[chanu]

Hello Tonrag Sir, what an intresting thread you have created for us, though two pages and few postings as of now you made it feel like a love story and the best part were your first car deal, your searching eyes for a car while walking (I always wish I find one even today when passing a old house or a locality), getting disconnected from the conversation when a old car passes by these feelings are so pure and real, your narration aggrevates my un achievable desire of going back to that era or being born in that era when roads were ruled by these magnificant marvels. Thanks a lot sir for sharing nostalgic pictures and the excellent narration like pure silk.

[navin]

Tonrag, this is a fantastic thread. For me in brings back memories of a simpler less chaotic era.

[chethan25]

Tonrag Sir,

What a car to see on a Friday morning ... phew... trust me there was some excitement as i started reading this thread,lovely write up and good pics reminds me of the good old days of Bengaluru, i used to stay in Indiranagar during my childhood days and at the very end of 100ft rd near the BDA complex (Indiranagar RTO) there was this huge bungalow which had atleast 3 or 4 vintage cars which always was so nice to see. If anyday i could get a chance to meet you and sit in this car would love it.

[tonrag]

Thanks, once again. Yes, anybody is free to ride in my car whenever I take it out. Will probably drive it on this Sunday too, given how nice the weather is in Bangalore. The only worrisome thing is to get out of the city. A bit of a digression here - actually, I never was too fond of car rallies, the way they are held in our cities these days. The parades are very harsh on the cars, with most of them heating up with the stop start traffic. My dream has been to drive these cars into the ground, if necessary. Why worry if something breaks? I always thought I was a bit of an eccentric, till I met a most remarkable couple of car lovers, who completely put me at ease with my passion.

I saw the way they used their cars and decided that I would never simply worship my cars in the garage. None of my cars, including Dev are 100 point restorations. They do get buffeted, and bear the scratches of use. Their engine bays are a bit oily, even scruffy, sometimes. But they have that delightful smell of leather and petrol and hopefully, run well. I will write about my friends who taught me by example how old cars should be used, but for now, its back to the Dussehra Rally.

Dev was driven by Aditi, my wife. It was her first drive in the car and she was understandably, a bit nervous. She had Shareef, my partner in several car related escapades, as her navigator. Do not let Shareef's fierce looks fool you - he is one of the most gentle people I know. Shareef worked as a young lad in the Mysore Maharajah's garage and has some very interesting stories to tell of the old Royces there! The Rolls in the picture is not the Maharajah's, though it lives in Mysore.

Dev did not like the drive at all. At some stage he began to suffer from vapour lock and then a spark plug fouled up, so he was only firing on 3 cylinders. A few days later, we drove down on another rain-washed autumn morning back to Bangalore, posing for a few photos in the early morning with the Lalit Mahal Palace as the backdrop.

[Turbo Head]

What a beautiful narration and amazing car Tonrag Sir. I was engulfed in the magical piece of history you have rejuvenated. Entire 3 pages are no less than a fairy tale.

With equally good captures this thread surely gets much deserved five stars.

[KPS]

Originally Posted by tonrag

My dream has been to drive these cars into the ground, if necessary. Why worry if something breaks? .

How many have noticed the speed in this picture in the first post?



Actually Tonrag I have always been at awe with the fact that you have done so many long drives. Fact is that a lot of these drives were done with your family rather than a team of mechanics. My hats off to you.

Cheers

KPS

[tonrag]

Ha Ha Ha! KPS, it is really tempting to silently accept the compliment on the speed, but that speedo is stuck! If you notice, the odometer does not turn over! I am getting this removed today and fixed. The speedo and rev counter use chronometric mechanisms and not the electromagnetic mechanisms of modern instruments. What it does is that the needle moves forward in jerky movements and not as a smooth continuous movement. These do get stuck, particularly if they are clogged with dirt and oil. I downloaded exploded drawings of these mechanisms and tried to fix the thing myself, but it was really beyond my capabilities. I then got the rev counter and clock (the instrument in front of the driver) overhauled by a friend who is a whiz at these things. He is a bit of a recluse, though. I hope to see him today with the speedo.
Regarding how fast the car goes (or how fast I dare to drive), I would be scared to do 80 MPH, that would be redlining the revs to about 4500 RPM. I once pushed it as far as I dared and asked a bike wallah in the next lane how much he was doing. It was in the range of about 110 kms, about 66 MPH.

Regarding long drives, there is a big ambitious plan cooking, a long standing dream, hopefully to be lived out next year.

[girishpv]

Hello Mr. tonrag.....very nice write up and beautiful locations, conditions and pictures.
I always like to ride the classics, I do go for short rides in my Austin.

@KPS...I think the speedo is stuck, 85 MPH = around 138KPH, I noticed it before, never bothered to point it out.
I did max 50MPH in my Austin and will never dare to try 85MPH.

@tonrag..just saw your comments.

Really 5 STAR thread

Cheers

[KPS]

Originally Posted by tonrag

Ha Ha Ha! KPS, it is really tempting to silently accept the compliment on the speed, but that speedo is stuck! I once pushed it as far as I dared and asked a bike wallah in the next lane how much he was doing. It was in the range of about 110 kms, about 66 MPH.

Originally Posted by girishpv

@KPS...I think the speedo is stuck, 85 MPH = around 138KPH, I noticed it before, never bothered to point it out.
Cheers

HA HA
I too had done the KMPH conversion and understood it was not possible to do those speeds and guessed that the speedo was stuck which is not very uncommon . The braking on vintage British cars are scary and such speeds on our roads would double the scare factor.

However I remembers when you had posted in the past on your drives on the NICE you are hitting serious speeds. 110 kmph

The speedo was symbolic but wanted to highlight the fact that you do really use your cars. Very few of us have that ability to push our cars with the same confidence as you.

