[suman]

Been a while since the last update so here goes. What's been happening?

• Hella Rallye 700FFs fitted end September - a very useful gift from my better half. Lamps mounted directly on the bumper & they're really helping as a supplemental light source. Cost 4,950 for the pair (inclusive of fitting etc)
• 3 way changeover switch fitted for the Fiamm horns - now they operate from the horn button on the steering
• The Beast completed Three Years with the family on 19th October - seems like yesterday & I think we've all enjoyed the experience, particularly the journey to Leh & back.
• 70k kms service completed (was late for this one) - front anti-roll bar bushes & block were changed. This was to get rid of the irritating "kwon-kwon" sound every time the car went over a gently undulating speed breaker
• The following items were diagnosed as requiring a change but since I wanted the car back on the same day (and also because the Anti roll bar was not in stock) it was postponed to the week after & done at odo reading 71.7k kms -
  • Rear Brake Drums & Shoes
  • Rear Anti Roll Bar
  • Front Steering Damper
  • Rear Wheel Cylinders (both changed under Extended Warranty)
• The left rear window was acting lethargic when I was leaving the workshop, was diagnosed as the Winder needing replacement. Again, was not in stock, arrived last Monday - finally found time to take the Beast on Friday afternoon and got it fixed. Under Extended Warranty, as I'd mentioned earlier (when the right one had packed up), its an expensive item, costing 4.3k including Labour!
• The Low Beam of the LHS Osram Silverstar +50% packed up last week. Explored a few options & am now waiting for Osram Nightbreaker to arrive (my accessories guy had Philips Xtreme-power in stock but they were horrendously expensive), have fitted back the stock Philips H4s in the mean while.

Got my lazy driver to Shampoo The Beast last Saturday - it was long overdue! As of this morning, its completed 72,364 kms. The Beast has got scratched in a few places in our NCR traffic - nothing major but as my wife was remarking the other day, not as spotless as before. Here are few clicks from yesterday afternoon (also showcasing the fog lamps), now tell me honestly - well maintained for a three year old eh????

[extreme_torque]

Extremely well maintained for a 3 year old Safari!

[tsk1979]

Nice update.
As for the front anti roll bar bushes, my safari used to make this noise after 1000kms of usage and they were finally replaced around 15000kms.
Heck at 30K kms, one vibration damper, and all bushes changed!

[Prowler]

Very well maintained for a 3 year old car. Looks sparklingly new.

You have no engine overheating after the big Hella lamps fitment ?

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Extremely well maintained for a 3 year old Safari!

+1 to that.

@Suman: Get that lemon-chilli-on-a-thread thing on the vehicle! Too many !

[suman]

Thanks Guys!

Originally Posted by Prowler

You have no engine overheating after the big Hella lamps fitment ?

Not so far....I had checked with Autolinks Director specifically about this & he'd told me to go ahead & that there shouldn't be any issues.

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

@Suman: Get that lemon-chilli-on-a-thread thing on the vehicle! Too many !

Suresh, no sweat, those nicks & scratches keep happening at the traffic intersections - most of them are taken care of by Formula One Scratch Out, some of them remain

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Heck at 30K kms, one vibration damper, and all bushes changed!

Ya, was reading your update. I thought they'd be able to pass those off under Warranty but that's where the Dealership plays a part I guess. I'm pretty sure that at Autolinks, you'd have got all that done free of cost.

[rkbharat]

Suma Da, very will maintained beast, Those Hella looks cool, but I hope heat from them does not affect bumper, though very less chances

[benbsb29]

Suman, the Safari looks very well-maintained for one which has been Leh'd.
Why the sudden decision for fog lamps?

[suman]

Thanks!

Originally Posted by rkbharat

Those Hella looks cool, but I hope heat from them does not affect bumper

I doubt it & I don't use them all the time; in any case, my bumper itself is slightly damaged on the LHS corner so can't get much worse

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Why the sudden decision for fog lamps?

Benny, its getting progressively worse driving after dark (good old age catching up), more so in the absence of street lights on my commute. Of course, as mentioned above, I don't use them regularly but definitely during the late night outings, returning through pitch dark roads. Now that winter's round the corner, these will help (hopefully) in low visibility conditions. Also, during our outstation trips, I've always avoided driving after dark, main reason being visibility - these would be a boon during those trips (though few & far between).

[unni.ak]

The first pic looks as if the Safari is asking, "where to now?". It doesn't look like a vehicle that has done 72k in 3 years. Looks a lot younger. One of the best decisions ever eh, Sumanji.

[Country Road]

Hey Suman. It is looking fresh as a daisy after the shampoo. Gotta take some tips from you. Mine is black. Love it. But difficult to maintain.

[suman]

Originally Posted by unni.ak

The first pic looks as if the Safari is asking, "where to now?". It doesn't look like a vehicle that has done 72k in 3 years. Looks a lot younger. One of the best decisions ever eh, Sumanji.

Thanks Unni, I swear I just haven't been able to do justice to the capabilities of this vehicle as far as off-the-beaten-path kind of trips are concerned! It has definitely vindicated our decision to buy it though. But I do wish that TML would improve their QC - one still hears of issues with the 2.2 although its been on the market for over 2 years now. That is the only thing that prevents me from instantaneously saying that my next vehicle (as in this one's replacement) will also be a Safari. Keeping my fingers & toes crossed that things will be better by the time 2011 comes around!

Originally Posted by Country Road

Hey Suman. It is looking fresh as a daisy after the shampoo. Gotta take some tips from you. Mine is black. Love it. But difficult to maintain.

Thanks Arjun! Black looks killer....but makes you work hard to keep it shining, doesn't it

[akroy]

Suman da, Safari looks pretty with the Hella. looks like it has come of age in all these 72K kms thanks to your maintenance and now it is ready to go anywhere you take it.

Abhi

[architect]

Lovely and almost spotless by Delhi standards.

I wish I could have said the same about my car but thanks to the artwork by the kids in my neighbourhood, I will need to paint bonnet and entire left side to remove the expressions of their adolescent repressed emotions!

[sbhaduri]

@suman : 72000kms, 3 years.Awesome maintenance.
The car looks just like new from your snaps.Your colour choice also plays an important role.Silver colour does not age fast even with the extreme climatic conditions in Delhi.The car with the Hellas must be turning heads in the Gurgaon traffic.

Congrats!!!! I guess your car is always parked in a covered parking.

Shantanu!!!