<p>The spanner, screwdriver, nuts and bolts were VB Raghunath’s constant companions during his growing up years. He would spend most of his time after school at a family friend’s garage where he would effortlessly dismantle things and reassemble them till this habit developed into an expertise in restoring old cars.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Raghunath believes his expertise paid off when he could restore his 1937 Austin back to its full glory. “It took us a year to complete the restoration and we did it in time to present it to my father on his 79th birthday in October last year,” explains Raghunath. <br /><br />The car was first bought for a sum of Rs 2,000 in 1964 by his father VB Viswanath. “Our family owns a printing press and I was well-versed with machines from a young age. The chance to learn the working of this car came as an additional experience. The Austin was taken to several mechanics and it is when we lost some of its original parts that we decided to bring it home and restore it ourselves,” he adds.<br /><br />Raghunath recalls that it was a nightmarish experience leaving the vehicle in the garage. “We noticed that some of the original parts went missing; the mechanics at the garage dumped a lot of junk on the seats, spoiling its cover and we also found a lot of rat droppings inside the car. It was after this that we decided to call a mechanic home and get the car restored under our supervision,” says Raghunath. <br /><br />As the first step towards the restoration process, Raghunath found a person who specialised in tinkering and painting and commissioned the job. “I bought new bolts, seat covers and got the dash board repainted. One of my friends gave the interiors a teak wood finish. I already had a spare gear box, headlights and reflectors with me (some of which I had collected over the years for vintage cars),” explains Raghunath. <br /><br />The car comfortably accommodates 4 people and gives a mileage of 10 km within the city and 13 km on the highway. “I can comfortably drive at a speed of 80 km per hour on the highway in the Austin. It’s not just for long drives but I also make it a point to take the car for a spin every Sunday. I don’t let it gather dust and rust,” says Raghunath. <br /><br />Raghunath’s siblings — Anuradha, VB Shoba, and VBL Narayan — have been instrumental in helping him in the restoration process. “My brother is an engineer and my nephew Shreyas, who is doing his engineering, is equally interested in understanding the working of these old beauties,” he adds. <br /><br />He also has in his possession a 1969 Jawa which his father rode regularly from Bengaluru to Mysuru. “The Jawa has covered 9 lakh kilometres and is still going strong. Both the car and the bike have been with the family for a long time and this invariably <br />makes the vehicles an integral part of the family,” shares Raghunath. <br /><br />Raghunath is a part of all the prominent vintage rallies and says his car manages to attract a lot of attention. “There are people who have taken pictures beside the car and posted them on Facebook. This has added to the charm and popularity of the Austin,” he says. <br /><br />The family enjoys their drive in the car and Raghunath says he maintains a certain distance from other vehicles whenever he takes it out. “The vehicle has an indicator but I continue to use the hand signal whenever I am driving. This is a habit that I really can’t get over and surprisingly, my fellow passengers too seem to like using the hand signal,” he shares. The family hasn’t ruled out the chance of adding on to their grand collection. <br /><br />(Raghunath can be reached on 9945018422)</p>
<p>The spanner, screwdriver, nuts and bolts were VB Raghunath’s constant companions during his growing up years. He would spend most of his time after school at a family friend’s garage where he would effortlessly dismantle things and reassemble them till this habit developed into an expertise in restoring old cars.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Raghunath believes his expertise paid off when he could restore his 1937 Austin back to its full glory. “It took us a year to complete the restoration and we did it in time to present it to my father on his 79th birthday in October last year,” explains Raghunath. <br /><br />The car was first bought for a sum of Rs 2,000 in 1964 by his father VB Viswanath. “Our family owns a printing press and I was well-versed with machines from a young age. The chance to learn the working of this car came as an additional experience. The Austin was taken to several mechanics and it is when we lost some of its original parts that we decided to bring it home and restore it ourselves,” he adds.<br /><br />Raghunath recalls that it was a nightmarish experience leaving the vehicle in the garage. “We noticed that some of the original parts went missing; the mechanics at the garage dumped a lot of junk on the seats, spoiling its cover and we also found a lot of rat droppings inside the car. It was after this that we decided to call a mechanic home and get the car restored under our supervision,” says Raghunath. <br /><br />As the first step towards the restoration process, Raghunath found a person who specialised in tinkering and painting and commissioned the job. “I bought new bolts, seat covers and got the dash board repainted. One of my friends gave the interiors a teak wood finish. I already had a spare gear box, headlights and reflectors with me (some of which I had collected over the years for vintage cars),” explains Raghunath. <br /><br />The car comfortably accommodates 4 people and gives a mileage of 10 km within the city and 13 km on the highway. “I can comfortably drive at a speed of 80 km per hour on the highway in the Austin. It’s not just for long drives but I also make it a point to take the car for a spin every Sunday. I don’t let it gather dust and rust,” says Raghunath. <br /><br />Raghunath’s siblings — Anuradha, VB Shoba, and VBL Narayan — have been instrumental in helping him in the restoration process. “My brother is an engineer and my nephew Shreyas, who is doing his engineering, is equally interested in understanding the working of these old beauties,” he adds. <br /><br />He also has in his possession a 1969 Jawa which his father rode regularly from Bengaluru to Mysuru. “The Jawa has covered 9 lakh kilometres and is still going strong. Both the car and the bike have been with the family for a long time and this invariably <br />makes the vehicles an integral part of the family,” shares Raghunath. <br /><br />Raghunath is a part of all the prominent vintage rallies and says his car manages to attract a lot of attention. “There are people who have taken pictures beside the car and posted them on Facebook. This has added to the charm and popularity of the Austin,” he says. <br /><br />The family enjoys their drive in the car and Raghunath says he maintains a certain distance from other vehicles whenever he takes it out. “The vehicle has an indicator but I continue to use the hand signal whenever I am driving. This is a habit that I really can’t get over and surprisingly, my fellow passengers too seem to like using the hand signal,” he shares. The family hasn’t ruled out the chance of adding on to their grand collection. <br /><br />(Raghunath can be reached on 9945018422)</p>