Thank you very much for all the wonderful wishes, guys.
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Originally Posted by Rocketscience i just meant that i had a blast driving my cousin's car for those 10-15 minutes (i had already driven the TD vehicle previously and just casually took my cousin's car for a spin) |
Indeed. 265 Nm of torque and at least 235-240 of it useful, does make the Verna a sweet little proposition. If only it was a better handler and more stable at high speeds, it would have been numero uno, when compared to the Vento/City/Linea.
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Originally Posted by rakesh_r Dad (looking out the window): At least we bought cars for their engines in my day. (looking back at me).
Words well said by a true enthusiast.Respect and salute to your dad.No doubt today's cars are loaded with gizmos but somehow fail to connect with the driver.
I am very sure none of the cars in India would sound sweet as that of an old Fiat.I still fell its still the best rear wheel drive cars in India.I was born and brought up in Mumbai so I know what Fiats are. |
Thank you so much, Rakesh.
He said the truth. How many driver-oriented cars exist in our market today? I would say only a handful, countable in your fingers. More and more car companies are shifting towards those neutral, in-city cruisers, with F-L-A-T responses either way, at lower speeds and higher. Slowly but surely, the ones who leave a smile on your face are disappearing from the scene. It's not the companies' fault, but a demand from the mass market for such cars. Lifeless steering wheels, flat engines, disappointing pick-ups, but decent F.E.s - that just about sums it up.
In comparison to today's generation of cars, those from the 80s and 90s are like they existed in an entirely different league altogether.
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Originally Posted by rakesh_r You are very lucky to have a father who still pursues his interests.I have never driven the K13 series swifts but the G13bs always used to bring a smile in my face,though I currently drive a swift diesel and am quite happy with it. |
The previous-gen Swift was a better car in both it's avatars, IMO. The diesel had that cracking punch at 2000 RPM and the petrol was a real dynamite. The current-gen Swift has been tamed down. It's still a blast to drive, specially in it's petrol iteration, but given a choice, I would pick up the previous-gen over this one any day. Not that I am particularly fond of the Swift either way, but yes.
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Originally Posted by aneezan Congrats to you and your dad. Nice write-up, nice car and nice pictures. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Very encouraging to see your father's thoughts on how a car should be driven. My dad liked driving too, thought he later became weak to do so later in life. |
Thank you so much, aneezan.
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Originally Posted by Padcot Prakash Congratulations to your dad and you.
It takes a lot of effort to understand the needs of our parents. Many times the practicality comes our way and as a result their happiness is lost somewhere in between.I really appreciate you for having looked through these.
Old school guys like your dad understand what the present generations like ours are most likely to miss !
you both are fortunate to have each other as father-son. congratulations again. |
Thank you so much, Padcot Prakash.
Indeed. We are so busy with all the happenings in our day-to-day lives that we have become automated. Even a pause to think for a moment, is non-existent. Moments like these are extremely rare, and the experience lasts a lifetime.
I'll always carry this fond memory with me, because everytime I think back to this experience, a heart-warming smile lights up my face. More so when I see Dad's happiness when he's busy fidgeting around with his Swift.
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Originally Posted by trek That's a wonderful part of your life that you have posted here. Its straight from the heart and that's what counts at the end of the day.
We too owned a Fiat Premier Padmini for 18 years and it was a thing of joy. I still regret letting go of her but we had no choice as the spare parts were getting difficult to source and she was rusting bad. |
Thank you very much, trek.
Same Padmini story as ours, more or less. Parts were still available but the body was falling apart, no matter how much Dad pursued it to keep her all welded together. That was the main reason we had to let go of her.
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Originally Posted by trek Belated Birthday wishes to your dad and a personal thanks to you for looking after his passion. Parents in India (at-least the older generation) spend their whole lives devoted to kids and barely do anything to fulfill their own passions and wishes. They deserve every bit of happiness in return.
Gold Bless Him. |
Indeed! Perfectly put. Thank you, friend!
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Originally Posted by trek P.S. Did you consider the Fiat Punto? |
The Punto would have been a serious contender, IF we had a Fiat dealership in our city. The nearest one is 300 kms away, and that's the main reason why it wasn't considered.
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Originally Posted by samabhi RavenAvi,
I won't comment on the car, its features and your report, but only the best part I liked in this entire report. |
Thank you so much, samabhi.
Yes, that was THE moment when I felt I achieved SOMETHING in my life. For all I have done till now - my education, job, career, marriage, becoming a father -
THIS moment ranks right above them all, even over the one when I became a father!
A once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.
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Originally Posted by PranavDesai Fantastic thread. The bond that you share with your father is more important than the car. You both are lucky to have each other. Do tell him to join the forum, he is the kind of relic that would be loved and respected by all. After going through this thread I realized that we should stop calling ourselves petrol-heads, we are nothing compared to your dad. |
Thank you very much, Pranav.
I talked to him about T-BHP membership last night, and he declined to join. Like I said earlier, his retired-life routine is set and whatever free time he has, he spends it with his grand-daughter. And now he's got his passion back, and his Swift is taking a large chunk out of his free time as well!
For example, he's not at home right now. I am sure he's aimlessly cruising out there somewhere in the city or visiting a friend/relative, or enjoying the evening/night drive around by the city lake, with the HU-USB playing Mohammed Rafi/Mukesh songs!
I have gifted him 3 separate USBs to play in his Swift, all loaded with MP3s from songs from his favorite Dilip Kumar/Dev Anand/Raj Kapoor films, and he's putting them to good use!
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Originally Posted by PranavDesai I sincerely wish that by the time you finish your EMIs, Volkswagen would have opened a dealership in your city and launched the Golf! |
One can only hope!