[shobhit.shri]

This is some nice work!

I own the same Honda city from 2012 and wanted to get your feedback on tyres. How are those 195/60/15 Yokohamas treating you? Mine is still on 175/65/15.

Also, Check these photo of my screen upgrade. I bought a cheap "foxfire" Android set for 15k. You are right, they are not very high quality but they get the job done and bigger size looks better, IMHO!

[balenoed_]

Wow! I envy you for having this done and for having a workshop like that in your place.

This was something I always wanted to do on my 16yr Baleno. Would you mind sharing the cost break up of repainting the whole car and any reason that you did not want to choose a different color as you are anyways painting completely?

[Utham123]

A great thread. I must say your car looks absolutely stunning after the makeover!

I am a newbie in TeamBHP and I am really hooked to the ownership threads. The amount of energy and heart members of this community put into their automobiles is admirable.


I have seen a marked change in my attitude since I have been following this group. I started doing a lot of DIY these days after going through several threads here. I am little embarrassed to admit my DIYs are quite basic like changing fan regulators, electrical switches, servicing my bicycle. Nevertheless, it is a source of joy and satisfaction for me. I thank all the members who contribute to this community with their experiences. It has an impact on people like me.

My next milestone for DIY accomplishments - Servicing and upgrading my 10 year Apach RTR 160 all by myself.

[kunalsingh]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Your thread brought a BIG smile to me this morning. Rated 5 stars

I have always loved 3rd gen City and got one home last month. It's a pre-used 2012 model and couldn't agree more with your observation, this car does age gracefully.
Going through Tbhp ownership threads has been on my to-do since a couple of weeks, just haven't been getting time. However saw this on the newsletter today and could not stop myself from reading it at one go. Excellent write-up.

Also, I have been looking for a good workshop and will try out GAI. Great going with your car restoration. Subscribing for future updates, keep them coming!

Here's a side view of mine the day I got it home.

Attachment 2064882

Thank you for the kind words and many congratulations on your acquisition!! Your car looks lovely in that shade. You can also go for a nice set of upsized wheels in the future, the car will feel much better after an upgrade to 195/60s.

About the workshop, yes GAI is a good option. Do give them Nakul and my reference.

Originally Posted by ManasN95

Lovely thread! The Honda has come out looking classy! I feel white, silver looked best on this generation City.

The cosmetic modifications were the only ones needed?

I also own one, through the pre-owned market, bought in June this year. I have a question, mine is just about to touch 20K but is 8 years old, so when I take her to servicing, do I follow the 20K KMs schedule or according to the number of years?

Attaching a photo!

Attachment 2064906

Thanks very much! About the modifications - Yes, although aesthetics are extremely important to me and I like to keep my things in top condition. Hondu is in good health mechanically and had a comprehensive service done at Honda A.S.S in the beginning of this year. The only mechanical job needed right now was a new set of link rods which I got installed at GAI itself.

For the servicing - it is recommended to follow the either of the Kms or Yearly interval(whatever comes first). Since your car is 8 years old but has only run 20k kms, it might be a good idea to go for a Major service (if you're going the A.S.S route ; Honda usually does the major-minor service for every successive 10,000/5000 kms).
Also go through the service manual and make a note of all the jobs required in the 20,000/2 years and also the 80,000/8 year services. If you see that any of the items mentioned in the latter are required in your car (due to age, wear n tear, etc.) then go for it. Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by WhiteSierra

Hi kunalsingh, that's quite a nice read. Great restoration process. Those alloys look super cool on your ride.

I belong to the same category. I love to restore my vehicles when they show age, give them a mid life upgrade to make it look and feel brand new all over again.

The advantage of restoring and building cars than buying new ones is getting first hand experience of cars, more knowledge about their mechanicals, they way the work, procedure of denting and painting, which part to source from where, etc. This process will also make the enthusiast in us very happy.

You got your car completely repainted, got new wheels, accessories and interiors which give you a brand new car feeling and will hold up good for next 4 years and you can even sell it off to buyers from neighboring states after 4 years for a decent price. We have many things in common, similar age, interests and asthma I do DIY works on my cars and I wear an N95 mask whenever I'm working on my car or in the workshops, but yes the fumes of spray paint triggers asthma immediately, so it is better not to risk it.

