[ash22]

Best wishes mate.
This car reminds me of our ’97 model Zen Lxi Maroon color. We maintained it in top-notch condition and we sold it in 2014.

Below are the two main reasons to sell our Zen,
-Lack of power steering. Driving in everyday traffic without power steering was not that comfortable.
-Off late, It was not that easy to get R-12 AC gas (a CFC, harmful to the ozone layer) for older model Zen.

We even thought of adding power steering and a better AC system. But the cost and reliability was a big question. I still remember, To drive uphill, We would turn off the AC so that it gives more power We went to nuke and corners with Zen, So many road trips, Hill station trips with family. In addition to Zen, We also bought Alto 800 in 2007 and that became our Primary car since it had Power steering and a better AC system. Now, Alto serves as our daily driver.
Attaching our Zen Pic for reference.

[thedragonreborn]

Originally Posted by BeemerBug_06

Now fast forward to 2018. One fine day the suspension of our Toyota Corolla which was rather old decided to give up , so we had the car dropped off at my mechanic, Ravi's place for a suspension overhaul. Since the garage is nearby, I decided to go have a look at how things were going. So I went there and saw Ravi working on the suspension of the car. Beside our Corolla, I saw a White Maruti Zen. It looked like it had been through a lot of abuse. There was rust under the doors, there was a nasty dent on the rear RHS fender and and another one on the front RHS fender. I thought to myself , 'Oh God! What is this Bhangaar doing here?' it should be restored or scrapped'. I had lost my interest in the Zen long ago, so I didn't even bother to ask Ravi about it. A few days later, I happened to receive pics of the same car from a friend on Whatsapp, who's also a car enthusiast and he claimed it was very original and someone should rescue it!
Initially, my thoughts were, ' it's just a Maruti ! who cares beyond a point'. Some months later, I happened to stumble on the 'Classic Maruti Enthusiasts Club on Facebook . Seeing the passion people had for their humble Maruti cars helped re-ignite my liking towards the old Marutis like the 800 and Zen. I also learnt a lot about them.

I presume that the Ravi you speak about ends his name with a Shirodkar behind Star City

If my presumptions are correct, then we share a common link for picking up well kept Zens and restoring them, all from the same bloke.

My love affair with this excellent go-kart ended a few years ago when it caught fire, while plants merrily poked their heads out of the weather strip on the driver's door. Had it rebuilt, but lack of both time and the good stuff in the banks, it never got the care it deserved. Ravi helped find a loving home for it, having driven it himself for the longest time.

I am quite jealous indeed, of your jelly bean.

It would have been the height of all happenstances serendipitous if you ended up with my girl from Ravi

[gopalnt]

Curious to know - what were the feature differences between a Maruti 800 and Zen at that time? Why was the Zen called a "premium" car?

[dhanushs]

I used to loan my uncles 2003 Zen Lx MPFi during college and man.. What a car it was!

That sweet super free-revving engine with such a beautiful gearbox was an absolute joy to drive! The Zen still remains one of my favourite engine gearbox combo's!

[tacho9000]

Congratulations Nikhil on finally getting the thread posted. I guess Varun had pestered you long enough to get this published. Your car is a true beauty and being majorly original fitment equipped I'll suggest not to do any kind of mods or alteration. I wish you many miles of happy motoring with this vehicle.

Regards,
Subhra

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by gopalnt

Curious to know - what were the feature differences between a Maruti 800 and Zen at that time? Why was the Zen called a "premium" car?

Bigger Engine (remember the respect Maruti 1000 used to command, this piggy banked over the same), AC!! AC was a very big thing back then.

[HariRE350]

Hey Buddy!

This was just what I was looking for. We have the MH410 series 1995 canary yellow Zen even today. My mum drove it to her work place which was 3kms from our home. After 1,00,000 kms the ODO just starts from 0 We are currently at 1.30L kms or so. It still runs like a swiss watch. After my mums retirement, the car has been left unattended and it pains me to see her like this.

Now, as you mentioned, I have sought addition to the forum on Facebook. My problem is this - my younger brother wants to let go of the car since he feels its past its age but I want to restore it to stock condition. The rates being offered by cars24 etc are tearing me apart. Like a stupid fool I changed the rims to alloy wheels and now need to get a set of the original ones too.
I desperately need to bring this back to stock condition (the original windshield, side windows have completely streaked up, rubber beadings are gone, paint chipped off on LHS rear door etc). My wish is to see it back to its original glory. Also, I am also unable to source the float due to which the car jerks a lot under sudden acceleration. I am based in Bengaluru and any pointers on a good mechanic/restorer will be much appreciated. I will try to dig up photos to post here too.

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Pehli gaadi pe badhaai ho, Wagle Saheb!

