[BeemerBug_06]

Going Old School

Hello everyone! I'm glad I've finally found some free time to compose a new thread on the forum after God know's how long! Anyway, this thread is going to be dedicated to a car that I recently happened to purchase, some of you here may already be acquainted with the car. But right now, it is too soon to disclose anything! Read on and you surely will not be disappointed !

Prologue

I have been an avid car enthusiast right from my childhood days. When most kids my age spent time watching cartoons or doing some indoor activities, I'd spend time staring at photos of cars in various magazines and always wanted to go for a drive around the block in our then Green Ford Ikon 1.6. Our Ikon is one car I can surely never forget. It is the car that I loved to bits as a kid , hence it majorly helped ignite my passion for cars. However, this thread is NOT about the Ikon. Back when I was small, we also had a Maruti Zen in the family . It was a lovely little car and ours dawned a beautiful Peacock Green paintjob! Just the sight of the car made me smile as a kid. I'm sure many of you would agree with me here, as I'm aware that the Zen occupies a special spot for many of you present on the forum. We had the car in the family from late 1999-2003 , after which it was given to my aunt and uncle. For some odd reason, they didn't like the loveable Peacock Green shade and repainted the car to Golden :( They used the car till 2015 as far as I know and then sold it. MH 01 Y 6442 was the number of the car and it is still in use somewhere in internal Maharashtra


A snap of 6442, in fact the only picture I have of it! Clicked at Poona in 2004-2005, after the repaint. Sigh !

But again, this thread is not even about 6442! By now you may have at least realised that it is about a Maruti Zen. As I mentioned, I have been interested in cars since a very young age, I could identify cars and their manufacturers before I knew simple addition
Now this story goes back to when I was in the 1st Standard maybe. My mom would drop outside the school gate everyday in our then Hyundai Getz/ Santro and I would go to school . Most of the times, there was a Zen that would often be there around the same time. It looked drab! Unlike our 6442, it was a boring white colour and had black bumpers. I never really paid attention to it. However the car was there everyday as the gentleman who drove it used to come to drop his children to school in it.
The car was white and I find white to be a rather boring colour to be honest, but this car seemed to have a particular shine, which it never failed to wear !
Also it had a very distinctive horn, one that sounded quite like the 'beep-beep' of the road runner from Looney Tunes and had number plates with a 3D font (a very period correct 90s thing) !
For nearly 7-8 years the car would be outside school in the morning and over those years there was zero change in its appearance! However, when I was in the 9th standard, I stopped seeing it. I thought, 'maybe he finally decided to get rid off it , or maybe his children passed out!' I didn't see it for a year thereafter !

[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.

So one day when our Corolla was still at the garage, I decided to ask Ravi about the Zen that was parked there. He told me that the car belonged to a client of his who had it for 20 years and then wanted to give it away, so he had kept it with him for sometime and would sell it off soon once a new car came his way.



I was told the dent there had been caused by a collision with an Auto-Rickshaw, just before the 1st owner sold the car. As a result, the car lost its original mirror too.



Yikes!



Yikes again !


At the back of my mind, something told me that I'd seen this car somewhere. But I just couldn't recollect !

[BeemerBug_06]

Soon our Corolla was ready and I decided to go see it and then come home in it from the garage itself. Of course, I couldn't drive it back as I was 17 at the time. Just then, I saw the White Zen again. It was looking a lot better. So it seems Ravi was going to sell it soon, and had hence had the dents and rust fixed , although some panels did need a repaint quite badly. I went to see it too. It looked really nice after the dents were fixed, it then struck me !
It was the same car I used to see outside school! Yes it was the same car, it still had that shine, and the horn and the embossed plates. After confirming with Ravi, I was assured it was the same car. The owner was coincidentally a client of his and he had been maintaining it since 1999. The car was a 1995 Maruti ZEN, hence it was Carbureted.







By now many of you would have identified the car as it made an appearance on Classic Maruti Day which took place on 16th December 2018. You'd see me raving about the originality of the car there ! Although, I had no inclination towards it then.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vinta...ti-models.html (Classic Maruti Day, 2018 - A meet & drive with early Maruti models)

[BeemerBug_06]

Climax

My dad and I decided that we would get an older car into the family garage for fun and some nostalgia. The initial idea was to get our Ikon back. Unfortunately, the car was scrapped a few months when I contacted the owner :( . I then said, 'How about a Zen?' although dad wasn't very keen, he agreed and said we could get a good early 2000s fuel injected Zen which I could use once I began driving. After numerous hours spent scrolling through OLX, CarTrade and other sites. I did not find anything interesting. It then struck me that Ravi wanted to sell the White Zen, so I rang him up and asked. He said Yes and said he'd sell it to me immediately if I was serious since we have known him since decades. Before committing anything, I decided to go inspect the car.
It was now in decent nick as far as the bodywork was concerned and it was then that I realised why my friend who had sent me pics kept raving about its originality!

