September 2006
I was a happy chap driving in and around Delhi city in my Santro Xing, i thought i was a pretty fast driver zipping past many cars and had an impression that santro has a pickup which could take upon most of the cars.
Then my dad decided to upgrade from his OHC 1.5 which i rarely drove and whenever i drove i never took it above 3-4K RPM and hence never realized the true performance of the car. As obvious after my dad got his new car i got the OHC as my daily drive and started using it for commuting from delhi to gurgaon as my MBA college was in gurgaon and i am based in Delhi.
October 2006
It is this period when i entered into the reality of automobile world. I used to read about cars on net almost every day and i joined Team-BHP at the same time. I was exposed to all the talks of revving, rpms, drags, perfect gear shifts, redlining and it just went on and on. I was getting addicted to all of this as i started to drive more and more of OHC and i realized what i was missing. I realized that my days of driving a santro was an illusion. Driving a car like an OHC teaches you what a drivers car is and i guess it needs no explanation so i'll cut this discussion here.
After Four to Six months
I was a silent member during my initial days at Team-BHP and used to read almost every thread. During those days i thought that my OHC was one of the fastest car around along with accords, BMWs, mercs and all and i really used to rip my car. I want to confess that i really like to drive fast and i am a pretty egoistic driver. So if someone overtakes me intentionally i have to overtake him/her back to achieve my dose of nirvana :P
and what better car than OHC to achieve that daily dose.
Two cars which really used to come forward in terms of performance in Team-BHP were OHC Vtec and Skoda Octavia vRS. I never heard of octavia vRS before joining Team-BHP and boy was i smitten by it when i realized its true potential. Suddenly my OHC was not 'that' fast :P
It was a love at first sight kind of a thing for me when i saw the vRS, i always loved the octavia but vRS was just too much, be it looks or performance and all the other features which makes it a very desirable car.
Mid 2007
By this time skoda octavia vRS became my dream car and i dreamt of owning a red vRS. Whenever i used to think about cars i used to think about vRS. Then came the surge of new cars on road such as civic, verna, fiesta, cedia etc and their road presence was multiplying everyday. These all are very capable cars and my OHC was showing its age now. The suspension was giving up and pick-up was struggling to keep up with the new cars and i had to rev the engine real hard to be on a competent side.
My love for vRS was increasing day by day and my OHC was giving up at the same pace.
Mid End 2007
One day i just decided that i should get out of my dreams and should really do something about the vRS and also my OHC was giving me jitters. So i approached my dad..
Me: Dad, my car is really old now. Can we please think about a new car?
Dad(with a straight face): No! I just bought a new car last year, no need of new car, your present car still looks as good as new. Its not the right time to think of a new car
Me: But dad my car is really struggling in performance and pick-up
Dad(with an angry expression): What performance? are you a student or a rally car race driver. Concentrate on your studies and buy a new car when you will start earning.
Result: My first attempt shatterd like a breaking glass. I was really disappointed. I knew if he's really serious about what he said than i can forget about vRS for years to come.
April 2008
A friend of mine and i was having a casual talk about cars and suddenly discussion shifted to vRS and my love for it. My friend then told me that he has seen an advt in newspaper about two used vRS in market. I was really excited and could'nt wait to lay my hands on a vRS. We went for a test drive and that was the first time i drove this car and and every aspect which i thought of this car came true during that drive. I was so excited that i had to call my dad. Unfortunately my family was in mumbai at that time but i called up my dad anyways and spoke to him about vRS and the test drive. I pleaded him to atleast think about it. He said ok let me think about it and will do something after he returns back from mumbai in 5 days. Meanwhile i asked the dealer to give me 5 days and i promise him that i'll return back to him within 5 days.
On the 4th day i call back the dealer to let him know that i will be coming next day and i get the shock of my life. He told me that both vRS have been sold and there goes my dream again in vain. To say that I was utterly disappointed would be an understatement.
July 2008
Skoda stopped the production of vRS few months back and vRS in used car market was a rare thing. My OHC was getting worse and the car was demanding complete overhaul. Although i loved my OHC but i dint feel like spending on it as it was a 10 year old car by now.
Then one of the team-BHPian Abhinav came with a new thread about his new vRS and his discussion with his dad in that thread was in complete contrast with discussions i had with my dad for my vRS :P
I PMed Abhinav congratulating him and also mentioning about my love for this car. He replies back saying that he's aware of one used Red color vRS. That reply suddenly brings back hope!
July 06, 2008
It's my dad's Birthday. Meanwhile i recieve a pm from abhinav regarding the details of the car and the dealer. I approach my dad thinking about 'one last attempt':
Me: Dad i need to get my car repaired. Its not safe anymore, suspension is as good as dead, lights are not working properly, its not giving good mileage and the engine dies during ideal rpms. Also the car rattles from everywhere(mind you no mention about performance)
Dad(In a good mood): Hmmm so what do you want.
Me: Nothing i just want to drive a car which drives like a 'car'. I cover almost 70 kms daily on highways and i dont feel safe anymore. Dont you want your only son to be safe and secure.
Dad: So what should be done?
Me: Dad Remember that car vRS? Thats my dream car and its one of the rarest car in used car market. There is one used vRS please atleast have a look at it. Its my dream car, its the safest car around and it will be very luxurious to drive it. I'll not feel tired on those long drives i do daily.
Well dad finally says ok and i'm on cloud 9..(so far so good)
i rush to the dealer along with my dad and we have a look at the beauty. And beauty it is for sure. Its really well maintained, has covered low distance and engine was as good as new. All the equipments were working properly.
Now this is where skoda octavia vRS showed its magic
It really impressed my dad and now he was the one who was taking all the initiatives! He finalized the deal then and there and the car was then washed and prepared and delieverd to our house in the evening where all the paper work was done. And finally at the end of the day i had a sigh of relief and the pleasure of watching vRS parked in your house verandah is something which cannot be described in words!
Last but not the least, i still love my OHC and i've decided to keep it and rework on its problems.
Details: Red Color, 2005 make, Covered 39,000 Kms.
Pros:
Engine, looks, Equipment features and much more(i'll include more in my further posts)
Cons:
Quite big in comparison to my OHC to drive and park
Can't see the bonnet so those tight curves which i used to do with my OHC would have to be more careful.
Finally a pic of my love.
Will post more pics later.