This, right here has to be one of the original Carb Zens that are left over. And yours is a clean example at that. With all the bits in place and is cosmetically in good nicks. I'm so jealous of you right now :P

That evening has to be one of the evenings I've ever spent. You, me and Zen, with some period correct music playing in the background. Only grouse was, we did all this in a closed parking lot and not on the Sealink. Hopefully, next year, it's the Sealink and not your parking lot.

Here are some pics which I took of your car when I met you and your Zen when I was in Bombay sometime this year















Hopefully, I'll get to drive her sometime next year as I have my driver's license now

Cheers!

[thedragonreborn]

Originally Posted by gopalnt

Curious to know - what were the feature differences between a Maruti 800 and Zen at that time? Why was the Zen called a "premium" car?

Several reasons:

1. Much bigger car than the 800
2. Better road manners, with beefier suspension
3. More powerful engine
4. Better A/C
5. Brakes which actually worked
6. Better structural integrity

[BeemerBug_06]

Originally Posted by GTO

This thread is going to our homepage .
I had a '95 red-coloured Zen too and I guess it was from the same batch as yours. My car's number was MH-01-S-525. Your pics sure bring back memories.

That's nice to know! Yup MH-01-S would mean its a 1995-96 car. Till when did you own it? Some pics would be nice , if you have any

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Wow, you got me all nostalgic there !

We sold or rather gave away our 1993 Maruti 800 for INR 15000 when we got our Swift 2011. On second thoughts, we should have kept that as well. Reading this thread made me miss it !

AH shucks! Maybe that car still exists and is waiting for you to get it back home.

Originally Posted by Nazaar25

Fantastic review Nick!
My dad had a yellow Zen of the same era which he modified a lot but sold it for a Cielo.
Even I don't have a license now but I'll get it next year so I am madly searching for a Zen in good condition.
I really hope I find one!

Off topic- One thing common between us is that we both are obsessed with the 90s despite being the '2000s kids'

Great to know ! Some pics of both your Zen and Cielo would be nice
On a side note, you will surely find a nice Zen. There are plenty of them around , it only depends on what you exactly want .

Originally Posted by speedmunster

Really nice thread.
1513 seems to be having the original steering wheel with the leather wrap. It was a really big thing in those days. The first batch of Zens came with a leather wrapped horn pad as well. This was later replaced by a plastic horn pad.

Cheers.

Thanks for the compliment. Yes , thankfully 1513 does have the original leather wrap around the steering wheel, although its a bit worn out now. To protect it, I shall put a decent quality cover. The First batch of Zens in 1993-94 came with a 3 spoke steering , which was replaced by the 2 spoke one, like 1513's in 1994 , which remained the same till 2006, with minor changes. The 3 spoke was reintroduced in 2000 for the Zen VXi Deluxe version and as an option for the Vxi from what I know.

Originally Posted by gopalnt

Curious to know - what were the feature differences between a Maruti 800 and Zen at that time? Why was the Zen called a "premium" car?

The Zen was always a class above the 800. The 800 was considered more of an entry level car, while the Zen which commanded a heavy price tag in the early 90s was considered a premium car. Also, the Zen came factory fitted with features like AC, Seatbelts, Tinted Glasses and of course a 1.0 litre engine and 5 speed gearbox compared to the 0.8 litre engine and 4 speed gearbox of the 800. Also, one had to opt for the DX version of the 800 for things like AC and seatbelts !

Originally Posted by tacho9000

Congratulations Nikhil on finally getting the thread posted. I guess Varun had pestered you long enough to get this published. Your car is a true beauty and being majorly original fitment equipped I'll suggest not to do any kind of mods or alteration. I wish you many miles of happy motoring with this vehicle.

Regards,
Subhra

Thanks Subhra! And yes that bugger Varun really pestered me to post this thread ! LOL

Originally Posted by Varun_HexaGuy

Pehli gaadi pe badhaai ho, Wagle Saheb!

This, right here has to be one of the original Carb Zens that are left over. And yours is a clean example at that. With all the bits in place and is cosmetically in good nicks. I'm so jealous of you right now
Hopefully, I'll get to drive her sometime next year as I have my driver's license now
Cheers!

Bombay aajao, let's go for a spin! You've to experience the joy of driving a carb man, for real!

Originally Posted by HariRE350

Hey Buddy!

I desperately need to bring this back to stock condition (the original windshield, side windows have completely streaked up, rubber beadings are gone, paint chipped off on LHS rear door etc). My wish is to see it back to its original glory. Also, I am also unable to source the float due to which the car jerks a lot under sudden acceleration. I am based in Bengaluru and any pointers on a good mechanic/restorer will be much appreciated. I will try to dig up photos to post here too

Hi Hari! First off all your car looks lovely! I absolutely love the Yellow shade of the Zen with black bumpers. I believe the colour was called Passion Yellow. Also , I'm quite certain your car can easily be brought back to stock condition. You should be able to source rubber parts on BOODMO , windshield is surely available locally. Maybe you can reach out to TeamBHPian Cooltronics and get some tips about restoring the car. Check out the restoration thread of his Maruti 800 !

