Such a nice thread.. I have many fond memories of the padmini and everyday as my daily drive is still the padmini, The memories pile on.
The first time i drove one was 2006. I had just learnt how to drive the maruti and alas, as it was raining, it started flooding. So i went down in my chappals and shorts to put the cars on the footpath. At that time, MRY 3112 wasnt restored. So first goes the maruti onto the footpath..no problem.
Now , i take the fiat keys out of my pochet and think to myself, "Can i do this??" And then i think.."isnt it in my blood".. So i am soaking wet in the middle of the road, water rising. I open MRY 3112 and sit in it. Now as i have never driven both my fiats before i am confused which key it takes to start the car. Now my dad(Behram Dhabhar) usually keeps all his keys in one big bunch. So even God would get confused!! Finally i manage to start the car. Delight Delight..The car starts in the first shot. Put the car in first and slowly start driving. Its easy i think. And it is. Slowly i drive the car ont the nearby footpath and park it there. Two down, one to go.
Now comes MRJ 5540. The carzily fast fiat that i had come to know of just recently was staring at me. Begging me to take it up onto the footpath before anything happened to its small nuclear power plant below the hood. So i look at that massive bunch of keys again. In the meanwhile the rains get heavier and heavier. I am dripping wet and cold. Somehow i manage to open the door after what seems like an eternity and sit inside its cozy welcoming interiors. I put the key in the ignition, put it in neutral and fire it up. The roar of the Exhaust and its piper stage 1 engine could be heard very clearly over the rains pitter patter. So i put it in gear, leave the clutch, and it stalls. So i think to myself, "What the hell??" Start the car again, Put it in gear, And it stalls again. Now i am getting irritated. This happens again and again when finally i get so irritated that i decide to stop and think whats happening. Then i realize that instead of first, i have been putting it in third. So i calmy pull the gear shift towards me and put it in first and leave the clutch. With a massive jerk of acceleration, The car leaps ahead. There is water splashing all over the place engine roaring like a mad man!! I think to myself "What now??" A voice screams in my brain..."PUT IT IN SECOND YOU MORON!!!!
" so i put it in second..drive the car to the end of the lane and turn around. By this time, i have guaged the power of the car and thus have an accurate control of the clutch and gas. Slowly and steadily, i plonk it up on the footpath and it is safe and sound.
I come out and pat myself on the back for doing such a wonderfull job. All this while my mom is worrying on wether i would by able to drive the fiats or not.
