[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Sheel

But if someone sticks to periodic maintenance schedule and changes parts which might fail [belts/chain kit] I don't think there would be issues. The only folks who seem to stick with their vehicles despite odo going over 2L kms are Toyota guys.

There you go! That is exactly what I meant.

While sticking to periodic maintenance is one element to this, changing parts pro-actively which "might" fail or already showing signs of failing in near future or even worse, not replacing them will have cascading effects is another important aspect to keeping your car healthier as ever.

[Sheel]

I sincerely hope, I am not going OT & apologize if this discussion shouldn't be on the thread.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

While sticking to periodic maintenance is one element to this, changing parts pro-actively which "might" fail or already showing signs of failing in near future or even worse, not replacing them will have cascading effects is another important aspect to keeping your car healthier as ever.

In today's age, with modern cars, with OBD tools, the ability of a part to fail cannot be ruled out as there are too many parts in a car and anything can go wrong. Now, if we compare it to, say even the M-800, it is very easy to live with it.

Yesterday, the fuel was not going from the tank to the engine in the M-800 and the competent mechanic solved it in 5 mins or even less than that [temp solution, was taken to workshop] but imagine this in modern day cars, especially Germans. I would be scared, very scared.

By OBD, I meant that you can't do much on your own, you have to plug a device to know the code & erase it.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Sheel

I sincerely hope, I am not going OT & apologize if this discussion shouldn't be on the thread.

No you are not going wrong here anyway as this is a long term ownership thread and what you are trying to explain is what we need to know.

In today's age, with modern cars, with OBD tools, the ability of a part to fail cannot be ruled out as there are too many parts in a car and anything can go wrong. Now, if we compare it to, say even the M-800, it is very easy to live with it.

With Mechanicals, it still remains the same with most of the cars even today that a common man buys.

OBD won't tell you if you have a weaker suspension, or a tighter steering or tires that are facing uneven wear or under chassis bolts that need re-torquing or a humming sound that's originating from wheel bearing or the drive shaft or the Gearbox.

So when I meant replacing the wear and tear parts, it was indeed the parts that wear and not those which go kaput or stop functioning - Take for example today where we went to give my friend's Petrol Dzire for a periodic service for 1,10,000 kms. The estimate reads 13,000 for now.

This is because the suspension is gone, the discs and pads are getting replaced for the 4th time only because the mutual condition of both of these when they were replaced individually were bad that a brand new pad was enough to get into bad shape due to a bad rotor and vice-versa.

He also made me test drive to the ASC today and I could notice that the Throttle pedal was dummy for the first 30% like how you have "Play" for the cable operated clutch.

I knew what it was and opened the hood and found the cable on the throttle body was loose that it needed adjustment (This model is not drive by wire).

What surprised me is that he was using the car like this thinking it was normal. Forget that, he has replaced all the 4 tires 2 weeks back and got them aligned and balanced at one of the most reputed shops here on Team-Bhp (Madhu's) and when I drove his steering felt super tight that I for sure suspected the end of steering ball joints or a dry rack begging for grease.

So today when I made sure these things were looked into, obviously the estimate had to run to 13,000 and more obvious that he was in a state of shock to realise the amount.

This is like everything needing attention right during this visit which he may have easily planned with 2-3 breaks.

Yesterday, the fuel was not going from the tank to the engine in the M-800 and the competent mechanic solved it in 5 mins or even less than that [temp solution, was taken to workshop] but imagine this in modern day cars, especially Germans. I would be scared, very scared.

Sensitive, really sensitive. Most of the modern day cars including Maruti's are sensitive. Thanks to the Sensor based systems to manage everything.

By OBD, I meant that you can't do much on your own, you have to plug a device to know the code & erase it.

Got it. You cannot clear the codes yourself too but at least you get to know what is causing the potential issue.

[vdm295]

Hello Shahi, Just came across your thread about your beautiful 16 year young 800. Hats of to you on the way you have maintained it. I have never seen this kind of maintained car in my life. I do own a 2004 800 which has completed 80000 kms & was planning to sell it till I read this thread. Now my plans seems to be changing. Hope you enjoy your car for many more years.

[govigov]

Very excellent review Shashi. It reminded me of my first 800, a 2000 5 spd. It was brilliant and fun. I could take the car with millimeter precision, it was this car that I honed my driving skills on. I owe it all to this car. I could immediately feel if the pressure is not correct due to the pull one feels. A very brilliant car.

