[av8er]

Thanks Jeeva. LOL! You would actually be jealous of me or not believe me if I told you my other rides. I do have a 1996 Contessa DSZ (we own it from brand new) which has been lying idle for close to 3yrs and needs restoration. The other 2 I dint mention are a MM540DP 4*4 and MM Commander, these two are in my native and are mainly used to travel to and in the farm. I still do have the 1987 Amby it was fitted with the petrol ISZ motor way back in 1990. So there you go those are my other babies ;-)

Wish you the best my friend. I hope you own a nice Amby one day, but dont forget to open her hood once in a while to check for wear and tear. My say is 'Take care of her and she takes care of you'. Buckle up and drive safe buddy :-)

Originally Posted by jeeva

Hey av8er, that's a neat garage you've got. The W123 and a 2000dsz.
Every other day, I'd park next to a neat black dsz at office. There have been days, I'd wait for the owner to turn up and ask if he is willing to let her go. Till date, I've not been able to meet him. Wish me luck

[Inquilab28]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

If I can venture a question - Is all of your Amby reliability experience based on the Amby with the Matador engine?

On RE - I own a RE for the last decade and while I love it for it's cult status and looks, I advise all my dear friends to not even consider one of these when buying new. It's an engineering disaster!

Why are you beating up the poor Bull. It has served the Indian army in deserts and hills and in one of the most inhospitable conditions. Please don't call it an Engineering disaster. It is by far the easiest maintainable and repairable bike I have had. I have 2 Bulls, 1 an 1988 model and the other is a 2009 Electra. Both have been very reliable and never let me down.

Amby is a beauty which only few might like. Its like a "Gangs of Wasseypur" which a "Zindagi na milegi dobara" might never understand. I love the vehicle. In fact I almost bought one but for the limited budget I had at that time. Its a classic car, an Indian car. Yeah its outdated, but don't we all love our outdated, not so up to date Moms too?

[jeeva]

Wow. You are the man!
When time permits, please please start a dedicated thread and allow the less privileged ones like me drool over those beauties. The ISZ, I am sure, must be a hoot to drive. For a short period in my college days, I too had one ISZ. Had a free flow exhaust custom made by Raj Hingorani, a pair of Hellas, tinted glass, Koyas seats and the works. Those days car audio amplifiers and sub-woofers were not really heard of. Bolton woofers, DIY amplifier and a Clarion cassette player did it for me. Good old days!

Thanks man. I sure will.
This is why I love team-bhp.

Originally Posted by av8er

Thanks Jeeva. LOL! You would actually be jealous of me or not believe me if I told you my other rides. I do have a 1996 Contessa DSZ (we own it from brand new) which has been lying idle for close to 3yrs and needs restoration. The other 2 I dint mention are a MM540DP 4*4 and MM Commander, these two are in my native and are mainly used to travel to and in the farm. I still do have the 1987 Amby it was fitted with the petrol ISZ motor way back in 1990. So there you go those are my other babies ;-)

Wish you the best my friend. I hope you own a nice Amby one day, but dont forget to open her hood once in a while to check for wear and tear. My say is 'Take care of her and she takes care of you'. Buckle up and drive safe buddy :-)

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear all - in this conversation, there are no wrong answers. "My car" is still a choice of Fiats from 1960 to 1996, with one of them being left hand drive! I am very happy, no electronics, no sensors, nothing to go wrong, and believe me, I have gone all over the place, nothing goes wrong! I have never actually "owned" an Amby, although I used to drive my uncle's 1962 model WBB7435 whenever I went to Pune. I thoroughly enjoyed shifting the gears effortlessly from second to third when everybody else (including my uncle) used to struggle! .

I would like to share my following experience with two very special Ambys - In 1980, there was MMB7342, a 1975 model Amby in which the petrol engine was removed and a diesel engine was fitted. Then in 1982, a brand new white Amby with floor shift gears was procured. It was MMH7432. The registration numbers almost matched by sheer coincidence. All performance related tests like fuel efficiency, acceleration, gradeability etc were conducted. Then this brand new car was converted to the second prototype with the same diesel engine, fitted at 20 degrees inclination towards the RH side as per the original layout to achieve good ground clearance. This inclination was then reduced to 10 degrees towards the RH side due to critical clearance with the RH suspension. The bell housings were amalgamated from both the engine and the car. Each bell housing took almost 15 days to fabricate. The oil sump and oil pump circuit were redesigned and prototyped accordingly. The front cross member and grille were moved forwards by around 100 mm, the bonnet reinforcement was cut to accommodate the cooling fan, therefore, there were two bonnet catches on either side, one operated by the link, the other by a cable. I used to drive MMH7432 from Mumbai to Nasik in less than 3 hours flat in those days when there was a single road only. I used to exceed 140 kmph, but there were no brakes worth the name to stop the cars, so brake boosters were fitted. The power was so much that 3 transmissions, two propeller shafts and numerous rear axles broke. Alternate transmissions, redesigned propeller shafts and reinforced rear axles were fitted, before it was finally decided to match the engine power to suit the driveline. I believe that in those days, MMB7342 and MMH7432 were the fastest Ambys in India! MMH7432 had covered almost 2 lakh kms, it ran all through the year, even in heavy rains. My mentor (Sir!) used to travel in it very regularly. After the engine power was rationalized, it ran very nicely. Running cost per km per person was lower than that of state transport buses. I learnt a lot! .

