[anshu1101]

An excellent thread and very detailed thread Chiranjitp. Thoroughly enjoyed reading the write-up. You've owned two of the jewels from the Maruti Suzuki stable. The swift was in a different league altogether at the time of launch. My father owned the first generation Swift VDI and we owned a used Maruti 800 DX with the carburettor engine prior to that. We bought the Swift in 2010 and I still remember vividly my very first drive in it. It was my first experience driving a diesel car, and the torque combined with the handling of the swift meant I was grinning from ear to ear when I drove it. That made me fan of turbo diesels. Later on I bought my first car, a Vento 1.6 TDI which also puts a smile on my face every time I drive it, even after owning it for almost 7 years now. My father let go of the swift last year to upgrade to an Honda Amaze petrol automatic. Till date I miss the swift dearly.

Cheers
Anshu

[abhi9044]

Awesome post Chiranjitp. I can relate to each and every statement that you've written. I'm still a college student in his final year and your post is what I've always wanted, a used nice car that is old enough and cheap enough for a student in his college days. Unfortunately my family was not comfortable with the idea of me having a vehicle in a complete different city far from home and for these years I had to use public transport only.

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

Living with the Swift

I (finally) got a job on January 2019, my first job. I was very happy to get the job, first job is always special. The running of Swift reduced after me getting the job, my job requires me to be away from home for half the year (not continuously, I basically have an on/off job). Having a job meant I was earning, earning meant that I had money to spend. This proved to be an issue, every small issue that I would have neglected otherwise, I wanted to fix them because I could. Then there were the mechanics who would advice me to change/repair some part, earlier I would be forced to take approval from my parents, now I could just swipe my card & make the payment. This behavior & an old used car is a deadly combination, as I learnt from my own experience.
[/left]

I can relate to this really well.I'm about to get my life's first income and I'm planning to buy all possible parts for my Hero Maestro and my dad's HH Splendor. The car we have is a Wagonr bought in 2015 and has been regularly serviced and has merely done 8K kms till date so new new parts for her except for some nice floor mats since she should also get a bit of my first income.

[aarnav_b]

That was a superb writeup man ! It made me forget about the current series I'm watching on Netflix and was just binge worthy. Love both the cars very much and are two of my favorites.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by vaasu

Very sensible piece of advice coming a very young man and you summarized it beautifully - "I wouldn't have have it any other way"

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 a lot. Your Santro's engine looks absolutely clean, there's not even a hint of sludge. About the sludge in my car, I don't think there is anything we can do now, except for hoping that the engine continues to run normally. Even I am to a certain extent convinced that this much of sludge in an engine is not normal.

Originally Posted by 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. 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.

Thanks brother. I am very much aware of your Santro story, you found a very good car. If you ask me, for an used car the condition of the car matters more than age, mileage, number of owners etc.

Originally Posted by boniver

The car was 14 years old then, and is 16 years old now. My shifting to a new city once this lockdown ends has brought a big question mark on the car's future.

Well, this is a very tough decision to take. It's a heart vs mind decision. I am not aware about the garage rent thing, we don't have (or more like don't need) such things in a small city like Guwahati. If the cost of that isn't that much, you might consider keeping the car for the next two years. Depreciation wise you won't lose much on such an old car.

Originally Posted by scorpian

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.

Thanks scorpian. Regarding engine flush, I am skeptical of trying it out on such an old engine. I am using Synthetic oil though, I believe they have some cleaning properties as well. Last time I posted engine sludge photos of the Zen, you told me to replace the oil pump strainer. Sadly I couldn't get the strainer changed that time, but this time for the Swift I have gotten it replaced.

Originally Posted by 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.

Thanks keroo1099. Your Swift is in amazing condition, both engine wise & cosmetically. I am especially in love with the alloys you have on your car. I hope the Swift will continue to serve you faithfully for many more years.

Originally Posted by keroo1099

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.

Thanks for sharing this photo, finally I get to see a G series engine without sludge. The internal of your Swift's engine is very clean. I do intend to open the tappet cover of our family's 2019 EECO (similar G12 engine) after she clocks around 70-80k km. Maybe I will then (finally) get to see a sludge free G series engine with my own eyes .

Originally Posted by Nissan1180

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

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.

Thanks Nissan1180. This topic is a bit touchy, I mean India is the world's largest two wheeler market, so people will continue to ride two wheelers in our country. They are cheap to buy, way cheaper to run & maintain than a car. As for me, I believe that even the unsafest car (Omni would be that car, which we have in our garage) is safer than the safest two wheeler. I have decided no two wheelers for me ever.

