[Jeep]

Crisply put across Sir. A super refined (then) engine was what caught my imagination - and used to wonder why 'Fiats' and 'Ambys' used to be loud even more than a decade after the M800 was launched :(

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

For its time the Maruti 800 was a hot car in terms of power to weight ratio, speed, acceleration and sheer reliability. You can't even imagine the difference between the steering column gear handle of the Ambassador versus a Maruti 800's floor shift.

[longhorn]

Originally Posted by Stribog

In 1971, with ZERO experience in this field, no degree, no nothing, the GoI awarded a contract to this unknown entity to produce 50k cars (when even as late as 1991, India had a total car sales of some 100,000, in the 70's, this was around 30k units per year). No tender, no competition...nothing! Cronyism max...and it is just the start.

Does Reliance Defence ring a bell ?

Originally Posted by Stribog

Now, they offered a prototype for testing...it failed all the tests, but no matter, safety mafety. The contract was upheld!

There is no other car from that era that could do a 30 km ghat section without overheating. Let us not compare the 1980's with today. Both are very very different eras. If anything, the Maruti 800 was a safer car compared to the Ambys and Fiats of the time. At the bare minimum, you could drive that thing from Kashmir to Kanyakumari non stop, knowing fully well that it wouldn't break down in the middle of nowhere. Crash safety is non existent in cars that costs many multiples over the humble 800 even today, so let's not go down that path.

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by longhorn

Does Reliance Defence ring a bell ?



There is no other car from that era that could do a 30 km ghat section without overheating. Let us not compare the 1980's with today. Both are very very different eras. If anything, the Maruti 800 was a safer car compared to the Ambys and Fiats of the time. At the bare minimum, you could drive that thing from Kashmir to Kanyakumari non stop, knowing fully well that it wouldn't break down in the middle of nowhere. Crash safety is non existent in cars that costs many multiples over the humble 800 even today, so let's not go down that path.

Lime I have said elsewhere, the Meera passed these very same tests and as proof of concept the industrialist who designed it, even drove it to Lonavala.

Some of the failures of this prototype (s) you seem to insist was above board,

1) no provision for draining water from the roof, a few times the passenger side caved in and flooded the interior.

2) Steering collapse

3) Total engine failure (the first engine used was a 6bhp two wheeler engine)

I could go on endlessly.

As bad as the Ambys and Padminis were, they weren't even on the same book, let alone page as this one.

One key reason for this? Sanjay Gandhi eschewed Engineers, he literally hired roadside, small time barely literate mechanics and used them to build his prototypes.

Edit - Reliance defense is not an apt equivalent.

For one, Dassault chose them to build a part of a wing, as a mandatory offset. It was not in contravention of any existing laws (unlike Sanjay's Maurti which broke a dozen different laws), given that there is very limited military industrial manufacturing here, companies with experience will be rare to find.

The same Dassault got into offset contracts with other companies with no or limited defense / aero production experience,

Maini is one, it had limited aerospace and experience and was primarily an auto parts maker. Samtel is another (a tv maker from the 70's that till 2006-7 it was awarded a part of 30mki avionics component, and later Rafale gave it a bigger chunk)

To compare Maruti 1 with the Dassault offset to reliance is a false equivalence

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by ajay99

Lot of misfacts and convoluted facts being said here.Manmohan singh became RBI governor only in 1982 and Pranabji Finance Minister in that period only. Janata government came to power in 1977.

The original commission enquiry report

https://indianculture.gov.in/report-...maruti-affairs

I have only covered 10% of the misdeeds of Maruti here.

I might have not explained the chronology fully for sake of brevity but not a single fact in there is misplaced.

You can read the 145 page report yourself if you are interested.

If you would prefer a shorter media investigation report from that era,

https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/c...663-2014-08-06

This covers the highlights and again you will see, not a single fact has been misplaced, I have only omitted many.

Mods, apologies on the back to back quotes please do merge the same.

[ajay99]

Originally Posted by Stribog

The original commission enquiry report
https://indianculture.gov.in/report-...maruti-affairs
I might have not explained the chronology fully for sake of brevity but not a single fact in there is misplaced.
This covers the highlights and again you will see, not a single fact has been misplaced, I have only omitted many.

