Nov 29, 2016 08:22 AM
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"What makes you feel young is probably what will keep you feel alive" -(I just made that up)
Many of you might me thinking why someone has to write a review of a car which was phased out 6 years ago, now? Well I am writing this now and that is because, I bought mine yesterday and that was new enough for me.
So what is it?
The Maruti 800 5 Speed. This example was made in 2002 and the 5 speed gearbox on that old chassis with an upgraded rear suspension, makes it a total hooligan.
How did I buy it now and why did I buy it now? Why on earth now?(Caution: this is a long build up read on if you are totally jobless, bored and feel like you didn't exist)
I don't know if it is only me trying to be a critic or whether it is poor or exceptional observation skills, but since this space is available why not used it to find people who think the same.
Have a look at cars nowadays, the design language for cars have gone completely commercial and lacks soul or any sort of functionality. There are exceptions for sure but look at Hyundai for example, I believe the only car that was probably they designed was the i20. The Verna looks like a big i20 with a boot, and the Sonata looks like a big Verna with a bigger boot. Wonder if the designers have Kim Kardashian's butt in their minds, the only thing I see growing is the boot. The same goes to Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes! and BMW. I think I lost my point somewhere here but anyway, probably Kim Kardashian's butt broke my brain just likes she breaks the internet occasionally. But, among all the madness, there was this particular car that had been parked in my apartment most of the time in an uncovered parking lot wide open to the elements like mist, rain, sun, dust, bird poo and very recently a million droplets of paint! All thanks to the dummies who painted our apartment.
The little car I have to say has a heart made of nails. It braved the elements for almost 6 years and I frankly didn't know who the owner was until last week I cam to know that the car was on sale. I didn't think twice, I just bought it and I don't know why I bought it either when I already have my 2006 Baleno Vxi still running strong. I have been eyeing this car right from the day I started living in the apartment. Something told me that it was mine. And I tried hard to find who it belonged to and so on. The only thing I knew was the owner has given the keys to someone in the apartment and he used the car literally like a truck to ferry his goods for his business. He's a nice guy but I hated him just for doing that to be honest. What on earth was he thinking? In doing so he destroyed the door cards and to some extent the interior and the car smelled like s**t.
First Impressions - Will it start?
The car had been parked in the corner of our apartment for a while. It looked like an abandoned puppy to me and now that I've got the keys, I was determined to take good care of it. So I got into the car and the first thing I wanted to do was see what was under the bonnet and sure enough, I found a little heart under a ton of dust but to my surprise, not a single oil leak! Like I mentioned earlier this little thing is a fighter, got a heart of nails and takes anything thrown at it and is simply "un-kill-able" I say this because I grew up with one that my dad owned, and if Maruti Suzuki were to find how it was maintained, they would have secretly assassinated my dad. It was probably the worst maintained 800 on the planet and then it came to me when I was in college. What more can you ask for? A fked up car and a man with a fked up brain just out of his teens. My point here is that no matter what, the 800 never dies. Don't let its tiny foot print fool you for a second.
Back to the future and my new "old" 5 cog spec 800 with 12 valves and lot of power, I cranked it after I checked the oil level, battery and all that and with a signature 800 starting noise and shudder, the thing came to life and sounded like a boat as if only 2 cylinders were firing and the remaining one was just going up and down and enjoying the ride, and then it sounded like a Tata Ace. I let the car idle for a while and viola! the 3rd cylinder started firing and I was able to hear the smooth rumble of it little 3 cylinder heart with more or less the displacement of a an average milk bottle.
Anyways, I let the car idle for around 10 minutes and waited for the thermostat to kick in before I took it on the road to be sure that the radiator fan and the water pump works. If not I am sure that the 800 Thankfully it was, but when I opened up the coolant bottle, it was filled with tap water. Had I found the person who did that, I would have made him drink all that water out of the radiator when it was boiling hot! Honestly that's what people who fill up their cars with tap water instead of the recommended coolant deserve.
