car when the expenses I incurred can buy a late model second hand that comes with less headache?

It’s the story behind the Starlet that keeps us together amid tempting offers from interested buyers.

Eighteen years as a reporter of Manila Bulletin, this Starlet has never let me down. From covering coup d’états to super typhoons, my Starlet seemed impenetrable from bullets and it "floated" on floods to keep me safe.

There were times I had tires blown up and cracked rims, an electrical short circuit that triggered fire in the engine room, and even an incident of smash up with a dump truck – but the Starlet never stalled and still brought me home.

To add more color to its historic past, famous personalities rode my Starlet. Among them were former Tarlac Governor Margarita "Tingting" Cojuangco on a short ride inside Camp Aguinaldo. Another was controversial figure Mary Ong, a former government agent, at the height of the Senate investigation on the drug controversy.

On Jan. 21, the Starlet will be at the centerstage of the Grand Alumni Homecoming of Don Bosco Makati Batch 1981. This year’s theme is "Staying Alive," a hit song of the Bee Gees in the 80s.

Vanity plates with the Don Bosco seal in between the 19-81 markings will be proudly displayed in front and at the rear of the Starlet.

There will be a toast for the 25 years of lasting friendships among us classmates, and my "Tweety" – now in its "classic" year – will be a part of it.