[saket77]

Wonderfully written! Cannot help but remark that these older cars had a character of their own. Most cars didn’t share engines with their siblings and each one had a unique charm and a particular drivability associated with itself, of course barring the national engine . That’s what probably made them stand out. And anyone who has been amongst cars from that era and from before, appreciates them for what they were. Case in point, we have a wonderful thread here, courtesy your lovely writing, and simple, inexpensive but iconic cars. Living with a ‘02 Zen myself since past 18 years, I can relate to a lot of things that you had to say about the car. Well done.

Regards
Saket.

[charanreddy]

Brought back memories of my own zen 2002 MPFI. To your point availability of spare parts is a non issue, so is the dirt cheap Maintenance. It costed me 2000rs per year. A truly fill it and forget machine.

A customised 2 door zen for an occasional drive is on top of my head, saw a good example in one of the recent threads ..

[SS-Traveller]

Highly detailed description of your experiences, @chiranjitp, and it was a good read on an otherwise listless morning. Good to know the Swift has given you a happy ownership experience over the last 1.5 years. On my part, I'm glad that the car has been well-looked-after. In fact, I'd say better than I would have! - in your hands the car has returned to showroom condition.

The sludge build-up inside the engine is a normal occurrence for cars that never get revved hard, and do short city trips, while the oil change interval remains at the company recommended period of 10k km. This Swift was also driven mostly by my wife over the last 12-13 years, and never went on long-distance trips apart from this trip to Guwahati. Mercifully, the sludge is not as harmful to engine life as it looks.

[--gKrish--]

Kudos for a nice and well detailed report brother!

I am on the same boat with respect to the sludge issue. Incidentally, we had the head cover of our zen opened and it had a shocking amount of sludge despite having a regular oil change history from day one. It was surprising as the car was running perfect and there was no change in noise, smell, performance or oil consumption. The car however used to be in storage for a month or two every other year. Lying idle must have taken a toll on the seals.Our 800 (of same vintage) with the F8D engine however had no sludge at the same mileage and the oil was clean and clear. G series engines may have this as an inherent issue, other BHPians can shed more light on this.
Have left it as it is for the time being as no other issues are being faced except a slightly high fuel consumption (13-14 in city). Since usage is limited to grocery shopping and other errands and future of old cars being uncertain, I felt it would be wiser to work on it after renewing the FC and registration in 2021.


Keeping the issues aside, the zen is such a fun car to drive and is becoming a modern day classic. One day my father was driving the zen (after a service) and a guy on a motorcycle was trying hard to overtake (flashing and honking). He let him pass and the guy came over to side and asked to pull over. Dad pulled over and was confused as he didn't cut him off or even go anywhere near that guy. He rolled down the window and asked the guy what was the matter. The guy said "sorry for the trouble but what price do you want for this car?" That got him laughing and he replied that we weren't planning to sell the car. The guy said it is difficult to come across stock zens like ours days and jotted down his number on a piece of paper and asked to call him if someday we changed our minds on selling the car.

Some pics shot on an old Nokia

[Heart_Revs]

I would rate it 7 stars if possible. The depth of coverage is outstanding. Being from Silchar, I would love to sit with you sometime over a coffee and shares some life experiences.
Used car market in Guwahati is not very lucrative. The used car prices here are at least 30% higher compared to Kolkata, delhi etc.

[vaasu]

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

My personal take on cheap used cars

• If you & your parents are comfortable with a two wheeler, then getting a brand new two wheeler will be the best option. It will be a brand new machine with all new parts and extended warranty, if & when some parts need changing, it will be reasonable. That's the best possible deal you can have.

• As I had learnt from my first Zen (the 98 Zen), that it's better to buy a good condition car by paying more rather than looking to buy an abused one for cheap, & then fixing it.

• If you own such an old car, your car knowledge is bound to improve. You will know that maintaining a car is simply more than just changing the engine oil (this is very important though, new or old car, one mustn't skip an oil change) & getting her washed. I learnt many new things over the years, I got to know what all the suspension parts are called & what are the symptoms if they go bad.

• If I were to sum up my experience in one line, it would be "I wouldn't have have it any other way".

Very sensible piece of advice coming a very young man and you summarized it beautifully - "I wouldn't have have it any other way"
I see a lot of me (from my younger days) in you

Being on top of vehicle maintenance is very important. I still maintain my own "To Do" list for my vehicles and do not blindly trust the service center for it.
Sludge build up in your cars do not look normal. This is how our 14 year old Santro looked like once rocker cover was removed for gasket replacement at 115K.