So it was time to drive it out of its wormhole after a long time in misery and almost instantly, the inconsistent throttle response meant that the air filter was clogged, the plenum was choked and the injectors needed cleaning. But the surprising thing was the car was working normally. I immediately knew this car will run strong if I spend a little bit and restore her former glory. I drove it over a rough patch of road and something so typical of a Maruti 800 was heard, rattling doors. All I had to do was the change was the inner door padding. Costed me around 800 rupees and that hushed up all the rattling and the car was super silent! Then it went to my trusted mechanic for replacing the engine and transmission oil, fuel injector cleaning and a squeaky clean throttle body and plenum.
What was it like to drive?
With fresh blood in the form of new oils, the car was unbelievably butter smooth to drive. So smooth beyond my belief. I took it out for a relatively short drive with my wife. And although we have a better car than the little 800, the experience of being so close in a confined space made the drive pretty special. To me it brought back a lot of beautiful memories from my dad's broken 800 and made me feel I was just out of college. The steering was typical 800 feel. Sometimes you'd feel you are in control like you are on a go kart or something and sometimes you['d feel you are stirring sugar in your tea cup, totally out of control. Well thanks to almost 10 year old tyres that are somewhat tortured by the elements. They got cracks on them that are wider than the grand canyon. Obviously with tyres that are out of whack, the handling was justified.
However, on a straight line, the drive is thoroughly enjoyable. Unlike, the normal 4 speed 800, this one's got a bit more grunt and its got a reasonable amount of low and mid torque that makes it driving through the traffic a breeze and makes all the auto wallas seething with jealousy. This thing can pull. What I mean is that with the little heart its got, it makes your day enjoyable with beautiful memories and always brings a smile to your face. How a car that doesn't have a name other than a number "800" could do that. Got to love the Japanese engineers for making something so simple yet functional.
All the fun was short lived. All of a sudden, I felt like something was being barbecued under the bonnet. I immediately know what it was, the cooling system. I had completely forgotten to mention that to my mechanic. About turn with an angry wife and a pleading husband and a car literally on the verge of an explosion, I dropped my angry wife home and drove straight to my trusty mechanic. We almost immediately found that the water jacket was leaking. Took around a day's work to replace it and now, I use it almost every single day and it just runs like clockwork. I absolutely love the way it flies now and I am sure if I buy her a set of nice shoes, with her wheel balancing and wheel alignment checked, she's going to be the perfect machine for cutting through Bangalore's mind bending traffic like a hot knife on butter.
Future Plans
Very obvious, the body needs a fresh coat of polish and before that a clean up for those paint droplets that looks like the milky way galaxy painted on the car's body. Or if that fails, a fresh coat of paint, probably an off white shade, stick the number 7 on the doors, blacken the door pillars and frames and the rims too.
The next thing it needs is a new set of tyres and probably needs a change of all the suspension bushes. I really feel the car can handle a lot more better if that is done. Barring everything the car had gone through, it still runs like new. If you time the gears right will hit 100 kph which will actually get you thinking whether you are actually in an 800 or something else. No, the acceleration isn't brutal but considering what it is, you will surely enjoy the poke it's got.
I have to say buying this car was money well spent just like the entire nation. I have never come across someone who was disappointed buying a Maruti 800 ever in my life. Yes, it is a car with a lot of limitations but nobody cared.
Why would I need a Maruti 800 now?
Everyone who knows me asked me this question. Honestly the moment I started driving this one, that's exactly when I came to realize how much I missed the thing. It brings back a lot of beautiful memories as this was the first car in my family. Dad and mom in the front and three unruly kids with all the luggage in the back. Our 1994 Neptune blue carburetted 800 took us wherever our family wanted to go. But on one miserable day, my father sold it and still regrets his decision.
And why did I buy it? Well whenever I get a chance to drive it, I feel I am just in college and driving this thing without a driving licence just for the heck of it. Makes me feel a whole lot younger.
