[hemanth.anand]

The Alto got a Dashcam - A DDPAI Mini2. More about it in the post below.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-e...ml#post4455053 (The Dashcam / Car Video Recorder (DVR) Thread)

Also, it got a Bulb upgrade - Osram Nightbreaker laser. I didn't have plans initially as Alto hardly goes out in dark. But a colleague of mine was ordering a pair on Amazon. There was some offer with 2 sets these H4 bulbs for INR 2800/-. He asked me and hence I took one pair. The OE ones (Phoenix) was useless. I fixed it yesterday.


OE Bulb


New ones on the Right, OE ones on the left.

And the Alto is approaching 6k now...

Fancy landmark

Regards to the GT, it crossed the 31K mark during a small trip to Mysore with a friend. It's approaching 32k now.

In front of the Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel

That was one of the few times when I forgot to take a picture of its X,000 Kms

31010

[Romins]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

In this whole exercise I've realised that cars in general have become more expensive. Comparatively some cars may feel Value for money but in a broader sense all cars offer very less value for the money they demand.

Totally agree. I am using Uber, Revv, Zoomcar for the last 5years. Why take the headache of owning something?

[hemanth.anand]

Quite a few updates I've got this time for the GT TSI.

1. The usual odometer pictures.
The car has been gathering miles at around 1500kms per month


12th september 32000


03rd October 33000


28th October 34000

Today I'm heading to Sakaleshapura and during the return trip, the car will cross 35000 too.

2. Wipers and side mouldings
On 15th September, I got both the front and back wipers changed. The Bosch wipers (front) which I had changed after the car was 1year old had become hard and were also leaving lines during wiping. Really unhappy with that, I got the OE wipers at the VW Whitefield dealership. The rear wiper was still good but some idiot had bend it when I had parked somewhere outside. So had to change that too. 2069 for all 3 wipers.

At the same time, I got side mouldings for the car as the people using the car beside mine in my apartment are really careless and there were couple of marks of door hits. 3100 for door and hatch mouldings.


Before the side mouldings


Sidd mouldings pasted


Boot lining

If you see the pictures, you can also see a black vinyl sticker all around the car which I had got it basically to cover up some corner scratches on the bumpers. I was not liking the stickers though. After getting these side mouldings, they were looking worse. So after coming home, I removed the vinyls myself. Now car is looking good.

3. Bilstein B6
Quite easily the expensive but wonderful change that I've made to this car.
After reading through all the related threads on this topic on the forum, I upgraded the shock absorbers to Bilstein B6. Thanks to BHPian d_himan for a detailed thread. And thanks to DBHPian graaja and Moderator Gannu_1 for helping me and answering all questions.

I enquired first with Pete's and got a 78k quote + installation charges. Also they told it'll take 45days to arrive after full payment.
Next I contacted tdcautomotive in UK. He was the same seller that BHPian d_himan has mentioned in his thread. After a few emails to confirm the part numbers, mode of payment and shipping, I ordered the set of 4 shock absorbers on 19th October.The well packed box was at my home on 24th October! 46k for the set of 4 including shipping + 12k for customs(unexpectedly high for me) is what it costed me. I paid the seller through Paypal and the customs charges was paid through NEFT to Fedex.



The box has arrived in 5 days flat!


Rear shock absorber on top


Front shock absorber at the bottom.


Front Shock absorber part number


Rear shock absorber part number

The immediate next Saturday, I took it to a FNG and got it installed. It costed me another 2k. The springs and mounts continue to be stock. The ODO was exactly at 34000 here.


Rear shock absorbers stock and new


Front shock absorbers stock and new

And the transformation it's done to the car is absolutely magical. I'm not exaggerating but it has given amazing firmness to the ride and broken bad roads are no more a worry. Additionally it has increased the GC a wee bit. Loving the car all the more now. Pricey but worth it.

For the Alto K10, nothing much to update. It has steadily gathered miles and has crossed 7500kms today.

[Santoshbhat]

Superb updates. Bilstein B6s really transform the car. You get more downforce, better steering feel, less body roll and the car literally sticks to the road. And what's great is that you lose out too much in terms of ride quality. The only downside is slightly harsh low speed ride. Spongy brakes and soft suspension are the two major weak areas with the GT TSI. Hope the brembos are doing a good job. With both fixed you have an amazing package now.

Despite being a Bilstein fan ( had it in my Laura) I resisted upgrading to it in my GT TSI due to poor braking. Better handling makes me drive too fast . Also now that I have the GTI, I am keeping the GT TSI stock. The GTI's stock suspension is quite stiff in comparison. I feel it may be a bit stiffer than even the B6s. Lower profile tyres may also be contributing to the stiffness.

[graaja]

Congratulations on the new suspensions. Well written report!

