29th July 2012, 06:01
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| BHPian  Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mangalore
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| Falling in Love Again. The Story of a Czech Maiden - Skoda Yeti November 1st, 2011, When I saw you standing there I about fell off my chair When you moved your mouth to speak I felt the blood go to my feet Am sure everyone here is familiar with this Song which was once used as the Ad-Jingle for a TATA Indica. and Yes it was the same kind of feeling for me when i saw this Beautiful Maiden, wearing a Silver Outfit, with her Big beautiful Eyes in a Friends Drive Way. and Here Began a Love Story that would haunt me for the rest of my days. am sure most of us would have been through this phase where you see a woman and her looks Never seem to get out of your head and for the Unmarried male species, they would try every trick in the book to make her yours! and this turned out to be my Biggest weakness. everytime i saw her, my Heart Would skip a Beat and yearn for her. an Italian Beauty who had captured my Imagination had left me and i was on the Hunt for this Beauty who i was told had also a good share of Brains. This was in early November 2011. Spoke to t-bhpian Shankar Balan, who was also eyeing this maiden and we decided to be her suitors. Spoke to the Dealer, who promised to offer a good deal. but ultimately things were not meant to be for me and shankar made his purchase from another Place, and i had to settle for a VW Vento TDI Highline which never caught my fancy  Feb, 14th 2012 It was yet another Valentines day, this time though I was no Longer single and Available in Real life, and i had taken the Vows of a Lifetime a Month Before.. to love and to care, for Happy or Worse, In Good times and in bad, till death do us Part, but the thoughts of this Czech Maiden Still Haunted Me. i straight away decided to Succumb to my Temptations. Listed the VW for sale as well as called up a few Dealers. Vento having Run about 2500 KMS, was throwing up unpleasant Surprises, when dealers were asking the car for a little Below 9.50 Lakhs, thinking it to be a distress sale and also trying to take advantage of my urgency to have the Czech Maiden by my Side. as the adage Goes, patience Pays, and Finally Started Getting Good Offers, but with riders attached. in the Process, i collected a few thousands, from prospective Buyers as a token Booking advance, but they Never Turned up to clear the deal. July 7th, 2012 had to Travel to Bangalore for a Government Meeting and Took time off to drop into Vinayak Skoda. Hemant, the GM was all set and ready to fly to an undisclosed destination for his annual Holiday, but still gave me a patient hearing and offered me an On road price of 20.02/- The rider was that this would be valid until Stocks Last and also that the Registration should be in Bangalore as a dealer couldnt sell his product in a city which was not his terittory. The catch was that even though my Extended Family has a Flat in Bangalore, the Owner is currently in the US and wouldnt be available to collect the RTO Registration Papers when they arrive at his door step. I told him that i would go in for the Czech Maiden Only after the Deal for the Vento Was Through July 27th, 2012 Finally This was the Day i was waiting For! i hadn''t been waiting so keenly even when i got married. a Buyer had been Found for the Vento and the deal was sealed. Please do not Ask me the Price, but it was too Good to resist and on the Other side of the Magic Figure of 10 Lakhs! I straight away drove down to TAFE- Mlore and Met the Manager, with whom i have always had a very rocky Relationship on minor issues and this time he surprised me. he Gave me an Offer that was Near the July 7th Offer of Vinayak and i was like WoW. if you were like this in November Last, i would have been with the Czech Maiden for 9 Months Now! he also said that he had a White Maiden in Stock Locally and that he could deliver it to me at the earliest. Gave him a token Booking amount and went to closely examine the maiden who was within the confines of the showroom. again things were NOT meant to be and this time the Maiden was Angry with me, or rather hadnt been Treated well in the stock yard and while on Display she was More like the Afghan beauty Tortured and humiliated. Listed out a few Points that caught my eyes in a breezy PDI: 1. A dent about 1 Inch in length and about 1 centimetre deep on the Left RearDoor Sill 2. a Deep Visible Scratch of About 1 Inch on the front Silver Skid Plates 3. a scratch of about 2 inchles on the front Left Alloy Wheel 4. scratches on the Recess of the door handles of all 4 doors 5. visible rust on the hinges of the Boot 6. Damage to the adhesive plastic sheet near the left rear wheel arch, some moron who had been to see the Maiden had actually tried to peel it off ? 