Your car looks brand new, enjoy your ride.

Thank you for the kind words, and you're 100% right about the advantages of restoring cars. It teaches you so much and makes you form a stronger bond with your car. The process isn't easy but it is extremely rewarding and gives you a sense of satisfaction every time you see your car.


To be honest, I don't know how I'll be able to part ways with Hondu. I have grown to have such a special bond with it that it pains to think that I will have to part ways with it some day. I'll try not to think of that day and just enjoy my time with Hondu for now.

PS - The N95 mask is like our saviour!

Originally Posted by crux

Absolutely a delight to see a 3rd gen Honda City come back to life! Have to admit I am a Honda fanboy!

I have driven mine for roughly around 190000 km and can vouch for it’s stellar reliability! Honda lost the plot after this generation with the later models not being upto the mark.

The only grouse I have is the steering rack which gives up after a couple of thousand kms. Factor that in for maintenance costs later on. Also the low ground clearance can be a hindrance but the engine more than makes up for this

With the memories attached to mine, I find it really hard to find a car to replace it with.

An absolute keeper and I wish you loads and loads of memorable kms with the City.

Thanks again for reigniting the interest in what could arguably be the last good car Honda came up with!

Another Honda fanboy over here sir! Though I am a fan of the Hondas of yesteryears like you. The old ones have a certain charm and raw character that just seems to be missing these days. Also, not to forget - utmost reliability and they were built to last (it's still a dream of mine to get my hands on a well-maintained OHC Vtec and turn it into a project car).

It's amazing to know that you have clocked close to 2L Kms with your car, just goes on to show how reliable these cars are (minus the lousy suspension that always becomes rock hard and the steering rack-noise you mentioned, which is common to all Honda citys) along with being proper fun to drive. Nothing can beat the feeling of driving a Honda Vtec close to the redline. It's just pure motoring joy, pun intended!

Originally Posted by Merc_Freak

You have done a great job of restoring it to its former glory. I particularly love the looks of this generation of this city. My Dad’s close friend also had this Gen of the city in bronze colour and he clocked over 150,000 kms before selling it in 2016. Wish you many fuss free kms with your city.

Thank you very much! I hope to clock at least 1L kms with Honda within the next 4 years

Originally Posted by TheGearBox

Awesome read! Its nice to see someone showing so much love for their car. Do keep updating the thread.

Thank you for the kind words. I do have a special bond with Hondu. I think of it as a bit like Herbie, the VW Beetle (from the Hollywood movie Herbie Reloaded)!

Originally Posted by shobhit.shri

This is some nice work!

I own the same Honda city from 2012 and wanted to get your feedback on tyres. How are those 195/60/15 Yokohamas treating you? Mine is still on 175/65/15.

Also, Check these photo of my screen upgrade. I bought a cheap "foxfire" Android set for 15k. You are right, they are not very high quality but they get the job done and bigger size looks better, IMHO!

The upgrade to 195/60s has been a 100% worth it! I remember my stock tyre days and how Hondu felt like it was losing grip on every single corner (though I sometimes miss wheel spinning it in 1st gear - it was dead easy to do it on stock tyres haha).
Trust me, this car deserves better rubber - it'll improve your ride comfort and even increase the ground clearance slightly. Try getting a set of Earth1s (if they're still available) or Michelin XM2s. Both are very good tyres and are priced quite reasonably too.

Your Foxfire head unit does look big for sure! I'm okay with the stock ICE for now (though I should be fussy about the audio quality since I am a musician by profession after all haha). I would love to try a nice touchscreen head unit in Hondu once I get all the basics sorted.

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Wow! I envy you for having this done and for having a workshop like that in your place.

This was something I always wanted to do on my 16yr Baleno. Would you mind sharing the cost break up of repainting the whole car and any reason that you did not want to choose a different color as you are anyways painting completely?

