The march of the Black Queen (my new Honda Civic 1.8V in Black)

[spadix]

Originally Posted by mobike008

BQ looks absolutely splendid parked on the outside of the MLCP. Only thing I am upset about is how can you allow the tyres to get so dirty. Keep a tyre shiner in the car, spray it before "clicking"

Thanks, dude! Yeah, even I get upset about the tyres but what can I do? We wash the car ourselves and we live in a place more suited to 4x4s (I hope you've seen the video above). There's just no point cleaning the tyres regularly. I clean them maybe once every 3 weeks-to-a-month.

We washed BQ the previous night and on that day it just happened to be sunny with no chance of rain to spoil the day as far as taking pictures was concerned. So that's what I did. It wasn't planned the previous day. Else, I'd have taken care of the tyres as well.

As for spraying before clicking, I was sweating bucket loads already out in the sun!

Originally Posted by mobike008

Do you normally park there? I never park the WA out there in the sun. I dont mind going up an additional floor to find shelter.

No. I park inside, but it doesn't make for good photos. After the shoot I got BQ back in the shade.

Originally Posted by mobike008

So when is the last day? Let's meet up for lunch in Building 3 or 1 or whichever is convenient sometime next week. What say?

17th, but effectively 12th. And yes, let's meet. I propose an ORR spin so that you can get to sample the CR70 on the windscreen. That's long overdue. If you're OK with skipping lunch some day (or having a very quick one) we can head out and be back within an hour.

Originally Posted by mobike008

And, Did you drive down to Gurgaon?

Didn't yet, but will. We're going to start on the 18th I think. It was originally 15th but wife said no point reaching before 21st as luggage won't arrive until that day approximately.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Btw, I dont beileve i saw an update on the final insurance figure you closed on?

Originally Posted by sushrutha

By the way which insurance did you go for ? How much was the IDV & Amount quoted

Yes, I didn't update the thread yet with renewal insurance details.

For an IDV of 1071040 I got the following least quotes -

1. 16k from L&T - last quote after negotiations. Didn't go with it as I wasn't sure about the company (it's new) and I didn't like the agent. He initially didn't give me any quotes below 20k. When I said I got a quote from HDFC for < 17k, he reverted with this *immediately*.
2. 17.1k from HDFC - This was after a couple of rounds of negotiation and if I'd gone to their office it would've come down a bit more. However, I wanted to check with a few Honda dealers in Hyd and Gurgaon and not all support cashless claim with HDFC. So gave up on this. I felt the mouth-wateringly low premium wasn't worth the potential headache. Maybe I could've trusted HDFC. I use so many of their services and I've been such a long banking and retail customer with them. But anyway...
3. 18.25k from Bajaj Allianz - Unnegotiated quote from a DSA. I finally settled for Bajaj Allianz after presenting the HDFC and L&T quotes and getting some chillar discounts.

TATA AIG also would've been good but I didn't like my interaction with their direct sales people. The last quote I got from them was 19200 or something and anyway, BA beat them un-negotiated. Also, there could be the same cashless claim problem.

I must thank mobike008 aka Mod'Anna Avi bhai for his constant help during the decision and negotiation phase. He constantly gave me the quotes he received, passed along contacts and also batted on my behalf at HDFC. Thank you, Avi bhai!

Originally Posted by sushrutha

@Spadix,
Super pics. Lone CIVIC(Black queen) in a parking lot with a huge building as background . She certainly feels like a queen.

If that's the case then check your first pic buddy...

Thanks, Sushrutha!

Are you referring to Wipro in the 1st pic. That's not who I work for.

Originally Posted by Behemoth

Hi Spadix,
Welcome to Gurgaon! If you need any help, you can PM me. I have been living here since the past 7 years and know it almost inside out.

Fantastic, Sameer! Thanks a lot. I'll PM you. So now I have phamilyman (Hits) and you to bugger for car-related stuff in the NCR.

Regards,
spadix

[spadix]

Originally Posted by spadix

I was a little disappointed that I couldn't cross Sachin's highest ODI score :(. I came to 99% of it (and aided by a down-slope at that) and had to back off as I made out a group of stationary vehicles in the distance, near one of the exits. I wonder if wind or tyres were holding the car back a bit, or if the car's mechanicals are already too old (at ~11650 kms then) to make the advertised number.

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Thats your mistake. If you had redlined in 4th you would have easily crossed your mark.

