[supremeBaleno]

Friday (25-Jul-08) :
The usual weekend Chennai party is on in full swing at the R.K.Salai private bar aka header's apartment. headers has picked up a new Honda RWD and is pretty excited about it - no wonder his signature reads as "RWD Rocks". Will keep the identity of the Honda-RWD as a suspense for now. Unlike the usual calm meets, this one is getting pretty hot. And I am not really surprised because a seasoned off-roader like Arka (ex670c) is getting all animated about dragging.

I think this is a contagious virus which Arka picked up from the one-and-only dragger in C-tbhp ie. headers. Apart from the 4.5 off-road vehicles that Arka owns (including the 1-ton), he also has a Fiesta-D which he
occasionally brings to the meets. The topic veers to the power of the TDCi and from somewhere the DICOR also enters the conversation and then all of a sudden Arka and nitrous are debating which of the two will
win if they drag each other.

Arka is 100% sure that the Fiesta will decimate the Safari and as per nitrous, he is a little 'cocky' about it too. And most of the crowd seem to agree with him. This leaves only nitrous and me supporting the truck's winning the drag. I have not driven the truck, but from the adulating reviews on the forum about the truck beating sedans on the highway, I think it should be good enough to atleast beat the 65bhp Fiesta.

Anyway, as is usual when we get into arguments about our cars, things get a little too loud for comfort. It is 2AM and the ruckus is sure to wake up the neighbours, which worries headers. So, everyone intervenes
and cool down things. Due to the Blore blasts, there were random checks on the road and so, me and neoranjith leave at around 2:30AM.

Anyway much before the Ford-Tata war started, around 10PM or so, nitrous gets a call from some hyderabad tbhp-ians who are driving into town the next day. We decide to plan something on Saturday and tentatively decide on the Ambassador Pallava hotel in Egmore as the venue.

Saturday 26-Jul-2008:
Wake up around 10:30AM. Feel hungover and also sleepy. Not surprising because after reaching home around 3AM, instead of hitting the bed, I spent another 2 hours reading Chetan Bhagat's new novel "The 3 mistakes in my life", which in hindsight was a mistake.

Anyway, finish up some work at home that was pending for a long time. Then wash the car, get a new battery for her and around 4PM I get an SMS from John that we are meeting at 7PM at Ambassador Pallava.

Reach the hotel around 7:20PM, do not get parking as there is an Anglo-Indian wedding reception happening there. Refuse the offer of valet parking and go park under the Egmore flyover.

1) The hotel marquee :


Walk to the bar expecting a big crowd of tbhp-ians there, but all I see there is headers and ofcourse loads of pretty females who had come all decked up for the reception.

2) The wedding car - a Corolla


He has walked the Pantheon road a couple of times looking for a AP registered Viva-CRDI which is supposed to be parked there with the 2 bhp-ians inside, but no luck. So, he goes to the bar and asks random guests whether they are from tbhp.

We go to the parking of the hotel and see an empty space, which headers kindly reserves for me while I get my car from under the flyover. Anyway,we get the phone numbers of the hyd guys from nitrous and call rider60 - it seems they did not get parking at the hotel so were parked in the parking lot of the more dept store next door.

Catch up with him and kkr2k2 and by that time madan9876 and neoranjith also are there. Due to lack of parking we decide to leave the cars at the more parking lot. But when we reach the hotel, we see 2 spaces and promptly me and headers stand in each one, while ranjith and rider60 get their cars.

3) rider60, kkr2k2 and headers at the more parking lot.


4) headers and rider60 pose with the viva.


Parking issues solved, we head for the bar, which is crowded and does not have space for 6 guys. So we move to the adjoining restaurant and get a table for 6. A trio is belting out live songs, but we are too busy with our own discussions to give it much attention. Madan has to leave as he has some guests coming over for dinner.

5) madan9879 says cheers. Don't be misled - it is Romanov vodka and not water as madan would like his wife to believe. :-)


We order beer pitchers and some light eats and around 8PM or so Arka joins. Discussions shift to 4x4 with rider60 interested in getting a nice 4x4 that should be comfy and also have space for his bike.

6) madan, rider60 and headers


7) kkr2k2, neoranjith and madan


8) neoranjith and arka.


9) headers confidently proclaims that his new Honda RWD will lick any car around in a drag.


10) The trio at the hotel who kept the diners entertained.


11) kkr2k2 and neoranjith trying a shot with an improvised tripod.


12) A 'different' snap from their joint effort.


13) John was tied up with some family get-together and finally lands up around 10PM or so.


Everyone have a good time till around 11PM. The hyd guys plan to drive down after the meet and I lead them till the Anna Nagar arch and point them to the road they need to take to Kaalahasti,
a place in AP, some 100kms from Chennai and which happens to be rider60's hometown.

Being the good tbhp-ians that they are, they did not drink as they had to drive. OK, rider60 had a glass of beer and kkr2k2 a large whiskey, but
spread over 4 hours, that is nothing IMO.

14) A hazy shot of the viva and Baleno.


15) The viva after the drizzle we had in Chennai.

It was a nice meet and thanks rider60 and kkr2k2 for joining. It was nice meeting and talking to you guys. One person we missed at the meet was nitrous who had some other engagements and could not make it. It would
have been nice to continue the Fiesta-Safari discussion. Anyway that's for the next Froday meet.

e_l, headers, madan, ranjith, arka, rider60, kkr2k2 et. al., add any stuff that I might have missed.

