[sierrakamat]

i had sold my 1999 red turbo to a navy guy in goa 2 yrs who inturn had sold it to another officer in mumbai dont know if its the same car no 1843 just check it might be fun to meet the old girl again .i am not a garage owner nor a TASS owner i am a doctor med officer PEPSI having worked on all the sierras with the same people so the WE . . rates quoted by both the owners seem ok considering not many specimens are available today just see to it that the total expenses do not cross 1.5 lac and give your offer accordingly .as for the TD call me on 9820707702 on i will try to come depending on the situation then or arrange for a my mech to get the car evaluated for you in chembur

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by sierrakamat

i had sold my 1999 red turbo to a navy guy in goa 2 yrs who inturn had sold it to another officer in mumbai dont know if its the same car no 1843 just check it might be fun to meet the old girl again .i am not a garage owner nor a TASS owner i am a doctor med officer PEPSI having worked on all the sierras with the same people so the WE . . rates quoted by both the owners seem ok considering not many specimens are available today just see to it that the total expenses do not cross 1.5 lac and give your offer accordingly .as for the TD call me on 9820707702 on i will try to come depending on the situation then or arrange for a my mech to get the car evaluated for you in chembur

Now thats interesting indeed! I dont know the number of the car, but he said the reg. is MH-43 (I was enquiring from the road tax angle). Now MH-43 is a relatively new RTO passing to have for such an old car.

What passing did your Turbo have? Is it possible that the same car (yours) went to Goa, got re-registered there, then came back here and got re-registered again in MH, therefore getting the MH-43 passing?

Even considering it's not your car, since the car belonged to a navy officer, it is quite possible the car has crossed (multiple) state lines and gotten re-registered. Since it got a new RC book each time it was re-registered, how do I verify it's antecedents?

Thanks for the number. I will definitely give you a call on Friday once I finalize the trip. Hope to see you there.

- Bullitt.

[condor]

A defence officer's vehicle will typically be registered in their hometown. So it is possible that the officer re-registered it to make selling easier.

[Bullitt]

Exactly. But how do I get this information, since it is also possible that the officer bought a resale vehicle in his hometown? In such a case, previous ownership records do not reflect in the latest RC book, and technically, the officer becomes the "first" owner, when in reality he might not be. Any ideas?

[abishek2222]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Hello underground1419,
Did you finally buy the Sierra Turbo you were looking at?

@ All Sierra Owners:


1. The all-important question: Is it practical to own a Sierra Turbo in 2010/11?

practical well it is practical.maybe not
consider me i have a turbo 1999 sierra that's in absolute stock mint perfect condition no rattler squeaks at the moment


but then i have spent 40 k repainting & tinkering it after rusted holes started appearing in the floor board a year ago.
Spent 25 on new alloys
spent another 20 odd on new yokohama tyres.
after spending close to a lakh yes still minor rattles and squeaks that need attention every damned month still there.



2. Availability of spares?

Pune! as far as i know tata get most of its spares from pune its of any help

every single mechanical component of the car is available
now the important thing is MECHANICAL
that means metal

none of the original plastic parts you can get now.none at all
that includes the dashboard,fat plastic wheel arches. plastic bumper corners

the front grille can be added from the 207 tata truck with slight tinkering

you just maybe better of fabricating things from fiberglass instead.




3. Availability of service/support?

support
my experience

tata has a helpline manned by inept morons who are supposed to help if you are stranded after having a breakdown.now this helpline does not support Tata sierra meaning if you break down they will refuse to come to your aid. they will come to your aid if you are driving a safari built in 97 but not for a sierra built in 99

other wise for a common service yes most tata service centers except the new ones i.e bulit up post 2005 can help you. common excuse is lack of parts

most older service centers have most mechanical components only because the parts are shared with the 1st gen safari and sumo To summarize, is it possible to enjoy peaceful possession of a Tata Sierra Turbo for the next 5 years, small niggles/rattles notwithstanding?

make no mistake its just not possible to --> to enjoy peaceful possession of a Tata Sierra Turbo for the next 5 years, small niggles/rattles notwithstanding?

it a tata car screws keep coming off or loosenin g


Subject to the answers to the above questions:

4. What should the ideal Tata Sierra Turbo be like? Here is a sub-list of queries:

a. When did Tata stop producing this car? What model year is preferred? I would personally prefer a 2000 or later model, though I may consider a well-maintained 1999. Am I right on this? On a side-note, I have noticed in pics that a few Turbos have rear-seat head-rests, a few do not. Was there a "new-improved" version launched sometime with this (and maybe other) new features?


not sure about the year of death maybe sometime in '99 or '00
rear head rests are standard on the turbo ,you can remove them easily.like i did

b. What should the Odometer say? I have seen ads quoting anything between 50K to 150K. What is the ideal figure? How many kms. is the engine good for?


not too sure about that my single owner turbo has done 1,03,000 km without any engine jobs

c. What is the right price to pay for a '99 or later Tata Sierra Turbo in average-to-good condition? I have seen prices ranging from 90K to 300K (outrageous!).

