[Ram]

Does anybody remember the old Delhi Phatphatiyas (फटफटिया)
They were three wheeled passenger vehicles, a sort of tonga powered by a powerful motorcycle engine. The front half of the motorcycle was bolted to a strong tubular chassis and the engine powered a garishly decorated wagon that would seat upto twelve passengers.

It was like a baby version of the Willys MB and CJ3B Jeep based Manila Jeepney from the Republic of the Philippines.

The Indian Motorcycle Mfg. Co. is USA's oldest motorcycle brand. Back in those days they were the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles.

Some of these found their way into (the real) India and became phatphatiyas in Delhi, Raipur, etc.

A very popular model was the 1922-1953 Chief.
They had a 1000 cc engine. Some very rare ones had a 1300 cc V-twin.

There was also a model called Indian Scout. The British brought this to India as a pre-independence time military motorcycle. This had a 500 cc engine.

The motorcycle platforms in Delhi of the sixties and seventies were Indian Chief and Indian Scout motorcycles.

I remember some had a floor-shift gear lever like a car or Jeep.

Here is a Kutchhi phatphatiya roofless cargo truck based on the Royal-Enfield Bullet.




Does anybody have old photographs and memories of the Old Delhi phatphatiya to share? I understand you can still see some in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

Ram

[DCEite]

Diesel Autos still ply on Gurgaon (infact they are the only source of public transport here other than Call center cabs). Even they are called PhatPhatiyas here.

P.S. Cant see any pics.

[sajo]

Originally Posted by ram

I remember some had a floor-shift gear lever like a car or Jeep.

A floor shift??
But then again, some American oldies (i am not an expert on bikes) did have a shifter near the tank...am I right?

[V-16]

Originally Posted by sajo

A floor shift??
But then again, some American oldies (i am not an expert on bikes) did have a shifter near the tank...am I right?

Thats what ram meant when he said floor shift. Most of the indian chiefs had their shifters mounted near the tank and were shifted by the hand.

in punjab and haryana, even today there is a localised version of a rural taxi made called the ''JUGGAD". this is an open 4 wheeler used by mixing and matching parts of different vehicles like, make the chassis home, use a generator or a pump for an engine, driveshaft of another etc etc. costs a lac and a half and does 40-50 kph

[tsk1979]

Its called a "Bhoond", or a wasp. Still run in Haryana, though mostly being replaced by Maruta, which is a diesel genset mounted on a bullock cart chassis.

[iraghava]

This is what a "Jugaad" looks like:

[low_bass_makker]

it is having more power than the tata 407

[manikjeet]

One question
have seen many on my way to my pind (village) but none for them have a number plate

do they have a rc
and next time i will go to my pind i would drive one of these and write a review on them
low_bass_makker
i am very much sure it has more power than a tata 407

(and ma 200th post 800 to go more)

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by low_bass_makker

it is having more power than the tata 407

Well from the looks of it, its powered by a 5 or 7.5hp Diesel Genset Engine so of course, it can't be more powerful than the 407. But then can't be sure about it!! Maybe the engine is a CRDi unit out of an old last gen E-class

[doctorkats]

some 'jugads' have a diesel genset engine and a 'charpai' for seating! (four wooden legged indian cot with a jute rope seating).
the joys of improvising and the pleasures of lounging!

[Ram]

...some more thoughts

Lots of humans can learn to manipulate the controls of a vehicle and drive.
India is known to have a large number of unlettered illiterates.

But it would seem that, basic intelligence and mechanical engineering skills are not restricted to the hallowed portals of our institutes and universities.

These rural folk are driven by a modest budget, access to a pile of parts and an overpowering need for the vehicle. And lo and presto -- a Jugaad, a Phatphatiya, a Marutaa, a Chakdo see the light of day!!

jugaaDa

ChakDaa

Chakdas (Chakdo in Gujarati) can carry up to 20 people (illegal and usually covered by a bribe), and all kinds of huge loads. Apparently, they are available round the clock and at every important junction in Saurashtra and Kutch.

This has a gross vehicle weight of 1 ton, powered by a single cylinder 395 cc diesel/kerosene.

The educated mind expects that to plan, conceptualize and build an automobile, one would need knowledge and skills in engineering drawing and design (be it paper or CAD), and a formal education in the necessary paraphernalia: Applied Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, Engineering Simulation, Engineering Graphics and Design and understanding of Friction, Lubrication and Metal Forming.

On the one hand, there is our organized educated world of auto folks -- people that swear by computer-based design, static and transient dynamic finite-element analysis and computer-based vibration-accoustic simulation. Yours truly, worked for such a company in Pune, a couple of years ago. We designed and analyzed aluminium bodies for a big European sports and racing car company.

BMW, Porsche, DaimlerChrysler and AUDI, Volvo, Fiat, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Toyota, Honda, and Ford, Tata, M&M and GoodYear tires rely on Dassault CATIA PLM/CAD CAM CAE software, Finite element analysis software like ANSYS, ABAQUS and NASTRAN, LS-Dyna -- a transient dynamic finite element program for simulating complex real world problems and LMS SYSNOISE simulation software for vibro-acoustic performance troubleshooting and design optimization.

On the other hand, there is this amazing contrast of sorts -- that our nation's unlettered artisans can rivet and weld together from odds and ends, vehicles to mobilize the nation of one billion, vehicles that bear loads and are capable of driver controlled movement, acceleration, deceleration and braking to a halt without loss of life or limb. What a pendulum swing!

Kudos to our people!

Ram

[Ram]

Friends, what do you think of this kewl phatphatiya?

[moralfibre]

Are these phatphatiyas, et al street legal? Do they have registration numbers? When in Ghaziabad for 2 days, I spotted a roofless, flat bed, buffalo carrier made out of a similar concept that I see in pictures here. I stepped 10 feet away to secure myself .

The last phatphatiya based on a Beetle looks cool.

[sujaylahiri]

Some of them could use some aerodynamics, like a rear spoiler.

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Are these phatphatiyas, et al street legal? Do they have registration numbers?

No and No!!

Originally Posted by moralfibre

When in Ghaziabad for 2 days, I spotted a roofless, flat bed, buffalo carrier made out of a similar concept that I see in pictures here. I stepped 10 feet away to secure myself .

When were you here? And anyways it's nothing to be scared out, it doesn't bite!!!!