[Stanher]

Originally Posted by harit

it could also be from a Movie. The driver suggests that. This seems to be an old picture. Amol (Palekar,not Mole), can you inform if that is U in the cab?

That's indeed Amol Palekar, and as karl said, the lady is comedian Tun Tun. This I presume is from a '70s movie "taxi taxi" starring Amol P who acts as a cabbie. I remember watching it on TV years ago. Even though he was an acotr more towards the low-budget, this movie didn't appear to be as successful as the other movies he's acted in (viz. Rajnigandha, Choti si baat, golmaal) as I haven't heard of seen it anywhere else again.

And I'm skeptical about the car number being real (especailly the 786 bit), though I'm not too well-versed with B'bay taxi regns.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Stanher

And I'm skeptical about the car number being real (especailly the 786 bit), though I'm not too well-versed with B'bay taxi regns.

MRS is a genuine taxi plate from that era. The car is a 67 model.

[President]

Spotted this white colour Fiat 1100 Elegant some time ago, in one of the lanes at Bandra (W). Today, I was told, that this is Jackie Shroff's car which is parked sometimes outside his new Apartment.
Nice car and period registration number too. Almost complete with many original fitments.

[wasif]

Does anyone actually have one of the old Fiat Taxi s from Bombay authentically restored with the correct Taxi colours and the meter etc.

It would make a real conversation piece, to have the meter ticking when out cruising.

BTW the rear plate light on BUY 5078 looks like it came off an Amby.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by wasif

Does anyone actually have one of the old Fiat Taxi s from Bombay authentically restored with the correct Taxi colours and the meter etc.

It would make a real conversation piece, to have the meter ticking when out cruising.

BTW the rear plate light on BUY 5078 looks like it came off an Amby.

The oldest taxi in Bombay, a 62 Super Select was recently rescued at the last minute by a collector. I dont know whether it will be restored as a taxi though, I hope it will. I would love to have one, but lack of vitamin M. Plus the problem is the vehicle is deregistered for use on roads. Even if we somehow reregister it, we cannot keep it in black and yellow with meter etc. Only a static display perhaps.

The numberplate light on BYJ car is original, and somewhat similar in design to the Amby unit, but in aluminium.

[MMY56]

Ok...i guess I should start a new thread for this. But I would like to discuss this first with fellow fiat owners.
Has anyone experienced this before? The rear glass on my Padmini cracked today. The car was parked in the sun all day inside our office premices. Since the car was inside the campus, chances of someone breaking the glass on purpose is most unlikely.
I got a call from the security guard and he said he was actually able to see the glass cracking and disintegrating in front of his eyes.
Point to note was that most of the larger pieces of glass was outside the car.
Would like to know if anyone has experienced it before?
The whole glass was cracked like I had an accident with two holes in the area where the glass bends. Pictures for reference.
Any thoughts how it can happen?

[President]

Thanks for sharing the pics. Never experienced such a thing before.
But this explains why old timers used to keep one or two car glasses slightly opened for ventilation when parked in peak summer heat.

[harit]

Originally Posted by MMY56

Ok...i guess I should start a new thread for this. But I would like to discuss this first with fellow fiat owners.
Has anyone experienced this before? The rear glass on my Padmini cracked today. The car was parked in the sun all day inside our office premices. Since the car was inside the campus, chances of someone breaking the glass on purpose is most unlikely.
I got a call from the security guard and he said he was actually able to see the glass cracking and disintegrating in front of his eyes.
Point to note was that most of the larger pieces of glass was outside the car.
Would like to know if anyone has experienced it before?
The whole glass was cracked like I had an accident with two holes in the area where the glass bends. Pictures for reference.
Any thoughts how it can happen?

One reason could have been, but need not have been in your case, that the glass was of poor quality and there was some inbuilt tension in it. With age and exposures to heat, these stresses or tensions have caused the glass to shatter. Sometimes you can see these defects in the glass, I have had this in my Amby and Contessa.
There is no remedy, buying an original company approved glass was no solution, most qualities were bad.

President commented about leaving a window slightly open. That is absolutely correct, but this is not restricted to oldtimers. Even today, when my car is parked in the office compound(safe), I leave two windows slightly open. The effect of the hot sun on a closed car is exactly like that of a pressure cooker, it gets hot very fast and reaches higher temperatures. Not very good for the plastics and seat material. But do this at your own risk, a safe place is recomended. Since on this subject, one more tip: when your car stood in the sun, switch on the A/c and open windows for 10 minutes, cooling will be faster.

