New addition from Pune

Sawyer · 11th July 2009, 21:38

Hello all,

Good to be here, finally. I was registered here a while ago, posted and sold a car on classifieds, but for some reason, I was not able to post and contribute till I reregistered, which I have now done.

I am just past 50, been driving in India for over 36 years now, with no accidents - either on four wheels or two. Given the way the roads continue to get populated with people who learn their driving after they get a license, I am probably tempting fate by making that statement. Having said that, our entire environment on public roads is a national shame of catastrophic proportions that no one recognizes in any effective way, and one of the things that this forum needs to do is to see if there is anything that can be done by it to get this subject on the front page of the policy agenda of every Indian that is in a position to do something about it. Compared to this on going loss of life and limb, every other natural disaster is a minor event.

Over the years, I have ridden Yezdis, Vespas, Lambrettas, KB100s - I now have a Bullet 500 that I bought a year ago, at the beginning of my personal midlife crisis. Over the years I have also owned/driven the good old Fiat 1100, and then in succession the 118NE, Zen, UnoD, Esteem, Palio 1.6 GTX, Honda CRV and now my garage consists of a Pajero, i20 and a Spark. Besides the Bullet of course.

I must say that over the past few months, I have visited this site many many times, and I am amazed at the breadth, depth and quality of the topics covered. The recent test drives by GTO of the new launches in a sense confirm the arrival of this forum as a potent voice and contributor to the Indian auto scene. Recent posts that strike as memorable include the Grande Punto flutter - having been the first person in Pune to buy the Palio 1.6 GTX back when it was launched in 2001, I must admit to a sense of deja vu, because back then, there was the same frenzy about the Palio. All that I read about the GP, was true for the Palio, with one exception. Those cars were better built than the GP of today, in terms of interior fit and finish. Probably because they were imported as SKD packs from Brazil. In this context, I cannot but think that history repeats itself wherever its lessons are not learnt - but more on that in a separate post in future.

The Leh travelogue that Suman has posted was excellent, and, in their own way, so is that being posted by the two Gypsy travellers from Bangalore. Great spirit, to do that distance in that car!

I look forward to being more than just a visitor to the forum from now, and start adding value in exchange for all that I take away!

Dippy · 11th July 2009, 22:19

Hello Sawyer

You seem to have been there driven that. Thats a great intro.Nice to have you onboard. Has the Pajero ever been taken to off road territory or do you use it only on the road? Do take a look at the Rules section to help you understand the forum better.

Welcome to Team BHP

Sawyer · 11th July 2009, 22:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippy

Hello Sawyer

You seem to have been there driven that. Thats a great intro.Nice to have you onboard. Has the Pajero ever been taken to off road territory or do you use it only on the road? Do take a look at the Rules section to help you understand the forum better.

Welcome to Team BHP

That was a quick approval to the post at this time of day!
I have read the rules while I was figuring out how to post earlier, before the reregistration, and I think I should be ok. Else, I am sure someone will rap me on the knuckles pdq!
The Pajero has not been used to do the things it has been designed to do, and it and I are suffering an existential crisis because of that. One way or the other, I intend to correct that soon.

amoghchaphalkar · 11th July 2009, 23:56

Hello Mr.Sawyer !!

Good to see another Puneite on TBHP. I think its time we had a TBHP Pune meet :-)

That is a really interesting intro. Hope to meet you sometime.

Amogh

jaygeetee · 12th July 2009, 01:48

Welcome home Sawyer(nice handle) :-)
I hope you will share your years of experience with acctual Noobs like me who only know the theory part of the whole deal.

Since I am in Pune too, I hope we get a chance to meet up soon too.

The post about the deja-vu was quite something.

Sawyer · 12th July 2009, 05:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by amoghchaphalkar

Hello Mr.Sawyer !!

Good to see another Puneite on TBHP. I think its time we had a TBHP Pune meet :-)

That is a really interesting intro. Hope to meet you sometime.

Amogh

Thank you, Amogh. How about a TBHP Pune drive to Leh?!

I have been reading your saga of taking your new GP with a lot of interest and sympathy. When I bought my Palio back in 2001, I had the advantage of knowing the owners of Jay Vijay very well, and they had a great service advisor. He is still there with them, but they now are a VW dealership.

I trust the next chapter of your story starts soon, on the road, on a much better note and stays there. At the end of the day, what will work for you is your relationship with the service advisor. Build a solid one, and he will bend his back for you.

Sawyer · 12th July 2009, 09:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaygeetee

Welcome home Sawyer(nice handle) :-)
I hope you will share your years of experience

That is about the only useful thing that one can do with it, and I will! Thank you for the thumbs up too!
Posted more about the GP for you elsewhere.

amoghchaphalkar · 12th July 2009, 09:10

Well I don't think the relationship is going to last for long.

Fiat is a disgusting, corrupt automaker. I am canceling my Punto booking today.

Check here the pics of the underside of a supposedly "new" Fiat Punto : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...booked-14.html

Sawyer · 12th July 2009, 09:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by amoghchaphalkar

Well I don't think the relationship is going to last for long.

Fiat is a disgusting, corrupt automaker. I am canceling my Punto booking today.

Check here the pics of the underside of a supposedly "new" Fiat Punto : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...booked-14.html

I am sorry to hear that. I suggest you also write two letters - one to their CEO and another to Mr Tata. You have nothing to lose by doing that, and some good may come out of it.

T_Girl · 13th July 2009, 16:00

Hi Sawyer welcome to Team-BHP I am sure you are going to have a blast here.

