[joybhowmik]

I noticed some rust on the floor in post 11 which I have encircled in red.

How did you get these treated?

[Live To Jive]

Originally Posted by mituadas

. Attaching some some latest photos.

Originally Posted by Srini76

I have the grand feeling of just having restored my 800 back to shape similar work but in white !!

How much is the cost modifying a Type I to Type II or Type III?

[mituadas]

If somebody can arrange Type II OLD Parts Like : Fenders,Bonnet(optional),Dicky,Dashboard,Speedomet er which will cost within 10K.Bumpers should be new one. Rest depends on tinker and painter. So overall cost cost will be 30K to 40K.

[Srini76]

Hello All,

Finally the time is now !!

Betsy is all set to undergo a refurbishment - we got betsy in 1998 and she is a 4 speed carb - Maruti 800 Dx - She came into our family on March 28th '98, over 16 years and one lakh odd km - has been with us through thick and thin - never let us down and perhaps among the most notable achievements would be that about 6 of my friends have been driven to the hospital in Betsy and all of them delivered safe and natural. At one point the joke was that we ought to plonk a blue light on top and make it a ambulance !! nonetheless selling her would yield us about 25 k perhaps and so it was deemed that restoring and keeping her was the best thing to do - All documentation is up-to date, single owned, no major accidents (the only accidents were motorcyclists scratching/denting the doors and braking the OVRM's). All lights and light fixtures are original to date - engine / gearbox unopened yet. Pictures coming along as we progress - and below mentioned are what we are going to do on her.


1. Complete restoration (says most of it)
2. Will check the condition of the engine - it has been decided that we are going for a half engine change !!
3. Both front door to be replaced as they have been nicked a few times.
4. Clear lens headlamps with brighter lights - the stock lights are note too effective on the highways !!
5. B pillar and window frames to stay blackened out !!
6. 2 ORVM's in body color - body color bumpers too.
7. A mild bass FFE - need to order one right away - thinking that automech would augur well - This is to be fitted once the initial 2k km's are done with her after the refit.
8. A cold air intake - she currently has a stock replacement k&N - thinking about going conical !
9. Adding remote locking and power windows in front !
10. A/C upgrade to the newer r14 Gas - mine was the old one and getting tough to find !!
11. I am requesting for the entire front drivers seat to be moved back by (i.e) moving backwards the seat railing - I think I need more space and 90% of the time I am travelling alone in this car - evrybody at home prefers the bigger car anyways !!
12. I recall some 800's coming with a rear parcel tray ? can we get that ? just like to keep the prying eyes out.
13. Basic Audio with my existing kenwood player (less than a year old) and 4 component speakers !!
14. New wheel rims and new tyres on the car - about 3000 km old !!


Betsy is currently in white and I am thinking about switching the color to pearl white - Seen it on a few lexus and more recently on a tata aria - Looked nice !!

Clearly as seen from the pics the cross member needs to be replaced !!

Inputs are most welcome - I am open to ideas and suggestions - please keep them coming for I intend to keep betsy for the next 20 years at least - not as a daiy ride but she wil remain with us !!! Will keep posting progress as it happens with pictures !! if any of you think i have missed out something please do let me know !

MODS - Please move as appropriate !

Thanks,

Srini

[starter]

I have a different opinion on points 5, 6 and the paint shade.
If I were you, I would have brought it back to factory spec and maybe choose a factory paint shade.
You would find many examples which have some cosmetic enhancements, but a stock 800, quite rare.
My 2 paise..
Cheers,
Deepak

[Srini76]

Thanks Starter,

Yes - I agree with you on a complete out of the factory look - My only grouse is that black mirrors and bumpers somehow make the car feel too high strung - I felt that I had not changed the original approach since some versions of the M-800 also came with factory fitted body colored bumpers (not sure about the OVRMS though) I am not sure if they were limited editions but came in colors like the riviera red etc !

Completely agree with the coloring of the B pillars - Will rethink the option now - Not a justification but felt that it offered a little more definition to the side profile of the car -

Thanks for the inputs and keep the thoughts coming !

Srini

[Srini76]

Hi All,

Update on the refurbishment of Betsy - the half engine has arrived and is being prepared outside of the car - Tinkering has started - surprisingly not too much rust for a 17 year old !! The front cross member as indicated in my previous post was rusted and hence removed and replaced with a new piece procured from a authorized dealer.

The primary idea is to assemble the engine outside - run it for a bit and hopefully in around that time the front seats and Dashboard will get removed and tinkering will be complete or at-least progressed. We will then look at the suspension components and see what needs to be done there - I am presuming that Shock absorbers will need to be replaced as they never have been replaced all this while !!

Will let the pics do the talking and will upload more pics as I click em - Apologies about the not too good pics - thats about the max my moto E can take !! the parts list this far including the half engine etc has been about 25 k odd - the owner of the garage is a good friend and is taking a personal interest in this - he generally only restores classics and that sort of is more reassuring.

so the 1998 M800 - 4S is not work in progress - Finally !!