Originally Posted by 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.

Thanks jkaushik. It's nice to see a fellow bhpian from Guwahati, that too with an Ecosport. Our Ecosport is a 2016 Titanium + TDCi model, with 70k km on the odo.

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.

As Leoshashi has already mentioned, factory fitted HU & steering mounted controls came from 2008 onward, when the Swift received a minor facelift. The 2008 Swift ZXi also gained tilt adjustable steering, which is missing in my car.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

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

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.

Thanks brother, it means a lot coming from you. Yup, the first gen Swift ZXi is indeed a keeper. She has all the modern comfort & safety features, while retaining the raw driving feel.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

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.

I agree with you on this point, the sludge in my engine is certainly not normal. How & why did it happen? Well, that's a puzzle yet to be solved. As long as the car runs normally, I won't worry much about the sludge.

Originally Posted by Samba

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!

Thanks Samba da, these cars are indeed a value for money proposition. The difference between base & top variants of most premium hatchbacks is over 2 lakh, for that money one can buy a Swift & a Zen together. I really enjoy driving the Swift on Meghalaya roads, it's one fun machine.

Originally Posted by anshu1101

An excellent thread and very detailed thread Chiranjitp. Thoroughly enjoyed reading the write-up. My father owned the first generation Swift VDI and we owned a used Maruti 800 DX with the carburettor engine prior to that.

Thanks anshu1101. The first gen Swift VDi is a legend, it was the first car that taught us that small diesel cars needn't be unrefined & slow. The Swift DDiS was a fast car, especially after 2000 RPM when the turbo kicked in. We too have an old carburetor Maruti in our garage, a 99 Omni.

[twin_turbo]

Excellent write up Chiranjit. Rate the thread 5 stars.

I wonder how you can remember these minor details from a few years ago. I picked up a used 2011 Ford Figo shortly after i graduated almost 5 years ago for a fraction of the price that i would have had to pay for a new one. My parents use the car as a daily driver now since i am not located in India. I am always a strong proponent for buying good used cars because of the strong value for money nature.

Please do update the thread once the Corona-virus situation resolves and you start munching more miles in the swift.

[ram.iyer95]

Excellent thread, Chiranjit! Your rides look awesome, especially the Swift! You were truly lucky to get such a well-maintained Swift, that too from a BHPian! This write-up will prove to be really helpful for anybody in the same boat.

Your thread reminds me of our first car purchase just 5 months ago, which was a pre-owned 2009 Alto LXi. We didn't have the immediate need for a car, but still went ahead as we wanted a cheap, small and reliable car to hone our driving skills. By "our", I mean myself, my father and my sister. All three of us had been 4-wheeler driving-licence holders for quite a while, but never really got a chance to hold the wheel after our driving tests. I used to occasionally drive while going on trips in rental cars with my friends, so had gotten fairly confident.

We decided that we'll first get a cheap pre-owned car and then use it to perfect our driving skills, before graduating to a better, more comfortable, modern car. It obviously had to be a used car because the clutch and the other mechanicals would definitely take a heavy beating due to constant abuse from the three learners. I zeroed-in on getting a first-gen Alto K10. But my family was a bit wary on buying from OLX or from used car dealers, as Kerala (my home state) had been badly hit by floods that year and we got information that many flood-repaired cars were being listed for sale after carrying out cheap, temporary fixes. We decided to wait and get a car when somebody in our known circle was selling one. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait too long, since my father's colleague, a close family-friend of ours, was selling his 2009 Alto that had run only a genuine 49k kms, since he had purchased an Ertiga. We bought it without a second thought since that car was very well known to us from the day it was bought. The clutch assembly and tyres had been replaced only a few months back.

After purchase, we had to replace the battery as the old one was showing signs of age, and also replace the front-piece of the exhaust system (the one that connects the exhaust manifold to the muffler) as a small hole had developed in it and was making the car sound crazy loud. The ORVMs were also replaced with the MGP internally-adjustable ones.

After that, it has been smooth sailing till now and many known people who drove our car only have good things to say regarding it's condition.

[vaasu]

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

About the sludge in my car, I don't think there is anything we can do now, except for hoping that the engine continues to run normally.

With your eye to detail, I am sure it will
Just be regular with your oil changes.

[scorpian]

I believe synthetic oils do have better cleaning properties, however you will still need to do frequent changes to get rid of the sludge, removal of the same does help the engine run better and there is no doubt in it,but again synthetic oils are expensive to replace at 5k kms so maybe its just me i would use mineral oil and do some frequent changes so that its a little pocket friendly.

