Started hunting for Esteem and ended up buying 1.5 Type II OHC EDIT:Service @90000 Km

maxbhp · 28th October 2008, 23:22

Well It all started like this,

Recently there was a quick shift in my professional life so finally am in G.Noida doing my MBA and I wanted something on 4 wheels which can be quite fun to drive .
These were the cars in my mind

1.Pre 2004 Baleno
2.Pre 2007 Esteem
3.Hyundai Getz Pre 2007
4.Swift Pre 2006
5.85-87 Mercedes Benz 300D (I just love this baby)
But finally after a lot of brain storming I zeroed in on an Esteem.

Target : Used MPFi Esteem (2003+) in excellent condition
Budget : Upto 3 lacs

The Hunt started from August 2008 , for the same I was given helpful lead by none other than Mr.Ishaan . Thankyou Sir . Coming back to the search , Getting a well maintained car in Delhi seemed quite impossible as most of them were in pretty bad state. I remmeber seeing a 2006 esteem which looked like it was nearly 10 yrs old . I have no idea how someone can spoil cars so badly.
Finally I almost gave up searching and was in the process of getting a Swift Vdi , and then suddenly I got a call from my friend saying a 2003 Lancer was up for sale for 1.75 .I told him I will be there in 2 days as I had was bit busy . After 2 days lancer was a history , It was sold !

By then I was pretty sure I will be buying a Vdi as it was my last hope (at that moment) .I went back pretty dejected and the next day I get a call saying a 2000 City Type II 1.5 OHC is up for sale for a good price .It was Wine Red in colour .

This time I said I will be right over and boy ! what a car and that too in Delhi .8 years and Still maintained really well . I was impressed in one go . This time I was not willing to risk on loosing it to someone else , so I payed 20K upfront as an Advance and the baby was picked in 2 days

Initial driving Impresssion :

Exteriors :

Pretty good considering the place is delhi and that its 8 yr old . There are few rubber beadings that may need replacement but apart from this , the car is pretty good . In short am satisfied as this is the max I can expect from a car thats nearly 1/3rd my age .

Interiors :

The same , They are in good state.

Engine:

Well this is where the whole story begins . The first time I had taken the test drive of the car , I was immediately turned on by the kinda response it was giving , by the way its 1.5lit OHC.
The engine is wicked , It can do some serious speeds in a short time.
It comes into its rythm only in the higher RPM's , not that its any slouch in lower RPM range . But the kinda note that comes out at higher RPM is addicting.
In short , the engine is a GEM . Am just loving it.

Gear Shift:

Pretty okay , Shift is a bit long but quite accurate .

Suspension:

Its a bit hard but perfect for hard driving ! I just love it.

Brakes

Quite good , but I will be changing for better pads soon.

Tyres:

The weakest link in the whole car , Quite scary when braked hard @ high speeds. Will be upgrading to Yoko's soon.

-maxbhp

Watch this space . Will be posting a detailed driving experience soon.

PAVAN KADAM · 28th October 2008, 23:42

Congrats first.

Honda any day is a great car, and really happy to know you've got a real neatly maintained car.

Waiting for the pics.

Shan2nu · 29th October 2008, 00:45

Congrats!!! Maybe sometime in the future you can invest in a D16 VTEC head for your 1.5 block. That will really make a huge difference.

Shan2nu

speedzak · 29th October 2008, 00:58

Congrats, Max!
Wine red Type II OHC, eh? No wonder you started the search with Ishan as your guide.

First of all, where are the pikchaars? :hummm

How much was on odo when you picked her up?
What tires are running on the car now? And before you upgrade, read Tadu's thread about S-drives!

Finally, no forgiveness for not coming for the meet @ storm. :where is that hammer smilie?

Enjoy her! Greater Noida expressway ain't that far. You know!

CaliforniaKnight · 29th October 2008, 01:03

Congrats Joe. Waiting for the snaps.She , with no doubt, has a gem of an engine.

csentil · 29th October 2008, 01:42

Great buy. It is a beauty to drive and looks are so stately !! Drive hard and safe.

Bit more info on odo, colour, price would be appreciated.

madhokritesh · 29th October 2008, 09:52

Congrats on ur Buy, am sure the OHC wont let you down, plz upload some pics of the Car.

kutlee · 29th October 2008, 10:40

welcome to the club. think of saving couple of laks for ultimate turbo job. forget v-tec b-tec head.

ghostrider · 29th October 2008, 11:03

Congratulations.

