[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Wow!!!

Excellent exteriors!!! It looks better now than when it was when just out of the first paint job. Those small details have definitely made a difference.

Still better interiors - only those wiper / HL switches on the steering column jarr - I would have preferred the original gear shift. ;-)

PS:- where is the AA Ernakulam office situated?

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Still better interiors - only those wiper / HL switches on the steering column jarr - I would have preferred the original gear shift. ;-)

Agreed, but I'm trying to get a balance between originality and practicality. We've put in a windshield washer - how do we use it without modern switchgear? Also need stuff like the ability to dim and dip from the steeringwheel column itself rather than pressing the foot pedal.

Yes it compromises on the originality, but it also makes the vehicle more usable on a day-to-day basis.

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

PS:- where is the AA Ernakulam office situated?

Small one-room office in a dilapidated old tiled building in Ravipuram.

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

(Rudra, FINALLY the mudflaps are off!)

And someone goes and put those chains instead..

[Steeroid]

Meanwhile, all is not well with the paint. The body is rusting underneath and this is apparently visible in a series of rashes all around. It looks like Motorsmiths have not even been able to deliver a half-decent paint job that lasts a few months after all that tall talk about bodywork - what a complete and utter rip-off. What they've done makes daylight robbery look like a highly respectable profession. The beauty is indeed skin-deep.

I'm so pissed off I want to abandon this completely - it looks like there is NO end to the damage those jokers have done, as the paint problems have cropped up after the mechanicals were painstakingly reworked.

How incompetent and irresponsible can a garage get? And at what cost?

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Meanwhile, all is not well with the paint. The body is rusting underneath and this is apparently visible in a series of rashes all around. It looks like Motorsmiths have not even been able to deliver a half-decent paint job that lasts a few months after all that tall talk about bodywork - what a complete and utter rip-off. What they've done makes daylight robbery look like a highly respectable profession. The beauty is indeed skin-deep.

I'm so pissed off I want to abandon this completely - it looks like there is NO end to the damage those jokers have done, as the paint problems have cropped up after the mechanicals were painstakingly reworked.

How incompetent and irresponsible can a garage get? And at what cost?

As per the moderators, Motorsmiths guys are also on T-BHP.

Guys if you have some decency enough and to salvage a bit of pride, why dont you guys refund for the utter mistake done. Theres nothing wrong in admitting the mistake.

Its better to come out in open and admit mistake and do some damage control. Be a man. Everyone's got a big heart to forgive and forget.

And Steer about your abandoning thing. What wrong has the landie done. Poor thing its just a car gone in wrong places.

I can understand the gravity of your situation but,
Keep up your patience, it'll surely pay off some day.

[speedzak]

Heard this news over the phone from A S H V I N. Really sad and sickening at the same time. A car we all cherished and dreamt of, has been worked upon very badly and rather irresponsibly.
This is totally unacceptable and not at all forgiveable.

We start threads to disclose any small mistake done by some garage/A.S.S/dealers here and warn others to stay away from them. I think it's high time we warn all the BHPians to stay away from this shady garage and the shameless people behind it.
It's a big black mark that some BHPians from the above garage were very much involved in making a fool out of the owner of this car.

According to reports, it seems as if the car will need fresh body work very soon.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

I'm so pissed off I want to abandon this completely - it looks like there is NO end to the damage those jokers have done, as the paint problems have cropped up after the mechanicals were painstakingly reworked.

Steer, man, don't abandon the project. I know what you've gone through. Give that car one more chance.

[muneemmk]

Nothing's ever perfect in Amby/Landyland,there will be some kind of niggle here some uneven panels there, learn to live with it.My Amby is my daily drive, now it's in the shop due to some brake issues.My dad after spending all these money and time now wants me to sell my car. I would rather be dead,If I don't have any other choice I will have to do it.But you have a Choice,to keep the Old Guy Running.Don't do something out of the blue don't even think about abandoning the project.Maybe take a break,drive it around as it is , will start again when the steam's settled.

