Restoring a Maruti Suzuki Zen: Challenges, Repairs & Future mod plans

We have great ambitions for engine swaps on this machine but I will be restoring and running the stock powertrain for a good 5-6 months before we attempt a swap.

BHPian hawker350 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Quote from BHPian Ravi Parwan:

What engine options are you thinking? Can't wait to hear more about the mod journey on this one.

We have great ambitions for engine swaps on this machine but I will be restoring and running the stock powertrain for a good 5-6 months before we attempt a swap. Also need time to earn and save for the swap.

Quote from BHPian Sidjohri:

Just curious to know as to how you are managing to run it in Delhi NCR considering its age. And how feasible would it be to spend your hard earned money on revamping her considering future viability and compliance?
Best wishes on your new adventure!

Thank you for your wishes! We plan to run it exclusively outside the NCR region where these rules do not apply. As for the feasibility, those who have gone through my bike Hawker's thread know how emotional I am about my machines and in many instances have made decisions from my heart and not my mind. Also I have great ambition for racing but, I fall short on the finances for such ambitions. Hence, considering the reputation of the Zen and the fact that it has lived all its life as first owned with us, there was really no better option at a similar cost.

As for those following the story of Tempest, following is a proper mid-repair update: -
The mechanic and our fellow BHPian Akash_1806 have reached a new estimate for the damages the Zen has sustained over the years and it is by no measure, a short list. Let's go over the damages/malfunctions of the Zen: -
1. Headlights- all scratched up and slightly yellowed. Taillights have broken glass and water seeping in. Made me consider the good old hand drill hack from the VW guy.
2. Front windshield- doesn't even belong to this car. It's too big and held to the front with tape on the edges. I have no idea how and why.
3. Tyres- old and brittle. Leaking air all the time and the rims are bent, one thoroughly so.
4. Doors, lock systems, finishing and upholstery- doors on this car are all so very slightly out of place that it's not visible but has a major contribution toward water leaking inward and increased road noise. The central locking system is also shot, requiring every door to be opened individually. All upholstery has a lot of dust embedded and the plastic work in the car had a major fungal spread last year.
5. Body- the chassis has taken major hits throughout its life. Majorly when this car flipped about 10 years ago and recently while it was being moved across states. Several points in the chassis have been loosely and incompetently welded together. The body panels are also somewhat out of place. The front bumper has seen abuse of the kind a wartime tank is built for and yet it still hangs on perfectly and without play.
6. Mechanical- this bullet would need several sub-bullets: -
- Steering is completely shot and needs a complete replacement. This includes the rack and column.
- Both track arms will be replaced in the front along with the front suspension.
- Clutch has been replaced. I was apparently running a mirror with the kind of throttle response I was receiving. The transmission was not fully opened just in case it is too broken to put back together.
- The plumbing and piping is a near disaster. The pipe from the coolant reservoir to the radiator has been cut short and is stretched over the corner of the battery in a way that would choke itself. The pipe from the radiator into the engine has blown up to 2.5x its original size. Not to mention it had choked coolant lines in the block in 2023 which we sorted by a series of flushes.
- Roof. It caved in back in 2013 when the car flipped, the left B-pillar hasnt been the same since and the welds in the roof are extremely subpar and done without regard for the results. It has leaks which let in water during washes and rains.
- Windows are a whole other topic. The front power windows are slow and make a lot of noise during operation. The rear left manual window is a herculean task, the right one doesn't function.

As we work on these issues, I shall keep updating the thread and I highly appreciate every response I am getting. All suggestions and support is welcome and will be seriously considered. I also apologise for a lack of photographs. My office Wi-Fi isn't that great. I promise to upload a whole post full of images very soon!
Stay Ballin'

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