The enquiry report was submitted in 1979 and you are stating that Manmohan singh was involved as RBI governor which he became only 3 years after the report. Same is the case with Pranab Mukherjee.You are talking about the 1974-1977 era and the MUL in 1982 had only little to do with that. please dont try to confuse.

[blackwasp]

Thanks to wmayuresh for sending this images in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

I was going through this post about the Maruti 800 and I would like to share my memory with our family car from 20 years ago.

Maruti 800 has special place in my heart as I learnt to drive on this car, had my first picnic with college folks in our 800, first puncture and my first accident too(small one).

Earlier, we had Premier Padmini which was itself 20 years old. I still remember that, when we (me and my brother) had to push Maruti 800 the first time, we were happy. It was featherweight compared to the Padmini. We had to push start our Fiat very frequently.

Now, I can't imagine how I used to fit in the car. Sharing our photo with the car.

[4WheelPilot]

The Maruti 800 was also our first car which my father bought in 1995. Back then Maruti meant Maruti 800(M 800) except for the Esteem which few could afford.
The M800 was effortless to drive. 80 km/hr in it felt like 120 km/hr in cars these days. It was either M800 or M800 AC and those who had M800 AC would just swagger around with the Windows rolled up. I learned to drive in it and how can I forget the Nitro boost effect that switching off AC would give!
We had ours for 11 years and then exchanged it for a Santro

[RGK]

Originally Posted by chennai-indian

When I was studying in Yercaud (a hill station) have got stuck on the ghat roads many a time in our Amby with radiator water boing over.

OT: Ambassador got rid of this problem after installing bigger radiators. Most of us would have noticed water filled cement tanks on the Tirupathi - Thirumala ghat road during that time.

[alphadog]

Great nostalgic thread remembering a truly iconic car, not because it was such a good vehicle, but because it was a break from the symbols of socialist subjugation and symbol of hope for the future; taking our country out of 30 odd years of license raj and all the other ills which were characteristic of the preceding times.

It was my fathers first car and my first car too. My dad bought the M800, red colour, in 1986 and if I remember right he paid a princely sum of INR 84000 for it, give or take. We had done a lot of family road trips in it and I never remember it ever letting us down. We were in Chennai at that time and the first time we brought it to small town Kerala during vacation, it was met with a lot of curious glances and stares. The feeling was nothing short of the feeling I expect one would get when driving around in a luxury supercar now.

My dad got me a Navy blue colour M800, in the later 90s, for my commute to Medical college. Lots of fond memories associated with it long drives with friends, dates, girl friends, late night drives and escapades along the east coast road towards Mahabalipuram from Chennai and what not. That car had been through thick and thin with me. My partner in crime. Sigh!

Dad sold his car in late 90s and moved on to the jelly-bean shaped Zen and since then has been a steadfast loyal fan of the brand - Swift, SX4 and now the latest Ertiga. I sold mine in 2001, when I moved to the UK for higher training. I wish I had held on to mine.

Cheerio!

[rohitoasis]

We have a 1996 Navy Blue M800. Dad bought it just before his retirement. It was ridden rarely inside the airforce base and very sparingly even outside of it in the last 24 years. She graces our garage, but is barely used.

This is her at our ancestral home.


Dad is too attached to the car. I Did take the car once and lost an indicator in a small brush up. Never again have i driven that car. Anyway i don't drive cars as i prefer two wheelers for my needs. (Blame the traffic and tolls). This car rests most of the days and is started once a week to keep the battery in working condition. She is mechanically sound.

Dad is finding the job of re registering the car very taxing and yesterday; told me that he wishes to sell off the car. Came as a bit of a shock to me. though i don't drive. I never thought of parting ways with the car. In my younger days, i had imagined doing a proper restomod on it. Though i realise the impracticality of maintaining the car, I am in a state of bewilderment since yesterday.

[salilpawar1]

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

We have a 1996 Navy Blue M800. Dad bought it just before his retirement. It was ridden rarely inside the airforce base and very sparingly even outside of it in the last 24 years. She graces our garage, but is barely used.