7. tar spots and rough spots all over the body 8. dirty interiors and stained leather seats 9. a scratch of about 2 cms near the left rear door outer grab handle 10. swirl marks on the paint work all over the vehicle 11. No Nevis Wheels Why this Kolaveri Kolaveri Kolaveri Di, Why This Kolaveri Kolaveri Kolaveri Di. Even though initially i haggled for a few Freebies with the Manager, better sense prevailed and at 5 am the Next Morning sent him a Mail asking him to find me a maiden either white or silver who isnt tortured and he readily agreed. before 9.45 am i had with me VIN's of the Cars in the stock yard at Bangalore. Almost finalised on the white once again when Manager called me sounding desperate and distressed requesting me not to finalise it as it was Blocked by someone Else. Didnt want to go in for the other Colours as they are a pain to maintain in this dusty City and having owned a Black SX4, and a Chocolate Brown Alto, which required Polish every 3 Months just to make the Paint Look Brighter the Choice was between Candy White and Sparkling silver Finalised on a Maiden who is identified with a Number: TMBMDF5L4BA701424 and spoke to the Manager that i expect a Proper PDI to be done and a blemish free Maiden to which he assured me all thats within his capacity. did a VIN Check and came to Know that she came into this world in June 2011 and gave a go ahead to the Manager to get it shipped Down. Finance was a breeze at Saraswat Bank, where my Friend is the manager and she told me that she can to the Payout on the 31st! Since the Buyer of the Vento has to pay a small Balance Consideration which is coming through the finance / HP route, he wanted a weeks time to close the deal. If all Goes well, and he takes the Vento from me on the 2nd of August 2012, i should be taking home the Maiden on the same Day! July 31st 2012 In view of the rumoured 0.5% increase in VAT from August 1st 2012, i had requested TAFE Mangalore to do the billing on 31st itself. Accordingly the Bank released the funds to TAFE at 3.30 p.m. by RTGS, and the Manager Confirmed the reciept of the Same. however now there was a Small Hitch. Since the Car was in his Bangalore Stock Yard, it had to be driven down to Mangalore as the Dealer didnt want to spend on Truckking or on engaging a Flat Bed Tow truck. The Manager wanted me to Authorise them to drive down the car, to which i Placed a few Conditions that in case the came came with any Scratches, nicks, Dents which occur during the course of the Journey, then i would refuse delivery. further since the car would be 400 KMS run before delivery, it wouldnt be technically 'Brand New'. i told him that the Basic Warranty and Extended Warranty should be extended by 400 KMS (i.e. if Normal EW is 100,000 KMS it should be made 100400). Also wanted them to give a confirmation on their letter head that the ODO reading of 400 KMS was on account of driving it down for delivery and not because the Car was used as a TD car / Sold to someone else on a Temporary Registration and returned back by him. as a goodwill Gesture the Dealer told me that he would give a complimentary WAXOYL External Treatment and i agreed! further he would send his Most experienced driver to Bangalore and ask him to drive the car down and keep me updated on where the driver is. i told the Manager that even if he wouldnt update me, i would have no worries as its his responsibility till delivery! 1st August 2012 The Vehicle was driven down from Bangalore by the Most experienced and safest driver at Tafe Mlr and on reaching Mangalore the Manager called me to inspect the Vehicle. had an informal talk with the service Manager too, at the time of inspection. this Guy had driven the vehicle very carefully and there were no damages noticed on a cursory inspection. I had informed the Manager that the permanent registration needs to be done on 2nd August, and that the RTO DD needs to be kept ready. I was informed that the accounts / cashier had not sent a requisition for a DD and that there was a strong possibility of registration not being done on 2nd. I told the Manager that he would have to pay Interest @ 11% on the Amount Transferred to Him, from 31st July till date of Delivery! 2nd August 2012 Got a Call from the Manager that the Vehicle would be delivered today subject to completion of RTO procedures. i had also blocked a number with the Manager, which unfortunately the joker of an RTO agent didnt confirm! to make matters worse, the bank who disburses the DD to the Dealer was working in slow Motion and it seemed as though delivery would be delayed. However the Manager managed to Push every one to their limits, had the DD express Delivered to the RTO at 3.45 and he Managed to get the Vehicle Registered. After Inspection, the Vehicle had been handed over to the Waxoyl Guys and they did a wonderful Job of shining it up! Ultimately at 5 pm , The Vehicle was ready for delivery. Signed a few papers, feedback forms etc and was handed over the keys, amidst the clicking of pictures ( which incidentally i feel is used as a proof of Delivery) and the singing of 'when your happy clap your hands....' the Delivery was done. Tanked up 49.49 Litres of Diesel and took the Maiden on a spin! Wow She does handle Well! Much better than the TD vehicle and atleast a 100 times better than The Vento. Incidentally the Vento was handed over to the Buyer at 10 am today; and i was 'car less' for about 7 hours! i would rate this Transaction with TAFE-Mlore, at 8 on a scale of 10, with 10 being the Highest! a Few Pics clicked on my BB are Attached! Initital Impressions: Delivery From Mr. Virendra Vale the CRM for TAFE Mangalore. he is all smiles that one of his toughest sales is completed! Incidentally i was just wondering if this custom of Clicking a photograph was to capture a Happy Moment in the Customers Life and I Realised that its to have a Proof of delivery!   