After seeing your B6 upgrade, I am tempted to change the KW coilovers in my GT TSi to B6's. Now that the GT is used only for in city rides at low speeds, the coilovers are too stiff for such low speeds. Just figuring out how to bring up this topic at home

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Superb updates. Bilstein B6s really transform the car. You get more downforce, better steering feel, less body roll and the car literally sticks to the road. And what's great is that you lose out too much in terms of ride quality. The only downside is slightly harsh low speed ride. Spongy brakes and soft suspension are the two major weak areas with the GT TSI. Hope the brembos are doing a good job. With both fixed you have an amazing package now. Despite being a Bilstein fan ( had it in my Laura) I resisted upgrading to it in my GT TSI due to poor braking.

True Santoshbhat, I'm in love with the car even more. Brembo+Bilstein combination makes the car amazing. VW should have made this difference between the normal Polo and the GT twins. (and rear discs too)

Better handling makes me drive too fast .

True, last week I did a Sakaleshapura-Shiradi-Dharmastala and back trip and I could easily spot a different driver in me.

Originally Posted by graaja

Congratulations on the new suspensions. Well written report!

Thanks graaja

After seeing your B6 upgrade, I am tempted to change the KW coilovers in my GT TSi to B6's. Now that the GT is used only for in city rides at low speeds, the coilovers are too stiff for such low speeds.

But the KWs come with adjustable stiffness settings right (16 levels IIRC)? Is it stiff even at 16 clicks?

Just figuring out how to bring up this topic at home

Ah! that's a tough one

[hemanth.anand]

Some updates...Good and bad

Car crossed more milestones...
11th November 35000kms somewhere near Gundya while returning back from Dharmasthala


29th November 36000kms

Two days ago, after a customary Friday team lunch; My colleague was driving my car back to office. A cab driver hit my car and damages the bumper and fender. The idiot clearly didn't see the mirrors or to the side. We were next to his front left door and still he didn't notice.

https://youtu.be/RNJWk-kjzqg

After some argument for 30mins (after which it was pointless) he finally gave ₹2000. There were customers inside who hired the car for chennai. They waited for sometime and then left by the time we had finished. We told them that they can continue. They told..."sir we have not even crossed Bangalore and this is the second time he has hit a car. We don't know what'll happen if we continue" and they left

Those bull bars actually caused the bigger damage to my car than anything else.


Sad view.
Later I somehow put the bumper back in place although some internal clips are broken/misaligned. It's not that evident now. The dent on the fender is a sad sight. I'll get this repaired next week. Just a day before I had got the car insurance renewed and the new insurance was valid from that day. After an evaluation at the workshop, will decide whether to go for a claim or not. I have a 50% NCB but there is no NCB protection cover.

Car is now around 300kms to 37000. The tread has worn out and came to the depth marker level. Although some said that it can run for a couple of thousand kilometres more, I has already started to experience skidding in first gear. So got it replaced.

The Stock Apollo Alnac 185/60R15 made way for new Michelin Primacy4 ST. I had discussed with DBHPian Nikhilb2008 about it before I went which helped me in quick service. I reached Madhus at Langford road at 9:30 when they open. By 10:45, I was out after getting the tyres replaced, new triton valves, Roadforce balancing and alignment.


Wheels with stock alloys removed


195/60R15


Michelin Primacy4 ST 88V


Old and new


A closer look


Roadforce balancing

One thing I could straight away notice is these tyres are much more silent. The 6mm thicker rubber has made the ride comfortable. It now perfectly compliments the B6 shock absorbers. All in all, it's clearly evident why this is preferred by many. Have couple of trips coming up later this month and can see Highway performance too.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

After some argument for 30mins (after which it was pointless) he finally gave ₹2000. There were customers inside who hired the car for chennai. They waited for sometime and then left by the time we had finished. We told them that they can continue. They told..."sir we have not even crossed Bangalore and this is the second time he has hit a car. We don't know what'll happen if we continue" and they left

That driver was a complete moron, without doubt, and 2k INR will be grossly insufficient to repair it.

If I had time, I would definitely lodged a complaint against him and ensured that he at least lost his Chennai customers.

I would suggest you get it repaired at an FNG and opt out of insurance.

[hemanth.anand]

Agree with all of your points

Originally Posted by n.devdath

That driver was a complete moron, without doubt, and 2k INR will be grossly insufficient to repair it.

If I had time, I would definitely lodged a complaint against him and ensured that he at least lost his Chennai customers.

Yes, 2k will be insufficient I know but after a few minutes it really gets pointless arguing with some people. I don't believe he will learn anything out of this, but at least he suffered some loss. He lost those customers too. They took their bags and went away. Lodging a complaint for this will only be a waste of time I felt. Especially since the damage being a small one and also knowing our system.

I would suggest you get it repaired at an FNG and opt out of insurance.

