MEMORY ON WHEELS

Old is gold and vintage is priceless. Be it your childhood possession or a car. Here is a cruise through the ins and outs of vintage cars and how to keep them sparkling and chugging.

Any car manufactured before 1940 is a vintage car and the cars which are manufactured between the years 1941-1960 are called classics, all this is provided they are imported, important and rare. These motoring beauties are a wonder of their own kind. There are almost 80 vintage cars in Goa, almost 60 of them in good state. Among the major collectors of Goa are Narcinva Damodar Naik, Jaywant Chowgule, Jitendra Deshprabhu, Caculos, Joshis and Ashvek Vintage World.

Owning a vintage car is a matter of pride but what about maintenance? To maintain a car is expensive and to source spares for these cars is a Herculean task. The smallest nutbolt may cost Rs. 10 but to get it done to its original specification may cost Rs. 100. The cost that affects one’s pocket is when you are actually spending money hunting for the spare parts.

Starting in Goa, the hunt may even take you as far as Mumbai or Bangalore to source spares. This whole process of maintaining a car is like that of bringing up a child. The pains you go through gives you the final satisfaction of seeing it grow. In order to maintain a car in running condition one has to see that the car is started every week and taken for a small round to prevent the brake system from getting jammed. This also keeps the battery charged.

With regards to awareness, there has been an increasing passion for vintage cars and a lot of awareness has been created with the help of vintage rallies. People have realized after witnessing the rally that these old cars could be brought back to its original glory. They can also fetch a good price or be used for an enjoyable ride down memory lane.

(This article is written by Pradeep V Naik and first appeared in the ‘Times of India’ in the Times Drive-In section.)