SSA Team-BHP...

BluntInstrument · 12th October 2009, 01:33

...And Namaste, Salaam. What a relief to be finally able to call myself a member of this forum. Lord knows I've tried enough times but finally, here I am.

My Name is Choji Singh, I'm 32 Years old and I live in Phagwara, Punjab. I’m an Excise Contractor, Thekedar in the local lingo, Purveyor of fine and not so fine spirits and liquors in other words. I’m a commerce graduate with a smattering of computer/networking training. My family also owns a Banquet hall and you might call me a Gentleman farmer, heheh, euphemism for saying that, while I do own farmland, I have next to no working knowledge of farming, having leased out the farm and basically only collecting rent.

Phagwara is a small city on the NH1 Between the two major cities of Punjab, Ludhiana and Jalandhar. It's claim to fame used to be the JCT Mills, if you remember the ad campaigns of yore "It's Got To Be Jay Cee Tee...", but mostly it's known as an export and manufacturing hub for diesel engines, spares and parts. (Gensets, Pumpsets and Tractor Spares mostly).

In December of last year I was looking for a car to replace my 10 year old Esteem Vx (Feb. 99), I wanted a hatchback, being that the other car is the ‘04 NHC, and everyone had one piece of advice, ‘buy the Swift Vdi/Ldi’. Love the car, hated the 3-6 months waiting period/Rs. 35000/- black, I mean it’s good but not that good. Test drove almost everything else even nearly in the same price range (got a 5.5 lakh quote on the base model Diesel Logan) and as a result wound up royally confused. Still, narrowed the choice down to the Swift, Vista Quad and Palio Mjd.

Now everyone’s advising me ‘Fiat! Forget it, tel bahut khati hai, service nahi hogi, spare part nahi milega,’ even ‘suspension mein problem hai, Tata phir bhi theek hai’ Funny part was, every Tata mechanic I met then and since is an absolute fan of the Palio, go figure!

Searched the net, most websites, MouthShut.com is one, are a quagmire of negativity, incoherent rants, really bad English and next to no help at all. Enter Team-BHP; finally some much needed objectivity, some coherence, honest, unbiased reviews and views. Thanks mostly to Architect and Ice, both of whom had only recently (relatively) bought their cars back then, I was finally able to make my mind up. Decided to go for the Palio Multijet SDX, got a Rs. 15000/- Cash Discount and a Free USB/MMC Stereo, not earth shattering stuff, but works for me. Wanted white, got black. Loved it, 10 months and some 14000 kms. Later, still loving it.

Oh and that bit about objective, honest and unbiased, and those two guys Architect and Ice, seriously, have you read those guys’ posts? Unbiased! Hah!, with every post one can tell how they love their cars, warts(very minor warts) and all but, so do I...so sue me!

But seriously, a more level headed approach I’ve hardly encountered. Thanks to these two gentlemen and every other owner for writing about your experiences, you don’t know how much you’ve helped me. And Oh yeah! Many, many thanks to Rudra sir and everyone else on the car cleaning tips thread. It’s no joke keeping a black car looking good.

jkdas · 12th October 2009, 06:47

Welcome to Team-BHP.

Looks like you got a well maintained tank

I love the Palio Stilo too. Get it a good alloys; ie, if you can find one thanks to the infamous 98PCD and a wider tyre, the black guy will look more wow.

And did I read 1400 in 10 months?

phamilyman · 12th October 2009, 07:36

ssa ji praa!

Very nicely maintained car - you need to be putting many many more km on this thing!!

and architect has become the evangelist of all things Palio - congrats bhai

Samurai · 12th October 2009, 09:50

Welcome Choji Singh, looking at your enthusiasm I am sure you will feel at home here.

Do familiarise yourself with the forum rules. Better avoid any more talk about your profession, it goes against rule #11.

Rudra Sen · 12th October 2009, 09:59

Choji Singh, welcome. Nice to know that car cleaning thread helped you. And yes, your car looks gleaming.

arunu · 12th October 2009, 10:26

Wellcome Choji Singh,
Nice reading your post, especially knowing that all TATA mechs are Palio fans.

Bahut bhari bhari words use kiya hai aape ne. enjoy your stay here and contribute to the ever growing tribe of TBHP

akshay4587 · 12th October 2009, 10:38

SSA ji
welcome to tbhp

another member from punjab

predatorwheelz · 12th October 2009, 13:24

Welcome to Tbhp, from a fellow black car owner.

Awesome handle chosen. "BluntInstrument"

. Also a very well written intro.

A long time back, I was associated with sales promotion activities of a famous liquor company. Learnt a lot of things about the trade, including manufacturing nitty gritties. Since then, I've been really jealous of excise people

.

Here's hoping to see many more posts from you.

fatboyslim · 12th October 2009, 13:47

Hi Bluntinstrument,

Great intro and the car looks stunning in Black!

Cheers!
Fatboyslim

BluntInstrument · 12th October 2009, 14:35

Thank You all for the very warm welcome,
@jkdas: 14000 Kms sir, in 10 months
@samurai reading now sir, this time tasalli se.
and the handle is a little story, will post in the relevant thread.

