Jeep for day2day use - Customize Thar or an old MM540 / CJ3B

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Skyline GT-R

I would suggest you to wait till December end for offers.

Don't know about V2 coming soon but discounts will be aplenty in Dec end -Jan.

Niche vehicles don't usually see a seasonal fluctuation in prices.

Originally Posted by greenhorn

GTO, but isnt that a part of the allure of the jeep, just like bullets?

Good for bravado when hanging out with friends, Greenhorn. But when you have a tight schedule (who doesn't today?), spending weekdays (or a good part of weekends) solving problems isn't my idea of fun. That's one of the reasons I spent a bomb on my Jeep and replaced nearly all mechanical parts with new in 2008. Breakdowns since = Zero.

[shekaran]

what GTO said - follow the mind
what Arka said - follow your heart
finally its a jeep thing, you will not understand without a JEEP. (even after years of ownnership, folks are searching for that jeep thingie, lol)

[Rajith]

3) Keep a JEEP for OTRs, and a Car for daily commute[/b]; both can be done within the cost of a brand new Thar CRDe.

4) If you want to buy the Thar, because it looks HAWT!!!![/b] Go for it, without trying to find a "USE" for it.

Arka boss, THAR Crde cannot replace a sedan or a suv.I owns a New THAR and a New scorpio, did a recent long journey @ 1500kms ,with my wife and a 3 year old daughter in my THAR CRDe thru spoiled state hi ways, even though i have a AC ,ICE & rear CFL, journey was horrible due rattling,dust,Exhaust smell inside the cabin and bouncing effect. So i feel both offroad & on road reqmnts cannot be bundled to a THAR.

[Skyline GT-R]

Originally Posted by GTO

Niche vehicles don't usually see a seasonal fluctuation in prices.

Not an official discount but bargained discount.

I got 3M underbody coating, Foglamps (painted body colour FOC), 1 yr Extended warranty and Govt employee discount (although i am not one) for my Figo when officially there were no offers by Ford... 1 set of neck rests as well in April 2011.

Year end means the dealer would also be very interested in finishing the 2011 mfd units & may offer something more than usual.

[suhaas307]

The reason why Mahindra gave us the Thar is for this very purpose!

A jeep that can be used on a daily basis. A jeep that you can live with, without the niggles that are attributed to it, otherwise. It's enthusiasts like you that Mahindra is reaching out to, with the Thar. So latch onto the opportunity NOW!

Sure, even the Thar isn't perfect. But a modern jeep like the Thar is bound to be technically more sound than say, a used and restored MM540. it will be more reliable, more environment-friendly, and even a little raw. The suspension has been tweaked, keeping in mind the people who drive it in the city and for highway drives. The engine too has been tweaked and freshened a bit.

What's more, your Thar will be covered by insurance and it will be like owning any other modern car. No insurance-claim hassles. The warranty by Mahindra too is an added bonus, over a used MM540.

Eagerly awaiting your ownership review (pictures should be included)

All the best!

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

kshivaa, no matter who says what, the Thar does its job (whatever it is intended / designed to do), and does it pretty well indeed.

GTO's post (no. 6 on this thread) sums up all aspects w.r.t your requirements.

Also, there is a category which will always push you towards a used old 5x0, not because they do not appreciate the product, but for the simple reason they own a 5x0. Among these, there are people who understand what they talk, the second category go by their emotions. It is the second category which is misleading. I can understand emotions, but here rational thinking must be given preference.

Arka is an exception in this case and I understand his requirements for an offroader.

Do not do the booking now, just wait for some time.

Spike

PS- There is not a single day when I do not get calls from owners (of old Jeeps) asking queries regarding one issue or the other. Unless you are a half mechanic, an old Jeep is not right for you!

[vinod_nookala]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

PS- There is not a single day when I do not get calls from owners (of old Jeeps) asking queries regarding one issue or the other. Unless you are a half mechanic, an old Jeep is not right for you!

An old jeep makes sense if you have time, money and knowledge at your disposal. I learnt a lot building my old jeep. There wasnt a choice then. Unfortunately there arent many trust worthy garages where in you give your old vehicle and they give it back like new at a fraction of the cost of the new.

A good rebuild that lasts for a year or two will cost you more than 4 lakh!! A new jeep at about 7.2 lakh will give you trouble free service for over a decade! A/C, powersteering makes life easy. Cruising capability of CRDe will fulfill your travelling ambitions. We at great escapes are off roading with THAR CRDe's almost every week and has lived up to expectations.

Invest more money you will have a peaceful life, else what you get is a steep learning curve and you become a Jeep guru by the end of it!

[ortopilot]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

Do not do the booking now, just wait for some time.

Spike

Spike, I wanted a 2012 manufactured unit and hence was planning to do my booking around February, should I be waiting for more?

[kshivaa]

Thanks GTO, Spike, Vinod, Arka for your thoughts and suggestions.

Arka - as you have summarized in your last point, owning a Jeep has been kind of a dream / wish since childhood (have lived in Ooty for 15 years of childhood and seen MM540's and old Willy's effortlessly drive around). In addition to daily use and some amount of off-roading, owning a Jeep (and Thar looks cool) is also a reason for me to look at it.

Spike - I happened to give a token advance yesterday. Was told that I would get a 2012 model, delivered in end of Jan 2012.

