100,000 kms on Indian Highways, 6 treks & a Couple of Flights

KRRaj · 20th May 2010, 18:02

OK. those who think the truck is coming in the wrong direction need to look closely. it is being towed

SmartCat · 20th May 2010, 18:04

hee hee, yeah. Poor guy must have hit a bus or something going by the damage on the front end.

MX6 · 20th May 2010, 18:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcat

hee hee, yeah. Poor guy must have hit a bus or something going by the damage on the front end.

Seems more like Mr. Mazhar drove this truck earlier. After wrecking it, he shifted to a Scorpio.

pulsar56 · 20th May 2010, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by KRRaj

OK. those who think the truck is coming in the wrong direction need to look closely. it is being towed

See, this is what happens when I am sleeping at work!
Oversight!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MX6

Seems more like Mr. Mazhar drove this truck earlier. After wrecking it, he shifted to a Scorpio.

MX6, You need to first introduce Unoczar to Smartcat. I guess he is confused on who "Jagga" is!

vrprabhu · 21st May 2010, 11:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcat

Pic 8: We are ready to start the 2nd day. We found this on Goa - Mumbai highway on our right hand side. Any idea about these caves?

Attachment 294148

Sorry for the delayed post -

That's the "Gandhar Phale" caves on the Goa - Mumbai highway. It is just after Mahad / Raigad and before Mangaon.

SmartCat · 22nd May 2010, 23:45

hehe OK thanks Prabhu.

Gentlemen - I have a sad announcement to make. My beloved Optra, which has been with me for the last 6 years through thick & thin, has been sold today (via Team-BHP Classifieds) for Rs. 3.3 Lacs. Jagga even took one last drive of the car to nowhere for old time's sake.

The only consolation is - it has been sold to a nice chap who has been following this "100,000 km on Indian Highways" thread for a long time.

MX6 · 22nd May 2010, 23:51

Clap clap clap clap. So in comes the punto now?

aargee · 22nd May 2010, 23:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcat

Gentlemen - I have a sad announcement to make. My beloved Optra, which has been with me for the last 6 years through thick & thin, has been sold today (via Team-BHP Classifieds) for Rs. 3.3 Lacs. Jagga even took one last drive of the car to nowhere for old time's sake.

Good; Clean up your garage to welcome the new Punto. Decided the variant? The color? The dealer?

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcat

The only consolation is - it has been sold to a nice chap who has been following this "100,000 km on Indian Highways" thread for a long time.

Uh!!! oh!!!

SmartCat · 22nd May 2010, 23:59

On my second test drive of the Punto, I realized that my leg brushes against the clutch (almost depressing it) when I place it on the dead pedal. Along with a big head and long hands, it looks like I have big feet too. So Punto is almost out of the equation.

I'm looking at some used car options - like the Octavia.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aargee

Uh!!! oh!!!

haha why? Chameli might make a punar janam in the travelogue section.

anekho · 23rd May 2010, 00:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcat

The only consolation is - it has been sold to a nice chap who has been following this "100,000 km on Indian Highways" thread for a long time.

He bought it after knowing about all it's been through?

I guess you couldn't pull a lady driven, parsi doctor owned thing then!

Octavia is a great car, and a rock solid one at that. Worthy of your road trips, smartcat. Maybe you should also consider a used/new innova since space is a priority.

SmartCat · 23rd May 2010, 01:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by anekho

He bought it after knowing about all it's been through?

I know you are jesting - but still - See, she's been through a lot, but almost immediately after an adventure, she always gets a nice long spa & massage treatment. Everything is replaced, nothing is repaired and no "chalta hain - she's an old car" attitude. More than how you use the car, it's how you maintain the car that matters

Quote:

I guess you couldn't pull a lady driven, parsi doctor owned thing then!

Nah! Didn't know prospective buyers could actually be reading this thread, otherwise I would have succeeded in my sinister plans.

Quote:

Octavia is a great car, and a rock solid one at that. Worthy of your road trips, smartcat. Maybe you should consider a used/new innova since space is a priority.

Most innovas have those dull grey, light green, faint beige/yellow colours - can't live with it.

I like Octavia's heavy steering & feel. And I'm looking forward to starting a "Oh man, Skoda dealer sucks!" thread.

vnk77 · 24th May 2010, 16:51

Hey Smartcat,

I have been following your thread from past few days and it took about 4 days to reach the last post. Thoroughly enjoyed your one liners. In your opening post you have made some observations, you can add these also if they are correct.

1. I see that you never had problems with contaminated fuel.
You have done more that 100K KMs and you have never mentioned that you ever had problem due to bad fuel. That's really surprising!

