[GTO]

Originally Posted by CarBot

How do we spice up the exhaust sound of a diesel engine?

Not that I recommend it, but there are some diesel cars with freeflow exhausts (BHPian Drifter was the first on the forum with his freeflow Accent CRDi). IMHO, high-revs will be weird with clatter at the front and a sporty roar at the back. Best avoided.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by CarBot

How do we spice up the exhaust sound of a diesel engine? Not sure what can be done to the diesel exhaust note.

You may want to have a look at my Aspire ownership thread.

I straight piped the rear muffler for some audible feedback and it worked out all right. Since the Duster and Aspire have similar sized and SOHC diesel engines, my guess is it will sound more or less the same.

There is not much difference on the inside especially when driving in low revs with the windows up. With no outside noise, especially on the highway, there is a nice deep note when revving hard, otherwise it is a nice burble in low revs which can be heard with rear windows down.
I haven't had too much exhaust drone , but when the car is loaded and on a highway, at a certain rev range, there is slight drone.

The other option is getting a down-pipe in place of the cat con which will increase the turbo whine.

[CarBot]

Thanks @GTO and @tharian. I will surely check your thread as I am sure I wont be buying another car for years to come and I really want to sound better while driving.

[asbshyam]

A great thread!!

I also truly believe in keeping a vehicle with me for the longest I can, not only for the economical benefits but I tend to develop a bond of trust and emotion. I keep my vehicles reliable and safe through the years I have owned it. Developing this trust again on a new vehicle is something I always am wary off.

Aside from above, I have two questions related to my vehicle's longevity that I hope to get some help on -

1. I have a very bumpy and jarring ride on my 2012 Honda City Gen3 (Arrow Shot). In terms of suspension, what do I need to do to make the car more comfortable? This was a used car and I don't know how better it can get. But whenever I get on my other car, a Baleno hatch, I feel like I'm driving over a road of pillows.

2. Given the newer green laws and Drive Without Borders not happening anytime soon, is it possible to re-register a BS3 car in a different metro on a different state?

Thanks, Subbu

[Avinash_R]

Thank you for the thread! This is why teambhp is a must to visit.

Was dwelling on selling my Fiesta S which I have had for 8 years now and got a lot of queries from the forum when I posted about it. Thought to upgrade to a suv like the harrier but the more I think about it, it makes more sense for me to keep it as my daily drive and for me to do that, I need to get the following done in order:

1) New leather seats
2) Detailing
3) Sunfilm
4) ICE
5) Exhaust
6) Suspension ( car has done about 38k)
7) Re-map - still thinking

I can't wait for the lockdown to get over to start.

[John316_WRC]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Can you believe the hotness of the Vento above? We can't stop drooling.

That is simply gorgeous! What spec rims & tyres are those?

Also this is such an useful thread. The easiest way to "rekindle the romance" is to get a set of new alloys & upgrade the audio system. Alloys add 15kmph to the top speed.

[naveen.raju]

To add to my previous post,

Jetta - That's going to stay in our garage for few years as well. Started with the upgrades last year. Added new leather seats, detailing done, flat bottom steering wheel, LED headlights, new HU, remap from Petes, Bilstein shocks, upgraded brake pads. Next in line - All black interior including the roof liner, 360 degree camera (that should take some time) and other interior mods.

1st Gen Swift - General maintenance and keeping it all stock. Again, that's going to be with us for few years.

There's also the Grand i10 which is going to be all stock and a 50 year old Bullet (that's biting dust for couple of years now )

[Turbospool83]

Very good Thread. My Rapid TDI has completed 6 years and 85000KMs and I plan to keep it at least 8 years. The itch to upgrade was bothering me back in 2018 due to the need for an automatic. But I decided to sell our second car which was 8-year-old Figo and bought an Amaze DSL CVT. Now i drive it once in two weeks or so. But still enjoyable as in early days.

To spice up the things up below mods have been done to rapid.

1. Installed RCD 340 which has Android Auto. Now, this is a must for me.
2. Upgraded the speakers to Morel Maximo components.
3. Installed OSRAM HID and then changed to Aux beam LED.
4. Upgraded to ContiMC5-205/55. Now, this is the best upgrade rapid can get.

Future plans.

1. Remap, Already talking to Petes for a remap and should be done once lockdown finished.
2. Proper detailing

[Tgo]

I have a different type of Car-Midlife crisis.

We have two Dusters at home and both are used a lot. Running and maintaining them alone costs a considerable amount. No scope left for a tuning upgrade or a wrap or interior treatment. Driving almost the same car, even if my dad and I swap the cars, seems to get monotonous even more quickly.

I see myself grabbing onto any opportunity to drive my friends' cars. That helps me love the merits of the Duster.

Recently I added a Dashcam and cross-bars on the AWD. Haven't had a chance to use the roof-box I had ordered in Feb.

[lamborghini]

Even though I should be one of the last people to speak on this subject, with most of our cars being sold around the 4-6 year mark, I just cannot agree more!