Thanks! Though it did take a fair bit of searching around until I finally found a workshop with people I could trust for such a project. The total cost for the repair and repaint was 41k and which rear repair and repaint costing 8k (which is what I had initially thought of going for). I think I got a good deal on the repaint since it was a job well done and was up to my (and sometimes annoyingly high) levels of expectation!

I didn't go for a different colour as it involved a complex procedure of getting the RC book updated, and I also love the clean and simple white shade on Hondu!

Originally Posted by Utham123

A great thread. I must say your car looks absolutely stunning after the makeover!

I am a newbie in TeamBHP and I am really hooked to the ownership threads. The amount of energy and heart members of this community put into their automobiles is admirable.


I have seen a marked change in my attitude since I have been following this group. I started doing a lot of DIY these days after going through several threads here. I am little embarrassed to admit my DIYs are quite basic like changing fan regulators, electrical switches, servicing my bicycle. Nevertheless, it is a source of joy and satisfaction for me. I thank all the members who contribute to this community with their experiences. It has an impact on people like me.

My next milestone for DIY accomplishments - Servicing and upgrading my 10 year Apach RTR 160 all by myself.

Thanks for going through this thread, I really appreciate it! Also, we are both newbies
I would love to read about your experience working on the Apache. Good luck! I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun servicing the bike on your own and you'll also get to learn a lot in the process.

[speedmunster]

Your Hondu looks really nice after all the work and with the new alloys. I myself have a 2013 City AT in Maroon colour. This has done around 34000 kms.

Upgrades:
1. Tyres are upgraded to 195/60R15 Michelin Primacy ST3
2. 10 Inch android head unit
3. Alloy wheels painted Black

Keep posting updates on Hondu. I can probably get some inspiration and get some mods done on my car too.

Cheers!

[speedmunster]

Originally Posted by shobhit.shri

This is some nice work!

I own the same Honda city from 2012 and wanted to get your feedback on tyres. How are those 195/60/15 Yokohamas treating you? Mine is still on 175/65/15.

Also, Check these photo of my screen upgrade. I bought a cheap "foxfire" Android set for 15k. You are right, they are not very high quality but they get the job done and bigger size looks better, IMHO!

Hey Shobhit. I have a similar android system in my car. Where did you source your steering cover from? Looks fantastic. Also, is it genuine leather?

[shobhit.shri]

Originally Posted by speedmunster

1. Tyres are upgraded to 195/60R15 Michelin Primacy ST3

How are the tires? I have the same car, late 2012's AT, and I am also considering a tire upgrade.

Originally Posted by speedmunster

Hey Shobhit. I have a similar android system in my car. Where did you source your steering cover from? Looks fantastic. Also, is it genuine leather?

I got it from the same shop in BLR where I bought the screen. The only special thing was that they stitched it after taking out the steering. Yes, it feels like genuine leather, and definitely improved the experience. I guess they charged some 3-4K for it.

[Subrat Seet]

Kunalsingh: Thats looking wonderful. I have the same 2010 iVTEC model VMT. I love this car for smooth and no trouble driving. Got Jeep Compass Limited Plus but still I love my Honda and its gives me driving confidence.

Same trunk leakage problem. Huge amount of water goes inside. Don't want to sell it but want to refurbish it.

So Bhpians, please suggest a good, reasonable and reliable workshop where I can get things sorted out. Honda Authorised guys quoting a bomb.

Few issues I am facing:
1 - suspension little noise which Honda guys quoting more than 50 K.
2- Trunk leakage - Honda guys tentatively quoting more than 25 K onwards depending on the damage, it may increase.

Thanks and regards
Subrat

[speedmunster]

Originally Posted by Subrat Seet

Few issues I am facing:
1 - suspension little noise which Honda guys quoting more than 50 K.
2- Trunk leakage - Honda guys tentatively quoting more than 25 K onwards depending on the damage, it may increase.

Thanks and regards
Subrat

Get the suspension checked from a local garage. The suspension noise could be from the bushes or the struts themselves.
The leakage in the boot could be because of hardened rubber surrounds. Change that and you will be good to go. The total cost would be significantly lower than what was quoted by the Honda ASS.

