Pics: Vintage & Classic cars in India

MARCUS_520i · 30th November 2009, 18:38

@ harit: lol

Looks like everyone who has their office on that street is a die-hard car lover.
Often see a shiny, jet black Hindustan Motors Contessa with the reg. # 786 parked there. Love it!!

wasif · 30th November 2009, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARCUS_520i

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While on my way back home today, saw this beauty parked near the Taj.
It'd probably suffered a breakdown, since the person with the toolkit in the 1st pic happened to be the mechanic!!

Now that is what is a desireable car in my book !

BTW what were those guys fixing on it. It appears they might have been unaware that the enginei is at the other end of the car!!!

manishalive · 30th November 2009, 19:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARCUS_520i

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While on my way back home today, saw this beauty parked near the Taj.
It'd probably suffered a breakdown, since the person with the toolkit in the 1st pic happened to be the mechanic!!

Oh what a sheer beauty, Porchse are all time great and desirable cars, but all I can manage is a scale model of the same car.

RandomUsername · 30th November 2009, 22:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARCUS_520i

Attachment 236710

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While on my way back home today, saw this beauty parked near the Taj.
It'd probably suffered a breakdown, since the person with the toolkit in the 1st pic happened to be the mechanic!!

NICE!

I've seen that car once before, about 2 years ago, i was so excited i even forgot to take a picture! Anyone know of any other 356's in India? is this the only one?

duke · 30th November 2009, 22:46

I saw this car on marine drive in bombay.... looked really awesome.

RandomUsername · 30th November 2009, 23:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke

I saw this car on marine drive in bombay.... looked really awesome.

Nice '56 Plymouth!(or Dodge Kingsway) I love the '55(first year for Chrysler's "Forward Look"!) - '56 Dodge and Plymouth's, They're, in my opinion, the best looking American cars of the 50's!

IndrojitSircar · 30th November 2009, 23:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandomUsername

Nice '56 Plymouth!(or Dodge Kingsway) I love the '55(first year for Chrysler's "Forward Look"!) - '56 Dodge and Plymouth's, They're, in my opinion, the best looking American cars of the 50's!

Thats a Dodge kingsway.

karlosdeville · 1st December 2009, 09:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandomUsername

NICE!

I've seen that car once before, about 2 years ago, i was so excited i even forgot to take a picture! Anyone know of any other 356's in India? is this the only one?

FYI, there is a discussion on early Porsches in India here.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/post-1...-mumbai-4.html

wasif · 1st December 2009, 10:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke

I saw this car on marine drive in bombay.... looked really awesome.

Nice car there, the paint finish on it is superb and with those whitewalls it really looks cool.

Any idea who owns this car

karlosdeville · 1st December 2009, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasif

Any idea who owns this car

I'm not sure, but I think it looks like a collector well known for driving one car to work everyday. He has been spotted many times on the forum in similar circumstances in his other classics, and each car of his never fails to amaze me in terms of condition.

speedy · 1st December 2009, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I'm not sure, but I think it looks like a collector well known for driving one car to work everyday. He has been spotted many times on the forum in similar circumstances in his other classics, and each car of his never fails to amaze me in terms of condition.

, It is him at the wheel. The car is heading in the direction of Bhavans college so i am guessing he is on the way to Swadi. He once told me it is not called well maintained if you just bring them out for the rallys otherwise store the cars, but if you use them daily and still have them in the best of conditions that is maintained. This was when i had just bought my 1952 caddy and she had come in her unrestored form for the rally at nariman point in the late 90's early 2000's. Never forgot his words. Hats off to him.

manishalive · 1st December 2009, 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedy

, It is him at the wheel. The car is heading in the direction of Bhavans college so i am guessing he is on the way to Swadi. He once told me it is not called well maintained if you just bring them out for the rallys otherwise store the cars, but if you use them daily and still have them in the best of conditions that is maintained. This was when i had just bought my 1952 caddy and she had come in her unrestored form for the rally at nariman point in the late 90's early 2000's. Never forgot his words. Hats off to him.