Thanks.

[boniver]

Lovely thread, Chiranjit, on a topic that's close to my heart as well. Love the fact that you've even added the smallest details.

2 years ago, I was in a similar situation as you were 5 years back: I needed a car for myself despite having a bike, since my parents never let me take the bike too far. The fact that my college itself is 30 kms from home meant that I could never ride to college and had to rely on public transport. My parents were mostly inclined towards new cars, or newer used cars. We looked at various new cars, then looked at 5-6 year old cars like the i10 and the Santro Xing that cost would around Rs. 2 lakhs back then. I was always against buying such an expensive old car, and I finally decided upon a 2004 Santro Xing that was in a better condition than most 2012 Santro Xings that I had checked out earlier. However, knowing that my father would never approve of such an old car, I bought the car and parked it outside the house, leaving him no choice but to accept it

The ownership thread can be found here

The car was 14 years old then, and is 16 years old now. It has been extremely reliable, and most people (including mechanics) always estimate the age of the car to be between 6-8 years. I paid 68k for the car plus around 2k for the transfer of ownership. Over the next year, I spent another 20-25k for a service, fixing up general stuff, adding accessories (including speakers), a major AC overhaul (new condenser, AC clutch etc), registration renewal, and she's good to go for the next 5 years atleast! The paint is not in great condition though, but I'm willing to put the repaint off for the next couple of years, until I get a job. The front suspension needs an overhaul in the next 10k kms, and there's a rattle from the rear bumper trim that you know about.

My shifting to a new city once this lockdown ends has brought a big question mark on the car's future. If I think rationally, I should be selling the car off since it won't be used at all over the next 2 years (except for the occasional drive by dad once a month or so), and because my dad has to keep paying the garage rent for a car that won't be used. However, I've become extremely attached to the car now and I don't want to let it go, especially when I don't need the money for anything. I'm scared I won't be able to come across such a reliable and faithful car again when I need one. Let's hope I can take a decision soon.

Can't help but add a few photos of my faithful companion:








A picture from the last time I drove her before the lockdown. It rained a lot that night, as if to signify something.


The current odometer reading:


Regards,
Sayantan.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by thehillybilly

Loved the thread! It got me hooked the entire time. This got me tempting for a Zen!

Thanks thehillybilly. You can certainly consider buying an used Zen, it is cheap to buy and maintain. I would only recommend buying a MPFi model (i.e post 2000 models) & of course the car has to be in very good condition.

Originally Posted by JD_404

I don't think you remember this but we met once when you had come to visit a friend of yours at his college. You were leaving but when i asked your friend if you were a BHPian (as i remembered the swift from Dbhpian SST's travelogue ) you came back and we had a chat

First of all thanks brother. Actually I do remember you very well, in fact only a couple of months back I asked my friend about you (I believe he was your Hostel senior). He told me that you had completed your studies last year. Anyways, we meet here in team-bhp. Hope to see you soon, this time I will have you drive the Swift.

Originally Posted by Tanveer02

An extremely detailed writeup brother. Loved the way you have put each and every intricate detail of both the cars with photos.

A few lines about these two cars from my side. I've driven the Zen once way back in 2018. That single drive has left a lasting impression in me about the car. I still regret getting to drive her only once though.

Now coming to the Swift, this car is in a different league altogether if one talks about the driving experience. I've driven her uncountable times and "enjoyable" would be a least sufficient word to describe the way she drives now.

Thanks a lot brother. I am still very sad that you could get to drive the Zen only one time, you would have loved driving her on open roads. As for the Swift, I have to thank you for teaching me how to redline an engine , I had until that point never redlined any engine. A trip to Meghalaya is pending, let's do it after the situation becomes normal.

Originally Posted by Anuj 6227

Excellent write up chiranjitp,

I just want to clarify a few things as i also own a Dzire with the same engine :

1. What are the springs placed on top of the timing belt & is it necessary to replace them when you put a new belt ?

2. Did you also replace the water pump & other belts such as AC compressor, power steering, when doing the timing belt ?

3. Are you facing some slight leak from the engine tappet cover or have you replaced its gasket while getting other work done ?

Thanks in advance.