(outrageous!)

Outrageous ??
would it be outrageous for me to ask 200k when i sell my car? after spending about a lakh on it in the last 6 months. before someone asks i am totally sane...

that said i am not selling my car no matter what unless i get a fortuner

d. What are the demons to watch out for? I have seen a few pics with hideously modified cars. For me, cars with any extras bolted onto the body (like fog lights, extra mirrors) are a big no-no, as it means the previous owner has drilled holes into the body of the car. Speaks volumes for how he feels about the car, and the resultant mess the car is in. Gull-wing doors are out too. A similarly mutilated dashboard with lotsa switches/monograms/extra speakers, is also a big red flag. In short, I would like to buy a car as stock as possible.
But all this is just appearance. What should I look for under the hood and inside the car? For example, a few small things I gathered are:

- The front and rear seat folding/sliding mechanisms.

only the rear seat has a sliding mechanism
it keeps making noises. learn to live with it

- The rear AC vents and their piping.

my rear vents are dead

- I read something about a "compression test" for diesel cars. Where and how is it done?
- There is mention about checking the turbo intercooler unit. How is that done?
- Is it advisable to buy a car which has a re-bored engine, or changed critical parts like block-piston/gearbox/transmission etc?
- Can I get this car evaluated from TASS?


No idea there, cant help you with the rest


To sum it up, I am planning to put a lakh-odd rupees of my hard-earned money into this car, instead of partially repaying my home loan, as my folks are advising me to do. Now I am a perfectly middle-class working professional with a family to boot, and 1 lakh rupees is not a small amount for me. So I have not yet ruled out that possibility, and I am still in 2 minds about it.
But, this is a now-or-never decision, as I will not be able to buy this car a couple of years later when I finish with my home loan. Good Sierra Turbos are already hard to come by these days; it will be impossible by then, and most of them will be scrapped heaps of junk anyway. So, I will either buy this car or pay the loan.

Keeping this in mind, please be very honest with your views, and do not feel shy to tell me the honest hard-hitting truth. I promise I will take it in the right spirit.

At the same time, please do not give me one-liners like "Dude, forget the car, repay the loan" and such-like.

Also, please do not suggest any alternate vehicles like "Why don't you buy a brand new nano instead?"

Your light will show me the way.

Thanks in advance.

To sum it up.
with 1 lakh to buy the car. oh dear thats not a very good idea.the reason being you need to be mentally prepared to spend at least 4 to 5 ,000 every month or two on the car. now if you do nothing can be better than the sierra

some things to remember

alternator usually produces less than 13 volts(needs servicing bill 2.5 k) leading to problems like low cooling from the a/c,poor high low beam,starting trouble.The a/c by itself is good enough so is the compressor.on a hot day its quite difficult to cool the glass house down.most likely look for leaks from the a/c instead of spending 800 on refilling gas and it vaporizing after 3 months and replacing the condenser.

common reasons for a break down worn out master or slave cylinder

the gearbox , and some other oil seals leak under the car. this is normal to some extent doesn't mean you need to get the work done immediately. and waste your money. a good tass guy will tell you to keep going. a new over enthu service advisor will advice you to get it done the next day


if your buying a car look at the mechanicals, mechanicals, mechanicals
a dashboard that has a hole in it or fog lights drilled on are passe. if the engine suspension is in good condition. look for thick black smoke when the engine is being reved high and not being pumped(pumping accelerator). You don't want to be disheartened by the car when it breaks down. if you decide to buy it BE PREPARED FOR A FEW EPISODES OF THAT!