[BeemerBug_06]

Originally Posted by thedragonreborn

I presume that the Ravi you speak about ends his name with a Shirodkar behind Star City .

Yes indeed ! The Ravi I speak about is indeed Ravi Shirodkar. Ravi has been our family mechanic since more than 30 years now. Our cars still go to him. Back in the day, he used to fix up a lot of Bombay's Mercedes Benz cars at a garage two buildings away from my building. The garage belonged to a certain Mr. Shetty I've heard numerous stories from Ravi, but I'm surprised I've never heard this one, about your Zen ! Let me ask him about it, next time I meet him
Some pics of your Zen would be nice if you've got any.


My Zen at the garage in the company of an Acquamarine coloured Type 1 Esteem.


Team Bhpian the_mole's Ponton still comes to this very garage for servicing and usual work.


Our family S10 comes there too and I'm sure you recognise the Brown ss80 there .

Some images of the very familiar garage !



I happened to click a picture of my Hyundai Grand i10 and Zen together. This is a perfect comparison of how the quintessential ' mid-range small car' has grown within a span of 20 years! The Zen looks really tiny here ! Lol !

[thedragonreborn]

Originally Posted by BeemerBug_06

Yes indeed ! The Ravi I speak about is indeed Ravi Shirodkar. Ravi has been our family mechanic since more than 30 years now. Our cars still go to him. Back in the day, he used to fix up a lot of Bombay's Mercedes Benz cars at a garage two buildings away from my building. The garage belonged to a certain Mr. Shetty I've heard numerous stories from Ravi, but I'm surprised I've never heard this one, about your Zen ! Let me ask him about it, next time I meet him
Some pics of your Zen would be nice if you've got any.

Hahah! The brown SS80 is Ravi's beater

Ask him about WillyD's Zen. He has been the family mechanic over 30 odd years as well. His clientele rarely let go of him.

Pertol runs in the family, by the by. His son is as big a petrol-head as is the dad. Picked up an engineering degree in automobile engineering.

As for the Zen, she was dressed in Gold, with the rear windows kitted out with after market motors (which ultimately caused the fire). I am sure I can dig up some pictures of the old heart.

My wife learnt to drive in it, and it was with a terribly heavy heart that we replaced the go-kart with a Swift.

[McLaren Rulez]

I must say, this thread is such a happy thread. That's what these 90s cars do to our hearts

[sandeepmohan]

You are one lucky guy. Aside from the Gypsy and SS80, I consider this as the next most sought after Maruti Suzuki. A beautiful Zen like this is hard to come by. Being a Japanese car, you can sure that it will last while keeping running costs reasonable. This would have been impossible if it were a Ford Ikon. This car is notorious for things falling apart and costing an arm and a leg to fix.

The Zen was less roomier than the 800, If i remember right and priced much higher. Was the most fun to drive hatch you could buy back then. Quality was higher too. Not to forget, the over sized front seat head rests.

The engine on the Zen had a very unique note to it just off idle. I can't explain that noise though it is more mechanical than anything from the exhaust. The last time I heard this noise was from the old 1.3l Swift. I am not sure what makes that noise. It is pleasing to hear and suggests a healthy engine.

Carburetted cars, once set right, never go wrong. The fuel we get today is also cleaner compared to the 90's so less cleaning maybe required. What can go wrong is the ignition coil, high tension wires and plugs so make sure those are in good health. There is a different kind of pleasure in driving a carburetted car. Your action on the throttle pedal results in several other mechanical components that work together in delivery of fuel and air to the car's engine.

Enjoy your new ride and look after your car. It is very rare that you are re united with car that you admired during your childhood years. It does not get better than this. Cheers.

[advenk999]

Hey bud!
Fantastic homage to the real "Queen of good times!"
The Zen was a car ahead of it's time and is still a hoot to drive.
My fist car ten years ago, when I had first got my license was a second hand Zen Lxi which was already ten years old when I got my hands on her.
She had clocked just 40000kms and everything was literally intact!
I had four years of pure, unadulterated fun with it, clocking another 50k kms on the odometer. Got an aftermarket tacho just to have the cheap thrills of the needle revving up and falling down!
She was infact named "Jellybean!!". Had to leave her with a heavy heart when I moved to a Swifty in 2012 and another Swifty in 2019, as driving her in Bangalore traffic wasn't easy.
That said, she was the perfect car to grow up with.
She taught me a lot, to improve my driving and learn to extract the right power with the right rpm!
Thanks for the lovely review mate! You really brought in that nostalgia, and for a second, I thought this was my car!!
Wishing you zillions of happy miles with her and do keep posting updates!
The next time I'm in Bombay, you got to take me on a drive in this beauty!
Cheers!
Aditya