BHPian Schnellby recently shared this with other enthusiasts: Hello BHPians. It’s a Monday after a good weekend as I start to write this, with the smiles still on my face from a weekend spin in my recently restored 1991 Premier 118NE. The joy this car delivers is unmatched to any other car I can think of. It’s also nice to drive around in a car that’s very mechanical and raw. But, years ago, I would not have seen this day coming to light, as this car was once on the verge of being sold off to get a scooter instead! Let me take you through the journey of this white 1991 Premier 118NE, through the journey of getting into our hands, the ups, the downs, the tedious journey through restoration and the drama after it as well. Welcome to my 118NE thread. Early Memories: Our family hails from Mangalore. Bangalore was a new city to us as a family. Though my dad had been around for a while to get used to it as a bachelor, as a family, we relied on a faithful Suzuki Samurai to take us around. Though I loved the Yamaha RX100 more, the Samurai was an equally thrilling experience for a millennial kid. It seemed as though the thrill of bikes would have bitten me until my sister joined the family and now it was high time for a car.Still wish we had this bike around. Would have completed the garageMeanwhile, my dad’s uncle had been a priest for a while now. He was the parish priest for a certain church in Sakleshpur and was only transferred in and around the Chikmagalur area (post each 5-year tenure). The vehicle he had to travel around? A 1991 white Premier 118NE. Sadly, I did not have the chance to talk to my dad’s late uncle and get more information on the car, but this car was probably bought or given sometime during the late 90’s for him to travel around the vast ghats and rural roads between towns. The car was a stand-out even back then. People in the town knew it was him passing by the towns with the distinct looks of the 118NE among the Sumo’s and Tempo’s plying around. While the car was useful for him, it did come with a lot of issues. The car had frequent breakdowns. Considering this, in an area where mechanics were scarce, it was a tough one to maintain. Added to that was the winding ghat roads coupled with a car without power steering. Though common back in the day, the manual steering was taking a toll on him for his age. Time had come to let go of the 118NE. As one wanted to get rid of the car while another wanted it, both timings matched, the car was handed over to my dad right when it was a necessity. It was not easy as the car had to now be fixed before running. For those who remember, there used to be a massive garage behind the fuel station opposite Sagar Apollo in Jayanagar. The garage in question was Premier Land. The garage was an authorised service center for Fiats and Premiers and was a famous one. The man running it, Mr. Govindan, was a passionate Premier and Fiat enthusiast who oversaw works on all cars with meticulous detail. Our 118 could finally have its issues addressed to run smoothly. For now, the engine was the focus of fixing, and the car was now a suitable car for our family of four. Premier Land, currently not in service but the board still remains: The car was a faithful mile muncher. Apart from all the city trips, it was a charm travelling in the 118 to Mangalore/Udupi almost thrice a year. I have vivid memories of taking the front seat as a kid and changing cassettes when Part A of the cassette had completed. The car also had AC fitted from factory, but our conservative family preferred rolling down the windows instead. The wildest fact would be this: The fastest we have covered Bangalore to Mangalore is in the 118NE! A timing not beaten yet, according to my dad, who now drives a mile munching Mahindra Xylo. The car was also built to take on serious loads. We have had a good 7 folks fit inside, sitting lap on lap, with the car not struggling through. Giving the Ambi a good competition. A few modifications were done over time. As the years passed and cars around got modern. The car had its seats redone to more comfortable wider seats. Cassettes were slowly items of yesteryears, so a Pioneer head unit and speaker system was added. Mr. Govindan had pointed out the extensive rust on the car. He had suggested we change the body (with another shell) while retaining the chassis number. Though tempted, my dad refused and had the car painted and touched up. Metal bumpers were added front and back, a modification that turned out to be a fun saver in a few touches in Bangalore traffic. Notable incident would be one where a Hyundai Santro was coming in a bit too hot and rammed the 118 from behind. He immediately got out and headed straight to the driver side of our car to apologise. We had no worries. We just had to remind him to take a look at his bumper that took the toll of the metal bumpers xDThe only pictures I could find of the 118. With only me being crazy behind cars, no one else really cared to take pictures of the car over time:Continue reading BHPian Schnellby’s post for more insights and information.
