Ambassador, Premier Padmini Specs ??

funkykar · 9th February 2010, 08:50

I still believe it was a one off experience for Amit. May be you drove the wrong Fiat. Lets be practical. If the fiat was even 10% bad as described by you, it definitely wouldnt have lasted for over a half century. I have seen some troublesome Fiats, Amby's, Conti's and many newer generation cars. Does it mean the cars themselves are bad? Definitely not. It can only be bad maintenance. I have 3 Fiats. One is a '73 President, no one knows how many lakhs of kilometers its run. It still has the original radiator. I fill water only once in 6 months. Absolutely no heating problem. Next is a 90 model Padmini and a 96 S1, absolutely no issues with them. When Premier stopped, you say that it still had the dated design. Trust me, the basics were still common sense and the S1 engine was a refined engine to deliver more power and mileage. If Step 2 had come in the market, it would have been a best seller. My 96 S1 can still compete with many of the newer cars. By all these conversations, we dont really want to get personal with you or the Amby. Amby is still a good car. Its still the strongest car.

If you see various other aspects of the car, Fiats are still a drivers car. It is the envy of all other cars and Fiats pride. I also am not sure if you know the racing history of 1100 engines. By this, I dont mean Amby's never raced

Mehul1100 · 9th February 2010, 22:05

Mr. Amit, I appreciate your love for Ambassador, I was in Dubai before and driven some cars there too, but no car attracted me to the extend Fiat1100 did. Fiat1100 is still runing in dubai. I have pics of Fiat1100 in dubai, but didnt find any other Indian car there.

I learned driving in Amby, as I belive and many in driving school in kerala still belive that one who learns driving in a Amby can drive any other car in the world. Reason been that it the most difficult car to drive as most of the owners have thrown away original hindustan engine and converted car to metador diesel engine.

I remember my old day when I was learning driving in M800 and then for test I had use Amby, I had all over body pain driving the car for two hours. That day I took pledge in life I will never drive amby, the rattling body, the hard clutch, the noisey helicopter engine, my good the one had done sins in past birth has to pass driving test in a amby.

The car is very rusty, open door of any amby and you find losts of rust on the door beding itself, forget about the front mud guard and other areas.

Its really amazing who amby manage to survive, I think Indian politicians have only helped it as they do not have to drive the car by themselves.

Mehul1100 · 9th February 2010, 22:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by amit V8

-1 to that. no harm to fiat lovers...it's horrible. my uncle had one for a couple of years & it was the worst car i have ever seen.

Mr. Amit, which car is this on your profile pic, please explain.

amit V8 · 10th February 2010, 00:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkykar

I still believe it was a one off experience for Amit. May be you drove the wrong Fiat.

maybe it was a one off experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mehul1100

Mr. Amit, I appreciate your love for Ambassador, I was in Dubai before and driven some cars there too, but no car attracted me to the extend Fiat1100 did. Fiat1100 is still runing in dubai. I have pics of Fiat1100 in dubai, but didnt find any other Indian car there.

i do also feel these problems but if proper care is taken an amby survives for long.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mehul1100

Mr. Amit, which car is this on your profile pic, please explain.

this is a rally amby (only one built by HM with a lot of changes made). driven by Mr. Niaz Ali in various rallies in india.

to all,
this link with the 2 cars side by side (amby & fiat) will make everyone happy.

Niaz's Motor-Racing / Motor rallying Memories : Rally Blog | Rally India - The Home of Indian Rallying

funkykar · 10th February 2010, 00:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by amit V8

maybe it was a one off experience.

i do also feel these problems but if proper care is taken an amby survives for long.

this is a rally amby (only one built by HM with a lot of changes made). driven by Mr. Niaz Ali in various rallies in india.

have a look at this-Niaz's Motor-Racing / Motor rallying Memories : Rally Blog - Page 47 | Rally India - The Home of Indian Rallying

Oh yes! We have seen and read this thread very thoroughly. One of the best thread that hosts a lot of pics of racing Fiats, Amby's, Herald's and Dolphins. This Amby of Niaz was a bomb, no doubt! Other cars definitely struggled to compete with this one.

Thats really nice of you Amit! Its kind of wrong to compare these 2 cars. Each has its own pros and cons. Ultimately, these cars are classic and will chug on for many more decades.

Please do post Amby's pics. We all will be happy to see them.

amit V8 · 10th February 2010, 00:41

Quote:

Thats really nice of you Amit! Its kind of wrong to compare these 2 cars. Each has its own pros and cons. Ultimately, these cars are classic and will chug on for many more decades.

exactly that's the point. the thing is, if the 1st experience is a bitter one it remains such for a long time & that is what has happened with myself.