Thanks. Here's my reply to your query:

1. The springs are part of the timing belt kit, for a perfect job it is recommended to replace them as well. Here is the link to the post where Dbhpian Leoshashi has given the list of the parts that needs to be replaced: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post4693737 (Maruti Genuine Parts (MGP) Catalog: Post your queries here (model list on Pg 1))

2. Both the belts (alternator & AC belt) were changed by SSDa (the previous owner of the car) just one week prior to selling the car, so I didn't bother changing the belts as they were brand new. As for the water pump, I didn't replace it since it was in perfect condition. Water pump failure in a Maruti petrol engine is very rare, our 99 Omni is still running on the stock water pump, even my 01 Zen was on stock water pump. Still, I will recommend letting the mechanic take a thorough look at the condition of the pump & then decide whether to replace it or not.

3. I did have a slight issue of oil leak from the tappet cover gasket, so I have replaced the tappet cover gasket. Replacing it is a very simple procedure, any mechanic will be able to do it.

Originally Posted by saket77

Wonderfully written! Cannot help but remark that these older cars had a character of their own. Living with a ‘02 Zen myself since past 18 years, I can relate to a lot of things that you had to say about the car. Well done.

Thanks saket77. It is indeed true that these old cars have a charm of their own, they have their own personality. I still miss my Zen, every drive felt special in that car. I do occasionally get to drive a Zen, a good friend of mine owns a 03 Zen LX (150k km on the odometer).

Originally Posted by charanreddy

Brought back memories of my own zen 2002 MPFI. To your point availability of spare parts is a non issue, so is the dirt cheap Maintenance. It costed me 2000rs per year. A truly fill it and forget machine.

A customised 2 door zen for an occasional drive is on top of my head, saw a good example in one of the recent threads ..

Thanks charanreddy. One of the main reasons for Maruti's king size market share is how good the after sales is, especially in terms of parts availability. A two door Zen would be awesome, if you can find one in good condition. Here in Assam, finding a two door Zen is very difficult. Would have been the ultimate car to go to college.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Highly detailed description of your experiences, @chiranjitp, and it was a good read on an otherwise listless morning. Good to know the Swift has given you a happy ownership experience over the last 1.5 years. On my part, I'm glad that the car has been well-looked-after. In fact, I'd say better than I would have! - in your hands the car has returned to showroom condition.

Thanks SSDa for the compliment, means a lot coming from you. I am doing the best as per my capacity to keep the Swift in good condition & the car is serving me very faithfully as well.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

The sludge build-up inside the engine is a normal occurrence for cars that never get revved hard, and do short city trips, while the oil change interval remains at the company recommended period of 10k km. Mercifully, the sludge is not as harmful to engine life as it looks.

Even I am not that worried about the sludge, though it's not a pretty sight either. The car doesn't consume any oil nor does it smoke. My running is also very low (8k km per year), so I don't think I will have any issue regarding the sludge in my ownership tenure.

Originally Posted by --gKrish--

Kudos for a nice and well detailed report brother!

I am on the same boat with respect to the sludge issue. Incidentally, we had the head cover of our zen opened and it had a shocking amount of sludge despite having a regular oil change history from day one. It was surprising as the car was running perfect and there was no change in noise, smell, performance or oil consumption.

Thanks brother. It seems sludge buildup in a G series engine is unavoidable, even my friend's 03 Zen LX (first owner & always serviced in time) has sludge in his engine. Even in his car, the sludge hasn't caused any issue, his car has done 150k km & the engine is still healthy.

Originally Posted by Heart_Revs

I would rate it 7 stars if possible. The depth of coverage is outstanding. Being from Silchar, I would love to sit with you sometime over a coffee and shares some life experiences.
Used car market in Guwahati is not very lucrative. The used car prices here are at least 30% higher compared to Kolkata, delhi etc.

Thank you for the compliment. It's true that used car prices in Guwahati (& whole Assam) is very high compared to bigger cities. High price thing is a bit complicated as well, used car prices are high only when one is looking to buy a car. But if one is looking to sell his/ her old car, the valuation quoted by the dealers (both authorized dealers & small car dealers) is very low.

[scorpian]

@Chiranjitp
Lovely write up. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
For the sludge frequent oil changes @5k kms along with ows engine flush is what did the trick in my used cars. I would suggest you try the same and it should help clear most of the gooey stuff.

[keroo1099]

Very nice thread chiranjitp. The amount of detail you have remembered and provided is nothing short of amazing. I still feel the first Gen Swift is the best of the lot and the G13B engine is bulletproof even with a few mods like I have on my 2005 Vxi that is still going strong at 90K. I was toying with the idea of selling the Swift and getting a more modern small car, but nothing I have tried so far has given me the satisfaction that the Swift still gives.