The type-2 OHC is the best City they ever made, IMO. (with the exception of the new 2008 model).
It was reliable and fun to drive, which are some of the best reasons to buy a car. An added bonus for you is that it will be pretty economical to maintain.

Couple of questions for you, though.

1. How many kms on the ODO?
2. Single owner?
3. Did you have it checked out by a mechanic?

hillram · 29th October 2008, 11:06

Congrats Max..I too appreciate an OHC and Im toying the idea of acquring one as I want a Honda in my stable...
Pls post some pics

mobike008 · 29th October 2008, 11:20

Congrats on the buy. And, i am sure you will find a lot of OHC lovers and users on this forum to help you out if any niggles to the car.

ankit.jhamb · 29th October 2008, 12:03

congrats on your buy.for esteem did you try the true value outlets?i dont think esteems are hard to find.
any way enjoy your OHC.And do post some pictures
ankit jhamb

iraghava · 30th October 2008, 04:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedzak

Congrats, Max!
Wine red Type II OHC, eh? No wonder you started the search with Ishan as your guide.

Congrats on the new buy Max! Now when do I TD it to give you the list of work required on the car??

Have fun!!

toiingg · 30th October 2008, 11:56

Congracts Max, welcome to the OHC Club.

backrub · 30th October 2008, 12:34

Congrats on zeroing in on the best car available in second hand market. It is very difficult to get a second model OHC. There are many factors, ones who have them and are maintaining it well, does not even think of selling the baby comes as the first problem.

Then the car is no longer in production, the new car has a lesser powerful engine.

28th October 2008, 23:22	#1
maxbhp Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: C C K Posts: 1,382 Thanked: 89 Times View My Garage	Started hunting for Esteem and ended up buying 1.5 Type II OHC EDIT:Service @90000 Km Well It all started like this, Recently there was a quick shift in my professional life so finally am in G.Noida doing my MBA and I wanted something on 4 wheels which can be quite fun to drive . These were the cars in my mind 1.Pre 2004 Baleno 2.Pre 2007 Esteem 3.Hyundai Getz Pre 2007 4.Swift Pre 2006 5.85-87 Mercedes Benz 300D (I just love this baby) But finally after a lot of brain storming I zeroed in on an Esteem. Target : Used MPFi Esteem (2003+) in excellent condition Budget : Upto 3 lacs The Hunt started from August 2008 , for the same I was given helpful lead by none other than Mr.Ishaan . Thankyou Sir . Coming back to the search , Getting a well maintained car in Delhi seemed quite impossible as most of them were in pretty bad state. I remmeber seeing a 2006 esteem which looked like it was nearly 10 yrs old . I have no idea how someone can spoil cars so badly. Finally I almost gave up searching and was in the process of getting a Swift Vdi , and then suddenly I got a call from my friend saying a 2003 Lancer was up for sale for 1.75 .I told him I will be there in 2 days as I had was bit busy . After 2 days lancer was a history , It was sold ! By then I was pretty sure I will be buying a Vdi as it was my last hope (at that moment) .I went back pretty dejected and the next day I get a call saying a 2000 City Type II 1.5 OHC is up for sale for a good price .It was Wine Red in colour . This time I said I will be right over and boy ! what a car and that too in Delhi .8 years and Still maintained really well . I was impressed in one go . This time I was not willing to risk on loosing it to someone else , so I payed 20K upfront as an Advance and the baby was picked in 2 days Initial driving Impresssion : Exteriors : Pretty good considering the place is delhi and that its 8 yr old . There are few rubber beadings that may need replacement but apart from this , the car is pretty good . In short am satisfied as this is the max I can expect from a car thats nearly 1/3rd my age . Interiors : The same , They are in good state. Engine: Well this is where the whole story begins . The first time I had taken the test drive of the car , I was immediately turned on by the kinda response it was giving , by the way its 1.5lit OHC. The engine is wicked , It can do some serious speeds in a short time. It comes into its rythm only in the higher RPM's , not that its any slouch in lower RPM range . But the kinda note that comes out at higher RPM is addicting. In short , the engine is a GEM . Am just loving it. Gear Shift: Pretty okay , Shift is a bit long but quite accurate . Suspension: Its a bit hard but perfect for hard driving ! I just love it. Brakes Quite good , but I will be changing for better pads soon. Tyres: The weakest link in the whole car , Quite scary when braked hard @ high speeds. Will be upgrading to Yoko's soon. *-maxbhp* Watch this space . Will be posting a detailed driving experience soon.
	() Thanks

