[anjan_c2007]

Congratulations for your successful efforts to locate the very car you learnt to drive with belonging to your uncle. Its a Mark 4 from 1986 and you can get spares from Kolkata, Mumbai and also from other select places from where we still have a supply chain though very feeble, unresponsive and sometimes costing a bomb too. Also some spares common with the Morris Oxford Series III can be imported from the U.K. especially a few cosmetics and the engine, mechanicals and transmission spares. The quality is much superior and costs are reasonable.

Facebook group U.K. link:-

https://www.facebook.com/groups/www....ibextid=NSMWBT

If your car has the original 1489cc/ 50 bhp BMC B Series engine it's OK. Else, as you say you would like to make it 100% original you can surely source a similar engine that is still available though scarce, and get it redone fully.

The B Series engine:-

https://www.magnette.org/tech-tips/m...-series-engine

[AmbyLSX]

Originally Posted by evolvo

I know restoration is kinda tough with all the logistics, parts and effort involved. However, if you’re going to take the effort to restore it, why not make it future proof and uber cool in one go

Over the past decade, I've daydreamed about countless directions to take this car. The options have ranged from an OEM or OEM+ restoration to a restomod equipped with a new frame and a high-powered engine (think 500+ hp NA manual), and even an EV conversion. I've even discovered U.S.-based shops like Moment that specialize in EV conversions for vintage cars. However, after much consideration, I've decided to stick with the OEM approach for several key reasons:

1) Since my uncle's passing, I've never had the opportunity to drive the car. I yearn to experience all its unique features again, like the diesel engine and the column shifter.

2) This car holds a special place in my heart, and I want to maintain as much of its original character as I can, at least for the time being.

3) U.S. import laws may be favorable for cars that are 25 years or older, but it's unclear what challenges could arise when importing a heavily modified vehicle, such as one with an EV motor.

By going the OEM route, I hope to preserve both the car's unique traits and its sentimental value to me.

In the future, either my kids or I may decide to steer this platform in a different, perhaps more modern, direction. While there are much faster options out there, my sports cars are manual. Call me old-school, but there's an irreplaceable, tactile joy in using a manual shifter—something increasingly special and rare in today's world (and a column shift even more)

Originally Posted by RGK

I think Coimbatore which is known for Auto Garages ought to have great technicians (tinker, painter and mechanic) and experts who can do great rebuilding.

Check with Alagendra Auto (Dr Nanjappa Road) about the availability of spares or on the other hand in the event that it must be obtained from Mumbai. Mr. Kannan who deals with imported Spares in Pudupet, Chennai, is a good place to start your search for Isuzu diesel 1.8.

I believe he has sold over 500 used Isuzu engines.

Thank you; much appreciated. I will reach Mr. Kannan to him over the weekend. I will need to source an engine and the necessary parts to cover back to the original column shifter.

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Congratulations for your successful efforts to locate the very car you learnt to drive with belonging to your uncle. Its a Mark 4 from 1986 and you can get spares from Kolkata, Mumbai and also from other select places from where we still have a supply chain though very feeble, unresponsive and sometimes costing a bomb too. Also some spares common with the Morris Oxford Series III can be imported from the U.K. especially a few cosmetics and the engine, mechanicals and transmission spares. The quality is much superior and costs are reasonable.

Much appreciated. I plan on creating a list of parts and areas of focus as well as providing this amazing group with some pictures to determine the go-forward plan. More to come soon!

[dmaheshkumar]

Hi AmbyLSX,
Me too from Coimbatore and you can see my Ambassador and Qualis restoration thread. Kindly share your email ID, i will send the details. Because i am not sure whether i can paste the link from other forums.

In Kerala they do fantastic work if you need any alterations.
For Engine rework, Salem is one of the best place.

Overall you can do this but need to have lot of patience.
If you have any specific idea for restoration, so that it can be planned before the start.