It had the original cosmetic parts, a blank panel for the stereo which shows that the car never had one, original chequered black and white upholstery, original glass , a Sai Service file, original stepne tyre, factory stickers etc. It also drove very well, although our 6442 Zen was fuel injected, I loved the Buzzy carbureted engine of this white car. I was sold ! A couple of friends who are older and more experienced agreed to come along and complimented the car too. YOU MUST BUY IT is what they all said.









Some Period correct factory stickers that every Maruti Suzuki car wore once it left the plant in the 90s.


The Original RC booklet. Of course these are defunct now . Thankfully, this car had all the required paperwork in order.

Now for the convincing ! My parents were totally against buying the old 'Khatara Maruti'. But since it was with a known person who was willing to sell it to us at a reasonable rate , they partly agreed with the usual 'we'll see' .
It took me a lot of begging and convincing to get them to agree and I promised once the car came home, I would look after it myself and not spend too much money on it. Another hurdle then was that I couldn't drive , but I have some good friends who are ever ready to drive the oldie! Can't thank them enough. Also, despite all the cribbing, mom and dad too enjoy a drive in it once in a while

[BeemerBug_06]

So the deal was done!
The humble old Maruti which was older than me by 6 years was all set to come home in March this year . I could not hold my excitement. However, one thing initially brought a question mark to my mind and that was the odometer reading .


Nobody would believe that a 24 year old car has done only so much. I suspected the meter had crossed the one lakh mark and come back. Although Ravi swore against it. I did trust him there, but still had a doubt. He explained that the car actually belonged to the owner's father who suffered an injury on his back and couldn't drive, so the car was garaged for most of its life and went out only for small city tasks.


Thankfully , the owner's manual of the car was still intact and I do thank the 1st owner for actually writing down every service history detail! It was after seeing this that I was assured that the odometer reading was genuine. This could possibly be the lowest mileage carburetted Zen in Bombay!

[BeemerBug_06]

AND SHE'S HOME!! When the car came home, it was rather mucky and dirty. Since my holidays were on, I decided to utilise the free time I had in cleaning it up and giving it a much needed polish to make her shine Although, I had the dented panels repainted as they needed one , the car is largely still wearing original paint.


After some hours of continuous scrubbing and polishing, she shines!


Note:- Only the initial Zens codenamed as the 'MH410 Zens' got this grill with two slats, which looks the best imo. The MH410 Zens are considered the original ZENs and were sold between 1993 and 1997, all carbureted. Initially there was no body coloured bumpers option, until it was introduced 1997. Soon after came the Zen LX and Vx nomenclature and so on.
PS:- No one stole the LHS mirror , the older Zens never came with one! Since I have bought the car largely due to its originality, I do not intend to put one.


The Engine Bay after a cleanup and service done at a nearby Petrol Pump. It houses the all aluminium 1.0 litre petrol engine making about 50 bhp. Despite it being the slow engine, out of the ones that the Zen. It is very peppy and capable! The car often buzzes past others at traffic lights when the driver simply feathers the throttle.


The interior which was considered rather luxurious back in the day. Of course this Zen does not have a power steering, or power windows. Everything works on the driver's 'man power' LOL. But in a car like this, I don't really miss any of that since we are all spoilt by technology in our newer cars. Thankfully the AC is also quite powerful and cools well after all these many years. Since I love music, I've put in a period correct Pioneer deck and two Pioneer speakers in the front doorpads , to jam to some 90s tunes.


KEYS! The first two are original while the third one was made at a local key maker's stall .

In terms of footwear, the car has 13 inch rims which were there for the Zen until 2000 and wears BRIDGESTONE S322 radial tyres, which I believe originally came with the car and were last replaced in 2016. Also, considering the car's age, the brakes work very well and bring the car to a steady hault .

[BeemerBug_06]

Some more pics for your viewing pleasure:-


With my friend's Maruti 800 which is coincidentally also a 1995 car !




Testing the lights of the car, quite decent for the age


ZEN-MH410 (410 stands for 4 cylinders and 1.0 litre, although I still don't know what MH Stands for)


A mandatory drive to Worli Sea Face


The dome light still works, lol


Ah, nothing puts a smile on my face more than to see the car startup in half a crank like every carb car should and then throw out buckets of water from the exhaust


The pull out style antenna which is now living in the shadow of Sharkfins and in built counterparts


The taillights and faded bumper. Despite the bumpers being faded, I've decided against changing them now as faded bumpers= originality!
Also this car maybe one of the first Zens to get Indian made LUMAX lights. ZENs from 1993- early 1995 had Japanese made Tokai Denso taillights which had black borders and looked awesome. Sadly, my car never had them.




Warning Stickers !