a Few Exterior Poses @ Elegantly she Sits on My Porch at Home  The rear!  See her Gleaming inthe Sunlight! The Waxoyl Effect  Yeti Yeti everywhere! This time on the headlamps  A favourite Shot of every Car Enthusiast  Got Bhp ?? Yes I Do!!  The Skoda Monogram!  A Side profile  I Got 140bhp On tap  She is very well endowed, with the most modern gadgetery, 6 airbags, Hill Hold Function, Electronic Stability programme, Hill Descent Assist, Front and rear Optical parking System, Rain sensing wipers, ABS+ EBD, the Auto dimming mirrors, The Theatre Like dimming Interior Lights, and a very comfortable leather seating system. The upgraded headlamps do make a difference and make night driving a Breeze. The OEM Music System - The Skoda Bolero System is one of the best OE systems in the Market ( I havent tested the Bose System on the Koleos) and an Audiphiles Delight! Zakir Hussain and his Tabla Comes alive as though its been heard on a Live Performance! The Only let down is that skoda Cringed on the Bluetooth. Though during my interaction with the Service Manager, i had an opportunity of Going through the Spares ordering system and i saw the Bluetooth System that integrates into the Bolero Music System (part Number in the List of Mods Planned), in the Skoda Parts Bin, i have my reservations as to whether Skoda India would have it in stock and if they do have it, whether the service Guys would be able to fit it! The OEM Tyres! Bah! much has been spoken about them on Indian car forums, but during my research on the web, found the website (www.tyrereviews.co.uk) which has given the Following ratings for the Tyres which are marginally better than the reviews of the other tyres that i had in mind: Dry Grip - 77% Wet Grip - 68% Road Feedback - 69% Progressiveness - 68% Wear - 69% Comfort - 73% Buy again - 57% also these tyres are Made in malaysia and in the 19th week of 2011, so I do not expect the sidewalls to go bust very soon. according to my Tyre dealer friend, these should last me around 30,000 Kms, as compared to Michelin primacy LC which last about 20,000, Bridgestone ER370 which have a life of about 25000 Kms. so as of now i have decided not to have a change of Shoes and Keep the same shoes on, but with Nitrogen. So How is she to Drive? As soon as I took Delivery, my hands were itching to go on a short Jaunt. went for a small Spin of about 24 Kms and the beauty returned a Mileage of 14.9 kmpl. even though She has a very queer look, she does have a road presence which the sedans do not have. people do 'give way' when they see her approaching. she has very pleasing Road Manners and the ride is very well cushioned. Though i didnt go through the customary ' stalling experience' that most yeti Owners go through, and for which she is well known throught the world, she did surprise me when she was able to pull through without going backwards, while parked on a steep hill! ah yes i forgot, she is equipped with the Hill Hold Function. She clings to the Road like a Lizard on a Wall and definitely has an excellent grip on the terra firma below her! 'Dried' the tyres of Air and Filled in Nitrogen the Next Day. the ride seemed much more stable and Comfortable. the road Noise of the Tyres seemed to have gone down quite a bit.The Drive is firm at low speeds. The Suspension absorbs all undulations on the road with a soft thud. at speeds above 40, you can feel the Engine urging you to push it further. once you cross 50, she glides on the Road! My Dad Exclaimed "the feel is like that of an aircraft'so much comfort!". Had a chance to experience the cornering fog function which comes on while taking turns and a bewildered passerby saying 'Boss Only one Fog Lamp is working in your New Car'! Also got a Live Demo of the Auto Wipers when it started Pouring!. Driving within the city is a breeze with her excellent Road manners. I would call it an Urban SUV. U Turns are no More two or Three part affairs! The engine wows me every time i fire it up. A meaty growl but still satiates the wishes of the Kitna Deti hai kinds. having graduated from a 1.3 MJD to the 1.6 CR and now the 2.0 CR the rush of Power and Torque is tempting. the urge to floor the Pedal exists, but the roads dont! The response from the steering is just right, not too much not too less. Not too vague like the Vento, and not too heavy like the HPS of the Linea. Gears are Slick Shifting though i havent still got the opportunity to find out how driving on Gear 6 feels like. havent tried offroading to test the Off Road Mode as yet. The Monocoque Chassis on which she is Built gives a sedan like experience. More like a Laura, which is on Stilts. Own a 2002 Scorpio and having faced quirky situations - sometimes like a boat in the sea and sometimes like gravitational forces working on it sideways, this