[kunalsingh]

Originally Posted by Subrat Seet

Kunalsingh: Thats looking wonderful. I have the same 2010 iVTEC model VMT. I love this car for smooth and no trouble driving. Got Jeep Compass Limited Plus but still I love my Honda and its gives me driving confidence.

Same trunk leakage problem. Huge amount of water goes inside. Don't want to sell it but want to refurbish it.

So Bhpians, please suggest a good, reasonable and reliable workshop where I can get things sorted out. Honda Authorised guys quoting a bomb.

Few issues I am facing:
1 - suspension little noise which Honda guys quoting more than 50 K.
2- Trunk leakage - Honda guys tentatively quoting more than 25 K onwards depending on the damage, it may increase.

Thanks and regards
Subrat

Hi Subrat, about the suspension noise - this is a known issue with Honda citys and I would suggest getting the steering rack and link rods checked at a reputed FNG (these are the usual culprits with the steering rack noise being easier to diagnose, its quite apparent if you have ever driven a car with this particular problem). The thing with Honda suspension is that it will never leak but will just get very noisy. So it's up to you decide if you can live with the noise or go for a complete suspension overhaul (which will cost around 25 at a good workshop; using OEM parts). Even the steering rack noise is common issue and can be fixed but I would suggest going for it only if it is absolutely necessary. The link rods are a cheap and easy fix at about 1200-1500 for a set (both OEM and branded Aftermarket)

About the trunk leakage issue, this should be addressed on priority and I would suggest you to get in touch wither either Brotomotiv Car Spa in Pune (if you can make the trip) or Autorounders in Mumbai. I would trust these two workshops with handling this kind of work (preference to Brotomotiv).

In my experience and subsequent diagnosis, trunk leakage happens at of either of these points -
1. Trunk lining (rubber gasket)
2. Rear Windshield gasket (this is very rare unless you've had a rear glass replacement)
3. Behind rear lights (Rubber gasket might have worn out)
4. From the Trunk air ventilation box (the trunk has an air filter on the left side, just below the fuel filler and it has a rubber gasket which becomes hard with age)
5. Rear Bumper lining brackets (these go around the left and right fender edges of the bumper and have plugs with washers - same issue, the washers become hard with age/any previous impact and start leaking water)
6. Rear Bumper holder clips (2 on each side, below each tai light). These are white coloured clips and help mount the bumper to the rear metal plate. Same issue with the washers as above^

If you car has ever been involved in a rear accident, check the weld joints and just see that there are no gaps and the welding is done well. Honda ASS did a horrible job at welding the parts in my car and that was a major source of leakage in my case.

Hope this helps you in diagnose the cause of leakage. I spent a lot of time and effort to sort out the leakage issue in my car and I hope you can sort out yours too.

[Subrat Seet]

Originally Posted by speedmunster

Get the suspension checked from a local garage. The suspension noise could be from the bushes or the struts themselves.
The leakage in the boot could be because of hardened rubber surrounds. Change that and you will be good to go. The total cost would be significantly lower than what was quoted by the Honda ASS.

Thank you so much for your reply.

Originally Posted by kunalsingh

Hi Subrat, about the suspension noise - this is a known issue with Honda citys and I would suggest getting the steering rack and link rods checked at a reputed FNG (these are the usual culprits with the steering rack noise being easier to diagnose, its quite apparent if you have ever driven a car with this particular problem). The thing with Honda suspension is that it will never leak but will just get very noisy. So it's up to you decide if you can live with the noise or go for a complete suspension overhaul (which will cost around 25 at a good workshop; using OEM parts). Even the steering rack noise is common issue and can be fixed but I would suggest going for it only if it is absolutely necessary. The link rods are a cheap and easy fix at about 1200-1500 for a set (both OEM and branded Aftermarket)

About the trunk leakage issue, this should be addressed on priority and I would suggest you to get in touch wither either Brotomotiv Car Spa in Pune (if you can make the trip) or Autorounders in Mumbai. I would trust these two workshops with handling this kind of work (preference to Brotomotiv).