16) And finally, the Honda RWD that headers picked up cheap last week. LOL

[suren181]

Honda RWD had me in splits LMAO. you really had me on that. Was trying to think which RWD could it be? Never thought of a two wheeler.

With all due respects though, but guess headers would be having the last laugh when in traffic.

Good short report of the meet Supremebaleno. Hmm.. Sad I couldn't join up to meet with you guys, but sure was nice talking to you that evening.

Yes good snaps too.

[supremeBaleno]

The group snap at the table had to be removed as it had one of us with a ciggie and I was requested yesterday itself not to post it. But I somehow missed it and noticed only at the last moment. Took me some time to figure out how to delete an uploaded snap - was worried whether I would be able to make it in the Edit-able period.

Unfortunately that was the only group snap I had. Hope kkr2k2 has a group snap in his camera.

@suren181, it sure was nice talking to you. There is some discussion happening in C-tbhp about having a weekend drive and if as part of it, we decide to drive to Hyd, we will surely meet. Or if you or any other Hyd bhp-ians are coming to Chennai.

Oh, yes, the Activa would be the best bet in Chennai. rider60 found Chennai traffic sense to be worse than Hyderabad.

[nickatnite]

Great report. Pity i missed Saturday's meet.

[headers]

hey hey, that was a great report SB, the hazy picture of the Baleno and the CRDi - Viva was good.

We ought to mention that we got to auditon the ICE in the CRDi. It was a Pio 5 series with 2 Amps, a Sub, 6x9s at rear and Components at the front.

Rider60 wouldnt let me go without auditioning the ICE. It was good. The monoblock provided the punch and the HU played pretty neat. Tried shifthing the sound stage to the front and it was pretty Ok.

Good job dude, maybe next time you could sample my car's ICE.

His car also had a custom intake - Any guys have a picture of the same can post it. It was a neat arrangement to which i had suggested some minor alterations to make it a CAI.

The meet was a great one and we thank the "Charminar" guys for having made it to our city.

And ofcourse we missed the drag issue, though arka [ex670C] was all set for another round

And ofcourse the RWD Honda rocks. Nearly had a fall yesterday while riding in the rain when some *** cut in front, locked the wheels into a skid and was lucky to not fall - Honda Rocks as usual in RWD

[nickatnite]

Originally Posted by headers

hey hey, that was a great report SB, the hazy picture of the Baleno and the CRDi - Viva was good.

Did you guys have a session at the Track, Sunday?

[headers]

No, we had a small off road session instead! There is not much positive response to the track meet on sunday. Hence it did not happen and I wonder when it will happen.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by headers

the hazy picture of the Baleno and the CRDi - Viva was good.

That was due to condensation on the lens. It took me some time though to figure out why the camera that was churning out clear shots inside the hotel, became all hazy when we came out.

Originally Posted by headers

His car also had a custom intake - Any guys have a picture of the same can post it. It was a neat arrangement to which i had suggested some minor alterations to make it a CAI.

Oops, I missed taking a snap of the engine bay. I had made a note to take the snap but somehow missed it.

[kkr2k2]

biju,
thats a fast report. I am yet to upload the pics on to my comp!!!, running short of space on HDD. (I am sure hyderabad bhpians are now used to the excuses I give w.r.t. my PC)

It was great to meet you all. I would especially thank e_l for putting up a meet on a short notice.(I guess the chennai bhpians, didn't expect us to be in chennai to only to meet the chennai bhpians!! - also we didn't communicate well, our intension of coming to chennai). But they pulled out an incredible meet after coming out of a hangover.

I think this is the first meet, i remember where all the talk happen to be technical.

I will upload the pics and a report at my convenience(i am giving a taste of Nawabi ishtyle)

chenaai folks please have a look at this thread:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-b...-way-meet.html
(we can make it a hyderabad-bangalore-chennai mid way meet)

[mobike008]

Yashraj and Raj ( Noticed the difference? ). What are you guys doing in chennai when you were supposed to be doing something else ( Raj praying in Tirupathi and Yash in hometown showing off his DIY in Srikalahasti)

Yashraj, hope your viva's ac leaking situation is controlled?

Jokes apart, that seems to be a very nice meet you had. SB, nice pictures and report. Thanks for sharing.

[hari78]

Hi SB that was humour at its best. Nice report mate. Honda RWD, you kept me guessing all the way till i saw the picture.

[esteem_lover]

Was a tough one to organise. I had a family gathering that night & the day was pretty hectic. These guys had come in the morning & would have called me at least 15 times. Just kidding. They were very eager to meet the chennai bunch, but the c-bhpians are not easy to gather specially at such a short notice. All said & done, the regulars showed up.

[nitrous]

Originally Posted by nickatnite

Did you guys have a session at the Track, Sunday?

Not gonna happen for a while. Need to solve the rollcage issue with the club.

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

I think this is the first meet, i remember where all the talk happen to be technical.

Wow! Im
Btw,while not my hometown, I was born in hyderabad and have been to a hyd team-bhp meet a couple years back. Met Aadix, satish_appasani and dohc. I'll definitely meet you guys when Im down there ,the next time. Sorry for my absence.

[supremeBaleno]

Ha nitrous, finally you are here. The hyd guys missed you the most.

And what's your schedule looking like for the weekend of 9-10 Aug, when Chennai-tbhp is planning a Pondy drive ?

BTW, I see that your signature has been changed from rattling Marutis to a context-specific one. Nice.

[headers]

SB, Who has Romanov, manek right? So pls amend your signature!