[Fafman]

I’m writing up a new thread since I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one in this situation. I also did a search and couldn’t find an appropriate thread.

I’m an NRI who has been away for about 15 years with yearly visits to India. I have a reliable vehicle to serve me during my visits but have a couple of vehicles that are sentimental to me (last car/bike owned by my dad. The said vehicles are original owner 2000 Toyota Qualis and a 1984 Royal Enfield.
Are there garages in India that offer maintenance for 10-11 months in a year?

In the US, there are several services that for example will take your motorcycles in the winter and “winterize” it for 6 months in a year. Are there similar programs.

At the minimum, I would like to have someone start and drive in every few weeks.
I’m in a tier two southern city.

[GTO]

Close family & friends, but even that is opening up a can of worms. It is a lot of effort on their part. What if someone crashes it? Or worse still, misuses it?

Originally Posted by Fafman

but have a couple of vehicles that are sentimental to me (last car/bike owned by my dad. The said vehicles are original owner 2000 Toyota Qualis and a 1984 Royal Enfield. Are there garages in India that offer maintenance for 10-11 months in a year?

If it is purely for sentimental value, do check on importing the Royal Enfield to the USA. You will have to jump through hoops, but it should be possible (IIRC, rules are relaxed for vehicles over 25 years old).

In the US, there are several services that for example will take your motorcycles in the winter and “winterize” it for 6 months in a year. Are there similar programs.

Nope.

At the minimum, I would like to have someone start and drive in every few weeks. I’m in a tier two southern city.

Look up our thread on long-term parking. Disconnect the battery and keep them parked safely. No need to run them more than once a month (or even 2). But even then, you will have to protect them from mother nature (rains, rodents etc.).

IMHO, you should sell the Qualis and retain just the bike, whether in India or the USA (via import route). If the Qualis is of very high sentimental value to you, forget about using it and just keep it parked as a showpiece in your compound. Many BHPians have done that (a Ford Ikon in Delhi, my Mahindra Classic in Bombay).

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by GTO

Close family & friends, but even that is opening up a can of worms. It is a lot of effort on their part. What if someone crashes it? Or worse still, misuses it?
.

It gets messy. I look after a car for a lady which is owned by her NRI daughter who has an address and PAN card. Insurance is now difficult as the Aadhaar card is required. I dread the mess if it gets crashed. I stopped using it except to take it for a service.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by Fafman

I have a reliable vehicle to serve me during my visits but have a couple of vehicles that are sentimental to me (last car/bike owned by my dad.

Invest in a good quality trickle charger. That should help you mitigate the battery issues at least. Get a Third-party premium as we don't have storage insurance per my knowledge.

Also, consider gifting your Qualis to any religious or NGO, anything that connects with your Dad. We had an Ambassador of our Dad that I wouldn't sell but my mother gave it to nearby Gurdarwara Sahib and they used it for Langar etc.

[Fafman]

Originally Posted by GTO

If it is purely for sentimental value, do check on importing the Royal Enfield to the USA. You will have to jump through hoops, but it should be possible (IIRC, rules are relaxed for vehicles over 25 years old).

.

Yes, I checked with the local DMV here (RTO) and absolutely no issues importing it. But ultimately, I plan to R2I and retire there so it might be challenging to bring it back to India due to the rules and regulations in India. I’ll have to deliberate some more and decide if this is an option I want to pursue

[pandabear]

I’ve been having a Petrol Swift for the the last two decades.

Other than the rare once in a blue moon battery drain (when I had to actually replace the battery), I have never had any major issue.

Yes, we do have our occasional share of relatives who come in and (mis)use it. But yeah, that is the price you pay for maintaining good relations with the extended family.

Has a lot of scratches, dings and nicks now but mechanically it is perfect other than the crazy noise from the AC compressor. But I guess it is OK when the usage is so rare and it’s a city only use car.

Usually I service it once a year and it’s good to go again. And I pay attention to replacing tyres regularly.

Now I read somewhere that had I invested this money into MRF shares in 2005 it would have been worth a fortune now. Made me think a bit, but I have had my share of euphoric moments as this was my first car. So yeah no regrets.

Every year I had been planning to replace it with a better car, but I just had to give up and listen to my dad who said ‘what is the whole point in buying and maintaining a new car when depreciates in value and also a pain to maintain considering the regular service it would demand initially with you out of the country’. So the best way imho is to just go for a used beater car which does not have any warranty and for say 2000 km yearly run it should be good enough.

[zcar9]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Insurance is now difficult as the Aadhaar card is required

KYC is required, it doesn't have to be aadhaar. You can use EPIC / Passport / DL etc.

