[canonball]

Anoop Thakoor the final authority on VW repair & maintanence in India. He formed the beetle club in India and is its chairman. This guy has been profiled by BBC, and generaly keeps a low profile (read good work less talk unlike others I have come accorss). VW has even certified his aircon retrofit. He has a workshop in Mumbai near Bhuvans college. He is currently restoring several beetles and can be reached on 09820187158.

rgd
Nikhil Shirodkar

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by iraghava

Karlos Singh, do you mind opening up some threads to detail the restoration of your various cars? Or atleast updating this one? You seem to know & have pictures of everyone else's cars but do not update us about you cars, why so?

Well, the day I get me my 30s Delahaye 135MS with Figoni Falaschi coachwork, expect a detailed thread on the restoration.

In the mean time, the President got some paint work done, and im not too happy. Serves me right for trying to do a quick fix el cheapo job. (Damn, I gotta start working. Anyone offering me a car related job? )The others are soldiering on, coping with the cruel ravages of old age. Time for major transplants et al on most of them. Ive set a target date for the beetle to be a runner, October 7th. Have now got 3 engines, ones a runner, so hopefully things should be on track. This is how she stands at the moment.





Hopefully she will look something like this. Isn't this a really hot car? I snapped her and many more in Germany at the Hessisch Oldendorf VW show 2 years back.



Also got me a new addition, a Royal Enfield Fantabulous. ANY info/leads on this will be appreceated. As you can see, I have my work cut out!

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Hopefully she will look something like this. Isn't this a really hot car? I snapped her and many more in Germany at the Hessisch Oldendorf VW show 2 years back.

So you took your car to Germany for a restoration eh and I believed it was in Pune.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

So you took your car to Germany for a restoration eh and I believed it was in Pune.

hehe sorry, here it is. Imageshacks been acting up as usual. Took me ages to put these up.



And yes, one fine day my car will go to Germany for a concours restoration. Sigh.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

In the mean time, the President got some paint work done, and im not too happy. Serves me right for trying to do a quick fix el cheapo job.

I know, I'm more or less in the same position with one of my fiats too.....but thats all I can get done on it at the moment!
Nice to finally see your update on the beetle btw! Paint job seems to've turnd out ok as far as I can see.....'hope you did have the old paint fully scraped off to paint the black shade though? And is it a 2k paint? And yeah, how are you going to manage procuring window/glass rubbers/most cosmetics? The car was missing quite a fair lot of them..

Also got me a new addition, a Royal Enfield Fantabulous. ANY info/leads on this will be appreceated. As you can see, I have my work cut out!

Hey surely you havent bought THIS fantabulous??!!

I though it was a one-owner (Parsi!) one.....you'd mentioned your cousin telling you about it once.....

[xinome]

thats VW is a beauty i am just gaga over her rite now wow!
hope everything stays original!
one more time wow

i asked my friends regarding the enfield fantabolus, not a clue hope someone else on the forum can help you out!

keep us updated

cheers
shab

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Stanher

Hey surely you havent bought THIS fantabulous??!!
I though it was a one-owner (Parsi!) one.....you'd mentioned your cousin telling you about it once.....

Er, I dont know about any one parsee owner fantabulous...though Id like to!

The beetle isnt painted yet, thats undercoating. She will be painted in Standox, a top of the line 2k system. Most original parts are intact, rubbers and things will be subtituted with local rubbish, till I make a dedicated trip abroad to get the good stuff down.

[1100D]

You have procured the engines, I read. Which engine? And I guess you had the trim bits with you on this car right?

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by 1100D

You have procured the engines, I read. Which engine? And I guess you had the trim bits with you on this car right?

Yup, 3 beetle engines, 1 is a 1200, and 2 are 1100s, out of which one is a good runner and will go in the car till my original motor is ready. Most of the trim can be salvaged temporarily, though eventually I will put a stainless steel set.

[iraghava]

Nice, can we now have some detailed pics of the whole process? And what about the other cars? You're not neglecting them & spending more time with the bug are you?

[karlosdeville]

Nah, if anythings getting neglected its the bug. Lack of $$$

Honestly, theres been not much to talk about on my cars, barring the odd tune up and oil change. Im too busy chasing everyone else's cars. hehe. Been locating bits and pieces of original parts on my last few visits to chor bazaar, and once the collection process is complete, Ill put up a dedicted thread, cool? I had no idea my humble trio was in demand as well.