As for Motorsmiths I say every bhpian who is reading this thread try there level best to tarnish their name, they don't require a respectable mention in this automobile community. Maybe Steerbhai should start it with a thread in "Indian-car-dealerships" about how Motorsmiths ripped us off.

And this particular Landy must be one Lucky car to get itself pampered so much.

Muneem

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Meanwhile, all is not well with the paint. The body is rusting underneath and this is apparently visible in a series of rashes all around. ... (snip) ... The beauty is indeed skin-deep.

I know this is a very painful and mind numbing, pocket draining experience.

For a reference, the last amby I knew, (I mean in sense that it was owned by somebody I knew) around 2000, used to undergo a full body paint work every 5 year, and an annual "overcoat". The colour was some sort of mettalic flesh pink (DuPont's) and used to cost around 3000k for paint and another 1K for labour(not sure of the labour work). Paint used to be purchased from Ernakulam - so I know for a fact the cost of paint. I suggest that you wait till January end / February (for the rains / humidity to stop), and get it done somewhere at Shornut / Ottapalam / Trichur itself. I am sure that this (full body paint work) will be a less than 20K job.

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

The body is rusting underneath and this is apparently visible in a series of rashes all around.

Can you please post some shots of these? Probably one can find some solutions.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

For a reference, the last amby I knew, (I mean in sense that it was owned by somebody I knew) around 2000, used to undergo a full body paint work every 5 year, and an annual "overcoat".

Can't the Amby bodyshell be done up in a way that will resist rust build up? How about using Zinc primer? I have read about Zinc primer in some international forums, they say that it will resist rusting to a great extent.

OT: There was one guy in Kottayam who substituted the frequently rusting panels of his Contessa with Aluminium. This was told by a friend who knew this particular Contessa as it was done up in a garage he visits.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by JayD

Here's a lil something that will go on Land-1 soon!!

Very cool. What is even cooler is that neat radio (?) they are sitting on! I had similar but larger horns on my Standard 10 which dissapeared when the car was once stolen.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Thanks for the update and pics, Jay.

Here are some pics, finally. I'm seeing this car after nearly 2 months (Rudra, FINALLY the mudflaps are off!):

Keep the faith Steer. Interiors are looking nice, get some rubber mats cut immedeately before each mechanic ruins your nice carpeting. Missed one ivory knob I see? Bit of an eyesore.

Still waiting for the rear windscreen trim.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Interiors are looking nice, get some rubber mats cut immedeately before each mechanic ruins your nice carpeting. Missed one ivory knob I see? Bit of an eyesore.

The carpet you see in the car will be replaced. We've got new carpets that will go in after LBM-kill is put in place. Interior trim will be replaced too, hopefully with the tan leather from Avigo as seen in musicmanaman's car - the dash will be painted wherever its been covered with grey trim which is an eyesore. Will try and get the same tan leather covering for the interior of the cubbyholes in the dash.

Yeah, we're missing one ivory knob. Got one?

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Yeah, we're missing one ivory knob. Got one?

If I did, I would have sent it to you ages back. A clown kept promising me he is giving me, but turned out to be a no show. For the time being a skilled painter can paint the black knob in the same colour, will make a big difference, and is easy to do. A similar stop gap arrangement can be done for the "H" logo on the steering wheel. A neat sticker can also do.

Glad to see the petrol cap out. For the good photoshoots once completed, remove the rubber cover. Thought about a retro SS gear stick and wooden gear knob?

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Originally Posted by speedzak

We start threads to disclose any small mistake done by some garage/A.S.S/dealers here and warn others to stay away from them. I think it's high time we warn all the BHPians to stay away from this shady garage and the shameless people behind it.[/b]
It's a big black mark that some BHPians from the above garage were very much involved in making a fool out of the owner of this car.

We should identify those members on team-bhp for others to know and not make the same mistake. Such unscrupulous people take membership on such forums to promote their business and catch unsuspecting people. The emotional loss is more than material loss in such cases.
I have no problem if someone promotes his legitimate business but to cheat people on such non-commercial forums is not just unethical but a lot beyond that.
If they used the forum for this then they should be banned actually. Let the mods decide on that.