We calculated the fuel efficiency for the entire 2800 km journey and were astounded to achieve a commendable 17.7 km/L from our spirited VTEC!
BHPian pandu1564 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Celebrating One Year with My Beloved 2001 Honda City VTEC and the Unforgettable 2800 km Journey that Brought it Home from Jammu!
This story is about more than just a car; it’s about a family dream, a nod to a legendary engine, and an adventure that echoed my grandfather’s cross-country drives.
It all began last April during my internship at Tata Motors. The need for our own car had become pressing. Sharing vehicles with our extended family often felt like a hurdle, a constant need to ask before taking one out.
As a dedicated Team-BHP member and a keen observer of the classifieds, my search commenced with a tight budget. Realistically, we were looking at Altos or Celerios. However, the enthusiast in me craved something more: spacious, unique, and within our means. My dad desired frugality (16+ KMPL) and reliability with affordable parts, Mom wanted city-friendly dimensions, and my sister insisted on a proper three-box sedan.
My search narrowed from Swift diesels to Accord V6s, eventually landing on Vernas and Honda Cities. Then, Faisal Khan’s review of the City VTEC Type 2 sealed the deal in my mind: I had to find a pure, stock example. That video instantly captivated me. An earlier attempt to buy one in Goa fell through, but this time, my dad, surprisingly, gave his approval.
Finding a well-maintained VTEC in Maharashtra or Karnataka proved futile, with most examples sporting questionable modifications. Then, a Team-BHP classified ad from Jammu appeared. The thought of traveling nearly 3000 km seemed improbable, especially with my dad’s potential reservations about buying such an old car sight unseen.
Yet, when I contacted the owner, a fellow enthusiast named, I was amazed to find we shared the same first name! He turned out to be a true-blue car enthusiast with a wide car collection ranging from a W124 Mercedes-Benz to a BMW X5, and even a Mini as well as various Toyotas and Hondas. This particular 2001 Honda City VTEC, with 1.39 lakh kilometers on the odometer, was his first car – a companion through college and the start of his business. His reason for selling was simple: lack of parking and a desire for the car to be cherished.
We thoroughly inspected our soon-to-be car. While we were very happy with the mechanical aspects, we did notice that it wasn’t quite in the same pristine condition as the photos suggested. The car had its chrome window trim faded quite badly, a clear sign of its age. Although the interiors were completely stock, they too were beginning to show their years. However, the previous owner, being the thoughtful enthusiast he was, had kindly fitted new speakers and a Bluetooth stereo, ensuring our long journey back home would have a good soundtrack – both for us and for the eventual Team-BHP forum review! The car had undergone a minor restoration in 2019 with an exterior repaint, and its paperwork was clear until August 2024, with insurance valid until March 2025.
I pitched the idea to my family as a combined car-buying and Vaishno Devi pilgrimage. To my delight, Dad agreed! It was also his dream to go pan-India in a car, driving miles and visiting and exploring India, and this was his first step towards it. My grandfather has always been a driving enthusiast and, to this day, drives himself to every part of India in a car. In the 80s, he had a 1950s Dodge sedan, which he took to the Chota Char Dham Yatra along with his friends. His stories of how he would drive at night in the ghats to keep the engine cool and avoid traffic were a commendable testament to his daring and adventurous spirit, which both my dad and I deeply admire. This trip was all but a moment to live and experience those stories of exploring India like how my Grandfather did in his prime.
On April 29thmy Mom, Dad, and sister left from Kolhapur to Pune via Shivai, and I would receive them at Pune Bus stand as I was already in Pune because of my Internship. Our flight was early morning from Pune to Delhi and from Delhi to Jammu via Srinagar. We arrived in Jammu for lunch on April 30thand the ex-owner warmly welcomed us in his W212 E350 CDI. He hosted us for lunch and gave us a tour of his incredible car collection.
After the inspection and a thorough service (including an engine oil change), the ex-owner generously offered us spare parts from his SX8 parts car. With a boot full of luggage and spares, and after completing the paperwork, we set off towards Vaishno devienjoying the initial drive. We reached there in the evening, having sorted out tire pressures and a Fastag along the way.