Typically we keep the more expensive vehicles for longer - the A6 pictured on the first page is turning 9 this year - new tyres, number plates (don't cost too much, but go a long way in keeping the car fresh as they fade / dis-colour over time), and a proper and expensive service later - the car is good to go for another year or two!
The service cost may be expensive, but still works out cheaper than the cost of a new similar segment car & the advantage of getting a well equipped car means that it isn't outdated in terms of technology even today (reverse camera & Android Auto aside, but those can be retro-fitted; but stuff like sun-roof, 4 zone climate control, air suspension - despite it's problematic nature in our conditions etc.)

Similarly the S-Cross has just completed 4 years of ownership, and has gotten a few upgrades in the form of a remap, better tyres, Android Auto update for the HU, etc.
It has completely changed how the vehicle feels, and one of the biggest pain points - the low end turbo-lag has been addressed brilliantly.
Already thinking of the next couple of upgrades

[anand.shankar]

I'm exactly at this point, my 70K km old, 2015 Punto MJD completes 5 years next month. Though I'm happy with the car, I've been toying with the idea of upgrading it for a while now, came close to selling the car couple of times as well.

The car runs on Wolf Remap so the power is OK, though it's nowhere close to the punchy newer 1.5 diesels in the market. There are some minor technical issues, which I can fix or ignore, to the most part the car is mechanically solid. Nothing has failed without warning so far. I intend to keep the car for another 3 years at the least, after which I intend to make it my beater till it dies, so keeping it up in good shape is important.

My major irritant is the exteriors, though they are mostly clean, it has picked up many small bumps and dimples in almost every panel. Parking lot nicks and flying debris have left their mark, but over 95% of the paint is intact. Wrapping won't hide the dings, and I feel full painting might be an overkill.

What options do I have, if I wish to retain the same color, is it possible to just have one topcoat done after the panels are smoothed out ? also the Exotic Red dint come with factory clear coat, is it possible to add it now to keep the paint a lil safe?

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by anand.shankar

my 70K km old, 2015 Punto MJD completes 5 years

it has picked up many small bumps and dimples in almost every panel.

What options do I have, if I wish to retain the same color

Overcoat is possible but has to be done professionally, else the new paint would look wavy.

Why don't you look for getting the maximum dings removed through Paintless Dent Repair? I am sure there would be someone in Bangalore.

There are Puntos on the forum that have gone past the 2,00,000 km mark ; so you have an opportunity to join that club.

[PrasannaDhana]

What a timing!

My daily driver ciaz diesel is inching towards it's 5th year completion (on July 31st 2020).

I am a typical stock guy who isn't into remaps or after-market alloys. I did give a small upgrade to the tyres, upgraded to 195/65 Michelin P4ST 15 inchers (stock 185/65). Towards the end of 4th year I pasted the TeamBHP stickers to spruce things a bit. In the sea of ciazes, mine is easily identified by every friend of mine in my city.

Today had some free time and decided to try matte black on the front chrome grille.

I liked the end result.



Things I am planning to do :

1. Suspension overhaul (it has run 1.15 lakh km on stock suspension)
2. New seat covers (I want to try the tan colour artificial leather over the beige cover that's presently in my car)
3. Interior detailing and a nice wax polish

These stuff may not be even noticeable to others but as a person who spends a lot of time in/with the car, it gives a fresher feel of the car to me.

More than anything, when a friend travels in the car and tells me "wow, it doesn't feel like a 5 year old car or like a car with 1,15,000 km on the odo", that's a major motivation to not think about replacing the car.

Originally Posted by SmartCat

There is a way to fall in love with your old car again, without spending a penny - and that is temporary separation. But obviously, this works only if you have a second beater car at home. Let's say you own a Linea and an old Santro. Use the Santro exclusively for a month or two. And then jump back into your primary car, and see if you still have the urge to sell that car.

Absolutely.

I do this with my Kwid / Celerio and Ciaz. It makes me appreciate my ciaz for what it is. I was also planning to rent zoomcar cars to satiate the urge of driving newer cars (new figo diesel is still my favorite) without having to replace the perfectly working primary car.

[AtheK]

Exactly what I did with my Vento (My modified VW Vento TSI - From Brownie to Mark 13). With just 28K kms in 4 years it made no sense to sell it, looks and drives like a different car altogether.

Pending upgrades are steering wheel with paddle shifters and suspension upgrade, should last me few more years easily, and I might not ever sell it and keep it as my toy which I will keep upgrading.

Also a chance to drop in a couple of new photos

[pavanmadhini]

Lovely thread!

When my Jetta turned 4 and crossed 100,000 kms, the itch to change was starting to hit.

A remap to 190bhp, new brakes, a tyre upgrade and new alloys have helped keep the romance alive. My jetta will turn 6 this year and will cross 150,000 kms, but I'm fairly confident that I won't be selling her anytime in the next 4 years.

What's next? Planning for a suspension upgrade, a new head unit and a paint job next year.