woman, make me feel confident even during cross winds. Why Yeti ? Dont you know of the Dreaded Skoda service ? had taken a test Drive of a Duster, XUV 500 (both 2 Wheel Drives) and the Aria when each one was launched. Duster 85PS felt underpowered, and the interiors were crude with quite a few rough edges. the 110 Bhp with a 4 wheel drive, would be priced in Karnataka Somewhere close to 16-17 Lakhs and this wouldnt be Value for money while compared to a Yeti. XUV 500 with its Cheetah Styling and subjective Looks, not to forget that the first few lots are for Clinical trials on Customers got crossed out even before the second phase of bookings opened. it did have all the gadgetary and something more, but then at 16+ on road in Karnataka for a AWD, it doesnt make sense TATA Aria, though i loved the interiors, the exteriors seemed straight out of a 80's Movie. to add to these were my reservations about a TATA product who never seem to get anything right on the first try. didnt want to spend a day every week at the workshop with its Niggles and so even this got crossed out! as for the yeti, there havent been Niggles faced, except in a few stray Cases. as far as the Skoda Service Goes, having dealt with maruti and tata, i have the confidence of handling them. right from the beginning i made it a point to put the conversations with the sales and service staff into writing, giving written instructions, obtaining confirmations in writing for the deals offered etc and building up a record. and with my reputation of having been active in consumer welfare activities, the Sales and Service Staff were double careful in dealing with me! will be going on a Ghat drive on the 20th and i promise to update more on her road manners To Sign Off: Hope to have her with me for eternity, or Maybe More, as she has everything that i wanted in her! Like Shanker Balan always says, when it comes to narrowing down on the Next vehicle it will be a very difficult proposition, since having driven a Linea, and then a Vento and now a Yeti, and spoilt to the core by the comfort, road manners and sheer build quality and finish of the european vehicles it would be very difficult to consider the Japs and the Koreans and the chinese if they do arrive in India, The Indian UV's would be no where in my mind then! till Then Hope to have a few years of happy Motoring! a Few Pics before i sign off.. the elegant(ce) Steering Wheel  The Skoda Bolero System 6 CD Changer + SD Card Input - enough Music to Last through a Kanyakumari to Kashmir Drive. Incidentally have ordered a 128 GB SDHC Card!  whats a Fiat Doing in a Skoda ?? its the electric fragrance Dispenser from Fiat, which has gone into the Skoda. Awaiting a Skoda Key fob Emblem to Change it  The Hanging Funky Monkey: supposed to be a Car Air freshner, but has ceased to be one in 2 days! Bah! the Chinese Products. now doubles up as a soft toy / car hanging  The Cubby Hole on the Dash: this can store quite a few knick knacks, papers, Passbooks etc.  The Lighted Glovebox: Quite Deep and can accomodate quite a few things  the Aux In Input and the Storage below the Arm rest, The Fiat Electric Air Dispenser sits Snugly in the cupholder  The tweeters with the OVRM Controls. The tweeters are optimally placed for the best Sound effect. The OVRM Controls with the Defogger - High quality Stuff!  The Vanity Mirrors, would have Loved them more if they were the Auto -Lit ones  The Sun Glass Holder on the Roof: Love the Slow Motion Opening System  The Cabin Lights with Theatrical dimming. The quality of the switchgear is top Notch and feels like its Built to last a Lifetime  The Snug Fitting Kagu 3D Mat in the passenger Footwell  The Mat in the Driver Footwell; it covers the dead pedal so mud and sand particles dont reach the carpet while the dead pedal is used.  The Plastic Cap for the 12V Socket. Come on Skoda You Could have given a cigar Lighter instead of this dummy!    anyway i have placed an order for a OE Lighter on ebay. The Dual Zone Automatic Climatronic System. Has So Many options and setting that it may take more than a year for me to learn the Nitty Gritties  will Update with More pics once the Accesories clear customs and reach me!  Mods Done / Planned: 1. Kagu 3D Mats - Black - Installed 2. Philips Extremevision Headlamps- Installed 3. Chrome Exhaust End Tips - Ordered from Super Skoda - cheaper to Import than to Buy from the ASC - Shipped 4. Door Sill Protection Strips - Ordered from Super Skoda - Cheaper to Import than to Buy from the ASC - Shipped 5.Skoda Chrome Tyre Valve Caps - Ordered on Ebay - Shipped 6. Skoda Yeti - cargo trunk rubber bootliner Skoda OEM - Part Number: DCD630002 Ordered from Superskoda, but shipping costs are Euro 102 for a product Costing Euro 49 as it weighs 7 Kgs! 7. Skoda OEM Bluetooth Kit : Part number: 7P6 035 730 C / 7P6035730C Software: SW 0440 Hardware: H05, which included Bluetooth interface 7P6 035 730 C * cablings * microphone 3B0 035 711 B - Awaiting confirmation from Service Guys whether they can fit it and Activate it for me 8.3M CR 70 - Sun Films (Only if I feel Like) 9. Skoda B Pillar Blackening Pads 10. Rugged Wheel Arch Extension Kit - Part No. 5L0 071 069 - Am told that the same cannot be fitted if the Front Mud Flaps are Present. Need to Check out Last edited by Sunilrj : 5th August 2012 at 18:43. |