I don't think there is much harm to be done by using a reputed engine flush as this will only speed up the cleaning process.Any seals that leak are probably already on their way out.I recently did a flush on a 2 lakh kilometer run car which had never been flushed and i can assure you the amount of crap that came out is remarkable.

I would also suggest that you pay close attention to your strainer once in awhile as with all this sludge its bound to get clogged and impact the oil flow back on the first start which as we may all agree is the most crucial phase in any car.Why i say this is cause i have seen an untimely engine rebuild on one of my zens which had a clogged strainer and was starving the oil flow from the chamber for the first 10-15 seconds during morning start ups leading to failure ultimately.Post this experience i have made a thumb rule that any sludge needs to go out of the engine to save from unwanted surprises.

[Simat]

That was a lovely writeup Chiranjit bhai! Enjoyed reading every bit of it, and rated a well deserving 5 stars. I still remember you sharing the pictures of the swift excitedly with us , but the story of buying zen was unknown to me, and it was quite a ride reading it. I feel you for letting go of your zen before getting the swift. It is never easy, no matter the car is new or second-hand! Also one thing, why did you not mention the most unique point of your swift, the front parking sensors? Even the rear parking sensors are unique to your gen Swift, and along with the front ones, it makes your car completely unique from any other swift regardless of the generation. Anyways, wishing you many more miles and smiles with the swift!

[freakmuzik]

Absolutely loved your thread! You've penned every detail in such an interesting way and I read the entire content in one go. I had used my aunts Zen (facelift though) and have always been fond of it for its low slung seating and buzzy, fun motor within the city. AC and build were pretty bad but otherwise, there is some charm these old cars have, a mechanical connection if I can say so.

Your thread has stirred up my interest in buying a sub 1.5 lac car just for the fun and love of owning an older generation car.

Cheers buddy!

[Turbanator]

Great thread. Kind of Nostalgic. When I completed my education, I had my Dad's old Ambassador and an old Kawasaki. I used to travel a lot and travelling on a bike was not always possible so Punjab Roadways was the only option. Those days militancy was getting over in Punjab, but the frequency of buses was very erratic. I got my the Car repaired and converted to a white colour Government type, complete with fake Wireless antenna and it was on LPG. As my travel increased, I bought the old Maruti 800. Those days, old cars were always sold with Odo - 40-50 K, you will never know how much had the car done as the built quality of Maruti those days was very good as most parts were Made in Japan. With zilch experience in buying anything, I got cheated, and the car had many defects. But the good thing was that I was earning and found 2 mechanics in Chandigarh who used to sit outside Citco Pump in sector 9. In about 2-3 Years of the ownership, changed a lot of things and must have done over 1 Lac km. Engine built on those cars was not like today, you will keep old pistons/ cylinder block and just put oversize rings. They will file those Rings individually for each cylinder at a time and will last 25-40 Km before it will start giving smoke again. I must have done this thing 2-3 times if my memory is right. Then I sold this to my friend who used even longer & farther than me.

In 1998/ 99 I bought a brand new 800 - Green colour. During this time, my company director also sent his sparingly used Zen. Sold Maruti and used Zen for 2-3 Years before I picked a New Matiz. Good old days...

[landcruiser123]

Great thread @chiranjitp. Very informative on how used cars are really worth it if you can spend some time and bandwidth searching for the right deal. I’m glad that you got through the first deal without much loss. It is definitely a lesson for all of us in terms of not being too hasty while making a decision.

I’m sure your Swift will serve you well for the years to come.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by abhi9044

Awesome post Chiranjitp. I can relate to each and every statement that you've written. I'm still a college student in his final year and your post is what I've always wanted, a used nice car that is old enough and cheap enough for a student in his college days. Unfortunately my family was not comfortable with the idea of me having a vehicle in a complete different city far from home and for these years I had to use public transport only.

Thanks abhi9044. Family members are bound to be a bit uncomfortable with a 20 year old having his own car, that too in a different city. Let me say something, a student getting his own vehicle (2 wheeler or 4 wheeler) is more about want rather than need.

Originally Posted by twin_turbo

I picked up a used 2011 Ford Figo shortly after i graduated almost 5 years ago for a fraction of the price that i would have had to pay for a new one. My parents use the car as a daily driver now since i am not located in India. I am always a strong proponent for buying good used cars because of the strong value for money nature.

Thanks twin_turbo. The old Figo is one competent machine & a very sensible car to buy in the used market, since an used Figo can be had for cheap. The Figo's reliability is good enough & parts are cheap as well.