Quote:

Please do post your your ride. We all will be happy to see them.

unfortunately i don't have one.

funkykar · 10th February 2010, 00:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by amit V8

unfortunately i don't have one.

No problem. Do post when you manage to click some. May be, you should also consider starting a Amby fan club. It will be a great family.

nickatnite · 10th February 2010, 01:43

Nice thread but shouldn't it be in the antique/enthusiast section?.I for one will celebrate when the Amby is finally laid to rest and every time i visit Mumbai and sit in a Padmini cab i'd rather not describe my feelings or risk being infracted. Anyways, for those who love these two cars, i understand and respect your feelings and wish you enjoyment. They're just not my cup of tea and just thinking of the thousands of Indians who strove hard to afford these antiquated trolls on wheels makes my blood boil. What an injustice to the people of this country!.

arun1100 · 10th February 2010, 07:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickatnite

They're just not my cup of tea and just thinking of the thousands of Indians who strove hard to afford these antiquated trolls on wheels makes my blood boil. What an injustice to the people of this country!.

FYI, people loved driving around in Ambys and Fiats in those ages and even NOW. If someone don't like these cars they better stay away.

Regarding Mumbai taxis, now they are old enough and high mileage Fiat taxis. You can't expect a smooth ride from them. Its great that they are still running. Would any new gen car run for so many decades with low quality parts?

As times passes on, people like you will start hating even the new gen cars. Like the case of Maruti. Maruti 800 changed the Indian car scene. Now if you ask a youngster to buy a Maruti 800, he will give you a list of bad points about it like cramped, hard steering, under powered, ac makes car sluggish and what not....... Whatever said, Maruti 800 is a wonderful car!!

Mehul1100 · 10th February 2010, 15:19

As times passes on, people like you will start hating even the new gen cars. Like the case of Maruti. Maruti 800 changed the Indian car scene. Now if you ask a youngster to buy a Maruti 800, he will give you a list of bad points about it like cramped, hard steering, under powered, ac makes car sluggish and what not....... Whatever said, Maruti 800 is a wonderful car!![/quote]

I totally agree to Mr. Arun`s view. No car can be perfect, time changes every thing from time to time.

Technocrat · 10th February 2010, 15:45

Note from Team-Bhp Support Team - Folks this thread is for discussing engine specs of Ambassador & Premier Padmini Specs, so lets restrict the discussion to same.

Any further OT posts would be deleted.

arun1100 · 10th February 2010, 15:53

Premier Padmini Economy Specs:

Engine: 1089 cc
Bhp: 37 bhp

funkykar · 10th February 2010, 15:57

The S1:
Specs:
- 1089CC
- 48 BHP.
- Till 1995, came with column shift. After that the floor shift was introduced with Synchromesh gearbox (118 NE's)
- Cam shaft has been redesigned

Engine was refined by AVL (best in the business) to deliver more power. It also has a more efficient different distributer than the older Padminis/Fiats.

The cooling is done by a thermostat controlled fan. Car sounds smooth like a new gen car

Technocrat · 10th February 2010, 16:03

I think in S1 they also shifted from using Dynamo to alternator, right?

What caused the gain in power? Just Carb tuning?

funkykar · 10th February 2010, 16:06

The Cam shaft and distributor was redesigned. Also, the removal of mechanical fan and addition of thermostat controlled electric fan made a difference.

The carburator too was of a new design by Solex. Was supposed to deliver more power and good FE. But many of us believe its very very difficult to get the right tune if you dont find the right mechanic. So more likely, many S1 owners have implanted an older car.

Yes, all S1's came with alternator. I am not sure when it was introduced though.

9th February 2010, 08:50	#46
funkykar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 2,635 Thanked: 6,613 Times View My Garage	I still believe it was a one off experience for Amit. May be you drove the wrong Fiat. Lets be practical. If the fiat was even 10% bad as described by you, it definitely wouldnt have lasted for over a half century. I have seen some troublesome Fiats, Amby's, Conti's and many newer generation cars. Does it mean the cars themselves are bad? Definitely not. It can only be bad maintenance. I have 3 Fiats. One is a '73 President, no one knows how many lakhs of kilometers its run. It still has the original radiator. I fill water only once in 6 months. Absolutely no heating problem. Next is a 90 model Padmini and a 96 S1, absolutely no issues with them. When Premier stopped, you say that it still had the dated design. Trust me, the basics were still common sense and the S1 engine was a refined engine to deliver more power and mileage. If Step 2 had come in the market, it would have been a best seller. My 96 S1 can still compete with many of the newer cars. By all these conversations, we dont really want to get personal with you or the Amby. Amby is still a good car. Its still the strongest car. If you see various other aspects of the car, Fiats are still a drivers car. It is the envy of all other cars and Fiats pride. I also am not sure if you know the racing history of 1100 engines. By this, I dont mean Amby's never raced Last edited by funkykar : 9th February 2010 at 09:10.
	() Thanks

