My love affair with the Safari. Ah! Thanks a ton guys. I am trying to write my travelogue here as you have requested. But I have been thinking, why restrict it to that? Let me tell you all about my interest and love affair with Tata’s very own Safari.
Let me start by introducing myself. I am Hemanta Borah, born in 1980 to a middle class family in Guwahati. Like most middle class families, all we could afford then was the Maruti 800. And I, like most guys who love wheels, wanted my cars to be big, along the X,Y and Z axes. I swore to myself, I am going to become big and buy a Tata Sumo (The largest “car” I had seen till then). Till my father took me to the Auto Expo in Guwahati in 1998. Tata had just launched the Safari and there she was, pristine sparkling metallic red. It was love at first sight for me and I swore again, Tata Safari or nothing. This had been my motivation to work hard and get somewhere in life – so that I could buy myself a Safari. (I got busy having way too much fun during Graduation to be studying hard – 18 year old living alone in Delhi – can be forgiven na). But after I screwed my grads, I learnt the hard way. “Career banana padega”.
I studied hard. Went to India’s top B-School. And by the grace of God, like anyone in my batch, earned okay enough to buy myself a used Tata Safari. It was a white 2001 LX 4x2, picked up 3 hours before my first salary in Bangalore (That was 2005). And boy was I happy. Did entire south of India on weekends. Even bosses knew well not to call me up on weekends. Loads of female fans. Tata Safari. Ah! Wha else does a 25 year old want? Life was bliss. Till one morning, ten months later, I wake up in the morning, look out, and see – no car. Stolen. **##**. Lodged an FIR straight away. But you know Bangalore police na. To make matters worse, my insurance had lapsed. So double whammy.
At the same time, infact the same day, I got a great job offer in Mumbai. Almost double the pay. And I had no choice but to take it up. Which meant that I could not pester the Indiranagar P.S. cops to find my car. So I had to let her go. I reached Mumbai, sad and angry. And the only way I could say “**** you destiny” was to buy another Safari. I booked a Dicor LX 4X4 in Mumbai, but friends asked me to wait for the 2.2. I thought, good idea. Till I went to cancel my booking when the Chandivali showroom guys said – they could not return my 50K as they had already ordered the car. (The consumer court case was another story, and I got 40k back 3 months hence). But I could not wait, and I searched all over Mumbai for a used Safari. Could not find a good 4x4. So picked up my 2004 EX 4x2 for 4 odd lakhs from a used car dealer. Only 36000 km done. This is the car I am using currently. (My cousins call her Rumblebee).
Picked her up the day before Diwali, 2006. The same night, my mechanical engineer cousin had come down from Pune. We bought 52 Weekends from Mumbai, picked up a random page. Daman. What we did immediately, you all can figure out right?
Likewise, every weekend my car did atleast 1000 kms. And ~100 kms every day commute (Mulund -> Fort). Life was good. Tata Safari. Lots of Female attention. What else does a 26 year old need?
Now 29. Still enjoying the same car. But it was not without its fair share of misery. But as I said, this has been a love affair.
My 2001 LX had been absolutely trouble free. Did not go to the garage even once. I just had to work on the Bushes once, in addition to the usual servicings. 56,000kms to 80,000 kms– all I spent on was diesel and maintenance.
Rumblebee I call my fussy girlfriend. But my lawyer girlfriend I never find fussy. I have a lot of fun with Rumblebee, provided I am patient with her “nakhras”. She let me down and stranded only once from 36000kms to 85000 kms. I will post the detailed ownership review and my travelogue tomorrow.
Rumblebee:
Tata Safari Tcic - 4x2 EX
Model: 2004
Crash Guard: Carryboy
Sun Film: 3M
Gear Lock: Minda
Seats and Door Trim: Black Art(ificial) Leather (Milan Subway)
ICE:
Sony DVD MEX1000 (Only mistake)
Necvox 7 inch screen
Front Door: Stock (Blaupunkt/Alpine speakers and tweeters)
Rear Door: Sony Coaxial
Pioneer 4 channel Amp
Pioneer 5 way ovals, JBL 3 way ovals
Pioneer mono Amp
JBL 12 inch 1200W subwoofer in Boombox
Stock 8 inch subwoofer in tailgate
Tyres: Goodyear Wrangler (AT/R) 255 R15- Arunachal to Guwahati with nails inside the tyre. Will only use this tyre from now on.
Alloys: Neo (No Chinese stuff on something this critical)
Headlamps: 130/100w
Centre Console Box
Roots Vibrosonic horn
Am repainting Rumblebee next month (same colour and changing plastic/rubber parts). Need to make her look brand new. Cannot bring myself to sell her.. The love affair only gets stronger.
(PS: I hope my girlfriend does not see this thread).
I went through all 107 pages of this thread. I made myself a wishlist which I am attaching below:
Aman's Fog Lamps On his pearl white 2.2 VTT
Nitin's Parking mirror (LHS of bonnet) on his red Tcic.
Dicor Scruff Plates
Dicor Roof rails. |