Originally Posted by ram.iyer95

Your thread reminds me of our first car purchase just 5 months ago, which was a pre-owned 2009 Alto LXi. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait too long, since my father's colleague, a close family-friend of ours, was selling his 2009 Alto that had run only a genuine 49k kms. We bought it without a second thought since that car was very well known to us from the day it was bought. The clutch assembly and tyres had been replaced only a few months back.

Thanks ram.iyer95. Congratulations on the Alto, Alto is the perfect car to hone one's driving skills. Alto is also one maintenance free car, especially the 800cc variant that seem to go on forever without any fuss.

Originally Posted by scorpian

I believe synthetic oils do have better cleaning properties, however you will still need to do frequent changes to get rid of the sludge, removal of the same does help the engine run better and there is no doubt in it,but again synthetic oils are expensive to replace at 5k kms so maybe its just me i would use mineral oil and do some frequent changes so that its a little pocket friendly.

The synthetic oil that I used, Idemitsu 5W40 cost me 1.8k (for 3.5 liters) on Amazon, which is only 400-500 rupees more than equivalent grade mineral oil. Since you have done oil flush on an old engine without any ill effects, I might try it out during the next oil change. As for the strainer, I intend to replace it every alternate service.

Originally Posted by Simat

That was a lovely writeup Chiranjit bhai! Enjoyed reading every bit of it, and rated a well deserving 5 stars. I still remember you sharing the pictures of the swift excitedly with us. Also one thing, why did you not mention the most unique point of your swift, the front parking sensors? Even the rear parking sensors are unique to your gen Swift.

Thanks brother, I am glad you liked the review. I had almost forgotten about the aftermarket parking sensors installed in my car, thank you for reminding me about it. I think I even made a video to show you guys how it worked. The front parking sensors were not in working condition when I got the car, I finally got them removed during replacement of the front bumper. The rear sensors are working perfectly fine though, I especially like the tiny display where distance (along with direction) to the object is shown in meters.

Here is a photo of the parking sensor display in action:

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

Absolutely loved your thread! You've penned every detail in such an interesting way and I read the entire content in one go. I had used my aunts Zen (facelift though) and have always been fond of it for its low slung seating and buzzy, fun motor within the city. AC and build were pretty bad but otherwise, there is some charm these old cars have, a mechanical connection if I can say so.

Thanks freakmuzik. Glad that you had your share of fun with a Zen, the Zen was a hot hatch of its time. As you have said, these old cars have a different kind of mechanical feel to them.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Great thread. Kind of Nostalgic. When I completed my education, I had my Dad's old Ambassador and an old Kawasaki.

In 1998/ 99 I bought a brand new 800 - Green colour. During this time, my company director also sent his sparingly used Zen. Sold Maruti and used Zen for 2-3 Years before I picked a New Matiz.

Thanks Turbanator. It seems you had lots of fun with used cars, back in the day. The cars of that era (pre 2000) needed more maintenance as well, mainly because all of them had carburetor engines. Post 2000 cars (most of them) got MPFi engines & are generally more maintenance free.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Great thread @chiranjitp. Very informative on how used cars are really worth it if you can spend some time and bandwidth searching for the right deal. I’m glad that you got through the first deal without much loss. It is definitely a lesson for all of us in terms of not being too hasty while making a decision.

Thanks landcruiser123. Having patience is one of the most important things while buying an used car. A thorough search is very important, otherwise the odds are that one would end up with a car that he/ she doesn't like.

[WasherNut0402]

Such a nice detailed write up. I wonder how long it took you to make this. Nice work brother

[blackwasp]

Lovely thread Chiranjit!

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

The idea was to get a cheap used car within the 50-60k rupees budget in good condition. I spent many hours browsing through Team BHP, old ACI magazines on tips about buying an old used car.

I too was I the same boat and after my experience with my uncle's Chevy Spark, I realised that cheap cars don't always mean trouble some / expensive to maintain. Armed with this information, I picked up my 800 in Feb 2019. The car has been nothing but fun. Ofcourse the AC is bad and the rear doors squeak when opened, but it gets the job done. I added in a free flow for some fun (and it passes the emissions test too!).

Currently the 800 is used by my uncle in Ratnagiri and I hope to see her back soon. I also picked up a Palio 1.6 for the same amount as I quoted above, but have spent and equal amount on top of it on tyres and basic maintenance. This will be a project car and I'm in no hurry to get her ready. Sharing a pic of each.