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-   -   A truly lovely afternoon for Steeroid (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/post-war/49505-truly-lovely-afternoon-steeroid-4.html)

You shouldnt tell people you're a sardar. >14 minutes to pick a bottle of whiskey?

I think a clarification is required since most people seem to think I'm some kind of profligate bourgeois: The 'Bug Fiat' (popular in Kerala by that name, I understand its called Dukkar elsewhere) was next on my list in any case after the Landmaster. Seeing an example in this condition only made me speed up my decision, and besides that it seemed like a perfect antidote to the poison I had to endure with the Landmaster rebuild. I really needed to see a proper, working car in the garage after all these months of frustration - that alone was worth 1.5.

For those in doubt, let me assure you that it would more than that to buy a Bug for 40-60k and rebuild it to this condition with all the original stuff in it. This is not taking into account the effort involved in chasing up the garage, having to deal with slimy characters in between and tearing most of your hair out in the process. That is worth more than another 1.5. Therefore I think this is a decent deal.

A year and 1/4th after I bought the Landmaster, I will hopefully have a working classic at home. Nevermind if it isnt the car I set out to rebuild - this one is in much better shape than I can ever hope to get the Land into.

Now we can take our own sweet time with the Landy and allow it to be stripped and put together properly.

And my dad can still drive around in a working classic.

Steer congrats !! The car simply looks fantabulous, I don't know a jack about these Dukkar Fiats but have grown up seeing one with my neighbor.

Good luck and I pray this time around no damned mechanic/garage touches this.

The guy who bought my Baleno did something similar. He came all the way from Bangalore carrying a demand-draft in my name, drove the car for less than 5 minutes and then handed over the DD. Yeah, it was a Team-BHPian.:)

LOL. Only a blind person wont believe me if i told him i am not a sardar. I think he would probably have to be deaf too.

Yeah i go into a liquor store thinking this time i will buy the good old, old monk. You know, best bang for 160 - 180 bucks. But then my eyes wander towards the whiskey section, and little further if there is a Jack Daniels on the shelf. The rest of the time goes into convincing myself to settle for Vat69 :Frustrati

Congrats Steer on this beauty ! A true classic it looks.

Congrats Steer! You deserved this beauty.

Steer, the bug fiat was the Fiat 500, the dukkars were known as 'Italian Fiats' here!

I agree with u completely on the price part, an original car will cost around 60K here, add 30-35K for a paintjob depending on the rust, 5K for chrome etc, 10K for a complete interior job, another5k for knik-knacks, some more for the missing parts, some may be impossible to find, some more cash to remove any 'modifications' done to the car previously, and the time, effort etc will amount to way more than what u spent for this one!:)

If there is a will, there is a way... man!!

Mechanically, Landy is shaping up slowly as seen in your dreams. Am very confident of making it an equally good 'reliable working classic'!
After all the planned works, sure, you will be a proud owner of 2 unique classics!:)
Big salute for that last line!!
cheers:

Steer, been trying to not post a repeated message on this thred but can't help it :)

Everytime I come back to the thread and take a look at that car, only one thought comes to my mind... Life has it's ups and downs and now is the time for you to enjoy something nice, for a change. You some how seem to have this thing with luck where first bad luck strikes you and then you find something better than planned/imagined. Same as what happened with the Chevy block and then the Jaguar.

Anyone who thinks you just got lucky with the dukkar, does not know the complete story. You deserved something as good as this. Cannot wait to see it in person. Congrats on the buy and hope your Dad has good fun with this as it may also be easier for him to drive around (when he can/wants to).

@Amitoj - Steer spends too much time drinking for him to think about buying them. His mantra , when in doubt buy all the bottles and drink them up :)

@ Steer - Only one very humble request. These fiats have to be treated with care - and hence very carefully choose your driver.

Fantastic buy Steer! Hope you & your Pop have a lot of fun with this one & the Landy gets ready soon too!

Prabhu, thats not surprising for a guy who buys a car in 14 minutes.

Congrats Steer ! That was quick - super quick in fact - impulsive if I may add !

Now FIAT will have another spokesperson on their behalf ! :p

So I hope this was not a DUI (decision under the influence). lol:

On the other hand, congrats on buying a fantastically maintained car. Hope some of its good looks rub off onto the Landy.

That car is in the same condition since 2 yrs. Superb, and fantastic.

Even the engine room looks new, why no pics of the engine room?

Drool, those whitewall tyres.