Station wagons are quite popular in European countries, but for some reason, they never became popular in India. There were many manufacturers who tried this body style, but the majority of them opted for sedans or hatchbacks. Even an Indian manufacturer like Tata offered a station wagon named the Estate, available for sale from 1992 to 2000. It was a vehicle even used by the Indian Prime Minister’s convoy once. Finding a Tata Estate on the road is quite rare these days. In this video, we have an old Tata Estate that has been completely restored to its original condition.
The video has been shared by PETROLHEAD MOTOR GARAGE on their YouTube channel. The owner of this Estate has been working on this car for months. As this is an extremely rare car on the road, finding parts for these cars is a task in itself. The car has been completely restored by the owner. The owner showcases the car from the outside and then drives it to a location where he can clearly display the exterior and interior of the car.
On the way, he mentions that 95 percent of the interior work is finished, and the rest will be completed eventually. Starting with the outside, the original Tata moniker and logos on the car’s bonnet have been restored. The front grille, along with the Tata logo, has been restored to its former glory. The owner mentions that they also restored the bumper, installed fog lamps, and replaced the original headlamps with turn indicators.
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The entire station wagon was repainted in a silver-grey shade. Most of the parts on this car were restored to their original state. Moving to the side profile, the vlogger showcases the Estate’s original steel rims and wheel caps. The Tata logo on the wheel cap was originally finished in chrome but has now been repainted in a gunmetal grey shade for a cleaner look. The turn indicators and tail lamps have all been neatly restored. The owner also added an additional lamp under the car’s bumper. The car looks completely clean on the outside.
This was a car that came with several modern features like AC, power windows, and power steering. Originally, the car only came with AC vents at the front, but as this is a large car, the front AC vents were not enough to cool the cabin down. To solve this issue, the owner got a roof-mounted AC vent installed for the rear seat passengers. The roof-mounted unit is installed behind the rear seat so that it does not affect headspace. It appears that the AC vent was borrowed from an older generation Safari or another Tata vehicle. The roof liner has been completely redone in black fabric, giving the whole cabin a black theme.
The dashboard has been restored, and the power window buttons for the rear seat were replaced with an aftermarket unit. The original cassette player is still retained in the car. The door pads have also been repainted in black. Many of the beading and weather strips on this car have not been replaced because the owner could not find replacements. He mentions that they are planning to make those changes only when they find an original part or a replacement that fits neatly. The finished product looks quite neat on the outside.
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