BHPian 300 KMPH recently shared this with other enthusiasts: Hello all. First of all, sincere apologies for such a delayed update. My Indica was ready in August 2023. The car is fully restored and I am thoroughly enjoying the ride! However, let me take you through a detailed journey of the restoration. So, as per my last post, my car reached Pune for restoration, and the stripping began! So now the real tedious process was about to start. Getting one engine mount replaced, as it involved removing the engineFinding all the original spares Note the rusted battery tray which was refabricated Like any other car guy, I headed to Boodmo and started my search. So the list of spares I found on that website was: All the badges (apart from the front Tata logo and rear LSI logo)Side indicatorsPedal shoesSide mirrorsInternal rear view mirrorSteering (from Indigo)Bonnet insulationChild safety lock original sticker (LHS door)Spares which I could not find: Original grey Indica steeringNon-clear lens type 1 HeadlightsNon-clear lens type 1 TaillightsAC Control PanelRear Spoiler along with brake lightThe LHS seatbelt, which was bitten by a ratParcel Shelf (original one was rattly because of the speakers in it)I had decided to let Asit take care of the mechanical stuff, and I will scan the market for all the cosmetics. After searching everywhere online, I still could not find the above list of spares. It was time to scan the market offline, just like the old days! So I visited Nasik for some work and decided to check the spare parts market there, and this is what I found:AC panel from the IndigoOriginal headlights (IJL make so mostly from a pre-V2 Indica)LHS taillight So I had all the parts with me apart from the cracked spoiler and the RHS taillight. As I was searching for the parts, Asit updated me with the project: The car was in the paint booth, and it was now once again wearing a new coat of Coral GreenThe AC failed, an electrical issue with the compressorThe rear brake of the car was jamming up, and the car lost its composure once during a test drive as the wheels locked upThe engine fan failed (a common issue with old cars), and the electrician was not able to fix itMeanwhile, here are some pics fresh from the paint booth! (Tears of joy) In the process of searching for some parts, I contacted Mr. J Anand (JA Motorsport). I had an opportunity to meet him virtually in lockdown, where he shared some brilliant stories of the Indica Prototypes he built and the JTP twins. That’s when it struck my mind to recreate one of his old prototypes of the Indica Sport. But, this car was too special to be fiddled around externally so I thought of trying out my luck if Mr. Anand has any of the bespoke Indica parts lying around with him. He responded that he did not have any parts but looking at my passion behind this, he was kind enough to send me some stickers and merchandise. I was thrilled! And after a few follow-ups, this is what I got! As a kid, I used to read about his projects. Fast forward to 2023, he himself sent me this small yet valuable gift for my Indica. 2 months passed by, and there was no progress as such. I visited Asit’s workshop once and gave him the parts that I got from Nasik. The car was still overheating, and the 3 spare parts were still not available. During online scanning, I found a Xeta’s boot for sale in Pune with a spoiler on it. I contacted Asit, and he bought the spoiler and got it painted in Coral Green. But the spoiler did not fit because the mounting points were changed! Tata, why? Finally, after some days, Asit rang me up and said the engine fan issue has been rectified, so the heating issue is under control. After that, Asit started putting the dismantled parts one by one. Unfortunately, the Indigo steering did not fit (as the back plate was different, why Tata?), and the old steering had to be reused, which was not properly restored. As it was clear-coated, the steering did not retain the OEM look. As the RHS taillight was not available, I had put up a story on Instagram asking for help. So a follower from Sambhajinagar sent me a message with a screenshot of a WhatsApp status showing a 2002 Indica DLS getting scrapped in South India. He passed me the scrapper’s contact. I called him up and asked for the taillight. The light was intact. Along with that, I also bought a couple of extra interior trims. The seller was so nice that he shipped me the parts before any kind of payment! That’s what I call trust. Now, just before we had given up on the missing spares, Asit got a phone call from his vendor, and he said a Tata Indica has come for scrapping, so you’d better have a look. Asit sent his boys, and a 2003 Tata Indica LSI was getting scrapped with everything on it intact! Immediately, he took out the seatbelt and the spoiler, which finally made the car complete. He said, I can come to his workshop on 5th August 2023 to collect the car. Once I reached the workshop, the car was getting polished, but the badges were not placed. Asit told me that he took a call that the badges will be placed in front of me so that the bodyshop guys do not make any mistakes. After spending nearly 3 hours, the car was ready to come to me forever! Asit’s whole team was happy as this was their first ground-up restoration. Also, not a single part was lost in the process. That is me (in the black shirt) and Asit The journey that I waited for a