[Mi2un]

My experience with fixing my Dad's Mark4 Ambassador has been a nightmare. Around 3 years back I decided to restore the car. We first tried to fix the mechanicals and installed AC for improving comfort. The car came with first Gen BMC diesel engine. However, the mechanic suggested to change the engine to a more modern BMC Stride, which apparently had better water pump and fuel pump (this would allow the AC to work better). The AC and engine work only took 2 months. However, we wanted to paint the car in a new colour after removing existing paint and putty. So the car was sent for denting and patchwork in a small shop. This patchwork took more than 2.5 years, mostly because the work was done by a single Denter (during Covid).Most big workshops refused to take the car in for denting and patching. Only very specialised workshops were ready to do the job but at a very high cost. The bigger shops have good denting and painting expertise. But only an experienced Denter/patch worker can bring back the shape of an Ambassador, which many of the big workshops dont have. So when you send an Ambassador to the bigger shops make sure the guys have previous experience working on them. Good luck

[Naetik30]

When my family owned multiple Ambassadors more than 25 years back in Coimbatore, there were multiple garages around Mettupalayam road that were the go to places for all Ambassador related issues. I am not sure how many of them exist now. This area is Sivananda Colony Road next to Annamalais Toyota and Renault showrooms.

[car love]

Congratulations!! Awesome story. Very few people get to fulfill their dreams.
Krishna's garage in Bangalore does an awesome job. Check out his Vinty restoration here

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/post-...series-mm.html (Restoration of "Vinty" - My 1951 Morris Minor Series MM)
Other places could be Autostarke, Thrissur and you could contact JayD on this forum. He's an authority on Amby's and personally has couple of awesome ones.

[RenuKumar]

I too have a similar story. Our family car was sold long time back and I am looking to find it and restore it for my father.

If anyone gets to see an Ambassador with registration number MYT2727 in any of the garages, kindly ping me.

[born.4thnov]

You are lucky. The vehicle is already in one of the meccas of car restoration - Coimbatore. You can easily find all the spares you require on Nanjappa road. I used to have a friend who was into car modification and restoration. I will definitely check and share his number with you.
Similarly, if anyone is able to spot a car TNU 1571 Amby Mark 4, please let me know.

[pistonpacer666]

Firstly, many congratulations on managing to procure the car, since many others I know who've been trying to locate their old cars have not been so lucky. Most of the Mark 2s and even Mark 3s as I understand have been scrapped.

I learnt to drive in my family's 1973 Mark 2 ambassador as well, when it had the original petrol engine from the 70s. We then changed the engine to a Matador diesel in 1993 and ultimately sold it and bought a Premier Padmini (Fiat) in 1995.

On your quest to restore the car (not sure about shipping to the US though). There's this place in Krishnagiri that does restorations and had recently restored the car used by the yesteryear leader Kamarajar. See article - https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...le67072625.ece

The garage is owned by Ashwin Varma, whom I personally know and the workshop has done a lot of credible restoration and other work too. You can try them out.

TorqueMax Automotive (@torquemax_automotive) - Instagram https://www.instagram.com/torquemax_automotive/

Wish you the best and happy motoring.

[kinetic]

@AmbyLSX: Maybe I missed it in this thread, but can you share what part of the US you are in? Based on location, the level of difficulty in importing the Amby will vary. For e.g. states like California and a few others require these 25+ year old cars to meet some emission requirements. There are some exceptions to the rule and plenty of fine print though.

[AmbyLSX]

Bringing the Dream Back to Life – Hindustan Ambassador Restoration Begins!

Hi everyone, it’s been a while since I last posted, but the dream of restoring my Ambassador has never faded. Life, work, and other priorities made the past year hectic, but I finally made a special trip from the U.S. to visit Being Vintage in Trivandrum, Kerala. It was a fantastic visit—seeing their incredible collection of cars and spending time with family (not to mention enjoying some amazing seafood!).

After that visit, I made the big decision: it was time to send the car from Coimbatore to Kerala to finally kick-start the restoration project. The car is now on a flatbed trailer, making its way to its new home!

Vision for the Build
Since I’ll be bringing this car to the U.S., there will be some necessary modifications—like upgrading the brakes for modern roads. Externally, it’ll be a blend of a Mark 1 and a Landmaster, inspired by the Morris Oxford II. But one thing I refuse to compromise on is the column shifter. It’s how I learned to drive, it’s rare, and it holds strong sentimental value as a memory of my uncle.

Engine Swap Options
I’m currently exploring two engine options:

• Isuzu 1.8L Petrol with the HM 5-speed manual column shift
• Nissan SR20DET with the Nissan FS5R30A 5-speed (which can be adapted for column shift)

Does anyone here have experience with these swaps? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Restoration Plan

Phase 1: Dismantling & Preparation

• Wash the car.
• Remove old trims and mechanical components.
• Strip the body down to bare metal.