Originally Posted by shuvc

It's possible in 4th. Bounces off the limiter. From personal experience

And today I can say "Been there done that".

mobike008 aka Mod'Anna Avi bhai wanted to check out the 3M CR70 on the front windscreen for quite some time now. Considering I'm moving out of Hyderabad next week, we went for yet another spin on the empty ORR. This time I shifted correctly and crossed the mark.

The sense of elation was more along the lines of "Hey, there's nothing wrong the car after all!".

No worries now.

And no repeats as well.

Mod'Anna test drove BQ for some 4 kms at the end of the joy ride and came away with a huge grin plastered on his face.

I'm being a little unkind to BQ these days. Hyderabad's roads are heaven compared to Gurgaon's and within the limits of safety I'm ensuring that BQ gets a good work-out.

Regards,
spadix

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by spadix

mobike008 aka Mod'Anna Avi bhai wanted to check out the 3M CR70 on the front windscreen for quite some time now. Considering I'm moving out of Hyderabad next week, we went for yet another spin on the empty ORR. This time I shifted correctly and crossed the mark.

Yeah Spadix, our impromptu speedrun turned out to be quite fun

a) I was pleasantly surprised by the visibility of the CR70 and as you rightly said it was as if some wears sunglasses. Almost perfect. However, 3M went overboard with so many logos which is weird for a front windscreen

b) BQ performed flawlessly on the ORR yesterday. I realized that it only lacks the top whack as we first tried touching the magic number in 5th gear but, it was an uphill task from 170kmph onwards but, the moment you downshift it was easier to reach there.

c) The engine sound was sweet to the ears but, the stock tyres make a lot of racket

d) Biggest downside of the Civic is its soft suspension. At those speeds, it was wallow to say the least and even going over a small bump was uncomfortable and not confidence insipiring

Originally Posted by spadix

Mod'Anna test drove BQ for some 4 kms at the end of the joy ride and came away with a huge grin plastered on his face.

I'm being a little unkind to BQ these days. Hyderabad's roads are heaven compared to Gurgaon's and within the limit of safety I'm ensuring that BQ gets a good work-out.

Thanks for the ride. I thoroughly enjoyed the drive and some quick comparos with the "Rocket"

1. Civic seating and visibility is better than Cruze

2. The power difference between the Cruze and Civic is pretty evident

3. Due to stiffer suspension the Cruze is way better in a straight line

4. Cruze reaches the magic figure so quickly and so effortlessly, it is actually scary....Whereas, for the Civic, you need to step on the gas. But, then i am not comparing oranges to oranges then. There is a difference of 16bhp and 200cc

If i had a Civic, the first mod would be get the suspensions stiffened and change the damn OEM tyre. I am sure it would be a different animal after these changes.

Overall, Civic is an awesome car with one of the most radical exterior and interior design ever to hit the Indian shores and was my first love from a long time then slipped to 2nd spot after buying the Cruze.

After the drive yesterday, it continues to remains in 2nd spot of my "love list"

[spadix]

Originally Posted by mobike008

4. Cruze reaches the magic figure so quickly and so effortlessly, it is actually scary....Whereas, for the Civic, you need to step on the gas. But, then i am not comparing oranges to oranges then. There is a difference of 16bhp and 200cc

And nearly double the torque (170 Nm as against 320 Nm). That makes all the difference especially on the highways. I think WA never needs to downshift from 4th/5th to overtake anyone on a highway. Not the case with BQ.

Honda should seriously consider releasing the Si/Type R in more markets than just Japan, US and some Euro countries. The 2 litre, 200 bhp beast with performance tyres, suspension and interior/exterior livery which revs up to 8k rpm (the 1.8 in BQ red lines at 6.8k) will be eagerly snapped up by many people here.

Check this video out -

‪Tunnel acceleration by Civic Si 2010‬‏ - YouTube

There are many other videos which focus on just the tacho and the engine sound.

Originally Posted by mobike008

If i had a Civic, the first mod would be get the suspensions stiffened and change the damn OEM tyre. I am sure it would be a different animal after these changes.

And low-beam headlamps.

Thanks for posting your comments, Avi bhai!

Regards,
spadix

[spadix]

We reached Gurgaon 10 days back after a 3 day, 2110 km drive. All that was needed at the end was some brake pad cleaning to get rid of something that got lodged in between the pads and discs, courtesy of our monsoon-ravaged roads.

Unfortunately I don't have too many pictures from the trip. I'll take stock of whatever I have and decide whether to start a travelogue or just describe the trip here.

