[epicenter.rulez]

hey guys
was off to ahmedabad to attend the grand opening of the ducati showroom
here are the pics. didnt use the flash much cuz i wanted to preserve the natural lighting look of the showroom

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drive safe you guys
always wear a seatbelt.

[epicenter.rulez]

hey guys
after a superbusy month (well almost) finally got the time to give the car for the steering rack replacement.
the guys were courteous enough to pick up the car at a sharpish 8 in the morning and finish off the job and get the car back home by 4.30 in the evening.
an initial impression is that the steering has become a lot lighter. needs an alignment check as i have a bit of a phobia regarding the alignments done at authorised service centers.
a friend has gifted a demo gps and we are having loads of fun using it feeding it useless information.
the speedo error has been noted to be around 6 kph which is due to the larger 205 section tires.
a silencer hanger had broken and was replaced for 51 bucks. the straight pipe was hitting the body due to this and causing some unusual noises. some of the body rattles have also been taken care of and the car sounds almost like new now.
will be taking it for a long spin tomorrow and only then the final verdict will be put up. as the kilometers are clocked, the car is becoming more and more fun to drive.
oh and yeah, the petes box is back in.
drive safe and always wear a seatbelt.

[Acclero]

Originally Posted by epicenter.rulez

hey guys
was off to ahmedabad to attend the grand opening of the ducati showroom
here are the pics. didnt use the flash much cuz i wanted to preserve the natural lighting look of the showroom

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drive safe you guys
always wear a seatbelt.

The picture from the ducati showroom were awesome.
and waiting for more info on the punto after service ride.

[epicenter.rulez]

Originally Posted by Acclero

The picture from the ducati showroom were awesome.
and waiting for more info on the punto after service ride.

thanks buddy!! the car did pretty good today. may need an alignment check.
here are some more pics from the visit to one of the better engine workshops in india. These guys supply engines to us.
Welcome to Facebook

drive safe guys. have a lot of fun but with seatbelts on!!!

[epicenter.rulez]

gaaij
yet another reason to celebrate.
the car crosses 56000 kilometers today. the odo reads 56026 as i write.
you must have noticed that i've reduced my posts a lot.
well the thing is that the car is behaving so fantastically well that there is no reason to complain.
it does a nice 140 kph at a mere tap on the accelerator pedal. 170 is also very easily achievable.
yesterday i'd gone to mumbai and decided to take the punto. i'd reduced the tire pressure to 28 as i just wanted to see how much difference it made in the handling vs comfort department.
well the handling was affected a bit as the v550s are stiffer sidewalled and any decrease in the recommended tire pressure reduces the stiffness required for high speed cornering, but the comfort was amazing. i am willing to compromise a bit on the handling but only after i try different combinations of tire pressure.
while coming back it was past midnight and the temperature was around 12 degrees. the car ran like a bomb with almost no turbo lag. i hardly upshifted to 4th to overtake. a slight tap on the accelerator pedal had it jumping out of its skin and willing to do what i pleased.
i am simply falling more and more in love with this car as much as i drive it. the muffler has its glasswool set to the high speeds now and makes wonderful music. yesterday, i didnt need a cd player to play something for me. simply taking the car to 80 kph in the third and then 110 in the fourth does the job no symphony in the world can match.
just wanted to share my thoughts.
drive safe, all of you.
always wear a seat belt.

[epicenter.rulez]