2. With so many KMs covered, having eating at so many dhabas your travelogue mentions only once about problems due to contaminated food. Is that correct? If yes, then that's amazing. You should pledge to donate your stomach/intestine for research in your afterlife. Scientists can isolate the gene responsible for your strong digestive system lining and probably come up with generically engineered mouse/rat which never has stomach upset. That later can be extended to humans.

Now that you are looking for a new car, I think you should bother less about re-sale value but more about comfort, reliability and maintenance. Your new car should last at least 8 years with least trouble. That's one piece of unsolicited advice/opinion from my side.

SmartCat · 24th May 2010, 17:00

1) Yeah, never had contaminated fuel issues, in any state. Is it a big issue for many?

2) We never order mineral water/packaged drinking water either - we just have whatever water that is served in the restaurants. However, in Kerala, all restaurants serve some kind of coloured warm water (to prevent water borne diseases I guess) which we didn't like. So we ordered packaged drinking water only in Kerala.

I guess both the car & its passengers have cast iron fuel tank/stomachs

Quote:

Now that you are looking for a new car, I think you should bother less about re-sale value but more about comfort, reliability and maintenance. Your new car should last at least 8 years with least trouble. That's one piece of unsolicited advice/opinion from my side.

hehe! I already paid an advance and bought an used vehicle - the car will be mine on Saturday. It is comfortable, should be fairly reliable but not sure about maintenance & 8 years troublefree experience.

Hint: It has traction control !!

pulsar56 · 24th May 2010, 18:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcat

Hint: It has traction control !!

Let me hazard a guess since you were keen on starting a thread on dealer issues!

It's a Skoda.

Ranjan Sharma · 24th May 2010, 23:01

Car sold? so soon?

Who bought it?

Looks like we will get to see more adventure with coming travelogues since you are buying a Skoda now

Car broke down, Dealer cheated.. etc etc

Or is it Land Rover? or Hyundai?

20th May 2010, 18:02	#856
KRRaj BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 514 Thanked: 35 Times View My Garage	OK. those who think the truck is coming in the wrong direction need to look closely. it is being towed
	() Thanks

20th May 2010, 18:04	#857
SmartCat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 6,887 Thanked: 48,610 Times View My Garage	hee hee, yeah. Poor guy must have hit a bus or something going by the damage on the front end.
	() Thanks

22nd May 2010, 23:45	#861
SmartCat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 6,887 Thanked: 48,610 Times View My Garage	hehe OK thanks Prabhu. Gentlemen - I have a sad announcement to make. My beloved Optra, which has been with me for the last 6 years through thick & thin, has been sold today (via Team-BHP Classifieds) for Rs. 3.3 Lacs. Jagga even took one last drive of the car to nowhere for old time's sake. The only consolation is - it has been sold to a nice chap who has been following this "100,000 km on Indian Highways" thread for a long time.
	() Thanks

22nd May 2010, 23:51	#862
MX6 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: City of seven islands. Posts: 2,878 Thanked: 233 Times	Clap clap clap clap. So in comes the punto now?
	() Thanks

24th May 2010, 16:51	#867
vnk77 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 123 Thanked: 6 Times View My Garage	Hey Smartcat, I have been following your thread from past few days and it took about 4 days to reach the last post. Thoroughly enjoyed your one liners. In your opening post you have made some observations, you can add these also if they are correct. 1. I see that you never had problems with contaminated fuel. You have done more that 100K KMs and you have never mentioned that you ever had problem due to bad fuel. That's really surprising! 2. With so many KMs covered, having eating at so many dhabas your travelogue mentions only once about problems due to contaminated food. Is that correct? If yes, then that's amazing. You should pledge to donate your stomach/intestine for research in your afterlife. Scientists can isolate the gene responsible for your strong digestive system lining and probably come up with generically engineered mouse/rat which never has stomach upset. That later can be extended to humans. Now that you are looking for a new car, I think you should bother less about re-sale value but more about comfort, reliability and maintenance. Your new car should last at least 8 years with least trouble. That's one piece of unsolicited advice/opinion from my side.
	() Thanks

24th May 2010, 23:01	#870
Ranjan Sharma BANNED Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Benga'loo'ru Posts: 290 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	Car sold? so soon? Who bought it? Looks like we will get to see more adventure with coming travelogues since you are buying a Skoda now Car broke down, Dealer cheated.. etc etc Or is it Land Rover? or Hyundai? Last edited by Ranjan Sharma : 24th May 2010 at 23:10.
	() Thanks