decade! So 5th August 2023, I and the Indica hit the expressway on my way back to Mumbai (her forever home). It was raining cats and dogs on the expressway, so the car was filled with muck till I reached Mumbai. Nevertheless, the car was blessed from the same temple at Shivaji Park when we got the car home back in 2003. Resto did not end here.. I was unhappy with the steering’s finish. So after spending 6 hours in Mumbai, I found an old Indica steering which matched my car but needed to be painted. So I bought that and got it painted at my local workshop. When the engine was removed and reinstalled, there was an issue with the installation of the exhaust, and the headers were leaking. Instead of reinstalling the same headers, I decided to go for new ones. Wrapped up the B-pillars in black for ‘Indica LXI’ effect. This was a popular mod back in the day, as only top-end variants used to get black B-pillars. I also got the car thoroughly detailed as I had rushed it to Mumbai. Here are some pics after detailing. Adding the old touches back again.. As this car was a wave of nostalgia for me, I wanted to replicate whatever the car had in our previous tenure of ownership. So I found the original K&N sticker that my car used to have earlier and put it back at the same spot. Before selling the car, I had carefully kept the seatbelt cushions with me, which my brother had gotten locally. They are back in the car again! My dream was to get J. Anand bits on the Indica, but sadly, he did not have any parts. But it was a proud moment for me to put the stickers on the car sent by the man himself. Noisy LHS suspension and long crank Though everything was fixed, two issues remained that Asit could not fix. Constant noise from the left suspension and long crank during hot starts. Remember, Indica was a nose-heavy car, and it used to put intense stress on the front end if you did something stupid. After trying out multiple mechanics, my friend suggested a mechanic who was not at all heard of in our Mumbai automotive circle,e but I had to try him out. He found out that the bushing was not properly installed. Reinstallation eliminated the noise and now the car was perfect. But I forgot it’s an Indica! After the suspension issue was sorted, the engine fan issue came back on the same day I fixed the suspension issue. I thought it would have been the wiring, but this time the fan had gone kaput. My local electrician sourced a brand new original AC fan and the problem was solved. Even after this, the fan again stopped working on one of my trips to Karjat. The car did not overheat as I was speeding. If I had encountered a traffic jam, my car would have overheated yet again. Thankfully, this time it was just a bad wire, which got fixed in 2 hours. Talking about the long crank, the battery was fine, and even the fuel pump. A bad starter motor was also suspected but eventually ruled out. This same mechanic told me it’s the fuel pressure regulator valve that is causing the issues. After struggling a lot, I found a brand new part in a local store. After the part was installed, starting at any temperature was a breeze! And most importantly, the exhaust was not throwing water during cold starts, which was not happening earlier. All the effort was absolutely worth it as this restoration did catch some attention and my Indica got featured by many publications. Here are the links. Evo India: Gone but not forgotten Video: Link Video: Link MotorbeamVideo: Link Car Crazy Guy on InstagramVideo: Link Here is the first-ever event of MH 01 MA 3146. Generation Speed 2025! Current update: This is now more of a weekend car, and I sometimes take it to work. The car does make funny rattles, and niggling suspension issues keep cropping up. But just like how the car used to be, it has been reliable, and I love the throaty note of the engine. After regular usage, the engine now runs the way it should. I bought the car back at 57,000 kms. Right now it is at 63,000 kms. My Indica has been a time machine for my friends and family. This car has taught me the power of manifestation. I dreamt of owning an Indica again since my family sold it. I knew it would happen one day, but little did I ever imagine that I would end up buying my same car again. This car is special; it has some kind of spirit and soul which I cannot describe. It is not perfect, it shows its age, by no means can it replace a modern car, but it has the power to connect people, and it feels like the car just wants to stay with me forever. So, ladies and gentlemen, this could probably be the first ever Indica to be restored to its OEM spec. There are some OEM examples surviving around the country, but those are mostly unrestored and well-preserved cars. I feel immense pride to own and drive one of the most popular cars in the country. Restoring a Tata car was a big challenge for me, which I could complete with everyone’s support. Here is a final before-after pic. Same car, same location, same owner, but still a new beginning. You might be wondering why the car was restored in 2023. So how does it look in 2025? Well, here are the latest pics. A big thank you to everyone for reading this thread till the end. I will keep on updating this thread from time to time. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
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I rebuilt my childhood Tata Indica after 20 years!
