Dad's 2004 Maruti Suzuki Zen: My dream of building it into a race car

This is just the beginning. Whether you’re here for nostalgia, for the love of Zens, or just to see how crazy this build gets—buckle up. This thread is going to be absolute cinema.

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In 2004, my father faced a dilemma—his trusty Splendor was no longer enough. A growing family, a first anniversary approaching, and a little demon (me) raising hell in the house meant he needed a real car. Enter the 2004 Maruti Suzuki Zen VXI—993cc, four cylinders, five seats, and the best handling of its time. It wasn’t just a car; it was our companion through countless road trips, near misses, and memories that shaped my love for automobiles.

It carved its way through the country’s roads, became my first and only manual, saved us from a near-tragic accident, and even after 21 years, it’s still a thrill to drive. But time took its toll. It got tired, became sluggish, ended up in the hands of a drunkard, and crashed. Despite all that, it STILL RUNS LIKE A CHAMP.

My father’s knees aged, and he moved on to an AMT Kwid but kept the Zen for me. One day, he said, “I’m only keeping this for you. If you don’t have plans, let’s scrap it and put the discount toward a new car.” It went to Gorakhpur, Srinagar and Jaisalmer with my dad for the duration he was posted there so, for years, I took it lightly—it was always there, a silent part of our home. But in October 2024, reality hit hard. My father had it delivered it to our home in Gurgaon.

Now growing impatient, he became more vocal about scrapping my auto love. I protested all I could, claiming I had plans. When he asked what plans, I said, “Racecar.”

“How is this going to be a racecar?” he asked.

“Engine swap,” I replied.

“Then why do you want to keep the car if you’re going to change the engine straight up?”

I had no solid answer. But in my heart, I knew—this car wasn’t just a machine; it was a legacy. And I wasn’t about to let it end in a scrapyard.

There was one problem—money. No way my father was paying to build a racecar. Luckily, a job opening came through from a friend, and I leapt at it like a famished alligator. Work turned out not to be fun, but hey, whatever builds a racecar, right?

After three grueling months, I consulted my very good friend Akash about the budget and possibilities. Akash, being the mad man that he is, wanted to turn my Zen into a machine that could give a Top Secret Supra a run for its money. I had to pull him back to reality. First things first—I wanted to bring the Zen back to factory-fresh glory, just as my father bought it.

The adventure began when I drove out of my parking in Sec-49, Gurugram, at 7:40 AM to reach my office in GK-1—with the Zen (Akash’s bright idea). Spent my day of slavery, clocked out at 6, started up the baby, and drove down to Noida.
This happens to be the longest drive till date that I have undertaken with this car. On my drive, I noticed several things that I will list below: -
1. It kept pulling to the left, which I knew must've been because of the crash that happened while it was being moved from Jaisalmer to Gurgaon.
2. Non-zero engine noise. The Zen is very old and has not got the necessary TLC for a machine her age. It also felt sluggish and struggling to put down the power.
3. Noise from the front left axle, consequences of the same accident.

Other than that, it was an absolute pleasure to drive. Extremely smooth in comparison to my father's Kwid, comfortable seats that felt like a warm bed in the morning right before you wake up and a stable suspension coupled with a low slung seating position made me feel like the king of the road.

Akash offered to have the Zen repaired at the same mechanic who maintains his Gypsy. If you’ve seen his Gypsy, you’d take him up on the offer too. The Zen went straight to Surender Motors, a shop known for its solid work on old-school machines, where it now stands to be repaired.

I have named her Tempest, after the Hawker Siddeley aircraft.

Its opened up in the morning at Surender Motors and gets a thorough inspection. Diagnoses:-
1. Bent track rod
2. Bent front left strut
3. Severely fatigued steering rack
4. Overspent clutch
5. Lot of jiggery pokery with the plumbing

Me and Akash added to the list of repairs by requesting for a complete set of new rear, front and brake lights.
Currently she stands to be repaired, I shall be checking in with the mechanic on Monday, the 24th, which is when he has promised me delivery of Tempest.

This is just the beginning. Whether you’re here for nostalgia, for the love of Zens, or just to see how crazy this build gets—buckle up. This thread is going to be absolute cinema.
Stay ballin'

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