Premier 118NE - My latest crush!

Some of you might have heard of this good old car. For those who haven't, this is a car that came into existance late 80's/early 90's. It was love at first sight when I say it on streets for the first time when I was still a kid, atleast 16-17 years AGO. Dont know what or why, I just loved this car.  I havn't lost even a little interest on this car till date. It was around 2002, that I decided [read it as could afford] to buy a car. I was on a mad hunt for this Premier 118NE. I dint know much about cars, neither did many of my friends. I really couldnt get hold of a decent car. Each one had histories and had been with atleast 3-4 different people. 1 whole year passed, I couldnt get a decent 118NE. Finally, I went for a new Maruti 800. I got deviated a bit from my original interests. I started to believe that you dont really get good used 118NE's.

When I really had no hopes of having a 118NE of my own, there came some hope from a friend of mine who had a 118NE. A 1991 model, pearly white, bearing registration number KA-05-M-2072, registered with RTO on 3rd May 1991, in mint condition. They were not using it for a year or so due to unavailability of parts and since it was a pretty old horse. He offered me the car if I was still interested to use it. I was really really EXCITED and OVERJOYED about the idea and couldnt really express myself. Then came a loooong wait. He made me wait close to 6-8 weeks before I got my hands on it. Since it was unused, he had to get it repaired and rejuvenated a little. Non availability of some spare parts did not help the cause.

Finally finally, it was on 24 Sep 2008, that I got this car. I went to his house early in the morning to pick up the car. Did I ever say, I had never been in a 118NE before? Let alone driving  this car. It was washed thoroughly, it looked very neat and elegant. Once I got the keys to this beauty, it was like a dream come true. It took 5-6 minutes for me to find the ignition. The ignition on this car appears on the left of the steering wheel as compared to any other modern cars. Once I inserted the key, I tried starting it a few times, it failed. Then I realized the need for choke. After a brief search , I found the choke. Once I pulled it, it started in a jiffy. By the noise of the engine, I could feel how well it was maintained and how good the engine condition was. It was time to drive it. I was really nervous at this point. I shifted it to 1st gear, you will not believe how smoooooth the shift was. Even the latest cars cannot boast of such smooth transmission. Clutch was real hard, like in an old lorry. Once the car started moving, that was the moment of truth for me. It was a real smooth yet nervous drive. I was enjoying the drive, in the back of my mind I was shit scared on what if it gives up in between. I wasnt yet adjusted to the clutch and brakes yet. I knew nothing about what to do if it broke down in middle. I quickly went to a petrol pump and filled her up. 

02 Dec 2008 - Gas