15+ year old cars & Certificate of Fitness (CF)

[planet_rocker]

@ mods - please shift this thread to right section if this doesnt belong here.

only few members here own old (read 15+ years) cars. my car will celebrate her 19th birthday on 22nd September, 2007.

i know that 15+ year (yr) old cars are supposed to get a certificate of fitness from the RTO. i havent yet got the CF for my car.

i want to know:
1. whether it is easy to get the CF?
2. will the FFE in my car create a problem?
3. my RC shows the colour - white (but she is black now!)
4. what are the thing the RTO guys look into before issuing the CF?

it will be great if you guys can share some light on this - my queries & in general.

thanks in advance.

[nitrous]

I would suggest going through an RTO broker.
It will be slightly expensive but he'll take care of all the hassles/headaches.
Important tips:
a) Make sure your PUC is in order and get the Pollution check in advance.
b) Hope the chassis number/engine number is in order.
c) Colour of the car can be overlooked by some underhand methods.
d) Yes,FFE will be a problem ....speak with the RTO broker about it.

[planet_rocker]

so i will have to switch to OE manifold! :(

@ karl, Mr dhabhar / cyrus, President, 1100D, Stanher, V-16 - what do you guys have to say?

@ 1100D - did you face any specific problem while getting the CF? should ask my dad to renew his membership with AAEI (Automobile Association of Eastern India)?

@ nitrous - PUC is updated, chasis & engine number is in order. road tax, insurance are also up to date. so only two things are bothering me right now - the after market headers and the colour. i will try to get in touch with a broker. thanks a lot.

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by planet_rocker

so only two things are bothering me right now - the after market headers and the colour. i will try to get in touch with a broker. thanks a lot.

One small suggestion. Keep some time in hand and go to Beltala. Look out for a middle aged broker. Tell him that you need his help.
Have all these talks with minimum two cups of boil-the-hell-out-so-called-tea. Give him ciggis. Fix a date.
Go there. Get your CF out in less than half hour. Wait to see his last-of-the-Bengal-hero type expression.
Pay him 100/-. Give him a ciggi. If you have time in hand, go back to that tea stall to have your third cup with him.

[salilpawar1]

I think it should be a cakewalk. Even our Fiat didn't have the same shade during its fitness test. RTO Mumbai is supposed to be one of the strictest (?) in the country, so I don't think it would be really a big problem. I think you should be more concerned about the FFE than the colour.

[supremeBaleno]

I had gone through this process in 2000 for our '85 M800, but at Chennai. I went through a driving school and cost me like 700 (all-inclusive). Its a pity though that we have to bribe to go through what should be a normal process.

@Rudra-sir, you sure about that Rs100 thing ? Even in Calcutta, I am not so sure it will come that cheap.

[1100D]

AAEI is the best you can do. You can contact my Dad (we have done it so many times - 38yr old car!!), and can go with him to AAEI for enquiry. They usually take care of all the issues you mentioned. FFE, if loud, will create a problem, you can switch back to stock box (headers wont create any problem). However, quite rightly, it isn't as easy, but knowing the condition your car is in, it will sail.

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

@Rudra-sir, you sure about that Rs100 thing ? Even in Calcutta, I am not so sure it will come that cheap.

I never said that's the whole cost. That 100/- is for that tout/agent to line up things for him.

Planet, I don't really see a big problem here. I've seen your car and also heard that exhaust note. Over and above Fiat/Padminis are known for their exhast note also.

[nitrous]

Yeah. I just remembered.
All the padmini taxis in mumbai have FFEs or sound like they do.
I think u will pass that.

[razor4077]

In any case, the FFE is actually much quieter than stock!!

@planet: Have you got a PUC done after the FFE was fitted?

[planet_rocker]

@ 1100D - i will get in touch with Mr. Ghosh soon.

@ Rudra da - yeah my car does sound like a stock padmini even after fitting the headers + the headers aint for the sound actually. my car was "super loud" previously. cylindrical box & previous setup

@ razor - nope! the PUC is due in august - will see whether it passes the test.

@ supremebaleno - i think getting it done by the driving school guy will be my second choice - i got my DL renewed through him.

[1100D]

Dont worrythe RTO guy will probably come and sit in your car and give you some money for showing him such a nice car! (Given the eyesores that turn out for CF).

But, if you are doing it through AAEI, you could probably see some beauties, like a car named as "Brojohori", it was none other than a Fin-tail Merc 190. Then there was a black-bumpered sky-blue Fiat 1100 103, this one happened to even tempt my Dad to force me to ask the owner if he would like to sell it and see me almost nearly getting beaten for doing so.

[President]

I got my 1221 LHD 1964 Fiat passing done through an RTO agent for around Rs1000/- in Mumbai about two years ago. But of course, the PUC, Insurance, one time tax, municipal tax and the last RTO Fitness Certificate had to be valid up to the date of the passing. Then, it is just a one day job with or without the car for a few hundred more.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by President

I got my 1221 LHD 1964 Fiat passing done through an RTO agent for around Rs1000/- in Mumbai about two years ago. But of course, the PUC, Insurance, one time tax, municipal tax and the last RTO Fitness Certificate had to be valid up to the date of the passing. Then, it is just a one day job with or without the car for a few hundred more.

Did you have an earlier team-bhp handle called "Fiat_1221cc"?

[planet_rocker]

so what are the things the RTO guys usually look into?

@ President - did you face any problem when you got the CF for the first time?