The car has been relatively trouble free except for a noisy water pump that has been changed twice. Its gone through a clutch and a set of struts with the last major expense being the AC compressor that had to be replaced with a unit from one of the new gen Swifts. Poor thing has gone through its fair share of accidents, both rear doors and the rear but no sign of rust so far with all that bodywork. I have managed to get rid of most of the annoying rattles by lining the inside of the door pads with a thin layer of foam and coating the inside surface of the doors with a Wurth spray.

Enclosing a few pics of my car




Reading about your sludge buildup, I opened my oil filler and took a snap of the internals. No sludge at all that I can see, and I don't remember ever having flushed the engine


The engine has been massaged slightly, shaved and ported but with a stock exhaust.

[Nissan1180]

Thank you for sharing. This is a very good thread for anyone looking at a sub-1.5 lakh car.

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

Within the next two months, two of my cousin's had two big accidents in their respective two wheelers. One broke an arm, one got some facial injuries. After this 2 events, my parents told me that I am not getting the Scooter, no matter what.

I wish everyone reads this message again, and again. Two wheelers are the most unsafe means of commute in India, and it does not depend on what bike you drive. I have seen friends buy Rs. 3 lakh bikes because it looks cool, and when you bring the topic of safety, they say "a bike is as safe as its rider". Unfortunately, one such friend lost his life while riding an expensive bike. A truck ran over him and he died on the spot.

People are often dismissive about driving an small economy car these days because of peer pressure,and I fail to see why. When there's an accident, it is almost certain that you have a higher likelihood of survival if you're in a car. But a Rs. 3 lakh bullet looks cooler than an used Alto or Eon I guess.

[jkaushik]

Very well written (and long) post Chiranjit!
A well maintained Zen is more than worth a second glance now a days.
The Zen and Swift are my only favourite cars from Maruti and you have both. Wishing you lots of safe kms ahead.

[shivamk11]

Excellent write-up, thoroughly enjoyed reading it. But surprised to see that your Swift ZXI doesn't have steering mounted audio controls and factory fitted HU. I have noticed them in all the Swift ZXI I've seen.

[Leoshashi]

Awesome report Bro, rated it a well deserving 5 Stars!

I had forgotten about your first White Zen. What's commendable is that even in that condition, you opted for OEM spares, something which many people avoid even in new cars. Hats off to your perseverance.

I was a big admirer of your MPFI Zen, it was indeed a trouble free machine. I don't remember you having any major issue/replacement with that car. Regarding others, I'd just call those cars lucky as they extended their usable life a bit, when you decked them up with all the original spares, no matter how expensive they got.

I'm glad that you finally got a nice first gen Swift ZXi, and I'm sure it will see even better days in your ownership. At least,I should thank you and SSda for saving such a nice machine from the stupid scrapping policy of Delhi NCR. The first gen ZXi is a keeper and wishing you many happy miles in it.

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

Thanks brother. It seems sludge buildup in a G series engine is unavoidable, even my friend's 03 Zen LX (first owner & always serviced in time) has sludge in his engine.

Not sure how true this is. It largely depends on the frequency of oil change and the quality of oil used. While condition in your car is disgusting(albeit nothing alarming), I have witnessed many G series engines which don't have even a bit of sludge despite being more than a decade old. BHPian keroo1099's 2005 VXi is a good example on this very page.

However don't worry about such a minor thing and its not at all alarming now. You have been very proactive with oil changes along with good quality oil, and that will surely help in cleaning out some of the sludge.

Originally Posted by shivamk11

Excellent write-up, thoroughly enjoyed reading it. But surprised to see that your Swift ZXI doesn't have steering mounted audio controls and factory fitted HU. I have noticed them in all the Swift ZXI I've seen.

The first batches didn't get it. It started coming after Swift got a MMC in 2008 IIRC.

Regards,
Shashi

[Samba]

Excellent write-up Chiranjit. Rated 5*

Picking up these well maintained fun to drive cars at a very lucrative rate indeed makes them a value for money proposition.

I can imagine the fun you have at those curvy roads around Guwahati. Cars with small foot print, good handling and a rev friendly engine are just apt for the places you generally drive around! And not to forget, both these cars are super reliable!

I was missing my old gen Figo while driving on the Guwahati to Shillong highway!

Hope to catch up with you, the next time I visit NorthEast!