a few days ago, the car was resting in the office parking.
when i came back to pick it up, i couldnt believe what i was seeing. the boot lid was all pressed in. somebody had dashed his car into mine and not only dented the boot, but also misaligned the rear bumper and taken the reverse light in the bumper off.
fuming, i enquired at the security post but they didnt know who had done it.
heart broken, i headed back home. the car had to be given in for repairs definitely. as soon as i was off this busy schedule.
the next day, my dad wanted the car so i left on the 535.
around four in the afternoon, i got a call from dad. a truck had decided to overtake from the left on a badly jammed diversion and driven into my car. the front left fender and door were dented. the mirror broke off its mount and got crushed under the truck wheel. the tire of the truck also made sure that i had no left indicator left to blink. hassling with the truck driver netted dad around 6000 rupees, barely enough for the repair job. i didnt want to use the insurance because it was to be renewed on the 1st and i wanted to shift over to zero depreciation and also use the no claim bonus.
since i hadnt seen the car, i was so heartbroken about both the incidents that i just didnt want to go near the car. the same day, a very close friend's almost new (8 month) old skoda superb also met with an accident. bad times.
called up my friend from the Fiat Service center to just have a look at the car and let me know what was the damage, both to the car and to my pocket.
his words brought a sense of relief. most of the scars on the car were rubber that had come off the truck tires and could be removed with a good wash and some careful polishing. the mirror would have to be replaced and so would the indicator. the front fender could be repaired and painted.
an hour later, the same friend whose skoda was damaged, called me up and told me about a guy in surat who did up dents without damaging the paint.
since the damage was already done, we headed off to surat immediately to the address given by another friend. a couple of hours later, we were greeted by Shabbir, a youngish chap running a small 10 x 10 workshop that specialised in power window repairs. apprehensive about how he would handle the job we waited till he attended our car.
in the meanwhile, a white swift with a bad dent in the door had also come up for repairs. since this guy had called first, he was given preference. taking his tools of trade, a set of solid files made from stainless steel, some support blocks also made of stainless steel and some cotton tshirts, a rubber hammer and some other stuff, he went about his job. we were too busy worrying about lost lunch to see what he was doing, when suddenly he came over to ask for the car keys.
"kaam ho gaya kya?" my friend asked.
"woh swift ka? haan to...gaadi ja rahi hai...dekhoge?" was shabbir's reply.
we went around to see the job and we were actually almost speechless. where there had been a mangled mass of dents, there was now, a smooth surface with barely a couple of harsh scratches, where the paint had worn off or broken during the accident that was visible.
impressed...truly impressed.
within 10 minutes, the damage was assessed and the dismantling had started. the inner plastic claddings were removed with gloved hands and proper screwdrivers and stowed seperately in bubble wrap covers.
"yeh kuchh nahin hai bhai...ek ghante mein sab theek kar dunga" were the last words Shabbir spoke before he went to beat the hell out of the dents
too scared to look at my car taking a beating, i wandered around.
an hour and 10 minutes later, shabbir came and asked me to take a look.
where there had been a mass of ugly black rubber and deformed metal was now a shining sparkling surface. like the swift, a couple of deep scratches were the only witnesses to an accident.
a mirror was available but with a different colored cap and he quoted 1800 bucks. i decided to get it from the showroom. no matter it would cost more, but atleast it would be a fresh piece.
very much relieved after looking at the car and the wonderful job he had done, i asked how much i owed him.
"1500 hota hai par aap jo doge chalega. kaam dekh ke de do"
i fished out 1200 from my wallet and handed it over to him asking him if it was alright.
another fifty and the account was settled fair and square and we were homeward bound, but not before a truly deserving stop at "Amdavadi Tawa" for a belly full of some of the tastiest non vegetarian food in South Gujarat.
The next day, i called up the friend at Fiat to ask him if the mirror was available and when he confirmed it was i raced off to get it fitted.
The thing is that the left mirror also holds the outside temperature sensor and if it is not there, the mid registers ___ Deg C. So the mirror was inevitable. even otherwise, not having a mirror makes driving very very depressing. its like driving with one eye closed.
a half hour later at the Fiat Workshop, the mirror, the left indicator and the indicator bulb was fitted. Since the top covers of the mirror are only available in black, i decided to get one for the right mirror too.
The final bill amounted to 1977 bucks with the mirror assembly costing me 1521 bucks, the caps costing me 71 bucks a piece and the indicator costing me 56 bucks and the fitting cover that covers the allen screws of the mount amounting to 17 bucks.
the lamp costs 200 bucks but was fished out of an accident car and handed over to me complimentary.
so at the end of the day the job that would have crossed about 8000 bucks was finished in 3227 bucks.
will put up fotos of the finished work in some time.
by the way, the car now sports a gps device that has been given by a friend as a demo piece. it will also be sporting a gear shift indicator and something else in the next 15 days or so. i will also be smartwaxing the car now that i have money to spare.
insurance comes up for renewal tomorrow. i'll be shifting from the conventional future generali policy to a zero depreciation one by bajaj allianz.
the car crossed 59000 kilometers. only 1000 kilometers to go before my 5th service.
i also cross verified a true speed of 170 kph on the gps a couple of times.
although it takes a bit of a time to reach the said speed, the remus does actually do a great job of getting you there without much aplomb.
just updating the thread guys.
drive safe all of you and always wear a seatbelt.

[figo_united]

Sad to read about the incidents on your car.
But nice to know that all is well now, without much of a hole in your pocket!
eager to see the pics before and after shabbir's work! please to share whenever possible.

[h@r$h@l]

hey mandeep,

really sad to hear about the car. but good to know its back to business. The surat guys seems like a good handy man. i often drive to surat. next time i am going there in my cedia, i will ask you for this details. a few dents on it.

also, i wanted to know, you have a pete's on your punto? hows the difference? and whats the approx cost of it? now i too m a punter so need to gather info and see what all can be done.

the first thing i need to sort is the speakers. the oem ones are crap. awaiting pics and info on the gps and the gear shift indicator.

cheers.

[deepfusion]

Epicenter.rulez

Pls give a try to Bharti Axa also.

It has a car policy that takes care of depreciation.

The REAL BENEFIT is: IT IS CHEAPER THAN BAJAJ ALLIANZ and TATA AIG.