What is the odo on this car? I read the whole first page and I am sorry if I missed it.

Ours was sold after 79K on the odo, to make way for my sister's car.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by govigov

What is the odo on this car? I read the whole first page and I am sorry if I missed it.

Thanks for the comments. This car is very special to me. It has done approx(or may be more than) 3 lac kms. I don't have the exact figures with me as the speedo was dead for almost 4 years(2011 to 2015) due to faulty speedo cable, and secondly, the speedometer unit was changed last december, after which it has clocked 16,700kms in 5 months.

Our running is pretty high, hence the high odo figures.

Regards,
Shashi

[headbanger]

@Leoshashi, take a bow buddy!!!
Reviews like yours are what makes this forum exemplary.
The pic showing that spic and span engine bay is absolutely priceless.
We have 2004 Zen, clocked about 1.3L kms and your thread has cleared doubts in my mind about selling or keeping it.
Thank you.
God bless you and your "Golden Goose".

P.S: Would the day/night IVRM be direct fit to my MPFI Zen?

[Leoshashi]

Updates- Golden goose gets a peaceful cabin

Even though my car didn't have even a single rattle inside or out, its NVH was pathetic compared to the cars of current generation. I had to do something about it, and here comes the plan.

My requirements were
1. Only OEM grade insulation to be used.
2. Insulation shouldn't block any water drainage channel, or come in contact with water, which might eventually cause rusting.

I scanned through the parts manuals of most of the cars, and either the parts were too damn expensive, or were hard to procure.

Insulation Type 1-One thing I noticed in all the MSIL cars, was a SGP insulation mat, which was missing from all the cars which are Made in India. A quick chat with my batchmates at MSIL revealed that it was due to the severe cost cutting which Maruti follows, and only Kizashi and Grand Vitara gets it as factory fit. This was it- my car had to get this.!!

Part number:99611-60A01
Part imported from Japan, on demand, hence will take a bit longer.
Dimensions of a single sheet-1000x800x3(mm)
Price of a single sheet-Rs.3,456
Number of sheets required for my car-2

These sheets were to be used for covering the floor area.

Process of application-
1. Strip down all interior trims, seats etc
2. Carefully degrease and clean the floor
3. Make templates of the floor design
4. Calculate for minimum wastage
5. Cut the sheet and apply. Heating using a heat gun makes the entire process simpler.

Before-


After-


Insulation Type 2-Then I saw some Tufclad branded damping sheets, and since they were extremely VFM, I ordered a set. Costed me approx Rs. 2,000 for all. The kit included-
5 sheets of dimension 50cmx25cm
4 sheets of dimension 25cmx25cm

These sheets were intended to be used on doors, just behind the door pad and on the outer surface of wheel archs. Since the sheets were almost solid, they didn't pose any risk of absorbing and holding water.

Insulation Type 3-Called as sheet silencer in Maruti's part's manual, this is nothing but an inch thick felt sheet. I installed this between the floor carpet and the full floor mat.

Part number-75250M84000
Per unit price-Rs.96
No of units required-5



Insulation Type 4- Rubberized underbody polymer based coating. Unlike a lot of products which claim sound deadening properties, this one truly works in that direction, and the sounds coming from the wheel area like tyre noise, pebbles etc are completely eliminated.

Process of application-
1. Initial washing of underbody
2. Sanding and priming of surface rusts
3. Degreasing of underbody
4. Drying
5. Application of underbody coating

The car is then left for about 2 hours on the lift to dry. The entire process takes about 7 hours to complete.









Insulation Type 5-This was a TATA genuine part, and is basically a heat reflector for Nano, with aluminium sheet on one side and woolen material on the other. I used this to reflect back some heat, and keep it confined to a small area, so that the cabin doesn't receive the heat, and thus the AC cools better. There was a lot of heat coming from the central tunnel, and I was surprised that the insulation worked as intended. Now there is ZERO heat coming from the central tunnel.

Part number-N/A
Part price-Rs. 120 per sheet.
Sheets required-2


After all the processes were done, the difference was mind blowing. I decided to measure it with my mobile. All readings were taken at 5AM in the morning to avoid any stray noises due to traffic etc.