Times have changed, we must change with the times, but we must remember and use what we learn!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[G_AmbyMad]

A disgrace?

A rose by any other name.

We've had one in the family since 1959, yes, it's not the most marvelously engineered thing in the whole world, yes, a new one leaving the showroom is a rare sight indeed, yes, there are about two hundred better cars on the road and yes, if I could, I'd still go buy another one to add to the other HMs in the garage just as long as HM launches it. I've been waiting since late 2011 when the sub-4 meter was talked about.

Best,

G


PS... I'd hate to see what would happen if my disgrace backed into your pretty wheels (by mistake, of course. Probably weak brakes and wot-not)

[tiptron]

Originally Posted by avira_tk

Pricing a car that is 50 years old competitively shouldn't be a problem, durable is the last thing an Amby is, a trip to the mechanic every fortnight is compulsory just to make sure the damn thing starts when you want it to. Seating comfort is nothing great, especially on a rattling wreck which it is the day it comes from the showroom. Engine power? I agree with bootspace, maybe indians need to pack lighter.

Those eager to defend this car, please let me know when you had it as a primary vehicle at home, we had it as recently as 2003. The car is a disgrace to this country, and probably one reason my dad is willing to try any new car, he knows the Amby is just praised by people who never had to put up with it. I don't see why anyone should buy this junk when there are so many options in the market. Its high time safety regulations put an end to the production.

+1 to that.. Its a different case if few hold on to Amby for their childhood & other moments, but definitely not for the reasons of safety & comfort. Its archaic and has not caught up with modern times.. Lets move on.

[NPV]

Thanks for sharing this, rare indeed in these days

Brings back several nostalgic moments - I remember several trips all over south India during my school days in Ambassadors and they were really comfortable, those sofas were really comfy.
Couple of uncles in the family had these and we'd toured a lot of places during school summer vacations and several Bangalore-Mysore runs and what a lovely road the SH17 (Mysore Road) was with huge trees lining both sides of the road!
I missed an opportunity to learn driving with the Amby - a friend and I joined the driving classes at the same time and he went with the Amby and I decided on the Maruti Omni since that's what we had at home.

[bIte tHe bulLet]

My enduring memory of an Ambassador has been of gleaming, spit shined black staff cars (or many through my younger days) flying Pop's various command flags, brass insignias glinting, corps signs proudly straddling the rear trunk and the front bonnet, sumptuous insides, always spotless and done in a variety of suede and velour, with extra cushioning!!! Each of the cars gliding by in silence as they would transport pops back and forth from wherever he was posted at the time...leaving me gob smacked every time!

The memories still give me goosebumps. I love the Amby to bits and would be lining up in a heartbeat to grab one before they are finally laid to rest by HM. It will be a sad day though.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

I suppose the ribbon keeps it from falling apart on the way home?

Bwwwaaaahahahahahaha.... unfair comment, but bleddy funnny nonetheless!!!

Originally Posted by jeeva

For a short period in my college days, I too had one ISZ. Had a free flow exhaust custom made by Raj Hingorani, a pair of Hellas, tinted glass, Koyas seats and the works. Those days car audio amplifiers and sub-woofers were not really heard of. Bolton woofers, DIY amplifier and a Clarion cassette player did it for me.

Now there's a picture already forming in my mind! At one point about 9 months ago, I floated the idea of picking up an amby as our daily drive to the better half ~My ears rang for a week after though~

However, one of my enduring dreams is to get myself one, trick it out in cool leather, great sound system, rip out and re-do the brakes, uprate the suspension with some sturdier bits, some really really nice wheels, get a free flow exhaust onto her and if Pete's in a good mood, a quiet little box to boot!!! Completely stealth on the outside, but super sexy on the inside (where it really counts!)

#Aaaah heaven.

Originally Posted by G_AmbyMad

A disgrace?

A rose by any other name.

PS... I'd hate to see what would happen if my disgrace backed into your pretty wheels (by mistake, of course. Probably weak brakes and wot-not)

Dude, if you're ever feeling particularly disgraced by your little fella - I'd be happy to take your shame off your hands... being friends and all you know?

I'm a good guy and would hate for you to feel ashamed and all!

[Napo]

From being the "King of Indian Roads" to "Unique car spotted"!

Agree that it hasn't caught with the modern times , but even now the very sight of an Amby brings in some happiness.