12th October 2009, 01:33	#1
BluntInstrument Newbie Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Phagwara Posts: 17 Thanked: 5 Times	SSA Team-BHP... ...And Namaste, Salaam. What a relief to be finally able to call myself a member of this forum. Lord knows I've tried enough times but finally, here I am. My Name is Choji Singh, I'm 32 Years old and I live in Phagwara, Punjab. I’m an Excise Contractor, Thekedar in the local lingo, Purveyor of fine and not so fine spirits and liquors in other words. I’m a commerce graduate with a smattering of computer/networking training. My family also owns a Banquet hall and you might call me a Gentleman farmer, heheh, euphemism for saying that, while I do own farmland, I have next to no working knowledge of farming, having leased out the farm and basically only collecting rent. Phagwara is a small city on the NH1 Between the two major cities of Punjab, Ludhiana and Jalandhar. It's claim to fame used to be the JCT Mills, if you remember the ad campaigns of yore "It's Got To Be Jay Cee Tee...", but mostly it's known as an export and manufacturing hub for diesel engines, spares and parts. (Gensets, Pumpsets and Tractor Spares mostly). In December of last year I was looking for a car to replace my 10 year old Esteem Vx (Feb. 99), I wanted a hatchback, being that the other car is the ‘04 NHC, and everyone had one piece of advice, ‘buy the Swift Vdi/Ldi’. Love the car, hated the 3-6 months waiting period/Rs. 35000/- black, I mean it’s good but not that good. Test drove almost everything else even nearly in the same price range (got a 5.5 lakh quote on the base model Diesel Logan) and as a result wound up royally confused. Still, narrowed the choice down to the Swift, Vista Quad and Palio Mjd. Now everyone’s advising me ‘Fiat! Forget it, tel bahut khati hai, service nahi hogi, spare part nahi milega,’ even ‘suspension mein problem hai, Tata phir bhi theek hai’ Funny part was, every Tata mechanic I met then and since is an absolute fan of the Palio, go figure! Searched the net, most websites, MouthShut.com is one, are a quagmire of negativity, incoherent rants, really bad English and next to no help at all. Enter Team-BHP; finally some much needed objectivity, some coherence, honest, unbiased reviews and views. Thanks mostly to Architect and Ice, both of whom had only recently (relatively) bought their cars back then, I was finally able to make my mind up. Decided to go for the Palio Multijet SDX, got a Rs. 15000/- Cash Discount and a Free USB/MMC Stereo, not earth shattering stuff, but works for me. Wanted white, got black. Loved it, 10 months and some 14000 kms. Later, still loving it. Oh and that bit about objective, honest and unbiased, and those two guys Architect and Ice, seriously, have you read those guys’ posts? Unbiased! Hah!, with every post one can tell how they love their cars, warts(very minor warts) and all but, so do I...so sue me! But seriously, a more level headed approach I’ve hardly encountered. Thanks to these two gentlemen and every other owner for writing about your experiences, you don’t know how much you’ve helped me. And Oh yeah! Many, many thanks to Rudra sir and everyone else on the car cleaning tips thread. It’s no joke keeping a black car looking good. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

12th October 2009, 06:47	#2
jkdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Thiruvananthapu Posts: 9,687 Thanked: 1,492 Times View My Garage	Welcome to Team-BHP. Looks like you got a well maintained tank I love the Palio Stilo too. Get it a good alloys; ie, if you can find one thanks to the infamous 98PCD and a wider tyre, the black guy will look more wow. And did I read 1400 in 10 months?
	() Thanks

12th October 2009, 07:36	#3
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,968 Thanked: 4,642 Times	ssa ji praa! Very nicely maintained car - you need to be putting many many more km on this thing!! and architect has become the evangelist of all things Palio - congrats bhai
	() Thanks

12th October 2009, 09:50	#4
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 25,828 Thanked: 45,522 Times View My Garage	Welcome Choji Singh, looking at your enthusiasm I am sure you will feel at home here. Do familiarise yourself with the forum rules. Better avoid any more talk about your profession, it goes against rule #11.
	() Thanks

12th October 2009, 09:59	#5
Rudra Sen Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,590 Thanked: 6,532 Times View My Garage	Choji Singh, welcome. Nice to know that car cleaning thread helped you. And yes, your car looks gleaming.
	() Thanks

12th October 2009, 10:26	#6
arunu BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Muscat, Oman Posts: 130 Thanked: 160 Times	Wellcome Choji Singh, Nice reading your post, especially knowing that all TATA mechs are Palio fans. Bahut bhari bhari words use kiya hai aape ne. enjoy your stay here and contribute to the ever growing tribe of TBHP
	() Thanks

12th October 2009, 10:38	#7
akshay4587 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chandigarh/Mohali/Ambala Cantt Posts: 4,151 Thanked: 4,525 Times View My Garage	SSA ji welcome to tbhp another member from punjab
	() Thanks

12th October 2009, 13:24	#8
predatorwheelz Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Delhi/Kolkata Posts: 1,720 Thanked: 1,974 Times View My Garage	Welcome to Tbhp, from a fellow black car owner. Awesome handle chosen. "BluntInstrument". Also a very well written intro. A long time back, I was associated with sales promotion activities of a famous liquor company. Learnt a lot of things about the trade, including manufacturing nitty gritties. Since then, I've been really jealous of excise people . Here's hoping to see many more posts from you.
	() Thanks

12th October 2009, 13:47	#9
fatboyslim BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 51 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi Bluntinstrument, Great intro and the car looks stunning in Black! Cheers! Fatboyslim
	() Thanks

12th October 2009, 14:35	#10
BluntInstrument Newbie Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Phagwara Posts: 17 Thanked: 5 Times	Thank you Thank You all for the very warm welcome, @jkdas: 14000 Kms sir, in 10 months @samurai reading now sir, this time tasalli se. and the handle is a little story, will post in the relevant thread.
	() Thanks