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3rd August 2012, 16:13
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| Distinguished - BHPian   | |
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3rd August 2012, 16:47
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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3rd August 2012, 16:49
| #4 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dehradun
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3rd August 2012, 16:54
| #5 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mangalore
Posts: 773
Thanked: 589 Times
| re: Falling in Love Again. The Story of a Czech Maiden - Skoda Yeti Quote:
1.5L0 071 329 Front Bumper Aluminium Effect trims 1138.00 2.5L0 071 910 Chrome Effect Exhaust Pipe end Piece 1893.00 3.KDA 630 002 Door Sill Covers 6329.00 4.BEA 600 002A - Cruise Control 6955.00 5.7P6 035 730 F - or 730 C or D or E - Blue tooth Modules 35000.00 6.5L0 071 069 Fender Trims / wheel Arch Trims 14900.00 Last edited by Sunilrj : 3rd August 2012 at 16:55. | |
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3rd August 2012, 18:31
| #6 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 536
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| re: Falling in Love Again. The Story of a Czech Maiden - Skoda Yeti Quote:
Would you mind sharing how you had access to the entire accessory list for your car ? I'm still recovering from the shock of an 18k price that was quoted for a Skoda OEM armrest for my car, but th prices you quote here are not quite off the roof as I would have imagined them to be. Wish you miles and humps and potholes of safe and enjoyable driving! | |
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3rd August 2012, 19:07
| #7 |
| BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore
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3rd August 2012, 21:03
| #8 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Thane
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3rd August 2012, 21:19
| #9 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mangalore
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| re: Falling in Love Again. The Story of a Czech Maiden - Skoda Yeti Quote:
well i had an accessory Brochure of the Skoda Yeti and knowing very well what a lazy bunch the Service and Sales guys of Skoda India Dealers are, i gave them the part numbers from the accessory Brochure (attached here) and asked them to revert back to me in 3 hours and this was the result!  also for backup on the Pricing i had with me the pricing of superskoda.com, without taking into account the shipping charges to determine if the price quoted was fair! @ Shankar.Balan! thanks a lot ! you Ignited my Mind about the VFM nature of the Yeti and then it was just the tides of time before i went in for one! Last edited by Sunilrj : 3rd August 2012 at 21:21. | |
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3rd August 2012, 23:56
| #10 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Denver, CO
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| re: Falling in Love Again. The Story of a Czech Maiden - Skoda Yeti Quote:
Thanks for the recommendation of superskoda.com. I wasn't aware of something like this. Thankfully I have a friend coming from the Europe in a month's time so I probably need to tempt him with an offer he can't resist....  | |
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4th August 2012, 06:20
| #11 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mangalore
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5th August 2012, 08:49
| #12 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mangalore
Posts: 773
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| re: Falling in Love Again. The Story of a Czech Maiden - Skoda Yeti Quote:
Here is the decoded VIN:  It was Picked up by the Dealer from Aurangabad on 27/06/2012 Last edited by Sunilrj : 5th August 2012 at 08:53. | |
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6th August 2012, 17:29
| #13 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mangalore
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6th August 2012, 17:44
| #14 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Goa
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| Re: Falling in Love Again. The Story of a Czech Maiden - Skoda Yeti Hi Sunil! Congrats and that's the way to go! I have also purchased a Skoda Laura L&K, but the post is still in the assembly line  From my experience so far, Skoda is an excellent vehicle - to own and to drive...  Last edited by nitinbose : 6th August 2012 at 17:46. |
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6th August 2012, 18:48
| #15 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mangalore
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| Re: Falling in Love Again. The Story of a Czech Maiden - Skoda Yeti Thanks Nitin Bose! Here are a Few Pics of the Valve caps! Aint they Looking Elegan(ce)t ?    |
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