In my experience and subsequent diagnosis, trunk leakage happens at of either of these points -
1. Trunk lining (rubber gasket)
2. Rear Windshield gasket (this is very rare unless you've had a rear glass replacement)
3. Behind rear lights (Rubber gasket might have worn out)
4. From the Trunk air ventilation box (the trunk has an air filter on the left side, just below the fuel filler and it has a rubber gasket which becomes hard with age)
5. Rear Bumper lining brackets (these go around the left and right fender edges of the bumper and have plugs with washers - same issue, the washers become hard with age/any previous impact and start leaking water)
6. Rear Bumper holder clips (2 on each side, below each tai light). These are white coloured clips and help mount the bumper to the rear metal plate. Same issue with the washers as above^

If you car has ever been involved in a rear accident, check the weld joints and just see that there are no gaps and the welding is done well. Honda ASS did a horrible job at welding the parts in my car and that was a major source of leakage in my case.

Hope this helps you in diagnose the cause of leakage. I spent a lot of time and effort to sort out the leakage issue in my car and I hope you can sort out yours too.

Thats a wonderful bit by bit reply. I do visit Pune frequently.
Suspension noise is not much and I am going to drive it in Mumbai city only. Steering and suspension job I will try to get it checked and if possible, I will think over it.
Trunk issue: No accident touchwood. Got the cleaning job done of both tail lights area. A local guy did a leak proof after checking all leak points but I will get a through check done. Thank you again for the detailed comments.

[kunalsingh]

Originally Posted by Subrat Seet

Thank you so much for your reply.



Thats a wonderful bit by bit reply. I do visit Pune frequently.
Suspension noise is not much and I am going to drive it in Mumbai city only. Steering and suspension job I will try to get it checked and if possible, I will think over it.
Trunk issue: No accident touchwood. Got the cleaning job done of both tail lights area. A local guy did a leak proof after checking all leak points but I will get a through check done. Thank you again for the detailed comments.

Most welcome. It seems like a case of the various washers/rubber gasket going bad with age. Try to replicate the leak by running some water though a pipe directed towards the rear of your car. Go over the Trunk lining first and observe the insides after a 30-45 second spray.

If there's no leaking from the trunk side - then it's the bumper area for sure. Ask someone to run water over the bumper edges and keep the trunk open to check for leakage. Do let me know how you get on with it!

[Subrat Seet]

Originally Posted by kunalsingh

Most welcome. It seems like a case of the various washers/rubber gasket going bad with age. Try to replicate the leak by running some water though a pipe directed towards the rear of your car. Go over the Trunk lining first and observe the insides after a 30-45 second spray.

If there's no leaking from the trunk side - then it's the bumper area for sure. Ask someone to run water over the bumper edges and keep the trunk open to check for leakage. Do let me know how you get on with it!

Sure, I will try and update.

[asbshyam]

Excellent thread, I own a 2012 Honda City Corporate Edition of the same color and this thread reassured my thoughts that the car is real keeper for a few if not several more years to come. It is very comfortable that several owners have the same resounding thoughts.

Also, My steering wheel is becoming patchy with the material wearing out. Any recommendations on a steering wheel cover?

[asbshyam]

Originally Posted by Subrat Seet

Thank you so much for your reply.



Thats a wonderful bit by bit reply. I do visit Pune frequently.
Suspension noise is not much and I am going to drive it in Mumbai city only. Steering and suspension job I will try to get it checked and if possible, I will think over it.
Trunk issue: No accident touchwood. Got the cleaning job done of both tail lights area. A local guy did a leak proof after checking all leak points but I will get a through check done. Thank you again for the detailed comments.

No clue if this would help, but I recently replaced all my suspension parts. It cost me 35k at Crystal Honda, Wagholi, Pune. My 2012 car was bought used and the ride was always jerky and bumpy. I also had a minor accident with a two wheeler crashing into my front right wheel, this caused my steering to be off center and the ride would pull to a side when decelerating. Post replacement, the ride is a lot better and so is the handling.