This is her at our ancestral home.
Attachment 2113035

Dad is too attached to the car. I Did take the car once and lost an indicator in a small brush up. Never again have i driven that car. Anyway i don't drive cars as i prefer two wheelers for my needs. (Blame the traffic and tolls). This car rests most of the days and is started once a week to keep the battery in working condition. She is mechanically sound.

Dad is finding the job of re registering the car very taxing and yesterday; told me that he wishes to sell off the car. Came as a bit of a shock to me. though i don't drive. I never thought of parting ways with the car. In my younger days, i had imagined doing a proper restomod on it. Though i realise the impracticality of maintaining the car, I am in a state of bewilderment since yesterday.

Don't understand why renewing its registration should be a problem. Please consult a good agent either from Kerala or TN who does paperwork for vintage & classic cars. He will guide you through the process for sure.

Most 'new-age' agents don't want to take the pain of doing old school work but are happy minting money with online transactions which require minimal visits to the RTO.

Looking at the pic, your dad's car is a keeper and should be kept pristine as much as possible. There is an active base of fans of this generation of 800, me including.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by rohitoasis

Dad is finding the job of re registering the car very taxing and yesterday; told me that he wishes to sell off the car. Came as a bit of a shock to me. though i don't drive. I never thought of parting ways with the car. In my younger days, i had imagined doing a proper restomod on it. Though i realise the impracticality of maintaining the car, I am in a state of bewilderment since yesterday.

I am not sure what is the issue here. A few months ago, I re-registered my 2005 Baleno1.6 in Kerala (after transferring it from TN regn) by myself without any agents or hassles.

Just look up the Kerala MVD site for the forms needed, print them, fill them out, pay the relevant fees at the RTO and take the car for RTO FC inspection. Please ensure the car paint is good without any dents or nicks (if so, get them touched / painted by a denter/painter), all lights (parking, front Lo/Hi, Reverse, Brake, Indicators, Hazard) work, Emission certificate & Insurance are current and engine starts without issues. You are done.

Why don't you do most of the heavy hauling work & take your Dad only for the FC testing part where I think owner needs to be present.

You have a nice car. Keep it.

And btw drive it. It is pointless to just garage a car and start it weekly to keep the battery good. Use it atleast once a week.

EDIT : Just noticed the TN-21 plates on the car. Seeing your location as Palakkad, I assumed it is a KL car.
If indeed it is KL now, my above points still apply.

But if it is TN, you have 2 options :
1) Get the help of an agent and get it FC-ed in TN itself for 2021-26.
This is easy, though might cost some fees. But same problem will recur in 2026.

2) Get an NOC from TN, register her in KL and get FC done. Which is what I did for my car - the full procedure at this link
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4972748 (Moving a car between States - Transfer, road tax, refund etc.)

[shortbread]

Some of Maruti's greatest gems were resultant of circumstances rather than by design, perhaps just like how the company was born.

Some really niche cult models like the Gypsy King, Kizashi, Zen D, Zen Carbon/Steel (3 door variants), high roof Omini.....

One such number was the 12 valve 5 speed 800. Overnight India's favourite first car became a hot hatch. With questionable brakes and suspension the car was a hoot to drive.

[discoverwild]

Still have our 1991 4-speed M800 being driven around by my uncle (father's brother). Used only for local roundabouts. The quality was definitely better than what's being dished out today in the lower models. More a sentimental value in memory of my father.

[rohitoasis]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

You have a nice car. Keep it.

EDIT : Just noticed the TN-21 plates on the car. Seeing your location as Palakkad, I assumed it is a KL car.
If indeed it is KL now, my above points still apply.

Convinced dad to keep it and started the process for doing fitness. First checkpoint was doing the pollution testing. Hit a roadblock. The pollution testing being connected to Vahan, they noted that the vehicle is registered as a diesel even though the RC book and all other documents are listed as petrol. They refused to give the pollution certificate. I am assuming i would have to get the documents to the RTO to get the Vahan updated before i get a pollution test certificate or do i have to get the vehicle driven to the RTO to get it done? Could anyone shed some light on this?