[charanreddy]

I have been out of the country since September 2022 and I still have my Nexon Diesel at home which I use when I am an India (2 months ). In my case my brother uses and maintains it along with his other car. In India I doubt there is a company / garage that takes care of your car. I wouldn’t trust even if some garage advertises it. There have been reports of cars being misused while being transported , let alone stored.

If you are keen on retaining the Qualis, keeping it with close family who can use / misuse is an reasonable idea.

Or like Turbanator said, pls donate to a worthy cause. It’s a Toyota and hence should have some years of service left.

Keeping it standing is a bad idea as the vehicle will deteriorate.

[Wheeloholic]

I am also an NRI living in tier 2 city - Salem in Tamil Nadu. I usually ask my father to use the car with paid driver once in a while and sometimes, I ask my nearby car washer to wash my car. They provide free pick up and drop off facility. This ensures that the car is moving, as leaving the car in the same spot can attract rats.

For bike, it is relatively simple, I just disconnect the battery and put it on centre stand and dry the fuel tank. I also put tobacco leaves and change it once in a month.

One of my friend hired a driver just to maintain his cars when he is away. He shares the driver with other family members. The driver runs his cars around the compound every week.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by zcar9

KYC is required, it doesn't have to be aadhaar. You can use EPIC / Passport / DL etc.

They would not accept passport -Foreigner of indian origin

[sumeethaldankar]

The bike could wrapped up in thick plastic sheets/bike cover, have it's oil drained, battery disconnected and stored somewhere. For the Qualis you could just hire a driver/mechanic who could come once a month drive it around 10-20 kms and bring it back. A relative could accompany him maybe on such drives. This seems to be the simplest and cost-effective solution to me. Best not to handover car to relatives. A professional would be more appropriate to handle your car than a careless relative. My sister had a Chevy beat which she handed over to an uncle when she left abroad. He drove the car with a leaking coolant causing the car to overheat which damaged the gasket etc.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by Fafman

I’m an NRI who has been away for about 15 years with yearly visits to India. I have a reliable vehicle to serve me during my visits but have a couple of vehicles that are sentimental to me (last car/bike owned by my dad. The said vehicles are original owner 2000 Toyota Qualis and a 1984 Royal Enfield.
Are there garages in India that offer maintenance for 10-11 months in a year?

When I left India in 2019, I simply sold one of the cars I owned and moved ownership of the one I wanted to keep to my sister. It made things really easy to maintain, insure and even sell it when we wanted to. Even now, till the time I don't move back to India permanently we will follow the same. My BIL uses the car through out the year like his own and I use it when we are in India.
Just need a little bit of understanding between each other and I feel this is best of both worlds. So my advice would be to find someone from your family or friends.

[Ravi Parwan]

I have seen an enfield drained of fluids, battery removed and wrapped up like a mummy in Kochi. It was for my Brother-in-laws' Landlord's son who had gone abroad for an assignment. I believe there are plenty of service providers who do this for bikes.

[Elvis5.0]

As an NRI who visits India only once a month, I’ve developed a routine to ensure my 2012 Volkswagen Vento stays in great condition despite being unused for long periods.

These measures have worked well for me, and the car continues to perform without issues. Here’s what I do before leaving:

1.Fill the Fuel Tank to Full Capacity :This prevents moisture from accumulating in the tank and reduces the risk of rusting.

2.Increase Tire Pressure to 40 PSI :Tires tend to lose air over time when a car is stationary. I used to return and find the pressure down to around 20 PSI. Raising it to 40 PSI before leaving has solved this problem for me.

3.Disconnect the Negative Terminal of the Battery:
This prevents the battery from discharging during extended periods of inactivity.

4.Cover the Car with a Quality Car Cover :
A good car cover protects the paint from dust, dirt, and exposure to sunlight.

Other Tips I Follow :

Annual Servicing: Even if the car is rarely driven, it’s essential to get it serviced yearly. Make sure to change the engine oil and oil filter during servicing. Some of my colleagues don’t change it saying it was barely driven and that’s a huge mistake.

Inspect Rubber Parts: Over time, rubber components such as bushings and tires can harden or crack. Inspect them regularly and replace them especially Suspension parts.

Transmission Fluid Check (for Automatics): If your car has an automatic transmission, ensure the transmission fluid is inspected and changed if needed.

[sirius]

I don't think it is worth the effort to maintain a car for a usage of 1-2 months a year. it is better to rent from agencies/online portals like https://www.revv.co.in/open/hyderaba...k/cars-pricing