Golden goose also received a coating of 3M's silencer coat.



She also received a new front bumper, thanks to an auto driver.

Total cost incurred-
1. Insulation Type 1= Rs. 3456 x 2= Rs. 6,912
2. Insulation Type 2= Rs. 2,122
3. Insulation Type 3= Rs. 96 x 5= Rs. 480
4. Insulation Type 4= Rs. 800(polymer coating) + Rs. 300( washing charges) + Rs. 400(labour)+ Rs. 300(silencer coating)=Rs. 1,800
5. Insulation Type 5= Rs 120 x 2= Rs. 240

Total cost incurred= Rs. 11,554

After experiencing the results, I can happily say that the 11k spent was not a waste at all.

Thanks for reading!! Comments and suggestions are most welcomed.

Regards,
Shashi

[Nissan1180]

Simply brilliant!
Kudos to your efforts to maintain the vehicle in a state where it resembles the show room condition more closely than most test-drive cars. The insulation trick was really good. I am now inspired to do something similar for our Nano.
I really feel happy to see someone caring for a car purely out of sentimental value. Thank you for updating this thread.
Drive safe.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Golden goose gets a peaceful cabin

Wow. I am pleased to see your care, affection towards your Goose.

Coming to the modification err sorry 'betterment' modification, it is master stroke and thoughtful to get into ordering parts and getting them installed correctly. Kudos to your MASS to help you out with such things. The MASS I visit doesn't entertain any kind of odd jobs.

If I am going to retain the Swift for some more time, I am ordering the parts for my Swift and insulating it throughout. May be add 3 to 4 kgs of these sheets.

Hats off to you once again.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Wow. I am pleased to see your care, affection towards your Goose.

Coming to the modification err sorry 'betterment' modification, it is master stroke and thoughtful to get into ordering parts and getting them kayaks correctly. Kudos to your MASS to help you out with such things. The MASS I visit doesn't entertain any kind of odd jobs.

The insulation installation etc was done by me at home, all DIY. Only the anti-rust part was done by MASS.

Even though the MASS was ready to help me with the floor insulation, I opted for the DIY route since the mechanics won't put so much effort in making the job perfect like cleaning dirt, degreasing etc.

If I am going to retain the Swift for some more time, I am ordering the parts for my Swift and insulating it throughout. May be add 3 to 4 kgs of these sheets.

[saket77]

Cannot help but laud you not only for the eye for detail but also the pampering you give to your car. The car is lucky to have an owner like you.

Regards
Saket.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Golden goose gets a peaceful cabin. Insulation shouldn't block any water drainage channel, or come in contact with water, which might eventually cause rusting. SGP insulation mat, which was fitted only to Kizashi and Grand Vitara. 1. Part number:99611-60A01. Imported from Japan, on demand, hence will take a bit longer. Dimensions of a single sheet are 1000x800x3 mm. Price of a single sheet is Rs.3,456. Strip down all interior trims, seats etc, carefully degrease and clean the floor, make templates of the floor design, calculate for minimum wastage, cut the sheet and apply. Heating using a heat gun makes the entire process simpler. 2. Known as sheet silencer in Maruti's part's manual, this is nothing but an inch thick felt sheet. I installed this between the floor carpet and the full floor mat. Shashi

Dear Shashi - you have done very good and also correct work on your car. A lot of things get deleted in the cost reduction exercise, but that's "India Market" for you. A normal customer just does not know, so its worth cutting cost because finally the cars have to make profit also! .

Sheet 1 is called "melt sheet" in factory jargon and is a very good NVH insulator. Sheet 2 is Ok (not so good) only as long as it is dry. The moment it gets soaked in water, it is terrible and it continues to remain terrible till it dries out. So you must remove it during the monsoon season.

(Slightly OT, please excuse), I would be grateful if you could find out some local sources for the melt sheet with sales outlets in Pune / Mumbai. I would like to use it on BLL850 as well as on my restored Fiats. Also, last week, I drove BLL850 non-stop from my house at Dadar Parsi Colony Mumbai to Pimpri Pune, a distance of exactly 140 kms in exactly 2 hours and 3 minutes and I was not going too fast, just cruising at 90 to 100 kmph! Every single aggregate is still original. This is Japanese Quality, hat's off to the Japanese! Here's a photograph of how BLL850 looks now after polishing and changing the number plates. Hopefully, time permitting, I will start the full restoration after Diwali. The only thing that I must do is to put new tires, the Apollo tires (with which the car came) have radial cracks on the sidewalls and they just give up on corners! As I must have snapshot handling, and as I am not going to deviate from 145/70R12 tubed tires on production steel wheels, I am talking to tire manufacturers and have zeroed in on 2 makes. Let's see who's best!