[ku69rd]

Hi Mandeep,
Was quite busy with my own stuff and couple it with my laziness made me miss your part of action from the past few months. Have gone through your 3 stages

1) Remus Exhaust --> Sounds good and i bet real cool to adore your car's rear
2) ECM Sensor --> Sorry to know that it gave you some hard time for a couple of days
3) Brush --> My sincere apologies but looks like the Punto has come away unscathed along with Shabbir's relative magic.

Yes do share the snaps of before & after for everyone's benefit. Did he do it in the conventional way (slam & bang) or use the latest state of art technology, from your explanation it looks like he did the slam bang way

[shibujp]

Hey Mandeep,

Sorry to hear about the run ins the car had. Tough luck but good to know that you could get it repaired without much fuss. And tell Mr. Shabbir that he's just gotta open a shop here in Kerala!! I let a dent or two on my car stay because i just can't bear the lack of finish I get from the paint shops.

So here's wishing more happy miles on the Punto!!

Drive on,
Shibu.

[@tombum]

OMG!! Already 50K kms?!

In comparison, it's already 8 months and I have done just 4k kms!

[epicenter.rulez]

so the 14th of february was spent romancing the roads on the ahmedabad udaipur highway and believe me guys, i've never had so much fun in a very long time.
the car is as solid as a meteor on a fixed trajectory.
managed to do the 280 odd kilometers from ahmedabad to udaipur in just a tad over 2 hours and 40 minutes. the average speed was 106 kilometers per hour.
the tarmac is fantastic and apart from those stupid truck drivers who move faster than just an ant, you dont have any niggles.
the initial few kilometers were taken up getting used to the terrain. once i got the hang of the undulations and the sexy curves of the road, i let the yokohamas do what they do best.
the growl from the remus was addictive and i just let my hair down. while drivers driving superior cars were upshifting and braking on the ghats, i just went into corners faster and faster. i suppose average cornering speed was in the range of 110 to 120 kph.
still running the stock suspension, but i am tempted to run the car on bilstien b6s. lets see how it works out.
the car has crossed 61800 kilometers today. the tires were rotated, aligned and balanced last week and my service is still to come up in the next couple of hundred kilometers.
the car is still performing excellently. with no body rattle even now. tried the expressway to get the top speed again and managed to cross 165 with three people and luggage. the car took a bit of a time to cross the 160 mark, but was still faster than a stock car upto 140 kph. after that it didnt matter, since the odo needle was still climbing.
the tires will last another 35 odd thousand kilometers looking at the wear pattern. which translates to an excellent life of 70000 kilometers, which is not bad at all.
i suspect the rear dampers are leaking as i detected some oil onto them when the tires were opened up for balancing. have talked to the service center guys and they'll be replacing them under warranty. even if they are gone, you dont feel that the rear isnt balancing up the way should. the coil springs do their job very nicely.
all in all a very enlightening experience with the punto yet again.
will be driving to mumbai tomorrow.
just updating...travel safe you guys, dont forget the seatbelt.
oh..fuel economy is 18.9 at 62800 kilometers. good isnt it?

[epicenter.rulez]

so, the car was off to service yesterday and like always, the guys stood up to their words.
There were a couple of niggling rattles which were taken care of. the rear dampers were suspected goners and on closer inspection, one was dead and the other weak.
both of them were replaced under warranty.
since this was a major service, the coolant and diff oil were also changed. everything else checked and the car made spic n span as always.
due to some network reasons they couldnt print the bill and so i dont have the exact amount they are gonna make me poorer by.
the front disc pads have about 5000 kilometers of life left in them. will take care of them when the time comes.
took the delivery of the car in the evening and my first impression was that the car was running absolutely freely. it was a joy to trawl around in the city traffic in the 3rd gear without giving a damn.
also, i'd used wurth injector cleaner a couple of thousand kilometers back and i suppose all the impurities had cleared up n collected in the fuel filter element. the diesel from various fuel pumps on the frequent jaunts to mumbai, ahmedabad and udaipur may also have clogged the diesel filter to some extent.
on the highway, the performance was as shattering as ever and better. i came to know later that the guys had been courteous enough to bleed the clutch too which later came to me as a slightly better feeling on the clutch pedal.
120 came in no time at all, and the new dampers at the back are doing their job fantastically. took the car to its limits (almost) once again and went into an almost 75 degree chicane at 130 kph. steady as a rock and growling like a panther.
this car is gonna be in my stable for ever.
now only if i had the money for those bilstien b6s... and that bigger turbocharger, and that intercooler.
oh crap. dreaming again.
drive safe you guys. always wear a seat belt.

[epicenter.rulez]

hey guys,
finally got the amount of the 60k service.
turns out to be 95 odd hundred rupees.
will be getting the bill tomorrow as the friend who'd got it from the service center wasnt carrying it.
will scan it and put it up for review and comments if any.
drive safe you all,
always wear a seatbelt.

Note: Request moderators to please change the mileage to 64000 kilometers.