Speedy Bhai,

Yery true words or piece of advice, however only people with deep pockets can do that in road conditions of today.

harit · 1st December 2009, 17:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by manishalive

Speedy Bhai,

Yery true words or piece of advice, however only people with deep pockets can do that in road conditions of today.

Hey Manishbhai!

I feel that you did not get the drift. The road conditions do not have much to do with anything. When these cars were new, the roads in many places were even worse. And today, people do manage to keep their modern cars in order. The issue is the ageing of pieces of machinery. So these old cars are restored to new-like condition, all shiny and what not. But the trick is to keep tham in running order and reliable. That does not really need deep pockets, but patience and resilence. People often ask me why I do not use my cars every day, the reason is reliability. When we sit in the car to go to place X, we want to be sure to reach. In a modern car that is hardly a subject, but in older restored classics that is an issue. So once a car is restored, you have to use her regularly, the inner latent faults will then come out. When cars come for rallys, very often mechanics/restorers are present and even drive the cars.

So what this guy driving the red Dodge said is very valid, many cars are not fit to be daily drivers because, well, they are not fit. Maintainance is one thing, but regular use goes along with it.

Cheers harit

V-16 · 1st December 2009, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasif

Nice car there, the paint finish on it is superb and with those whitewalls it really looks cool.

Any idea who owns this car

Yes KArl its "HIS" car with him at the wheel.

I agree with Harit's statement here. Most cars are off road as they are only cosmetically fit. Not so long ago the very cars that we seem to think as not being roadworthy of being driven in today's roads, used to ply on roads much worse that today. Its the maintenance on these cars that will determine their roadworthyness.

The cars this person owns can go to Kanyakumari by road, such is the level of his passion and his dedication to restoration, besides the fact that he drives a different car to work every single day, which keeps all his cars in working condition.

the mole · 1st December 2009, 20:30

Well I also think that sometimes it becomes too many cars to look after, In my case First I had my Mercedes The going was good I would ride her every weekend and she would start on the first start (she does even today) Then came my Rover now the weekends were split between two cars, then it was three with the Fiat she was mechanically the fittest car when I bought her, restored her and kept her in my house in poona she would start with one start (if not half). Then swine flu struck in poona and I did not visit Poona for 4 mths. When I tried to start her last week there were problems, She had to be sent to the garage to tune and brakes needed to be serviced. This is what can happen to a good car if you do not use it.

I think moral of the story is if you want to keep classics and vintages in the condition and level of fitness that Harit and others have described, then be prepared to use them regularly.

I would have loved to use my cars everyday but unfortunately vandalism is on the rise in Bombay and my poor Mercedes had to bear the brunt of it when she lost both her stars whilst being parked even in a secure area.

30th November 2009, 18:38	#646
MARCUS_520i BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 524 Thanked: 166 Times	@ harit: lol Looks like everyone who has their office on that street is a die-hard car lover. Often see a shiny, jet black Hindustan Motors Contessa with the reg. # 786 parked there. Love it!!
	() Thanks

30th November 2009, 22:46	#650
duke BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 225 Thanked: 137 Times	I saw this car on marine drive in bombay.... looked really awesome. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

1st December 2009, 20:30	#660
the mole Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,189 Thanked: 825 Times View My Garage	Well I also think that sometimes it becomes too many cars to look after, In my case First I had my Mercedes The going was good I would ride her every weekend and she would start on the first start (she does even today) Then came my Rover now the weekends were split between two cars, then it was three with the Fiat she was mechanically the fittest car when I bought her, restored her and kept her in my house in poona she would start with one start (if not half). Then swine flu struck in poona and I did not visit Poona for 4 mths. When I tried to start her last week there were problems, She had to be sent to the garage to tune and brakes needed to be serviced. This is what can happen to a good car if you do not use it. I think moral of the story is if you want to keep classics and vintages in the condition and level of fitness that Harit and others have described, then be prepared to use them regularly. I would have loved to use my cars everyday but unfortunately vandalism is on the rise in Bombay and my poor Mercedes had to bear the brunt of it when she lost both her stars whilst being parked even in a secure area.
	() Thanks