Cheers

KPS

[tonrag]

Have just returned from a 140 km drive to see your encouraging comments, KPS. Today's drive was on the NICE road and I really pushed Dev hard. We went to Whitefield by a roundabout route, from Banashankari, via the NICE road, Hosur Road, Attibele and Sarjapur. The Sarjapur-Whitefield road is awful, because of the high speed breakers. I do not know who designs speedbreakers in Karnataka. I have never seen such mountainous ones anywhere else. And of course, there are no warnings at all, about their existence. I am sure they cause more accidents than they prevent. No photos unfortunately. The camera memory was full. However, we piled vegetables into the commodious luggage space behind the seat and have just unloaded them. My next post is about some friends who inspired me immensely on using old cars. I always think of them whenever I take mine on long drives.

[tonrag]

The electronic voice announcing the impending arrival of the train at Melton-Mowbray broke my reverie. I had boarded at the crack of dawn from Liverpool, to spend a few days with friends in rural Leicestershire. I had met David and Janet a few months earlier in Hyderabad and had struck up a fast friendship. Both were in love with India and had seen more of the country than most people had. They spent months here every year and we spoke of our common love, history and culture and of course, old cars. The invitation they extended was warm and beckoning and here I was, to fulfill the promise of meeting them. As the train pulled in at Melton Mowbray, one was transported back in time to the twenties. A small town of 25000 odd people, Melton Mowbray is in the heart of agricultural England. It is the home of Stilton Cheese. I had read about the town's interesting past. The phrase 'painting the town red' was born here, apparently a local aristocrat, pleased with a successful fox hunt in the 1830s had obtained several cans of paint and daubed the doors of many houses liberally with it. Given the English penchant for history and heritage, it was not a surprise to read that many doors still bore traces of the red paint even now!
I got down at the tiny station, its 1920s style perfectly preserved and walked through the picket gate to meet David and Janet. I was speechless and dropped my bags when I saw them. They had come to pick me up in their 3 1/2 litre 1920s Cricklewood Bentley. We sped through the town into the downs of Leicestershire to David's village, Saxelby, where he lived in a 300 year old Barn with his sheep and an eclectic collection of machinery, including several cars that he was restoring and driving.
I spent many happy days with David and Janet and we often drove into the countryside to meet his friends. downing many beers and delicious pies in the process.

[tonrag]

Another of David's cars was a pretty boat tailed 30/98 Vauxhall, a sports car before the term was invented. We drove one cloudy day to meet with friends and share stories. I was transfixed by their stories and their plans for long trips. One of David's friends turned up in an early veteran Daimler special; he just threw it around as if it were a modern saloon.
David and Janet taught me a lesson that has remained with me for life. If you like old cars, use them. They are meant to be used. You will have a few thrills and spills along the way, but that is part of the sport.
A few weeks after my enchanted stay with David and Janet, they set off on a 3000 mile tour of Europe in their Bentley, with a few friends. They did suffer a breakdown, but it did not matter, really, because there were people to help.

After returning to India, I resolved that my cars would be mechanically sound, but they would not be kept in garages. I have begun my drives alone, but if there are like minded people in Bangalore, let us get together at least once a month, every second Sunday of the month, for example, for a blast. I can assure you, the time that I spent with David and Janet remain some of the happiest of my life.

[the mole]

Originally Posted by tonrag

After returning to India, I resolved that my cars would be mechanically sound, but they would not be kept in garages. I have begun my drives alone, but if there are like minded people in Bangalore, let us get together at least once a month, every second Sunday of the month, for example, for a blast.

I agree with you 100% sir somehow the joy of outdoor motoring and driving around the cars in all season seems to be lost on us here. This monsoon for the first time ever i decided to drive my cars around the city to enjoy the season, and though i dont own any convertible (yet!) I can totally imagine the thrill that you must be going through in your gem of a car. Like minded enthusiasts must definately get together and do an endurance run in our cars! I hope your thread inspire many. I definately has inspired me.

[mbz180]

Originally Posted by tonrag

Another of David's cars was a pretty boat tailed 30/98 Vauxhall, a sports car before the term was invented. We drove one cloudy day to meet with friends and share stories. I was transfixed by their stories and their plans for long trips. One of David's friends turned up in an early veteran Daimler special; he just threw it around as if it were a modern saloon.

After returning to India, I resolved that my cars would be mechanically sound, but they would not be kept in garages. I have begun my drives alone, but if there are like minded people in Bangalore, let us get together at least once a month, every second Sunday of the month, for example, for a blast. I can assure you, the time that I spent with David and Janet remain some of the happiest of my life.

Hello Tonragji,

I just stumbled upon your thread 45 min. back; what a great way to start a boring Monday morning at work! Your narration is most moving, and atleast in my case, strikes at the very root of my passion for old cars.

You are one lucky man Sir, to own such a lovely, well maintained MG TC, which allows you to drive her regularly. Also, the wonderful stay you had in England, with really rare vintages, that too in an idyllic setting.

What I particularly like about the way you have restored your MG is that it is as the MG car Company intended it to be. I have seen a few freshly restored TC's in Kolkata, which have their wheels fully chromed, and however good they look, MG had never intended these wheels to be chromed, they were meant to be silver, just as it is in your car. Also, the fuel tank sides are painted as they should be; I have seen some with the sides chromed.

Sure, owners have every right to jazz up their cars as they want and I am not saying that it's a bad thing. I too have taken a few liberties with my car; but I congratulate you for keeping the car as the company intended. The colour coding of the grill and leather seats look really good, especially with the dark green paint.

Please do share the rest of Dev's restoration with us, as well as something on your Austin and Morris, if possible.


Best Regards
Prithvi

[nhl]

Awesome post! Great way to start my morning.