[Silver Knight]

Heart says restore.
Mind says scrap it.
Being an Estate it will require a lot of time and patience to keep it running even after you restore it. Of course, the car will look gorgeous and will turn heads if you restore it to stock condition.

But, unlike a Maruti (which will remain fairly reliable after the restoration) this one will need constant attention and will take away the joy. Hence, IMHO it's better to scrap it.

[karthikrao23]

Scrap it. The main reason being rust. I would suggest buying a used car in the budget.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Now, there is absolutely no way I am spending that much on a car that I don’t have any real use for.

Move on. This one statement says it all. Restoration projects don't start with calculating ROI.

Restorations are emotional projects - either you absolutely love the car or have some great memories attached to it that you can't let go.

[itsashishsharma]

Restoring is painful but worth it if the end result is good. In case of the Tata Estate, the end result isn't going to be much fun as the car was not too good when it started its life. It will be cumbersome to drive and difficult to maintain.
I would say, convert it to electric. Could be less or more tedious than restoring it but the end result would totally be worth the efforts. Its going to be easy to drive, cheaper to drive and much easier to maintain than a 3 decades old Tata diesel.

[audioholic]

If you have enough space in your house just strip it down and give it a coat of paint and leave it in a corner for memories sake like a monument. There is just no point in spending any money for such a car and if you have so much of spare money just spend it elsewhere, go on a vacation.

After spending so much money on this car, it will serve you no purpose. And sentimental values might exist, but I believe everyone in the house would be driving much newer and modern cars so no one will actually make good use of the car after restoring it. And being a Tata it will continue to be a rust bucket demanding more and more attention as time goes. Had it been some performance monster or any other special vehicle at least, you could have used it as a recreational vehicle. Otherwise, if not scrapping it can at the most be a photobooth in one corner of the house. Thats it.

[Valhalla1979]

Oh boy, this would be one bad ass car if you suouped it. But that would cost you 10 times as much if not more. Rear wheel drive with insane torque would be the way i would go.
However, in my opinion, the tata estate at the cost of 1.5 to 3.5 cannot be restored at that budget to anything close to a proper restoration job where it will be a pleasure to get in. Scrap or go all in.

[lemedico]

I am sure a lot of enthusiasts are screaming - restore. However, the costs are disproportionate to the end value.
That said, what if a crowd funding page is started up and then maybe it all works out?

[HammerHead]

If I were you, without thinking much would have scrapped it!!
The only thing I would restore and carry over as a memorabilia is the hood ornament, the rustic 'TATA Engineering' logo

[ToThePoint]

There is no point in restoring such a old car unless you have complete faith in the restorer and know beforehand that it's in good hands.

After spending so much, you may end up with a restored car that you completely detest. It will cause a lot of heart burn and frustration not to mention the money that has gone down the drains.

Even if you find someone who can restore it to good shape, please be prepared for long term maintenance.

So, please move on and find some other hobby project.

[nettooran]

in my honest opinion,the restoration will not be over in 1.5 Lakhs. Period. Once the work starts, be ready to shell out at least double that. If the work indeed does get done for 1.5 lakhs, it would be a shoddy job and the car would be back in your backyard in 6 months time

[sushan]

Restoring a car from this condition requires a lot of patience, not to mention the financial resources involved. Also consider the value of the vehicle after restoration. It is unlikely to be appreciated in value after restoration too as it is a less than desirable model overall.

However, if the automotive enthusiast in you wants to do it for sentimental value, by all means go ahead!

[4wheeldrive]

Wow, you don't see one of these everyday! Had one at home for 3-4 years and gave my driver's license test in it (much to the amazement of the inspector who was used to the mass tests in driving school maruti 800's). It was like driving a living room and roughly just as quick. My father worked for the company and the car was happily used as a test bed for new parts with an 'export version' faux Mercedes steering wheel, Sanden AC and gas filled rear shocks - the latter lasting only a few months with 2 ton weight on Mumbai roads.

It was a pretty cool car for its time but yours sadly seems beyond redemption. Maybe take the distinctive front end and turn it into a wall ornament above your bar but anything other than that is likely to end in tears.

Should you decide to go ahead, the (2nd gen) Sierra Turbo's oily bits should fit this and I believe the 1st gen Safari had the same mechanicals as the Sierra Turbo so maybe that too. The 2.0 Estate made 68 bhp, the turbo made about 90 or claimed to.
But dont do it! Remember it as it once was and take joy in that.

[Sanidhya mukund]

Having gone through all the posts, I finally decided to go by the approach suggested by D-BHPian Condor. I will be seeing if the engine can be fixed or not. The people at the garage were of the firm belief that the engine is seized. However, D-BHPian Vigsom was confident that if the car has had no history of being driven without coolant or oil, there are chances that it is simply jammed up. He suggested pouring some oil into it to see if it frees up. I asked the garage people to try this remedy and guess what? The engine moved! The car hasn’t started yet, but the engine had not seized!

The mechanic however, said that the water circulation channels of the engine are completely rotten, so the engine will have to come out of the car to replace those. The engine is being removed as we speak. What exactly are these water circulation pipes? Would really appreciate if someone could throw some light on this.

The engine coming out:







Meanwhile, while going somewhere in the morning, I randomly saw this Tata Sumo being scrapped by the side of the road. Apparently, it was a running car, but due to paper issues, it is being scrapped. Should I buy the engine, gearbox, brake booster, starter, alternator, clutch master cylinder and any other useful parts off this one?

[condor]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

I randomly saw this Tata Sumo being scrapped by the side of the road.... Should I buy the engine, gearbox, brake booster, starter, alternator, clutch master cylinder and any other useful parts off this one?

You could get the engine & gearbox if it will be gotten cheap.

Two points:
Check what kind of gearbox the Estate had. Was it a 5-speed gear box ? The one where R was at extreme left up, 1st was at left-bottom. And the 2-3-4-5 in a group ? If yes, then this Sumo's GB may not help. Combined with the below point, you may have to let it go. Get your mechanic to check it out.

Secondly, this is a very old Sumo. A better option is the TCIC engine from a Sumo Victa. Approx 89 bhp, and about 180Nm. Weight wont be very different from the original engine of the Estate, and the chassis should take it easily.

*
On FB, there is a page called Tata Telcoline and Sierra Fans. Check that page - one person in Pune - Venus Autos - keeps posting that they have spares for these models. However, prices are on the higher side, possibly because of the rarity.

All the Best !

[jeeva]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

The mechanic however, said that the water circulation channels of the engine are completely rotten, so the engine will have to come out of the car to replace those. The engine is being removed as we speak. What exactly are these water circulation pipes? Would really appreciate if someone could throw some light on this.

Not sure what he meant. Worst case scenario is the engine head where you have the coolant passage ways. All of it can be cleaned up and fixed. The Sumo engines are available dime and dozen for pittance.

Here's what I did:
Got rid of the original engine and plonked in a scorpio (sz plus) chain drive engine and NGT 520 gearbox combo in the Tata Mobile. She drives like a dream.