By the way, you are based in Ranchi, correct? How far is Ranchi from Nagpur? As you say your MASC guys are really good, maybe BLL850 should make a quick dash from Mumbai to Ranchi and back! What say? As Mumbai Nagpur is 800 kms, Ranchi should not be more than one full day's drive!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

PS: I have the original grille and the Stanley headlights at home. I will put when I complete the restoration.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Shashi - you have done very good and also correct work on your car. A lot of things get deleted in the cost reduction exercise, but that's "India Market" for you. A normal customer just does not know, so its worth cutting cost because finally the cars have to make profit also! .

Sheet 1 is called "melt sheet" in factory jargon and is a very good NVH insulator. Sheet 2 is Ok (not so good) only as long as it is dry. The moment it gets soaked in water, it is terrible and it continues to remain terrible till it dries out. So you must remove it during the monsoon season.

Thanks a lot Sir or your appreciation. Means a lot to me. I am careful about the 2nd type of insulation sheet, as its truly terrible if it comes in contact with water. You would find it funny, but I have done a little improvisation with this. There are floor caps to prevent water entry, but they aren't fully water proof. I wanted a tight seal, but without making any permanent modification(read closing holes, body filler or seam sealant etc). So I have used "Windshield pasting black rubber sealant" around the caps and allowed time for curing just in the way the workshop people do for glass.

I'm glad it has worked out for me for the time being, not sure if it will hold in the long run. Can you suggest anything better for my purpose??

(Slightly OT, please excuse), I would be grateful if you could find out some local sources for the melt sheet with sales outlets in Pune / Mumbai. I would like to use it on BLL850 as well as on my restored Fiats.

It would be my pleasure to help you in any way. As of now, my only source of getting those melt sheets is MGP(SGP) which is too expensive. I did try contacting a few local suppliers based in Noida and Gurgaon region, but they all were OEM suppliers and denied supplying to local market. Still, I will try my best to get any contacts.

Also, last week, I drove BLL850 non-stop from my house at Dadar Parsi Colony Mumbai to Pimpri Pune, a distance of exactly 140 kms in exactly 2 hours and 3 minutes and I was not going too fast, just cruising at 90 to 100 kmph! Every single aggregate is still original. This is Japanese Quality, hat's off to the Japanese! Here's a photograph of how BLL850 looks now after polishing and changing the number plates. Hopefully, time permitting, I will start the full restoration after Diwali.

She looks great !! If I remember correctly, its a pre-90 model M800, right?? Then it should have a different bonnet design(with bonnet opener and those washer spray-jets should be inside the cowl panel. Though I must say, this setup which you currently have is much better for practicality.

OFF Topic- Is this the same design of number plate which you had recommended me ?? Looks simple, yet elegant !!!

By the way, you are based in Ranchi, correct? How far is Ranchi from Nagpur?

Sir Nagpur to Ranchi distance is about 850 odd kilometers. My 800 did that trip last december. It took my dad approx 17 hours including breaks. Nagpur to Raipur section is decent enough, but the stretch from Raipur to Ranchi isn't that great. You have to be careful about the sudden potholes which come after a nice smooth tarmac. Its best to drive sedately in that section.

As you say your MASC guys are really good, maybe BLL850 should make a quick dash from Mumbai to Ranchi and back! What say? As Mumbai Nagpur is 800 kms, Ranchi should not be more than one full day's drive!

It will be a privilege for us BHPians from Ranchi to meet you( I already see BHPian Saket77's thanks on the post. )

PS: I have the original grille and the Stanley headlights at home. I will put when I complete the restoration.

Nice. I believe this is the grill you are having-



Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by headbanger

P.S: Would the day/night IVRM be direct fit to my MPFI Zen?

Sorry for the late reply, actually missed this PS part-Yes sir it will fit your Zen. Its actually a common part for Zen and Export variant of M800.

Regards,
Shashi