[funkykar]

Wow! Quite some tin work going on. Looks like it is going in full swing and lot of attention is given to every detail. Some of the pics remind me so much of my S1 restoration that happened a couple of months. Good luck for the rest of the work. What would be her final color? Same stock color?

[samsag12]

Good to see the progress on the car. After a long time the work is finally catching speed. Good luck for the restoration.
Please remove the wheel caps from the car as they are very hard to find, if broken.
BTW whats the switch doing there behind the brake pedal. What function does it perform.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Originally Posted by arun1100

Buddy, do you drive this car? Is it in Bengaluru?

Oops!! Just saw your profile! you are just 14!! Anyways do you drive a car?

I'm 14. I've never driven this car, though I've driven my fathers M800 in a secluded helipad.
No, this car is not at Bangalore. It is at Anantapur, AP. I'll try and get some more pics today, as I'm in Anantapur right now.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Back with the pics.















My grandfather told me that it used to have a black plastic grille.

[samsag12]

The air filter seems to have been fabricated from a Maruti 800 one cutting its nose for fitting purposes. The car seems to have been repainted. If it had a black front grill then probably it must have been a economy model.
BTW good period cassette player with AM.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

I shall my grandfather about the air filter and paint. I wonder why haven't seen a single Padmini on the road with the black grill.
The cassette player was working fine until one or two years ago. I'll try and get it repaired.

[mycarhasablower]

Ohh man!!! What have you done?? the 800 air filter in your padmini?? its ok as long as its done properly and in your case it hasnt. the tube circled in the attached picture is the blow-by gas recirculation port. in a maruti and it completely bypasses the air filter. in a fiat blow-by gases arent re-cycled for combustion but released into the atmosphere. so what that inlet is doing is letting unfiltered air into the engine. it will improve performance but your engine will last only a fraction of the time it is supposed to. its like driving with no air filter at all. you are letting in a whole lot of dust particle into your engine which will lead to the same effect as sanding the cylinder walls, leaving scratches on it

BOTTOMLINE: block that tube\port completely with m-seal or something. dont even start the engine before doing that.

if you have been driving the car in this condition for long, id say its only a matter of time when your engine starts consuming oil.

edit: jus read your posts properly. i guess you need to convey my message to your grandpa. since he is already planning to sell the car i guess its already consuming oil.

see this is why i gave up on mechanics and started working on my car myself. they CAN be plain stupid.

can someone from team bhp save this car ???

[samsag12]

I also wonder how could this car be saved from being scrapped.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

My grandfather was planning to give the car to some guy in some village. I'm convincing him to give the car to me (I'll see if my father can get the car stored at some shed) or allow me to find someone on TBhp who can take good care of it. As a matter of fact, the car has an LPg kit, I shall post its pics later.

[funkykar]

Originally Posted by Arkin evoisrevo

I shall my grandfather about the air filter and paint. I wonder why haven't seen a single Padmini on the road with the black grill.
The cassette player was working fine until one or two years ago. I'll try and get it repaired.

The black grill appeared only on the Economy model. It was not at all durable and would break very often. That grill is no longer available in market. Arun1100 has a few of them preserved for originality of his car

[arun1100]

Originally Posted by funkykar

The black grill appeared only on the Economy model. It was not at all durable and would break very often. That grill is no longer available in market. Arun1100 has a few of them preserved for originality of his car

I have two black grills. One of '90s model make is Sunax.. The quality is very bad. The other one is of '80s. It is too good and won't break easily...

[mycarhasablower]

Originally Posted by Arkin evoisrevo

My grandfather was planning to give the car to some guy in some village. I'm convincing him to give the car to me (I'll see if my father can get the car stored at some shed) or allow me to find someone on TBhp who can take good care of it. As a matter of fact, the car has an LPg kit, I shall post its pics later.

good thinking my friend. interestingly when i started driving when i was 14 and i also did it on a pp economy. i had it till i was 17. i also have an 800 for daily use and after driving both and dont know how the 800 became the cause of the fiats extinction from the new car market. there is not a single thing better in the 800 except for the resistance to rust , much better customr service by maruti and the reliability. that makes it better than the fiat. of course the image aint good amoungst ur average guy. but trust me after having a ride in my car and seeing what it can do all my school frends went on to appreciate what an awesome car it was. It can be an amazingly fun car to drive and a lot of cars sold in india cant match in on that count. My single gratest regret is that i couldnt stop my father from selling it of to a scrap walla. three years later(thats today) armed with a year and a halfs worth of pocket money i am out looking for another pp,(hopefully an s1 or a 1100)lets see what happens

but let me tell you if you manage to get the car , you wont regret it. thats is if you are a total car guy like me. anything regarding the car you want help with let me know. i along with our friends here at tbhp, will do everything possible to help a fellow fiatian. just dont let your car go to someone who will not treat it with respect and treat it just like another car.
besta luck
anmol

edit: oh yeah, my car had an lpg kit too. the similarities dont end do they??

[Arkin evoisrevo]

I have read posts in many threads here in TBhp, and most of the people who parted with their car/their father's/acestor's car seems to regret having done so. I've been the great fan of the padmini ever since I was very young, because the grey car, whose pics I posted has been with my grandfather for over 2 decades, and I travelled in it as a baby also. For the past couple of years, I wondered why my grandfather continued driving it, even when he could afford a modern car, that suits his status. It is now that I understand why. But the car is no longer road worthy as it was before, and my grandfathers arthiritis is another barrier. So, my grandfather has no option but to go in for a new car. I shall try my level best to see that this car does not end up the way it should n't.

[jaisha8]

My car has been given for painting job now. Adding a few images of the Painting progress.

[samsag12]

Good to see the progress moving at a fast pace. Are you getting the upholstery changed or will stick to stock ones. BTW can you post the pics of original rexine of the seats.
IMHO you should get the wheel caps removed before paint work.