Team-BHP - View Single Post - 10 Dummies guide to Gurkha ~ 17000 kms done

rhandle · 7th March 2009, 19:15

Ah! The jeep bug bite me and it did so hard. I went crazy over Mahindra Classic (even as a kid liked it). I went searching for one almost 3 years ago. Came to know it has been discontinued. Thanks to my Mahindra I found, TBHP and jeep thrills. Also came to know about Gurkha at that time.

Then one fateful day we decided out trip to Corbett, our usual hangout. Four of us went to Corbett. We were on my friends Safari and since I also own Safari we were pretty confident on this. It is King of highways and even on bad roads we have done well on it even though it was a 2 wd. Curiosity kills the cat and same thing happened to us. Spending night in Jungle in month of November after being wet and no food or alcohol since morning (as we drove from Delhi to Corbett and straight went to this place) you can judge our condition. The following picture would tell you the rest of story, that night to next morning….

We spent the night in Jungle. We thought we were trying to become “Phantom” so this happened to us. 2 months later I was back to the same place, taking one of my friend from Mumbai to show him where we got stuck and lo we got stuck again just before that point on road it self. Another night in Jungle and it was scary, that too once we realized where we had got stuck was a crematorium for the locals.

Came back and started my research on 4wd. Started following Gypsy, MM550/540 CL etc. chupke chupke on TBHP and Jeep thrills.

Then Gurkha caught my attention. It looked ultimate. My need was the vehicle with which I can go off-road and also get some creature comforts like AC and power steering, so got hooked to the desire of owning this one. On Jeep Thrills I met “Gurkha” (Dr. Roy) and then followed him to TBHP on the most viewed thread on 4x4 section! All the time waiting for the elusive OM611 engine Gurkha told me. Force kept on telling me next month and slowly two years passed. In fact in between Samurai’s TD of Gurkha came and then even Monster bought one. I was loosing my steam. Samurai’s thread I used to read everyday umpteen no. of times and every time wud read it three times – lol. The pictures became my desktop display.

One day in October I was having a conversation with my dad and told him about this is the vehicle I want. He said Force motors - I know few people in there. He talked on phone to some one, and they said they will deliver it to me in 4 days. I was like WHAT?

Called up “Gurkha” and he said grab it. Also in TBHP people had good words for this engine about its torque. Well so on 22nd evening I paid up the advance and on 27th Oct 08 the car was with me with ODO reading 1042 KMS. They drive it down!

I was asked by “Gurkha” to get everything checked and tightened again, went with that and then on 28th they gave me the delivery.

Once I reached home and took people out on drive. Initial reactions to this vehicle were:

My Dad was like “Why they have named it Gurkha, it is taller than Australian people”

My mother goes “Does this vehicle has brakes”?

One of my employees was here from US, and she goes “Oh! It rides and drives like an improvised tractor”

My wife said the ride is very harsh and is just like some farm equipment.

Dejected I called up Dr. Roy (Gurkha) and he advised me to go and get the tyre pressures checked. I checked and it was 65 psi in all. Got them reduced to 32 and wow the vehicle was running smooth now.

Then came the makeover thing. I was looking for 235x85x16 tyres could not get it so settled for Yoko Geolander AT+ 31.5x10x15 along with alloys. Got the seats padded and also added a stereo along with light sun film.

My best part of this vehicle came when I drove to the Petrol pump. The guy asked me Sir Diesel or Petrol, he was looking confused after having a look at the vehicle. I asked him what you put in tractor, just put that in it. It is actually a modified tractor. The guy was so overwhelmed he called other people as well to have a look at the best-modified tractor they had ever seen!!

Posting Few pics of interiors of New Gurkha and then how it looked with the tyre change and how it looks besides my Safari

10-dummies-guide-gurkha-17000-kms-done-gurkha-int..jpg

Comparative to Safari

10-dummies-guide-gurkha-17000-kms-done-gurkha-office.jpg

10-dummies-guide-gurkha-17000-kms-done-g-s.jpgS.jpg
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To be continued… Coming Next

NVH and driving
Comparison wrt to Safari
ISSUES & Problems ( lot of emotional ones as well!)
Condition as of now

PS: I do not have the writing and presentation skills like that of Samurai and other members, so please bear with me.