Purolater branding on the air-intake


The slick 5 Speed Gearbox is still an absolute hoot! It was considered as a novelty back in the day and enthusiasts called it a 'Hot knife cutting through butter' , bet this isn't the first time you're hearing the old line!





After some pampering ! The car stays in our office parking usually since it isn't daily driven and as I do not have my license yet. Plus it spent most of its time there whilst being sheltered during the rains.


Enjoying a sunset by the Sea-Face.

Also, I have learned that the car always had the Embossed Style plates. The Maruti Dealers would charge extra for them in the 90s. When the rule changed from black to white plates, the owner of 1513 had had the plates painted over !

[BeemerBug_06]

I have had the car for about 8 months and these 8 months have helped me learn a lot! Not just about improving upon driving basics , but also about engines and carburetors in particular. The ZEN came with the double butterfly Mikuni Carburetor , often complimented for its reliability and easy to tune factor. Due to exposure and knowledge about carbs from like minded people and friends, I have learnt many new things. One fine day, the car kept stalling due to a jammed secondary throttle valve , it really scared me! But advice and help from a friend and some time at Ravi's garage helped me understand why it had happend and how it can be avoided. Looks like as a kid of the MPFi era, I am learning the perks of the carb era. It really is fun ! Have to say

Since it is the norm on Team BHP to talk about the pros and cons of a car while writing an ownership report , here's one about 1513. Lol, I feel like an automotive journalist in 1993 :P

Pros:-
1. It's an iconic car known for its jellybean design and remains a favourite of many. Plus you can get a nice used Zen rather cheap.
2. It's a Maruti, can be fixed/serviced literally anywhere in India. Parts are also available in abundance.
3. The good old Carb engine is quite reliable and peppy. It is so silent while idling, one cannot always it's running. True to its name- ZEN(Zero Engine Noise)
4. The AC WORKS! Phew!
5. Lovely gearbox
6. The Zen is now comparatively smaller in size and is easy to drive around in the city
7. Suspension is stable
8. Brakes work well
9. Cosmetics are in ship shape
10. It will be my first car once I get my permanent license

Cons
1. It's outdated technologically as well as mechanically
2. Lack of knowledge among newer age mechanics about carb cars
3. No Power Steering can sometimes be a bit of a headache in peak hours of Bombay traffic.
4. It has a carburetor !
5. No LHS mirror
6. The car shall not be modded as I have decided that it is just too nice and original to modify !
7. Safety is literally 'nil' . This car is from an era when rear seat belts did not exist and front seat belts were considered an accessory !
8. Switching on the AC kills the power of the engine! No wonder the AC button is called a boost button for the Zen.
9. I have an unhealthy obsession with it

The car gives a fuel efficiency of about 11.5kmpl in the city, not bad no?


To conclude, here is a snap I took of 1513 at a car gathering on the 2nd of October. I simply cannot wait for when I can drive it regularly and have the intention of keeping it forever! I hope you liked this little review of my oldie and I hope you found it nostalgic too!
Signing off,
BeemerBug_0603.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

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.

Originally Posted by BeemerBug_06

Cons

Would say that the low-end torque of this motor is another con.

[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 !

[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'

[speedmunster]

Really nice thread. The pics of your car reminds me of my own 2003 ZEN d. It was white. It was noisy, didn't have power steering or power windows and the a/c really sucked. Apart from that it was a hoot to drive.

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.

[jeeva]

Brings back a lot of nostalgia. Lovely thread. My second car was a MH 410, red in color. Lots of memories attached to it. Good old days!!
The car is still doing rounds in Kerala with a Baleno engine swap.
Call me old school, like the Nexon fanboys would probably have thought in the Nexon facelift thread, but I just can't fathom the kind of deplorable designs that OEMs come up with these days, and loath it.

[scorpian]

Jelly bean zen is still a good looker, i dont know why maruti decided to stop producing it. I have three of them and i love them every bit.Easy to modify and bang of the buck.
I think there is one mr. panchal in mumbai who is an absolute doctor of carburetors.See if you can get the carb tuned from him, he surely knows and is famous for his carb tuning capabilities.

Take good care of her.

[Cooltronics]

Excellent Nikhil
The car deserved your family and you and who better could have taken more care of it.
About the MH 410, it was the most sought after premium car back then - though we couldn't afford it then and I am happy about it now since the cream maruti 800 stayed back with us, however my dad tried many ways to see if brand new could have been bought home but as fate would have been.
I remember him telling that MUL was so high on spirits back then that at one point they were only delivering the car in $ payment.

We tried buying it again in 2000 but Santro took precedence owing to better space management.
Luckily, my neighbor exchanged his 1988 Maruti 800 for the very same car as yours and my drooling quotient stayed along

Such cars are rare, solid build, fun to drive and one of its kind.

Tip: Learnt from a dear friend LeoShashi, beg borrow steal but find out the original NOS Mikuni carburetor and see the magic unfold