[MARCUS_520i]

Originally Posted by mycarhasablower

there is a cinema hall in my colony (green park, new delhi) called uphaar.
back in 1997 , while screening border(the famous hindi war film) a fire broke out and 59 people died. the building still stands but lies unused. unlike a lot of cinema halls , this one doesnt have underground parking. the parking at uphaar is at ground level, so you can still peek into the parking and this is what i found

The above quoted incident reminds me of the Sea Rock Hotel bomb tragedy of 1993.
Wonder what lies at that parking lot ever since!!!

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by dhrishikesh

Seen this Yamaha RD350 (LT ??) rotting to earth in Shivaji Park area of Dadar, Mumbai.
Feeling very sorry to see this mighty bull in a very sorry state.

I am surprised it hasn't been flicked. Lots of high value and high demand parts on this one.

[Cyrus43]

Originally Posted by AUTOART

There is a Black Beetle lying in a garage off Veera Desai Road in Andheri. I see it regularly. I have a picture of it somewhere, will post it soon.

Isnt this the same car?

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by Cyrus43

Isnt this the same car?

Wahwewaaaah.........vaaaary niice!! Iam liking!!

Anyways, here is an SS80 I used to see rotting outside a local garage in another part of town, until it was moved here just a week ago. It used to have a MAF or MAP regn. plate at the rear.
This garage where it lies now is on the roadside just bang opposite our society, but has been shut down for quite a while. 'wonder why they took the trouble of bringing it all the way down here, when it's in this state! Maybe just to be used as a sign?
The steering wheel and meters atleast can be salvaged from this car though, if not anything else.



Aah, and yet thou hath eventually left and forsaken me!!

[SuperSelect]

Originally Posted by Stanher

Anyways, here is an SS80 I used to see rotting outside a local garage in another part of town, until it was moved here just a week ago.

Poor sorry SS80 - True, the sticker on the dashboard is so ironic !
Tell me, those meters look quite run-down. Even if salvaged, can they be brought upto the mark ?? Just generally asking .

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by SuperSelect

Tell me, those meters look quite run-down. Even if salvaged, can they be brought upto the mark ?? Just generally asking .

Good question! The answer is speculative though, may or may not be.

[V-16]

Originally Posted by MARCUS_520i

The above quoted incident reminds me of the Sea Rock Hotel bomb tragedy of 1993.
Wonder what lies at that parking lot ever since!!!

As far as my knowledge goes, Sea Rock Hotel never had a basement parking.

[Ram]

With due respect, can any Maruti, or for that matter, any Japanese or Korean car be considered classic or vintage ?

V-8s, 6-cylinders and luxury limousines are a different thing altogether.
But, is a stripped down junk 4-cylinder or worse 3-cylinder econobox a disintegrating classic or vintage car?

[harit]

Originally Posted by Ram

With due respect, can any Maruti, or for that matter, any Japanese or Korean car be considered classic or vintage ?

V-8s, 6-cylinders and luxury limousines are a different thing altogether.
But, is a stripped down junk 4-cylinder or worse 3-cylinder econobox a disintegrating classic or vintage car?

I am in complete agreement with Ram. No Maruti can be considered a classic car, and if someone wants to collect Maruti SS80's, he can certainly do so and consider it collectable for himself, but it will not be a classic and will not be a collectible in general.
But there are some other Japanese cars apart from V 8's, 6cylinders and limousines which too are collectible, like a 4 cylinder first generation Datsun Fairlady, Mazda Cosmos, the rotary engined Mazda's, etc. Some early Toyota Celica's are also collectibles.
But certainly not a Maruti.

Cheers harit

[john a milne]

It will be interesting to see 10 years in the future what are considered Classics.

I think even the Padminis will come to be a very appreciated entry level "Classic". If you have room, pick up a few for your grand children.

Not to sure about the Amby though.

[SuperSelect]

Originally Posted by john a milne

It will be interesting to see 10 years in the future what are considered Classics..

I agree with this, and beg to differ with my gurus .

As a culture advances, it has 'inventions'. In due course, these 'inventions' become 'classics'.
We see this happening with European and American cars, because their 'automobile culture' began way way before it did in Asia..

While Asian - read Japanese, Korean, and even Indian - cars are not classics today, IMHO they certainly will be, some years down the line. For example, would anyone in his right mind have called the Morris Minor a "classic", 25 years ago ?
Or for that matter, would anyone have thought of 'collecting' a Dodge Kingsway, Plymouth Savoy, or any other (now) iconic Yank Tank, when it was common as the cold ?

Socho, gentlemen - when the SS80 disappears totally, and when it's taken in the spirit as "the car that started the automotive revolution in India"...
Just my two bits, I may be wrong.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by SuperSelect

I agree with this, and beg to differ with my gurus .
While Asian - read Japanese, Korean, and even Indian - cars are not classics today, IMHO they certainly will be, some years down the line. For example, would anyone in his right mind have called the Morris Minor a "classic", 25 years ago ?
Or for that matter, would anyone have thought of 'collecting' a Dodge Kingsway, Plymouth Savoy, or any other (now) iconic Yank Tank, when it was common as the cold ?

OR for that matter, a Stanher or any of 'its' siblings, when they too were common as cold?

Anyways, for the rest of your post, yes, my sentiments exactly!

Worst case, I would say I posted the SS80 pics. about a decade too early! Excuse my haste!

[harit]

IMHO, these cars would never become classics, they will become just old cars. How many have even bothered to think about, rather than collect about Corollas, Coronas, Sunny's etc. These were mainly family saloons which, when they became old were shifted into the countryside and then scrapped. That is how many collectable cars come from the countryside.
Does anyone really collect Savoys? So many are still around, unloved. It is just that those examples in good condition are being looked at, maybe even admired, but collected? A few do, but we are talking as a whole. Everyone want a Jag, a Rolls, a Chevy, but not everyone wants a Savoy. And they are being picked up as nothing much else is available in that size. These are certainly not "iconic" cars, you seldom see them in foreign shows, magazines or any events. If the Indian public was to have had some choice, there would have been fewer sold in India.
Morris Minor, is it really a classic? Only the traveller and convertible are collectible, saloons are not, even if it is a 2 door version.
Same with Padminis. If you wait to see where these cars are headed after 10 years, I suggest you do NOT buy one hoping for appreciation as you would have had to do the tinkering atleast twice.
Just ask someone who had purchased suicide doors Fiat 10 years ago. Now he will get three times the price of what he bought it at, but reconditioning will have eaten into any profit.
The key word is entry level classics, what does that mean? Affordable cars to buy, which are affordable because they are, well entry level. Before I get stoned (by flying objects, not inhalation), I stop and wait for discussion to continue, and then maybe elaborate.

Cheers harit

[Ram]

I remember that back in 1968, a new Fiat Delight would cost
twice the price of a five year old Fiat 1100 Super Select and
four times the price of a 948 cc Standard Herald.

So even in the mid 1960s, the Standard Herald was not worth much in car terms. Another thing I remember is that far too many people
got killed or injured in Heralds -- their safety record was poor to dismal.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by Ram

Another thing I remember is that far too many people
got killed or injured in Heralds -- their safety record was poor to dismal.

This I wasnt aware of, although I'm guessing it would've been mainly due to the rear axle falling apart/coming loose while running? My mech. too told me stories of how he'd sometimes seen the entire either rear wheel with the connecting halfshaft come off free from the suspension while the car was running and go bounding off!