Cheers

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Been locating bits and pieces of original parts on my last few visits to chor bazaar, and once the collection process is complete, Ill put up a dedicted thread, cool? I had no idea my humble trio was in demand as well.

Thread idea is cool! And we are interested in all cars Karl, as long as they are loved & cared for! From a humble People's car to a Ferrari!

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I had no idea my humble trio was in demand as well.

You didn't know? I was planning to steal them. Don't you remember I always talk more about your car locks. Why do you think I used to take the Swargate road to work?

Guys I have seen the President and the way it cranks to life will put most modern day cars to shame mine included. I haven't had much interaction with the 1100-103 but she is a beauty going by the records barring the luggage carrier on both the Fiats.

The VW Beetle story is very very interesting. I have seen it "Coming back to Life" from nowhere to somewhere and its taken this dude 3 years to get it to the current state.

I have heard the Triumph and was scared to come close to it let alone sit pillion when offered.

The Standard is still holding up lakhs of miles on the engine and still going strong but it needs a thorough restoration which is on cards. Did Karl mention that it was stolen and returned?

When are you enrolling for the MTV Youth Icon awards?

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

The VW Beetle story is very very interesting.

I have heard the Triumph and was scared to come close to it let alone sit pillion when offered.

Did Karl mention that it was stolen and returned?

See this is why I was pestering him to tell us all about these incidents & the whole process of restoration of cars. But I guess he's too lazy, only wants to see other people's cars being done & doesn't want to share his experiences with us.

[karlosdeville]

Sigh, if you insist Ishan.

My Great grand uncle Jehangirji Bhote loved the Standard Marque. He bought a 1948 Standard Flying 8 brand new, which he and his daughter used extensively. Regn BYF something.



In 55 he upgraded to a black Standard Super 10, BYH 1997, which he sold in 1960, and on Dec 26th 1960 he bought a spanking new Apple green and Ivory Standard 10, BYH 5123, badged a Pennant everywhere else. Accessories included a sun visor, window washer system, steering lock and twin Bosch horns, that cost 475 rupees. A princely sum back then! Those horns are valued at 5 grand today. Come January, and floods hit Pune, and the car went under, just 8 days old. All work was redone at the Dealer, Joshi Garage, free of cost. Joshi still sits at the same place, but thats a whole other story, so more later.

Jehangirji was your typical ghela parsee, yelling at everyone who slammed the doors too hard and the like. He passed away sometime in the 70s, and then his daughter continued to use the car. Sweet lil ol lady, God bless her, when she broke her hip in 2001 and decided to stop driving, she requested me to relieve her of maintaining the car, and asked me to take over. I could only be too happy. So Dec 26th 2001, 10 30AM in the midst of my exams I collected the family heirloom from her, and the rest is history.



She had done 134 thousand miles then, and Im still only around 1,36,800 now. The car has never left Pune though. Engine still on original bearings and what not. Shes a bit of a smoker, I suspect it needs new rings. Im making do with adapters temporarily. Heck, Ive got a brand new half-engine, including block, crank, piston, con rods to spare later.



Somewhere in the mid 90s my aunt went on her weekly shopping trip to Dorabjees, and returned to find the car missing from where she had parked it. The car was spotted by her neighbour a month later, and was recovered with the battery, radiator, and Bosch horns missing. Thankfully, her shopping was intact, though the crook decided to help himself to a bottle of Frams lemonade from the 12 that were in the car.

I really havent done much to the car since I got it, barring replacing a few missing/incorrect bits, and regular tuneups and oil changes. A perrenial problem in this car is the hydraulic clutch. Have changed the rubbers atleast 6 times. Chanced upon a brand new Made in England silencer, have fitted that. Strangely its a little noisier since then.



Am preparing for a full blown restoration in the future. Most of my spares have been hoarded. Anyone wants a taillight lens? I have 17.

When Joshi Garage was shutting shop, I bought 8 full sized cupboards and 4 tall racks worth of spares, most of which was for my car, including new suspension, drums, hubs, glasses, meters and even an NOS front fender. Might I add, his prices never changed since 1960! I still have a lot for the Standard 20 Van, but dont know of any existing.





Sorry, this thread has been nothing but me reminiscing, but like I said, the best is yet to come.

Cheers