9th February 2010, 22:05	#47
Mehul1100 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kangayam, TN Posts: 240 Thanked: 14 Times	Mr. Amit, I appreciate your love for Ambassador, I was in Dubai before and driven some cars there too, but no car attracted me to the extend Fiat1100 did. Fiat1100 is still runing in dubai. I have pics of Fiat1100 in dubai, but didnt find any other Indian car there. I learned driving in Amby, as I belive and many in driving school in kerala still belive that one who learns driving in a Amby can drive any other car in the world. Reason been that it the most difficult car to drive as most of the owners have thrown away original hindustan engine and converted car to metador diesel engine. I remember my old day when I was learning driving in M800 and then for test I had use Amby, I had all over body pain driving the car for two hours. That day I took pledge in life I will never drive amby, the rattling body, the hard clutch, the noisey helicopter engine, my good the one had done sins in past birth has to pass driving test in a amby. The car is very rusty, open door of any amby and you find losts of rust on the door beding itself, forget about the front mud guard and other areas. Its really amazing who amby manage to survive, I think Indian politicians have only helped it as they do not have to drive the car by themselves.
	() Thanks

10th February 2010, 01:43	#53
nickatnite Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NYC/MAA Posts: 1,430 Thanked: 603 Times	Nice thread but shouldn't it be in the antique/enthusiast section?.I for one will celebrate when the Amby is finally laid to rest and every time i visit Mumbai and sit in a Padmini cab i'd rather not describe my feelings or risk being infracted. Anyways, for those who love these two cars, i understand and respect your feelings and wish you enjoyment. They're just not my cup of tea and just thinking of the thousands of Indians who strove hard to afford these antiquated trolls on wheels makes my blood boil. What an injustice to the people of this country!.
	() Thanks

10th February 2010, 15:19	#55
Mehul1100 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kangayam, TN Posts: 240 Thanked: 14 Times	As times passes on, people like you will start hating even the new gen cars. Like the case of Maruti. Maruti 800 changed the Indian car scene. Now if you ask a youngster to buy a Maruti 800, he will give you a list of bad points about it like cramped, hard steering, under powered, ac makes car sluggish and what not....... Whatever said, Maruti 800 is a wonderful car!![/quote] I totally agree to Mr. Arun`s view. No car can be perfect, time changes every thing from time to time.
	() Thanks

10th February 2010, 15:45	#56
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,813 Thanked: 2,700 Times	Note from Team-Bhp Support Team - Folks this thread is for discussing engine specs of Ambassador & Premier Padmini Specs, so lets restrict the discussion to same. Any further OT posts would be deleted. Last edited by Technocrat : 10th February 2010 at 15:48.
	() Thanks

10th February 2010, 15:53	#57
arun1100 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,087 Thanked: 5,575 Times View My Garage	Premier Padmini Economy Specs: Engine: 1089 cc Bhp: 37 bhp
	() Thanks

10th February 2010, 15:57	#58
funkykar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 2,635 Thanked: 6,613 Times View My Garage	The S1: Specs: - 1089CC - 48 BHP. - Till 1995, came with column shift. After that the floor shift was introduced with Synchromesh gearbox (118 NE's) - Cam shaft has been redesigned Engine was refined by AVL (best in the business) to deliver more power. It also has a more efficient different distributer than the older Padminis/Fiats. The cooling is done by a thermostat controlled fan. Car sounds smooth like a new gen car Last edited by funkykar : 10th February 2010 at 16:03.
	() Thanks

10th February 2010, 16:03	#59
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,813 Thanked: 2,700 Times	I think in S1 they also shifted from using Dynamo to alternator, right? What caused the gain in power? Just Carb tuning?
	() Thanks

10th February 2010, 16:06	#60
funkykar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 2,635 Thanked: 6,613 Times View My Garage	The Cam shaft and distributor was redesigned. Also, the removal of mechanical fan and addition of thermostat controlled electric fan made a difference. The carburator too was of a new design by Solex. Was supposed to deliver more power and good FE. But many of us believe its very very difficult to get the right tune if you dont find the right mechanic. So more likely, many S1 owners have implanted an older car. Yes, all S1's came with alternator. I am not sure when it was introduced though.
	() Thanks