Sawyer · 13th July 2009, 19:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by T_Girl

Hi Sawyer welcome to Team-BHP I am sure you are going to have a blast here.

Thanks - and I intend to do just that. Given the burden of my experience and the constraint of my age

n_aditya · 13th July 2009, 20:50

Welcome to the team Sir. Hope to see you and your Pajero at the Pune TBHP meets. Enjoy the forum and we hope to learn a lot from you.

P.S. Pune members, we need to plan for a meet sometime soon. It's been quite a while.

Sawyer · 13th July 2009, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_aditya

we hope to learn a lot from you.

Thank you - and I am pretty sure it will be two way traffic in the learning.

COUGAR · 14th July 2009, 09:01

Welcome onboard "Sawyer"!

Looks like the pune group is growing...!

moralfibre · 14th July 2009, 09:50

Welcome aboard Sawyer.

Pune folks, let us have a coffee meet on Friday at any cafe that has sufficient parking?

11th July 2009, 21:38	#1
Sawyer Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 2,677 Thanked: 1,786 Times	New addition from Pune Hello all, Good to be here, finally. I was registered here a while ago, posted and sold a car on classifieds, but for some reason, I was not able to post and contribute till I reregistered, which I have now done. I am just past 50, been driving in India for over 36 years now, with no accidents - either on four wheels or two. Given the way the roads continue to get populated with people who learn their driving after they get a license, I am probably tempting fate by making that statement. Having said that, our entire environment on public roads is a national shame of catastrophic proportions that no one recognizes in any effective way, and one of the things that this forum needs to do is to see if there is anything that can be done by it to get this subject on the front page of the policy agenda of every Indian that is in a position to do something about it. Compared to this on going loss of life and limb, every other natural disaster is a minor event. Over the years, I have ridden Yezdis, Vespas, Lambrettas, KB100s - I now have a Bullet 500 that I bought a year ago, at the beginning of my personal midlife crisis. Over the years I have also owned/driven the good old Fiat 1100, and then in succession the 118NE, Zen, UnoD, Esteem, Palio 1.6 GTX, Honda CRV and now my garage consists of a Pajero, i20 and a Spark. Besides the Bullet of course. I must say that over the past few months, I have visited this site many many times, and I am amazed at the breadth, depth and quality of the topics covered. The recent test drives by GTO of the new launches in a sense confirm the arrival of this forum as a potent voice and contributor to the Indian auto scene. Recent posts that strike as memorable include the Grande Punto flutter - having been the first person in Pune to buy the Palio 1.6 GTX back when it was launched in 2001, I must admit to a sense of deja vu, because back then, there was the same frenzy about the Palio. All that I read about the GP, was true for the Palio, with one exception. Those cars were better built than the GP of today, in terms of interior fit and finish. Probably because they were imported as SKD packs from Brazil. In this context, I cannot but think that history repeats itself wherever its lessons are not learnt - but more on that in a separate post in future. The Leh travelogue that Suman has posted was excellent, and, in their own way, so is that being posted by the two Gypsy travellers from Bangalore. Great spirit, to do that distance in that car! I look forward to being more than just a visitor to the forum from now, and start adding value in exchange for all that I take away!
	() Thanks

11th July 2009, 22:19	#2
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Hello Sawyer You seem to have been there driven that. Thats a great intro.Nice to have you onboard. Has the Pajero ever been taken to off road territory or do you use it only on the road? Do take a look at the Rules section to help you understand the forum better. Welcome to Team BHP
	() Thanks

11th July 2009, 23:56	#4
amoghchaphalkar BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 636 Thanked: 703 Times	Hello Mr.Sawyer !! Good to see another Puneite on TBHP. I think its time we had a TBHP Pune meet :-) That is a really interesting intro. Hope to meet you sometime. Amogh
	() Thanks

12th July 2009, 01:48	#5
jaygeetee BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Singapore Posts: 106 Thanked: 121 Times	Welcome Welcome home Sawyer(nice handle) :-) I hope you will share your years of experience with acctual Noobs like me who only know the theory part of the whole deal. Since I am in Pune too, I hope we get a chance to meet up soon too. The post about the deja-vu was quite something.
	() Thanks

12th July 2009, 09:10	#8
amoghchaphalkar BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 636 Thanked: 703 Times	Well I don't think the relationship is going to last for long. Fiat is a disgusting, corrupt automaker. I am canceling my Punto booking today. Check here the pics of the underside of a supposedly "new" Fiat Punto : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...booked-14.html
	() Thanks

13th July 2009, 16:00	#10
T_Girl BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 68 Thanked: 3 Times	Hi Sawyer welcome to Team-BHP I am sure you are going to have a blast here.
	() Thanks

13th July 2009, 20:50	#12
n_aditya Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Namma Bengaluru Posts: 5,348 Thanked: 3,684 Times View My Garage	Welcome to the team Sir. Hope to see you and your Pajero at the Pune TBHP meets. Enjoy the forum and we hope to learn a lot from you. P.S. Pune members, we need to plan for a meet sometime soon. It's been quite a while.
	() Thanks

14th July 2009, 09:01	#14
COUGAR BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Delhi Posts: 548 Thanked: 94 Times View My Garage	Welcome onboard "Sawyer"! Looks like the pune group is growing...!
	() Thanks

14th July 2009, 09:50	#15
moralfibre Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MH-12 Posts: 8,451 Thanked: 13,970 Times	Welcome aboard Sawyer. Pune folks, let us have a coffee meet on Friday at any cafe that has sufficient parking?
	() Thanks