Team-BHP - ARTICLE: Must-have Accessories for your new car

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 445861)

Not really. New India paid my about 35 grand for a ICE system which was bought for 50. Thats not too bad for an insurance payout.

lucky you. that's a very good payout. Usually electronics depreciate real fast hence I thought that the insurance payout will be pretty bad. Also I have a heard a few stories of getting really low payouts for ICE insurance claim.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid6639 (Post 445906)

That was my belief too. But my insurance is up for renewal & my agent was asking me to include all electronic accessories as well & said that it was worth it. Now, I know that it is certainly worth insuring my ICE (very modest) alongwith my car. :)

Guys,

The thumb rule in question here is you pay 4 % premium for the value at which you wish to insure you ICE which must be supported by a legitimate bill. At the time of a claim they will pay you the depreciated value as per their norms. There is nothing like 50% or 70% or less or more. All boils down to after how long you make the claim.

The same also applies to all repairs you make to your car.

BTW - I just got my ICE and other accessories insured for Rs 2 lacs even thought it cost me under Rs 1 lac so if & when the need to make a claim arrives I think my cost will be covered.

Viper

I wanna add few accessories to my new ALTO and chalked up a small list:

1)Pricol Central Locking System Rs.3450/- with lifetime warranty
2)Sony Xplod GT460 US Rs.6500/- (untill unless I'm getting a head unit brought from US by my friend which is still under consideration)
3)Sony Front two speakers (under-dash) Rs.1000/-
4)Rear speaker panel Rs.450/-
5)Sony Rear two oval speakers Rs.1800/-
6)Seat Covers-
P.U. Rs.1600/-
Fabric Rs.1400/-
7)Side Door Panel Guard Rs.350/-
8)Mud Flaps/Water Guard Rs.240/- (already bought ha ha)

All prices are after market in Calcutta....any comments and/or suggestions are welcome....

The first thing I add to a new car after the anti-slip floor mat is the leather steering wheel cover. i can't drive without one and it feels good when the cover gets the groove according to my palm in the right places. it personalises the wheel - my point of contact with my car.
i get the seat cover handmade by an old tailor with pockets on the back of the front seat covers. in fact when this cover needs a wash i go for a second one and then rotate the two.
i recently got five aura alloy wheels and i must say they are worth the money in terms of reducing the vibration levels of the vehicle.
i will most definitely need to buy a new after market lever for the jack. the stock lever it is impossible to use it, especially when changing the front wheel.
i added two fog lamps and learnt a lesson in how much margins these guys keep - maruti said the original OE (rs 2700) will take months to come and none of the maruti dealers in calcutta had them. i researched a bit on who supplies it to Maruti and found there is a company called neolite that does it. i asked an aftermarket dealer in bhawanipore who said he could get neolites for rs 1400 and fitting it would be free. i called up neolite in gurgaon and got the phone number of their distributor in kolkata. he said it would cost rs 700. i bought these pronto and went to the authorised service station to get it fitted. i tipped the mechanic a bit otherwise officially they didn't charge me for fitting it. the maruti mechanic though said that although neolite makes the original, the stuff they sell in the aftermarket is not quite what they sell to maruti - meaning the OE is better. i refuse to believe that neolite changes the reflector for the aftermarket (that would be a silly thing for them to do in terms of cost control). the external brackets might look more polished but i am sure basically the thing is same - especially the all important reflector.
i am currently researching on whether to go in for K&N filters or not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabret00the (Post 461267)

can anyone even bother to try and answer my queries....thnx in advance...

Sabrett
the stuff you have mentioned are very personal things - like audio. sony is a good brand to depend on. make sure you are buying the genuine stuff. also, alto is not such a large car to demand that kind of front and rear speakers. but it's your choice.
get a good antennae, if you like fm music or news.
personally i don't like PU seat covers as the feel is really cheapo. but i don't want to impose my personal opinions on others. i will never consider it. but that doesn't mean others should subscribe to my opinion on this. i prefer pure cotton. they feel natural to touch.
get a leather steering wheel cover, particularly if you plan to go on long drives. but if the car is going to be driven by drivers then think twice.

if you like spirited driving experience add aluminium pedal covers. it changes the way you feel while driving. very sporty feel. i would highly recommend it.
have you put anti-slip floor mat? i am sure you have.

i didn't know pricol makes central locking. i use the MGA Nippo stuff. But pricol is also a very large company. Whatever brand you choose, keep the service guy's number stored in your mobile. You will need him (and it will be an emergency) no matter what brand you use. Check Pricol's service reputation. Nippo arrived in 15 minutes when I had a problem and fixed the problem.
one advice on the keys - keep rotating the two keys. use one for a month, next month use the other. if you use just one forever and keep the other one away (as i did with my first hero honda 15 years ago) after a few years you will find the other one (spanking new) is not working. remember keys as well as the lock's grooves inside change their shape over time.
go for sunscreen. it saves fuel.