The spare parts from donor 1.5 EXI
After a comfortable night’s stay, we took a helicopter to the Vaishno devi shrine the next day. Completing the darshans, we returned to our hotel that night. The following day, we drove to Patnitopa stunning place with sub-10-degree temperatures in early May! We captured many memories and saw snow-capped mountains for the first time (except for Dad). This trip also marked the first flight for Mom, my sister, and me – truly a blessing.
Vaishno devi temple
From there, we faced a hiccup. Suddenly, there was a very bad patch of road, and the check engine light illuminated. The car started to jerk, and the engine temperature went down completely. I was super tense and immediately called the owner. He suggested visiting Jammu for an inspection, but we sat for a few minutes, restarted the car, and the check engine light went off. Still, we decided to visit a mechanic in Jammu, and after getting the green signal, we carried on to Amritsar.
But as we entered Jammu, we had to take a different route to Amritsar, which was completely traffic-packed. Our patience was thoroughly tested by that summer heat and the new car. We skipped lunch but ate a lot of fresh fruits and drank a lot of water. I had even converted my SIM to postpaid to ensure network connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir. This all changed as soon as we crossed Pathankot and entered Punjab; our mobile phones started chiming, and we were back in the networks.
We reached Amritsar and booked a hotel just beside the Golden Temple. After resting for some time, we went to roam around and eat in the famous Kasar and Dhabaa place I remember being over 100 years old. I ate firni also, and the whole vibe was amazing. The next morning, we visited the Golden Temple and then Jaalmala before having a heavy brunch, as our next stop was the Attari-Wagah border. The experience was so good; our minds and hearts recharged with patriotism, and we set out for a night stay at Bathindaas it was on the way to Jodhpur.
Outside a rajasthani dhaba
The next day, we took an expressway that wasn’t yet open. It was a surreal road cutting through the desert with no tolls operational. I can’t pinpoint the exact roads as my Google Timeline decided to vanish. As our Kuldevi is in Partsabout 40 km from Jodhpur, this route conveniently took us straight there before we had to take an exit. Because the road wasn’t fully operational, the petrol pumps weren’t open either, and we had to take a detour just to refuel before getting back on track. The roads were breathtaking, surrounded by dunes and small, virtually deserted villages. Driving on that road was an incredible experience. We briefly unleashed the marvelous VTEC enginekeeping it within speed limits, of course.
Just for a size comparison
We reached Parts around lunchtime, stayed at Maheshwari bhavanand relaxed. In the evening, we attended the evening aarti, and after having dinner, we called it a day. The next day, we set off to Nathdwara and went to take darshan and have lunch, as our next stop was Ahmedabad. But on the way to Ahmedabad, we faced heavy traffic, and our plans to visit Kankariya lake got canceled. We stayed at the Swaminarayan temple. The next day, we relaxed a little and started our journey towards Panvel.
Somewhere near Jodhpur
Near Maharashtra Gujarat Border
The worst part of the roads began when we entered Maharashtra. Suddenly, the roads deteriorated significantly, and the traffic became so chaotic that it felt like Rajasthan and Gujarat had far superior road infrastructure. This day was quite a long one as the bad roads and heavy traffic took their toll, compounded by the weather, which put our little VTEC’s air conditioning to its maximum test to keep the cabin cool. Now coming to car comfort, this is the only car I don’t mind taking a nap in the backseat as the backrest angle is just right compared to our other family cars: a 2016 Vitara Brezza and a 2005 wagonr.
Mumbai Pune Expressway sunrise
Panvel is where my cousin uncle lives, so we stayed there for the night of May 6th, and we started our journey early the next day, around 5 AM, reaching Kolhapur by 11:30 AM, including a breakfast break near Satara.
Home safe Home!!
This was my crazy trip to bring home our first car, a fantastic 2001 Honda City VTEC with 1.39 lakh kilometers on the clock, and what an incredible car and journey it has been! The faded chrome trim and slightly aged interiors are just character, and the driving experience more than makes up for it. Adding to the pleasant surprises of this trip, we calculated the fuel efficiency for the entire 2800 km journey and were astounded to achieve a commendable 17.7 kmpl from our spirited VTEC!
Recent photo after all RTO Passing and Choice number installed
I will update this forum with the problems and repairs I am currently facing, along with some future restoration mods. Stay tuned!
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