Phase 2: Body Restoration

• Hand-fabricate and replace rusted sections.
• Fine denting and bodywork for a perfect shell.
• Apply rust protection coating.

Phase 3: Sourcing Parts (Ongoing in Parallel)

• Acquire Mark 1 trims.
• Source a petrol engine and column-shift gearbox, including:
  • Clutch bell housing
  • Original petrol radiator & hoses
  • All components needed to revert from diesel to petrol
  • Numerous missing parts due to prior diesel conversion

Phase 4: Mechanical Overhaul

• Refurbish the sourced engine & gearbox (as needed).
• Install:
  • New carburetor
  • Distributor, high-tension parts & starter motor
  • Alternator (refurbished)
• Upgrade drivetrain & suspension:
  • Propeller shaft & differential
  • Steering box & suspension
• Upgrade braking system with modern components.

Phase 5: Final Assembly

• Paint the car.
• Reassemble mechanical components & trims.
• Install a new wiring harness.

Parallel Execution to Speed Up the Build:

• Dismantling: Remove all components.
• Bodywork: Restore the shell while parts are being sourced.
• Parts Acquisition: Continue sourcing trims, engine, and required components.
• Engine & Gearbox Refurbishment: Rebuild once sourced.

Optional Features – Yet to Be Decided
There are a few additional changes under consideration:

• Hidden CarPlay Head Unit – Mounted inside the right-side dashboard compartment with as hidden as possible speakers and a subwoofer in the trunk.
• Air Conditioning – Completely concealed, using the top dash vent for airflow.
• Finished Trunk Area – Looking for design inspiration to make it functional yet aesthetically pleasing.
• Dynamat Interior Insulation – To reduce road noise and improve cabin comfort.
• PPF (Paint Protection Film) – Applied to the exterior before shipping the car to the U.S.
• Integrated Trafficator Turn Signals – Planning to install original Lucas SF80 semaphore signals to blend vintage aesthetics with modern functionality.

This project has been a long time coming, and I can’t wait to share updates along the way. Looking forward to insights, recommendations, and feedback from the community!

[howler]

Reach out to Karan Shah of KS Motorsport in Bombay. He squeezed a 2jz into his amby

[AmbyLSX]

Hi Team,

It’s been a while since my last post, and I’m happy to share that the car has now reached the workshop in Kerala, and work is progressing steadily.

Since arrival, the team has completed dismantling and begun full bodywork, which includes:

• Rust repair, fabrication, and restoration of panels and critical areas) e.g. firewall, side box panels (where the door hinges mount), below the A-pillar and B-post, boot lid)
• Custom fabrication of several sections too far gone to salvage

As the car is being rebuilt, we have time to lock in the final direction — which is to take the build closer to a Landmaster, inspired by the Morris Oxford Series II styling.

We are actively sourcing parts from within India as well as from the UK, Australia, or wherever available.

Parts We’re Currently Looking For:

• Instrument Cluster / Dashboard: mainly the Smiths 4-in-1 / 3-in-1 gugage
• Horn Cup
• Lucas Rear Lenses: Original round red and orange lenses in glass

Please do share any contacts or recommendations!

We're also beginning to research the requirements to export the car to the U.S. once the restoration is complete. On the Indian side, we understand the following might be required:

• RTO Clearance
• NOC (No Objection Certificate)
• Matching engine number as per the original RC or ensuring proper endorsement if changed

We’re still evaluating engine options, but retaining the column shifter is a must for this build. If the engine type needs to match the original RC registration, we might be limited or have to have a workaround.

If anyone has experience with:

• Exporting a classic car from India
• Dealing with the RTO for such approvals
• Getting a non-original engine endorsed on the RC

...your insights would be very welcome.

Will continue to post updates and photos as the project unfolds. A big thank you again to the Team-BHP community for the incredible knowledge shared here — it’s been a guiding light throughout this journey!

[LJP]

Originally Posted by AmbyLSX

Hi Team,
Since arrival, the team has completed dismantling and begun full bodywork, which includes

I saw the post by Being Vintage about your Ambassador. Wishing you all the best with the restoration and your plans to export it to the USA

[am1m]

Originally Posted by AmbyLSX

Fast forward to today, I've finally located and purchased that very Ambassador.

How on earth did you locate it?! Must have been quite a long search. If you are ok sharing the details, how did you go about it? I guess being sold in 2006 helped, by then, there was some level of digitization of records. But for a vintage like an Amby, I guess the chances of locating one after decades must be really, really low.