overall sure i'd say go ahead and buy a good first hand turbo sierra. not one that has been trashed.
.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by abishek2222

to sum it up.
with 1 lakh to buy the car. oh dear thats not a very good idea.the reason being you need to be mentally prepared to spend at least 4 to 5 ,000 every month or two on the car. now if you do nothing can be better than the sierra

some things to remember

alternator usually produces less than 13 volts(needs servicing bill 2.5 k) leading to problems like low cooling from the a/c,poor high low beam,starting trouble.The a/c by itself is good enough so is the compressor.on a hot day its quite difficult to cool the glass house down.most likely look for leaks from the a/c instead of spending 800 on refilling gas and it vaporizing after 3 months and replacing the condenser.

common reasons for a break down worn out master or slave cylinder

the gearbox , and some other oil seals leak under the car. this is normal to some extent doesn't mean you need to get the work done immediately. and waste your money. a good tass guy will tell you to keep going. a new over enthu service advisor will advice you to get it done the next day


if your buying a car look at the mechanicals, mechanicals, mechanicals
a dashboard that has a hole in it or fog lights drilled on are passe. if the engine suspension is in good condition. look for thick black smoke when the engine is being reved high and not being pumped(pumping accelerator). You don't want to be disheartened by the car when it breaks down. if you decide to buy it BE PREPARED FOR A FEW EPISODES OF THAT!

overall sure i'd say go ahead and buy a good first hand turbo sierra. not one that has been trashed.
.

A very candid response, appreciate the no-BS view.

As for the 1 lakh rupees, I do have more funds on standby, meant primarily to do up the car once its bought. A someone said, there are no perfect Sierras left, and I appreciate that fact. Now, if you have seen the 2 cars I have talked about earlier, you will see they both cost about a lakh or less. My research into market prices so far has revealed that Mumbai cars cost about a lakh give or take 15K, whereas Bangalore is on the higher side, i.e. 1.2L ~ 1.5L (no idea why).

So, considering I buy a Sierra for about a lakh, and then spend about 50K on repairs, the car will actually cost me ~1.5L, give or take a few thousands. I'm ok with that.

Thanks for all the tips though. I will write them down and take them with me as a checklist. Do tell if there is anything else I need to watch out for. Keep posting.

- Bullitt.

[sierrakamat]

lets have a look at your mh43 then we will see no point in getting all worked up after all the guy might be genuine to check the antecedents all you have to do is pay about 500 in the concerned rto and they give your the vehicles detailed history.l

[Bullitt]

Sounds good. Besides, past ownership of the car is not as important as its condition. My question about the inter-state transfer was just out of sheer curiosity.

[sierrakamat]

congratulations bullit for biting the bullet gritting your teeth and entering the world of sierra ownership in a few months time you will become an expert in solving issues of your vehicle which you never thought would happen in the first place ,the word JUGGAD will take on new meaning and will be part of your everyday life ,now the only thing for you to do is to plot a course from your workplace to your house which has your friendly neighbourhood mechanic at beck and call.now the fun begins my friend and it will be a very satisfying journey all the best.

[underground1419]

Originally Posted by sierrakamat

now the only thing for you to do is to plot a course from your workplace to your house which has your friendly neighbourhood mechanic at beck and call.now the fun begins my friend and it will be a very satisfying journey all the best.

@bullit: did you purchase the Sierra?

[sierrakamat]

yes bullit has purchased a sierra now the long process of trying to make it THE sierra starts lets all wish him luck.he will be taking delivery this week from then all we shall see how it goes i have assured him of all spares here in mumbai lets see how it works

[Bullitt]

Looks like the naughty doctor got here before me... Yes, the news is true! I have "booked" a metallic maroon Tata Sierra Turbo, Sep. '99 model. It is the second car that I had mentioned in my previous post. The car cost me 90K after negotiation, of which I have put down 10K as an advance. I will be paying the balance and taking delivery on Thursday. I had actually planned to take it yesterday (it being the most auspicious Dassera and a holiday), but sadly the owner was not available yesterday, and hence I could not complete the deal. So now I'm just waiting for Thursday to show up, so that I can finally get my hands on the beast and let it loose on the Mumbai-Pune expressway!

Thank you guys, for all the help and tips, and for patiently answering all my (mostly dumb) queries.

Special thanks to Dr. Kamat, for all your help and advice, and also the great mechanic you gave me for evaluating the vehicles. The guy was good at what he did, and he was very serious about it.

I have a few pictures with me, but I forgot the my pen drive at home today so can't post them right now. I will put them up tomorrow.

As for the car itself, it was originally a WB vehicle that has been transferred to MH by the colonel who used to own it. The LTT has been paid by him. The car is original to a very great extent and also very intact, though it has taken it's share of dents, scratches and rust, after spending the greater part of it's life in Mumbai.

