[Vintagesoul]

Originally Posted by joshtronic

Guys just a curious question, how do the 3 carburettors compare ie Nikki, Mikuni and Pacco, like not technical figures, just driving comfort and feel, also as compared to the MPFI system? Is it possible to install the MPFI system on a carburetted car or is that too technical?

Hello Joshtronic ,
The nikki carburettor is powerful and has a good driveability, servicing the Nikki is again a task as the spares aren't available now a days.

The Mikuni infact is the same carburettor design of the maruti 800 and esteem with just some changes in Idle jet , pilot jet , primary and secondary jet and the venturies with a larger throttle body but holding the same petrol chamber of the maruti type. This is very economical and easier to maintain and gives good FE.

So you have to decide between power or Fuel factors.

The kpacco is a replica carburettor of mikuni which is not reliable at all.

Meanwhile switching over to mpfi with existing engine setup will be very difficult and it is better to buy an engine and swap. The process is complex

Thanks and regards
Armaan

[UB_007]

Restored my 1995 Contessa

I have been owning this Contessa for last 12 years and she never disappointed me. Without fail the engine roars in single crank every single time. Back in 2016 when I relocated to Germany for job, the car was moved to my parents home where my father used to occasionally start the car, move it a few meters and then park again. It is a stock 1.8L Isuzu petrol engine with no power steering. This made it difficult for my dad to drive her around. I occasionally drove when I came down for holidays.
Here is how she looked back then




As we live in coastal area, over time the salt content in the air triggered rust on the body and in 2 to 3 years she had rust patches all over. Even in this condition the engine cranked up without any problems.
In 2022 when I returned for good, I wanted to give her a new look. I also wanted to change her color from white. The interior also had to be done since the original cloth seats had fungus and had deteriorated over time. My daughter who is 10 is very much fond of this car and at time when I thought of selling it, she wanted to keep it.
I started enquiring around on who could restore the car in Udupi (Karnataka). Not many wanted to do the job since it is time consuming, and they were not sure if the parts were available.
After some search found Santhosh, who runs a workshop called Good Gear in Udupi. He agreed to take up the job and told me it may take 6 months to 1 year (eventually it took almost 2 years ). Only condition to him was no modifications. I wanted to maintain the stock condition of the car.

After first assessment, the major work on the car were listed down.
- Body work was needed, to scrape rust, tinkering and then painting.
- Interiors and the roof cushioning had to be re-done.
- I asked him to do the wiring new
- Headlights and lamps had to be replaced
- Air conditioner had to be serviced
- Carburetor had to be cleaned
- Fuel tank had some leak and had to be fixed along with fuel level indicator
- Needed new tires 175/70R13 (Not a standard size in todays cars)

Engine and gearbox were still in mint condition and we could drive the car to the workshop.
Soon the work started. Choosing a color that everyone agreed upon was challenging. I wanted a subtle looking color (similar to former Vauxhall Victor) and I picked Metallic Blue. My wife wanted to keep it White, and my daughter's favorite was maroon. Going through multiple photos and reviews, we finally settle on blue. The closest color of my choice was of New Wagon R, the pool side blue.
New parts were procured from Delhi, Mumbai, Cochin and Germany.
Getting her ready took almost 2 years.

Tinkering work in progress


Rust and a big hole cleaned up on A-pillar.


Getting ready for painting


Tinkering, painting, Interior work, window rubber beading/felt, and 4 new tires costed me roughly 70% of the total restoration cost. Other jobs were minor but time consuming. Fixing the front windscreen with rubber beading was quite the craftsmanship. The windscreen glass was the original brown tinted curved glass which to be frank I was really scared that they would break it. But they did a good job.

Finally, she was ready, and we had a test drive. Cruises quite comfortably on highways. Had no issue in last 6 months. I love the attention we get when she is on road. Random people walk by and start conversing.






And here I present the studio picture


Interior pic. I am still looking for nice classic window winder handle. Tough to find.



Finally Santhosh and his team who worked on the restoration. We have become good friends now.


What I learnt during this time is, patience is the key for any restoration and you need to get your hands dirty, otherwise nothing progresses.

[hemanth.anand]

Ah! Finally you got time to pen down the restoration journey. Lovely to see a classic this condition. Congratulations

Like I mentioned when me met last, please look at adding more chrome. While I hate chrome on modern cars, Chrome is what adds character to classics.

[rakesh_r]

She looks beautiful. I always had a fondness towards Contessa, we used to joke that the Ignition key is as long as the car .
Just a suggestion, if possible try to get some good alloys, something subtle.

[Rev2Serenity]

Kudos... That's a beauty! Much deserved restoration for a legendary vehicle.
I guess I have seen this car in a workshop near Santhekatte, Udupi while it was under restoration. Am I correct? Was drooling over it while my car was there to fit an Android system and was wondering if the owner is a TEAMBHP member.

[Vinod_nair]

Wonderful restoration, attention to detail, OEM 2 spoke stearing wheel and dashboard.

Is the transmission 4 speed? Why don't you try PS to make life easier Old school Wagon R unit should be a direct fit.

[Archisman]

Wonderful pics. Car looks awesome