-----------------------------

Before I do that, thanks are due to the following TBHPians for some tremendous help all along, considerably easing the drive in more ways than one -

ranjitp1 - For providing detailed routes/directions and general guidance/advice and tips for scenarios ranging from escaping the massive truck pile-ups at flyover construction zones between Mumbai and Vapi to providing excellent food stop recommendations to putting us in touch with Ramky (see below), and constantly staying in touch throughout the drive!

ASHISHPALLOD - Once again for detailed instructions on bypassing Pune via Baramati and for staying in touch. He also helped us bypass Baramati by leading the way through town as we followed him.

dot - For taking time out on a busy weekday evening and going out of the way to meet us on the NH4 Pune bypass, despite the fact that we were not going to stop for too long, and also for taking some pictures.

hvkumar - His clear-and-crisp Mumbai bypass directions meant that we stopped only once in that 50 km Kalamboli - Ghodbandar stretch despite peak hour evening traffic and rains, and even that one stop was because I was unable to combine reading comprehension and driving just after Turbhe flyover!

Ramky - What can I say! In peak season as far as GJ/RJ are concerned (because of Janmashtami) he ensured we got hotel rooms at a nice place in Udaipur at a great price, and all of this at a short notice of not more than 3 hours!

AceF355 and Behemoth - For welcoming us to Gurgaon with some great local information.

phamilyman - An old friend and well-wisher who is happier than most to see us relocate here!

Interestingly, I've physically met three (ASHISHPALLOD, dot, Ramky) of these eight gentlemen for only the first time, and have never met the others yet. And still they were so kind as to go all out to help. The camaraderie at TBHP is truly amazing, and I'm honoured and humbled to be part of such a wonderful community.

Last but not the least, the entire awesome TBHP-Hydeez gang, whose regular meets and company I will miss in the short-to-medium term, for a nice send-off party.

That was a little bit of a digression from BQ, but TBHP is an integral part of my ownership experience.

Thank you all so much, once again!

-----------------------------

Regards,
spadix

[spadix]

BQ completed 20000 kms on 25th August 2011 - just a day short of 13 months since I first set eyes on the car during my PDI at the dealer's yard on 27th July 2010.

When I look back, the following things cross my mind -

• My Pulsar 180, which incidentally celebrated its 8th birthday on 1st September 2011, has done only around 19500 kms since 1st September 2003.
  
• My old Maruti 800 which I sold early last year, also did some 19500 kms in 4 years and 10-odd months between the end of May 2006 and the beginning of April 2010.

BQ has done that in a little more than a year! Nearly 7k of those 20k kms have been on out-of-station trips.

Regards,
spadix

[Ace F355]

Originally Posted by spadix

And nearly double the torque (170 Nm as against 320 Nm). That makes all the difference especially on the highways.

True that. Cruze is a torque monster!

Originally Posted by spadix

Honda should seriously consider releasing the Si/Type R in more markets than just Japan, US and some Euro countries. The 2 litre, 200 bhp beast with performance tyres, suspension and interior/exterior livery which revs up to 8k rpm (the 1.8 in BQ red lines at 6.8k) will be eagerly snapped up by many people here.

Having driven the real deal (original Type R as well as Si), I can safely say if this version was in India, I would have bought one no matter what! That engine is a gem. If you remember from my thread, in March this year, I was tempted to import the engine from Canada since my room mate had totalled her car and the engine was lying around for sale. If only it was that easy... !

And another small note spadix, our 1.8 ivtec redlines at 6800 rpms but revvs upto 7200 before hitting the limiter!

Originally Posted by spadix

BQ completed 20000 kms on 25th August 2011 - just a day short of 13 months since I first set eyes on the car during my PDI at the dealer's yard on 27th July 2010.

Magic of a brilliant Honda product, eh! The Civic wants you to come out and have some fun, isn't it. I look forward to each second I spend in my car.

[spadix]

I haven't logged on to TBHP in more than a month now, for a variety of reasons.

But yesterday was special. BQ completed 500 days in my care. The odo read 22124.7 km at the end of yesterday. That's nearly 44.25 km per day. Not bad at all for a petrol, but that average will come down very fast now.

BQ's daily running has come down drastically after moving to Gurgaon. Whereas the car did 17k+ kms in its 1st year, it now averages less than 400 km (less than a tankful!) per month. There was a short 2-day trip to Jaipur and back, but other than that, not too much sustained action although the car's used every day.