7th March 2009, 19:15	#1 (permalink)
rhandle BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ghaziabad Posts: 362	10 Dummies guide to Gurkha ~ 17000 kms done Ah! The jeep bug bite me and it did so hard. I went crazy over Mahindra Classic (even as a kid liked it). I went searching for one almost 3 years ago. Came to know it has been discontinued. Thanks to my Mahindra I found, TBHP and jeep thrills. Also came to know about Gurkha at that time. Then one fateful day we decided out trip to Corbett, our usual hangout. Four of us went to Corbett. We were on my friends Safari and since I also own Safari we were pretty confident on this. It is King of highways and even on bad roads we have done well on it even though it was a 2 wd. Curiosity kills the cat and same thing happened to us. Spending night in Jungle in month of November after being wet and no food or alcohol since morning (as we drove from Delhi to Corbett and straight went to this place) you can judge our condition. The following picture would tell you the rest of story, that night to next morning…. We spent the night in Jungle. We thought we were trying to become “Phantom” so this happened to us. 2 months later I was back to the same place, taking one of my friend from Mumbai to show him where we got stuck and lo we got stuck again just before that point on road it self. Another night in Jungle and it was scary, that too once we realized where we had got stuck was a crematorium for the locals. Came back and started my research on 4wd. Started following Gypsy, MM550/540 CL etc. chupke chupke on TBHP and Jeep thrills. Then Gurkha caught my attention. It looked ultimate. My need was the vehicle with which I can go off-road and also get some creature comforts like AC and power steering, so got hooked to the desire of owning this one. On Jeep Thrills I met “Gurkha” (Dr. Roy) and then followed him to TBHP on the most viewed thread on 4x4 section! All the time waiting for the elusive OM611 engine Gurkha told me. Force kept on telling me next month and slowly two years passed. In fact in between Samurai’s TD of Gurkha came and then even Monster bought one. I was loosing my steam. Samurai’s thread I used to read everyday umpteen no. of times and every time wud read it three times – lol. The pictures became my desktop display. One day in October I was having a conversation with my dad and told him about this is the vehicle I want. He said Force motors - I know few people in there. He talked on phone to some one, and they said they will deliver it to me in 4 days. I was like WHAT? Called up “Gurkha” and he said grab it. Also in TBHP people had good words for this engine about its torque. Well so on 22nd evening I paid up the advance and on 27th Oct 08 the car was with me with ODO reading 1042 KMS. They drive it down! I was asked by “Gurkha” to get everything checked and tightened again, went with that and then on 28th they gave me the delivery. Once I reached home and took people out on drive. Initial reactions to this vehicle were: My Dad was like “Why they have named it Gurkha, it is taller than Australian people” My mother goes “Does this vehicle has brakes”? One of my employees was here from US, and she goes “Oh! It rides and drives like an improvised tractor” My wife said the ride is very harsh and is just like some farm equipment. Dejected I called up Dr. Roy (Gurkha) and he advised me to go and get the tyre pressures checked. I checked and it was 65 psi in all. Got them reduced to 32 and wow the vehicle was running smooth now. Then came the makeover thing. I was looking for 235x85x16 tyres could not get it so settled for Yoko Geolander AT+ 31.5x10x15 along with alloys. Got the seats padded and also added a stereo along with light sun film. My best part of this vehicle came when I drove to the Petrol pump. The guy asked me Sir Diesel or Petrol, he was looking confused after having a look at the vehicle. I asked him what you put in tractor, just put that in it. It is actually a modified tractor. The guy was so overwhelmed he called other people as well to have a look at the best-modified tractor they had ever seen!! Posting Few pics of interiors of New Gurkha and then how it looked with the tyre change and how it looks besides my Safari Comparative to Safari To be continued… Coming Next NVH and driving Comparison wrt to Safari ISSUES & Problems ( lot of emotional ones as well!) Condition as of now PS: I do not have the writing and presentation skills like that of Samurai and other members, so please bear with me.