Still remember the short drives around the front yard sitting on the bonnet of the car. The hood ornament of Mark II's used to provide a solid grip for those very short drives. Though not safe and not recommended, those one off rides were indeed a pleasure.

[avi@98]

It hurts to see someone calling The Ambassador a disgrace. I'm 20 and proud to say that I learned driving in an amby. I've heard from my dad that it used to take like more than 10 people to Sabarimala! Can any of the present cars claim such a fete(maybe muvs can). I know many people who use an amby for daily commute and never heard any of them complain. Even couple of my college mates use it daily and trust me, they get more respect and attention than any other car. Amby represents the legacy of Indian automotive industry and we shouls never forget our past by projecting it as a disgrace. Peace.

[tilt]

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[tilt]

Originally Posted by avi@98

It hurts to see someone calling The Ambassador a disgrace. *SNIP*

I am sorry to hurt your feelings, but the Amby is not (and was never worth) owning. Even in its heydeys (World War II) the FIAT was a better car in any way you can spin it.

Even after WW-II, as late as the 1990s (when Marutis were the only other option), the FIATs (in the form of Premier Padmini or whatever they were called) were orders of magnitude better cars.

In my opinion, anyone over 50 who thinks an Amby was good is suffering from dementia, and anyone under 50 who thinks the same is just plain ignorant and believes that anything over 50 is great. Hey, I am over 50 - any 20-year old women want to "drive" me?

Cheers

[mycarhasablower]

all the people slamming the ambys reliability, probably know nothing about cars.
Ive had a contessa for a few years. its a 97 model with the carb 1.8 isuzu petrol that i bought 2nd hand with 97000 kms on the odo. ive not driven it much. maybe 400 kms in 3 years. ill be starting it in a day or two after a gap of 18 months and i can bet anything that it will start in max 3 turns of the key(and its properly cold here. 8 degrees actually).
yeah ive done that before. put it away for a year then just put the battery back in , put some petrol in, started it up and went for a 100 km drive.

and this car is properly rapid. it does 100 in 2nd gear. so does the amby.crossing 140 is easy and it will do upto 160. the engine is properly reliable. if someone complained about its plastic bits falling apart or the rattles, maybe that could be true. but the engine is bulletproof and no less reliable,even in carb form than anything made today.

anyone whos amby is unreliable, probably also thinks that fools read users manuals and lets some really crappy mechanic have free reign over his car. Cuz trust me on this it takes one hell of an effort to make that isuzu engine unreliable.

[nishantbhatia84]

Talking about the Ambassador, I can't comment on how the car is since I've hardly ever sat in it, however, I do remember watching the amby compete against cabs from other countries and trashing them with ease in Top Gear: series 20, episode 2.
After watching the way it was driven in the test and it still won, I certainly have a lot of respect for the amby!

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Those are really strong words against an iconic vehicle and that too being a car lover.
..
Padmini was stopped more than a decade back

Yes, I was speaking from experience, I am not a fan of any car brand and the Punto is the first Fiat in the family.I don't know what the Padmini was like because I have not sat in one. A car lover would admire cars for different reasons, to base enthusiasm on someone's opinion about the Amby is pushing it a bit too far. Lack of competition in the protectionist economy kept this car on the road along with the Padmini. Lets go easy on the iconic bit, its not a Mustang or Porsche 911, it was kept in production by legislation not demand alone.

Originally Posted by jeeva

First thing first. It pains to see such harsh words coming from an auto enthusiast (supposedly) on this forum.
...
All machines require preventive maintenance. Maybe your Fiat is an exception. Peace.

Enthusiasts would probably get a better car than the Amby, how is the Amby an enthusiasts' choice? Being better than a Ford for reliability is hardly a benchmark. The last time you had an Amby was 6 years ago, thankfully for us it is nearly a decade now, never been so glad to let something go. All machines require preventitive maintenance, its the magnitude that bothers me. Coolant levels and oil levels are quite stable these days, a leak or oil burn(TSI engines) being rare exceptions.

Originally Posted by av8er

I dint want to jump the bandwagon to argue about it as I felt to each one his view. Since you kept asking 'is this your daily drive?' I thought I should step in and let you know YUP IT IS MY DAILY DRIVE. Have had ambys in our garage since 1987 and still there and the latest one bought in the year 2003 2000DSZ Grand still running strong everyday, day in day out clocking at about 140,000kms.
...

To me the Amby is a legend, come a rainy day when I know the roads are clogged with water or when I know I am going to a place with bad roads without doubt the ambys keys will be missing from the key rack.

Cheers buddy :-)

No need to shout, I can read just fine, on a rainy day when the streams are overflowing and there is nearly 2 feet of water on the roads, the Bolero is my vehicle of choice, the Amby would be toast in such a situation, before you complain, I am talking about capability not category of vehicles here. Isuzu engines are reliable, the Ambys in general didn't come with that option till the market was flooded with better choices, the common version was the BMC. You are thrilled its your daily drive, I am glad ours is no longer in sight.