Thanks,

Srinivas

[Srini76]

A few weeks of silence, primarily due to non availability of a painter - we wanted a specific painter who was has loads of experience with classic restorations - Finally the painter gets to action and "putty" and filling is in place - the front cross member is up and running too. some pictures to speak !!

The Dashboard will be out in a few days and we are also getting the door scratch guards out - They are stuck from the factory and we need to get new ones and get them pasted. we are not keen on re-pasting the old ones with some other adhesive.

Suggestions are more than welcome - The color picked is the pearl white from Maruti - I am told the swift comes in that color.


Thanks,

Srinivas

Request to Mods : The merged thread is about a 1988 800 restoration - Betsy is a 1998 4 speed Carb - Could the title please be changed - I intend to log all pictures and make this a complete thread in order to facilitate any BHP-ian who might want to bring back a 800 to good shape.

[vinod_namakkal]

Dear Gurus, I wish to do some bodywork & painting job on my Maruti 800. Need your advise.
Before I proceed please look at Past Medical History of my M800:
Model: 1993 (with ac)
Mileage: 15 kmpl
No of owners: I am the 5th owner
Bought this car on 2009 from a dealer for Rs. 25500
Right after a year I spent Rs. 25000 on it for the following.
New battery: 3000
New windshield: 1850
New tyres MRF – 8000 (wheel balancing, wheel alignment and nitrogen gas complementary)
Type 2 upholstery: 1400
Radiator Service: 500
Few bearings & Timing Belt: 1500
Both Drive Shafts: Rs. 3000
Whole Exhaust pipeline: 2500
Alto Steering wheel: 400
Minor platform tinkering, misc Expenses & labor charges: 2850
After spending Rs. 25000K on it, I seldom drove my car as I work in Chennai and my car was in Salem.
The worst situation ever - my car was untouched for one complete year (Diwali to Diwali).
But when we hit the road (after a general service) we travel not less than 1000 kms peacefully.
In these 4 years I have found lots of rust and dent on my M800. I couldn’t explain by words. Have a look at the pics.
Now time had come to take a call whether to sell it or retain it.
Finally we have decided to retain it for 2 reasons. It’s handy & very economical.
My pulsar servicing cost 350
M800 service cost 300.

[vinod_namakkal]

All 4 doors corners rusted to the max. Cant open or close the trunk as one hitch is cut and hence the the trunk is lowered in the right. lots of small holes (result of rust) in the metal on the right side and left side doors and trails.

A local tinker in salem had quited Rs. 6000 to do all these work in 3-4 days

Next the paint. decided to go with the same white and a painter had quoted Rs. 8000 for the same and time required is 10 days.

Please advise.

Commandar Bharani kindly suggest

[commander]

Hi vinod,
I would suggest you sell this as you are the fifth owner already. Looks like lots of tinkering work and would cost you more than the 6000 quoted if you want to do a good job on it. You will get better maintained 800. Removed all the new parts like battery and tyres. You will lose more money working on this than investing in a better used car in the long term. Choice is yours.

Regards.

[vinod_namakkal]

Originally Posted by commander

Hi vinod,
I would suggest you sell this as you are the fifth owner already. Looks like lots of tinkering work and would cost you more than the 6000 quoted if you want to do a good job on it. You will get better maintained 800. Removed all the new parts like battery and tyres. You will lose more money working on this than investing in a better used car in the long term. Choice is yours.

Regards.

Thanks Bharani. True, Had another round of discussion with my family. Still they don't want to miss this M800. So we have decided go with restoring it.

Tomorrow I am giving it to the tinker to start the work. He needs 3 days time.

But can he do it 3 days?

[Ananth_shukti]

HI Vinod
sharing the below opinion basis my Jeep restoration.
Tinker guys generally quote very less initially. And it is also not easy to negotiate the area of coverage , he has quoted basis of 3 days effort, which according to me might not happen. Your car has rust in main places like hinges etc which needs lots of cutting making similar piece as they are not available, welding & it is also very skilled work in these areas else the door/bonnets would show gaps which would further reduce the value of the car.
I do understand your attachment emotionally, but sincerely suggest you to dispose it & buy a used one (Single owner) in the range of Rs 60 to 70K which in any case you would spend on the current one. Once you start up paint/tinker work, you would have to source lot of rubber parts like door, glass beadings, door pads etc which you might not have budgeted.
Do think calmly & take a call.

[vinod_namakkal]

Thanks Ananth for your valid suggestion. As your rightly said tinker guys may ripe us off. I met 4 tinkers this morning and all quoted an average of Rs. 18000.

Finally went to the first tinker who asked Rs. 6000 and had a discussion with for about an hour. Told him to check each and every part of my car and that later he should not comment on anything .

He started checking the trunk, and removed the trunk rubber edge trim, Moment he removed it I could see a rainfall of rust falling down He checked the doors platforms and finally quoted Rs. 8000. He added that its waste of time to rework on the doors and trunk. He will replace all 4 doors and trunk from some scrap dealer (replace cost to be born by him) and do the finishing. I told him to go ahead and paid Rs. 5000 ad advance at 11 am today.

[vinod_namakkal]

Rusted Trunk rubber edge trim