Will weigh out both options and then decide. Even I feel that an insurance claim may be less profitable especially since my NCB is now 50%

[gururajrv]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Will weigh out both options and then decide. Even I feel that an insurance claim may be less profitable especially since my NCB is now 50%

Hemanth - you can try Trend Automobiles for a better FNG work. They do immaculate job at restoring the damaged pieces to its previous prestine state. There’s a separate thread on Trend Automobiles under Bangalore Directory. You can go through it. It works out well within our budget and you don’t have to claim insurance.

[hemanth.anand]

The cars celebrated their 2nd anniversary on 24th December.
Alto has run ~8500 Kms in total, 2300Kms in the 1st year and 6200Kms in the 2nd year.
Polo has run ~37000 Kms in total, 20.5K Kms in the 1st year and 16.5K Kms in the 2nd year.

Alto
The Alto went for it's first paid service (4th Overall) on the 25th. The ODO was at 8482Kms


2 years, 8482 Kms

The vehicle was picked up and dropped at home by the Mondovi personnel.
The total bill came around 5.6K.


Service bill from the Maruticare app

There were some paint marks and scratches on the bumpers due to some minor interactions with other vehicles (unavoidable in Bangalore) and they were touched up with brush FOC. The car got it first change of Engine oil along with the other usual oils and filters. I was happy overall except for the fact that they put some unnecessary things and charged me for it like the Suzuki logo Tyre nozzle caps, interior Myshaldan fragrance. The amount was small and they looked good so I let it be; but I made it clear that they should take my approval before billing these.


GT
After the small accident, I took the car to Trend automobiles in Bommasandra and got it repaired. Only the fender was repaired (dent removal and painting). The bumper is slightly misaligned because one clip at the end was broken but it's hardly noticeable even to me. The wheel well cover had cracked, but it is just roughly stitched with a wire. Overall the hole in the pocket was 3800 out of which I had got 2k from the Innova guy who had hit my car

cracked wheel well

Below is the end result...


Shade mismatch

Although I was happy with the dent repair work, there was a clear shade mismatch (visible to me at least)...Other people unaware of this, couldn't notice until I told them. I told the guys at Trend that I was expecting a better match. They told me that with time, it'll go closer to the surrounding parts. Also, I thought that the detailing layers maybe a reason for this and probably the shade will match with the factory shade. Anyway, I got my car back telling them that I'll come back if it still is glaringly different after a couple of months. I'm seeing many of my colleagues' and friends' car repaired there and I can see that their quality of work is slowly reducing; especially the painting.

The car crossed 37000 mark today on my way to office on the first drive of the year


37K Kms in 2 years

[gururajrv]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

The cars celebrated their 2nd anniversary on 24th December.
GT
Shade mismatch

37K Kms in 2 years

Hi Hemant - honestly the mismatch is evidently seen on the pic produced. I’m surprised with their answer to your question. How will with time the shades get better? It’s better to wait for a month and ask them to repaint. I’m shocked to see your comment on their quality degrading, which is also explicitly seen

[ramji_or]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Shade mismatch

Other people unaware of this, couldn't notice until I told them. I told the guys at Trend that I was expecting a better match. They told me that with time, it'll go closer to the surrounding parts. Also, I thought that the detailing layers maybe a reason for this and probably the shade will match with the factory shade. Anyway, I got my car back telling them that I'll come back if it still is glaringly different after a couple of months. I'm seeing many of my colleagues' and friends' car repaired there and I can see that their quality of work is slowly reducing; especially the painting.

37K Kms in 2 years

@Hemanth, I am not sure if it looks different to a naked eye but the shade mismatch is clearly visible in the pictures that you posted. I could not convince myself with the "Time will match the shades" concept either. Ofcourse, mine is not a professional opinion.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Shade mismatch

Although I was happy with the dent repair work, there was a clear shade mismatch (visible to me at least)...Other people unaware of this, couldn't notice until I told them. I told the guys at Trend that I was expecting a better match. They told me that with time, it'll go closer to the surrounding parts. Also, I thought that the detailing layers maybe a reason for this and probably the shade will match with the factory shade.

Please don't fall for this shade will return to normal logic. Nothing will change by the end of two months time. Some bodyshops argue that old paint has impurities embedded, and hence look different. Well the old clear coat can sometimes look a bit yellowish. This can be checked by compounding any old panel near the newly painted panel.

From whatever little I know about repaints, a good painter will blend the new paint into the old one. This is difficult in lighter shades, but can be done by an experienced professional.

Regards,
Shashi

[KK_HakunaMatata]

As others have already mentioned, I think there is a clear shade mismatch, to me the original paint looks more whither shade and the repainted one looks a bit dull white. I also got work done by Dinesh two months back on my sister's Alto, the work was better. Think you should ask for a repaint.

Edit - Can you also take a pic without flash in the sunlight? Just thinking if it is to do with the angle of the pic?

KK