However, the car is in very good working condition. The AC works (including the puny rear vents) though cooling is not very great. The power windows work too, but they are painfully slow and noisy.

The car has run only 71K odd kilometers, and it shows in the way the engine responds.

The problems we found were:

1. It has a cracked front windshield.

2. Rust in a few places, specially the firewall behind the engine and along the borders of the side fishtank glass.

3. The upholstery is worn out, the door trims are tattered near the bottom.

4. The front left suspension has a problem, it dips completely and makes a groaning noise on braking suddenly.

5. The car has Yokohama Geolandar tyres on unbranded alloy wheels. I failed to check the size of the tyres, but they are probably wider than the factory spec ones (the outer wall of the tyre is in line with the huge plastic wheel-arches on the fenders). Though they have life left in them, the issue is that all 5 tyres have lop-sided tread wear, meaning they have worn out more on the inside than the outside. I suspect this might be because of incorrect alloys which cause the tyres to stick out more than their intended position.

6. The front passenger seat side-latch is broken, it takes some effort to fold and slide the seat for allowing access to the rear seat.

7. Apart from this, knick-knacks like the rear wash-wipe, cigarette lighter etc. dont work, so the electricals of the car will have to be sorted out.

The plan is to bring the car to Pune, then give it to a good garage to replace all oils, filters and belts. Then I will drive it around for a week or so, to identify any issues we may have missed in the TD. Meanwhile, I will identify a good mechanic who can take the car and restore it back to it's past glory.

Then, the slow process of restoration will begin. Let's see how it goes...

Keep posting.

- Bullitt.

[mercedised]

^^ Congrats for the beauty. A few suggestions:

1) The uneven tyre worn maybe due to bad suspension. Check the suspension and overhaul it. (A must!)

2) Change wiring kits for power windows and other electricals.

3) Change the timing belt and all other belts, if not changed.

4) Fit a relay for the AC blower.

5) Get the seats overhauled. I overhauled the seats of my Sierra when we own it in past and those costed some 4000 Rs only with leather fabric.

The car is good and has excellent engine reliability. My car clocked 3,00,000+ without any overhaul with minor problems.

Thanks,
-Abhishek.

[Bullitt]

Hi,
I have some doubts regarding the paperwork to be done for finalizing the purchase of the car. The car is registered in Thane, MH, bearing the reg. no. MH-43 A XXXX. The LTT for the car has been paid in MH by the "owner" (the colonel). I will be transferring the car to PCMC Dy. RTO (MH-14). The "seller" of the car (not owner) has 1 copy each of the following forms signed by the "owner" (the colonel):

- Form 28.
- Form 29.
- Form 30.

He also has the following:

- RC "book" (not smart card).
- Insurance Policy.

Please clarify what I will need to complete the transfer from Thane to Mumbai. I have taken a look at this thread

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/owning...car-india.html

but I am still confused about the Form 28 and NOC part of it.

- Which other forms/documents should I collect from the seller, and how many copies?
- Do I require an NOC from the Navi Mumbai RTO, or is it not required for intra-state transfers? If necessary, who should procure the same, the buyer or the seller?
- In case the NOC is required, will I have to take the Form 28 to the Navi Mumbai RTO and procure an NOC first, before I go to the PCMC RTO? Or do I have to submit the Form 28 to the PCMC RTO?
- The Pune RTO website mentions that I need 2 copies of Form 29 and also the TCA and TCR forms. (RTO, Pune) I am not sure whether this still applies, or it's just the website that is outdated.
- How to transfer the insurance policy? Do I have to do it from the same office where the policy was purchased? Is it done before or after the transfer of ownership?

I am taking delivery of the car on Thursday, and I wish to complete all the paperwork in one go, especially since I want to avoid repeated trips to Mumbai. Please advise.

@ mercedised:

Thanks for all the tips. I will do all the things you have mentioned once I get the car.

- Bullitt.

[sierrakamat]

the noc will be issued by the mh43 RTO to the mh 12 RTO and the pune rto guys will transfer the papers to your name.I will help you with the vashi rto part the noc should cost about 1000 through the agent. once the vehicle is registered with the pune rto on your name then the insurance can be transferred by showing the vehicle to the branch office of the insurer (if the insurance is comprehensive then go through the trouble because the insurance cos do not give new comp policies to these vehicles).as far as pune rto is concerned i know a person in pune who will help you out in case you have a problem.