Cheers harit

[john a milne]

I think that the tinted treatment on the window is also a factor as it absorbs the heat, as it should, but in your case blow your window out.
I am considering putting a tint on our Fiats windows and if so, will keep the windows down a little.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear Manish - this is known as "suicide of glass" (in the company officially we call it as such) and is caused due to thermal stresses. I have simulated this in the lab. Nothing new. This indicates that summers are getting more and more severe. Just get another glass from the used car market, should not cost you more than 200 rupees or so. By the way, do you have sun film inside the glass or is the glass tinted? Different rates of thermal expansion of both materials can also cause this. That's one of the reasons why no sun film is approved by manufacturers. The third reason could be incorrect mounting / skewed fitment.

By the way, I have picked up a steering wheel for you from the Nasik Chor Bazaar. Please take it when you visit next time.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[MMY56]

Originally Posted by harit

One reason could have been, but need not have been in your case, that the glass was of poor quality and there was some inbuilt tension in it. With age and exposures to heat, these stresses or tensions have caused the glass to shatter. Sometimes you can see these defects in the glass, I have had this in my Amby and Contessa.
There is no remedy, buying an original company approved glass was no solution, most qualities were bad.

President commented about leaving a window slightly open. That is absolutely correct, but this is not restricted to oldtimers. Even today, when my car is parked in the office compound(safe), I leave two windows slightly open. The effect of the hot sun on a closed car is exactly like that of a pressure cooker, it gets hot very fast and reaches higher temperatures. Not very good for the plastics and seat material. But do this at your own risk, a safe place is recomended. Since on this subject, one more tip: when your car stood in the sun, switch on the A/c and open windows for 10 minutes, cooling will be faster.

Cheers harit

I actually had the front driver side glass slightly lowered. So I guess we can count the pressure cooker effect out. I guess it was probably due to the age of the glass. There was no film on the glass but it was tinted (dark black). I doubt that it was a poor quality glass but the black tint coud be the reason it absorbed so much heat.

I believe there can be a combination of multiple reasons.
1. The glass is not fitted properly and thatc could have created stress/tension in the area where the glass bends (vunrable area for stess applied from the sides).
2. Due to direct heat, the cars metal body will definately expand. Maybe causing more stress on the glass. The expansion may be very little, but will definately have some impact on the glass.
3. The tinted glass absorbing more heat than a clear glass.

And kaput, the glass dissintegrates.

I guess car companies should keep in mind global warming when designing cars now.

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Manish - this is known as "suicide of glass" (in the company officially we call it as such) and is caused due to thermal stresses. I have simulated this in the lab. Nothing new. This indicates that summers are getting more and more severe. Just get another glass from the used car market, should not cost you more than 200 rupees or so. By the way, do you have sun film inside the glass or is the glass tinted? Different rates of thermal expansion of both materials can also cause this. That's one of the reasons why no sun film is approved by manufacturers. The third reason could be incorrect mounting / skewed fitment.

By the way, I have picked up a steering wheel for you from the Nasik Chor Bazaar. Please take it when you visit next time.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Thank you sir for the stearing wheel. I will pick it up at the next meet.
Is it just the wheel or the complete thing with the plastic column covers?

I am actually going to the security guys to have a look at the survalance video. If I am able to get a copy of the video, I will post it online. Im sure such phenominons are not documented anywhere. Another example of global warming.

I got the car fixed yeaterday evening. Cost me 500 Rs. Its the orignal Safex glass with the PAL logo. Personally I dint like the black glass. The car looks much better now with the clear glass.

Will be putting the Garware Ice cool film on it. I have a large piece left from when I did the front glass.

Thanks again.


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[V-16]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

MRS is a genuine taxi plate from that era. The car is a 67 model.

The series MRS was also used in larger commercial vehicles such as trucks.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by V-16

The series MRS was also used in larger commercial vehicles such as trucks.

Yes indeed. I dont think there was a special taxi-only series, they were common for all commercial vehicles, white plates at that time.

[harit]

Originally Posted by V-16

The series MRS was also used in larger commercial vehicles such as trucks.

Hi, hope you had a great day yesterday!

MRR, MRS (whose?) followed by MRT were the commercial registration series prevalent on all commercial vehicles including BEST buses. Before that we had series like BMQ etc. MRT was later followed by MRK. When MR series were over, they had MM series like MMS. There has never been a taxi only series.

Cheers harit

[star_is_here]

Hi Harit - MRO series if I am not mistaken was a Bomaby TAXI series. I am open to correction though!