Restoring my father's 1995 Maruti Esteem

He never mentioned why he changed his mind. Since it was welcome news to me, I didn't ask either.

BHPian sohanbala recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A bit of background

Our interests are always the result of influences. When we speak about automobiles, it could be our first family vehicle, a TV commercial, the one dream car in our neighbourhood or at times an auto enthusiast we had around us. This was certainly the case for me. I believe this was the same case for my father too, since both my father and grandfather used to work for Hindustan Motors. I grew up listening to stories of Ambassadors being cranked to start and how OHVs changed the game. Among all the stories, my favourites were his own experience of buying his first car during the end of the 80s. A Maruti Omni, which had a waiting period of over a year.

From the Omni, my father moved to a PAL Premier Padmini and then to the star of this thread - a 1995 Maruti Suzuki Esteem LX (Type 1).

He wanted this car specifically as he was drawn to the colour Metallic Maroon. The jump from the Padmini to the Esteem 1.3L was huge. With its all-new 65 BHP aluminium engine, factory fitted air conditioning, adjustable seats, automated trunk and fuel doors, windshield washers, radial tyres and a 12V socket, this was the talk of the town.

Living with the Maruti Esteem

For a 26-year-old car, its running was very low, around 80,000 km (in 2021). We have never faced any mechanical issues, except for an alternator replacement sometime in 2008. The AC no longer worked after the shift from R12 cooling agent. Overtime, the lack of AC and power steering made daily drives hectic. This made us get a new car, something a bit more compact. So, we got a Volkswagen Polo in 2012, and guess what, my father decided to retain the Esteem for himself.

Here is a picture from 2012, my first solo drive in our Esteem:

The Esteem went on happily with just one annual service done, easy to maintain while the Polo started burning holes. This drew us to the conclusion that the Esteem should live with us. Years passed. In 2020, it was about time for Esteem's 3rd re-test. My father started being sceptical about another re-trest and was considering switching to a used small car since he started finding the sedan difficult to drive and manage. After starting to notice new hatchbacks available, one fine morning, my father told me and my brother that he wants to keep the Esteem and would like to get it fully fixed with a new AC kit before the re-test this year. He never mentioned why he changed his mind. Since it was welcome news to me, I didn't ask either.

The lockdown happened. 5 months since the lockdown, re-test dates were extended. One normal day, I spoke to my father as usual and left for work. 20 minutes later, I get a call saying he's not responding. A silent cardiac arrest.

January 2021

Its been a year since we had this conversation about getting the car fixed fully. When we think of it, it sounds like that's the only unfinished conversation we had. "One last wish maybe". This was it for me. I decided to make this restoration happen.

The Restoration Process

Exterior:

Except for a few scuffs, the car was in a fairly good condition.

Interior:

However, it badly needed a paint job as almost every panel had at least one uneven area:

I have categorised the restoration process into:

• Mechanical Work
• Paint and Body
• AC and Electricals
• Interiors

Mechanical Work

This petrol engine is smooth and silent. Other than a standard oil and filter replacement, the mechanical section needed an overhaul. We had to replace:

• Front lower arms (LH and RH)
• Steering box
• Clutch Assembly
• All 4 Shock Absorbers (Complete Assembly)
• Alternator Bearing
• Engine Belt

All cables were also replaced.

It was found that the carburettor secondary valve was stuck. After a lot of hunting, I finally managed to get a carburettor repair kit online. Yet to replace the carb parts.

It took around 4 days to finish all work. In the mean time, I started sourcing rubber fitments through MGP dealers and online sources. ETA for delivery is 45 days.

Here's what BHPian vigsom had to say on the matter:

May the divine forces give you all blessings to come up trumps with this job. Once upon a time, I had a 1995 Esteem LX that had been beautified. Few observations:

• Your car looks stunning even in the As-Is state
• The engine bay looks so stock even after 26 years
• Interiors are as good as new, with the old school Pioneer cassette deck inside (correct me if I am wrong)

The carburetor repair kit that I got in 2003 or so was 90 bucks, and if I remember right it was the same make. One small tip - if the current accelerator pump diaphragm is in good shape, don't replace it because an aftermarket diaphragm will never work as good as OEM.

Once again, good luck in your mission!! The following threads might be useful references - 1, 2.

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