The small area is well utilized with about five vehicles cramped inside along with various mechanical parts accumulated from years of mechanical work that the shop has provided.[break]
And this is where Kishor Nakarmi has worked for almost half a century, doing what he loves to do, providing maintenance for classic and new
cars alike.
It is a family tradition for Nakarmi, whose grandfather started the garage, then passed it along to his father, and finally ending up in his hands. One can guess that he is a vintage vehicle lover from the way he talks with enthusiasm about classic cars, as well as his many contributions to saving the heritage.
“Every classic car in Nepal has its own history, the way they were carried into Kathmandu, who they were for, what happened to the cars in the many decades that they have survived. And we should never forget that,” he begins.
Nakarmi, along with being a mechanic who fixes classic vehicles, himself owns two Volkswagen Beetles and is a member of the Association of Nepal’s Beetle Users Group (ANBUG), which tries to promote the culture of classic cars in Nepal.
Being well involved in the scene, Nakarmi knows the plight of vintage vehicle owners who have to pay enormous amount of tax to the government, which in his opinion is absolutely ridiculous for a private car owner.
From a mechanic’s point of view, Nakarmi believes that these vintage vehicles are much more durable than newer cars.
“In new cars, if something breaks, the usual action to take is to replace the broken part. Whereas in older cars, one can just repair the genuine parts,” he says.
Shantu Kumar Dangol, owner of Ideal Auto Care near Shangri-La Hotel in Lazimpat, also believes that older cars are tougher than newer ones.
“Though you have to take proper maintenance of these vehicles, these older vehicles are without a doubt more durable than newer ones,” he points out.
Dangol started working on vehicles from the influence from his father who was also a mechanic. Both father and son own a Beetle each, and Dangol fixes only Volkswagen Beetles now. He makes a point to show that there is complexity in newer vehicles which were considered redundant in older vehicles.
“Parts of older vehicles are simple and one can repair it easily if one has particular knowledge of it. However, new vehicles have such complicated parts that most of them have to be replaced instead of repairing,” says Dangol.
Among Kishor Nakarmi’s many customers is Paras Mani Shrestha, owner of a Mini Morris 1969 and two Beetles, who associates a mechanic to one of the most essential parts in the clockwork of old classic cars to run smoothly.
“Owners who have interest in their classical machines should also have a very healthy relationship with their mechanics, since most of these cars need repairs from well experienced hands, which can be found only in a few and far between them in Nepal,” says Shrestha. And yes, it comes to be true as vintage vehicle mechanics can hardly be found as a new wave of mechanics fixing new cars has come.
However, Shrestha points out that most mechanics of the younger generation do not show interest in classic cars, as working on newer machines is much easier as well as they earn more money.
“In classic vehicles, there are usually small repairs which mechanics do for free, but on newer machines, everything has costs involved,” voices Shrestha.
Nakarmi also takes the same viewpoint on the issue of the younger generation of auto mechanics. He is almost single handedly handling his garage due to lack of skilled mechanics who are interested in classic vehicles, though his shop handles both classic as well as new vehicles.
He also believes that the way our society views mechanics is hampering interest in people who want to fix cars.
“Foreigners who see me fixing these old cars give me huge respect for the experience I have in it. Nepalis, on the other hand, sometimes treat mechanics without respect,” he states.
“But the main reason these cars are disappearing is because of the taxes levied on them by the government,” states Nakarmi. And true enough, ask any vintage vehicle owner what is the biggest hurdle that haunts them in owning a classic vehicle, and every one answers with the same word – taxation.
“These are historical pieces, and we can’t understand why we have to pay such enormous amount of tax,” states Dangol, adding that instead of paying more taxes, these vehicles must rather be charged minimum taxes.
Nakarmi also has the same view, saying, “Our cultural history is the main reason tourism is prominent in our country. And these cars add to that history, and the government must consider that fact.”
All classic and vintage car owners, mechanics as well as enthusiasts believe in the same thing, that if the government were to consider the present taxes levied on them, old classic vehicles will start rolling on the streets of Kathmandu, almost as good as new.
Related story
How to pull off the vintage outfit