Here's an initial summary based on 3.5 months of BQ's post-relocation experience -

The good -

• Maintaining a healthy average despite such low running (6 kms per trip)
• Smooth as ever despite such low daily usage
• Not a single scrape despite the roads here (other than the one received on the Jaipur trip; details below)

The bad -

• Extremely low usage :(
• Gurgaon roads giving BQ's suspension a thorough work-out
• Road rage here means I'm driving *very* sedately (which I guess contributes to the points made under 'Good' above)
• Visions of taking BQ to Ladakh evaporated after a bus forced us off a deep shoulder on the Nahargarh ghat road (Jaipur) resulting in a heavy body-length scrape - the only one reaching the NCR, by the way, and thankfully there was no damage whatsoever

The ugly -

• We are unable to wash BQ ourselves, the way we used to do it in Hyderabad. And the colony car wash guy does an *ugly* job. We don't have any other option, however. But this is something we came prepared for. BQ's taking the hit while I hopefully further my career. Some day, I'll return the favour.

Regards,
spadix

[spadix]

So, BQ celebrates its 2nd birthday today. It isn't much of a celebration, actually. Life goes on as usual.

I can't believe this thread has been inactive since Dec. 2011! There are actually quite a few things in terms of numbers/stats and experiences (and a few photos) over this past year. I'll describe a few of them in subsequent posts. They have mainly got to do with the quality (or lack thereof) of HASS.

The car's doing just fine except for quickly-aging exteriors - something I can't do much about given the general tendency of people in Gurgaon to randomly scratch cars, and the generally low quality of work by car-washers esp. on black cars. This is also the reason why I don't feel like taking any pictures of the car.

There are a few minor niggles and rattles which HASS can't solve simply because they don't even want to acknowledge a problem.

That said, they have agreed to replace one part called the "air mix motor" under warranty. I'll describe that in detail as well in subsequent posts.

Next up - 2 years service. Last oil change was in Aug. 2011 at 20k kms. I'm still debating whether to get the oil changed now or wait till 30k kms (another 6 months, perhaps). Will get the warranty replacement done. I'll also get wheel alignment + balancing + rotation done, as it's nearly 9k kms now since the last WA + WB + rotation.

Some quick numbers:

Odo stands at 26435.2 kms. That's less than 10k kms this year (at this time last year the odo read ~17+k kms). 4k kms of these have been on the highway.

Insurance premium paid for this year is INR 13218 for an IDV of 937160. Not bad considering this was an un-negotiated online quote and also considering the rise in service tax this year.

Regards,
spadix

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by spadix

So, BQ celebrates its 2nd birthday today. It isn't much of a celebration, actually. Some quick numbers:

Odo stands at 26435.2 kms. That's less than 10k kms this year (at this time last year the odo read ~17+k kms). 4k kms of these have been on the highway.

Insurance premium paid for this year is INR 13218 for an IDV of 937160. Not bad considering this was an un-negotiated online quote and also considering the rise in service tax this year.

Congrats Prashant in completing 2 years. I too have completed mine as we both bought our respective rides a few days apart

This year insurance rates have gone up like crazy due to increase in taxes et.all and noone is willing to budge

What finally happened is something hard to fathom for me even till now. I paid an insurance premium equivalent to what i paid last year.

My insurance renewal details below

IDV : 9,76,000 ( 10% depreciation from last year's 10.85 Lakhs)

Insurance Premium : Rs.15,000

My current odo is : 29,090 kms

I too have slowed down considerably in clocking kms as i am working from home most of the days as i shudder to take WA out in peak traffic especially during rainy season.

[spadix]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Congrats Prashant in completing 2 years. I too have completed mine as we both bought our respective rides a few days apart

This year insurance rates have gone up like crazy due to increase in taxes et.all and noone is willing to budge

What finally happened is something hard to fathom for me even till now. I paid an insurance premium equivalent to what i paid last year.

Thanks, Avi, and congrats to WA and you too! I actually visited WA's thread and didn't see a post there. I felt like posting the congratulatory message there but again felt that it should come from you first, rightfully.

I completely understand your situation vis-a-vis insurance, but had there been a contest for "best insurance renewal quotes" last year, I think we would have safely won it for the deals we bagged from HDFC (although I eventually didn't convert that quote into a purchase). So what happened last year was an outlier, a completely extraordinary quote. If you've paid more this year, you can take heart from the fact that it's only taxes that hurt you and not your negotiating ability! There is also the minor point that starting from Year 2, insurance premium doesn't come down as dramatically with IDV as it does from Year 1 to Year 2. It's not a linear decrease.

Regards,
spadix