28th October 2008, 23:42	#2
PAVAN KADAM BANNED Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NAMMA BENGALURU Posts: 5,602 Thanked: 2,549 Times	Congrats first. Honda any day is a great car, and really happy to know you've got a real neatly maintained car. Waiting for the pics.
	() Thanks

29th October 2008, 00:45	#3
Shan2nu Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Hubli - Karnata Posts: 5,533 Thanked: 125 Times View My Garage	Congrats!!! Maybe sometime in the future you can invest in a D16 VTEC head for your 1.5 block. That will really make a huge difference. Shan2nu
	() Thanks

29th October 2008, 00:58	#4
speedzak BANNED Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: India Posts: 4,347 Thanked: 27 Times	Congrats, Max! Wine red Type II OHC, eh? No wonder you started the search with Ishan as your guide. First of all, where are the pikchaars? :hummm How much was on odo when you picked her up? What tires are running on the car now? And before you upgrade, read Tadu's thread about S-drives! Finally, no forgiveness for not coming for the meet @ storm. :where is that hammer smilie? Enjoy her! Greater Noida expressway ain't that far. You know!
	() Thanks

29th October 2008, 01:03	#5
CaliforniaKnight BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: IND + DXB Posts: 980 Thanked: 141 Times View My Garage	Congrats Joe. Waiting for the snaps.She , with no doubt, has a gem of an engine.
	() Thanks

29th October 2008, 01:42	#6
csentil Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,349 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	Great buy. It is a beauty to drive and looks are so stately !! Drive hard and safe. Bit more info on odo, colour, price would be appreciated.
	() Thanks

29th October 2008, 09:52	#7
madhokritesh BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Thane Posts: 334 Thanked: 4 Times	Congrats on ur Buy, am sure the OHC wont let you down, plz upload some pics of the Car.
	() Thanks

29th October 2008, 10:40	#8
kutlee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,141 Thanked: 232 Times View My Garage	welcome to the club. think of saving couple of laks for ultimate turbo job. forget v-tec b-tec head.
	() Thanks

29th October 2008, 11:03	#9
ghostrider BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Bombay Posts: 745 Thanked: 506 Times View My Garage	Congratulations. The type-2 OHC is the best City they ever made, IMO. (with the exception of the new 2008 model). It was reliable and fun to drive, which are some of the best reasons to buy a car. An added bonus for you is that it will be pretty economical to maintain. Couple of questions for you, though. 1. How many kms on the ODO? 2. Single owner? 3. Did you have it checked out by a mechanic?
	() Thanks

29th October 2008, 11:06	#10
hillram Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 2,942 Thanked: 1,326 Times View My Garage	Congrats Max..I too appreciate an OHC and Im toying the idea of acquring one as I want a Honda in my stable... Pls post some pics
	() Thanks

29th October 2008, 11:20	#11
mobike008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 11,696 Thanked: 14,809 Times View My Garage	Congrats on the buy. And, i am sure you will find a lot of OHC lovers and users on this forum to help you out if any niggles to the car.
	() Thanks

29th October 2008, 12:03	#12
ankit.jhamb BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: new delhi Posts: 573 Thanked: Once	congrats on your buy.for esteem did you try the true value outlets?i dont think esteems are hard to find. any way enjoy your OHC.And do post some pictures ankit jhamb
	() Thanks

30th October 2008, 11:56	#14
toiingg BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Calcutta Posts: 639 Thanked: 266 Times	Congracts Max, welcome to the OHC Club.
	() Thanks

30th October 2008, 12:34	#15
backrub BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 196 Thanked: 2 Times	Congrats on zeroing in on the best car available in second hand market. It is very difficult to get a second model OHC. There are many factors, ones who have them and are maintaining it well, does not even think of selling the baby comes as the first problem. Then the car is no longer in production, the new car has a lesser powerful engine.
	() Thanks