Rajith - do you happen to have a hard-top? I am looking at using the Thar for highway drives (annually I do either chennai - Trivandrum or chennai - bangalore - west coast ) and chennai - trichy 3-4 times a year.

Anyone else who has done long drives in Thar and has a good feedback?

[Rajith]

Originally Posted by kshivaa

Rajith - do you happen to have a hard-top? I am looking at using the Thar for highway drives (annually I do either chennai - Trivandrum or chennai - bangalore - west coast ) and chennai - trichy 3-4 times a year.

Anyone else who has done long drives in Thar and has a good feedback?

Hi i dont have any Hard top. Today did another 800-900kms from bangalore to Namakal to coimbatore and then to Tirupur again to Bangalore with 2 of my other colleagues. Road was excellent and journey was too good.

[kshivaa]

Thanks for the update Rajith. gives me some relief .

Any pointers for places where I can get the customizations done? Looking at the following:

1. AC
2. Hard-top (manasm?)
3. ICE
4. Seats and upholstery
5. Bucket seats, change rear seats to front-facing?

I dont have the time and resources for a DIY, hence pointers for any good places where I can get this done?? preferably in chennai, or if there is some good place in bangalore too, please let me know.

thanks
Siva

[manasm]

Shiva,

1. For A/C - suggest you drive to Bangalore and get it done by WeCool - a group of Thar owners here have got theirs done by him including me and we are all very happy with it. In fact, the dealership guys suggest going to WeCool to get the A/C done over their own showroom.
2. PM me if you want to see the hard top.
3. For ICE - can do it anywhere in Chennai or while you are here in Bangalore for the A/C although you will miss the music while you drive here.
4 & 5. I am still working on the seats and upholstery for my Thar. But Swamy and Vijay have already got forward facing seats for theirs. It is comfortable and looks quite good.

I have done Bangalore-Chennai and back and Bangalore-Pondicherry and back in my Thar and was comfortably doing 120 all the way. I put some large cushions and pillows in the back and the wife and daughter were lying down and reading books and playing games the entire ride. But since the roads are ok, it was not that bad. In the city (Bangalore has some awsome 4x4 potholes and speed breakers) the Thar rattles a lot! I am getting a lot of those rattles and squeaks fixed during my first service as the service guys knew exactly what i was talking about and it seems those are quite common on Thars.

The vehicle is my daily drive and I think with the few comforts that you have mentioned in your list, it will suit you as well.

Cheers,
Manas

Originally Posted by kshivaa

Thanks for the update Rajith. gives me some relief .

Any pointers for places where I can get the customizations done? Looking at the following:

1. AC
2. Hard-top (manasm?)
3. ICE
4. Seats and upholstery
5. Bucket seats, change rear seats to front-facing?

I dont have the time and resources for a DIY, hence pointers for any good places where I can get this done?? preferably in chennai, or if there is some good place in bangalore too, please let me know.

thanks
Siva

[shekaran]

for ac - contact mr.anand at no.1, shenoy road, opp. to nungambakkam police station (perpendicular to valluvar kottam high road) - 25-30k with all original parts. 9385550555.

for hardtop, get the 2 piece HT from manasm, although higher cost, it makes sense to have semi open jeep driving (by removing the rear part) and also boosts the showoff. practical as well as worth.

for ice, contact any well known installers in royapettah, anna nagar etc.,. someone should suit your budget and preferences. IMHO, a good headunit with 2 components in the door (or in the front footwells), tweeters at the A pillar corners and a subwoofer under the front seat would make a killer combo. to ice the cake, add 2 ovals in a fabricated rear door enclosure - if you want more soundstage in the jeep.

for upholstery, best is koyas in coimbatore, and i would prefer any upholsterer who can make according to your requirements. i forgot the name, but there is one old man opp new college in peter's road who did excellent work and finish.

for bucket seats, get any seats with height (front and rear) and lumbar adjustments from pudupet. get your upholsterer to renew it. this is for the front seats. for rear seats, it depends on your preference and budget. but practical sense dictates that jeeps/mm540/thar has side facing seats, and the OE seats can be made more comfortable by re-upholstering for comfort.

lastly, dont forget to add power windows to the front 2 windows, and an alarm and immobiliser combined. try to use a gear lever lock/steering lock/pedal lock combo for added safety reasons. if you are more adventurous, get a quick release steering wheel with boss kit - you can remove the steering wheel and keep it in your hands whenever you park the thar.

best regards.

[kshivaa]

Thanks manasm and shekaran. With the booking done, as a next step let me start checking out on each of the items you have mentioned.

@manasm - does WeCool do the AC with fan? I was reading on the AC for Thar forum where DB sir has mentioned that it is better to have the AC with fan setup. Will PM you for the hard-top details.

@shekaran - thanks for the pointers. will check them out in the coming weekends.

All excited and preparing to bring home the Thar

[kshivaa]

Thanks to all suggestions and comments. My Thar was finally delivered last week. Have purchased the steering-clutch lock. Fitted AC outside (the shop in north usman road, t.nagar) - cost 30K. He has put in a dual-fan setup. Next on cards is AC, then soft top and remote lock, music system.

Took for a spin on ECR over the weekend. Lot of raw power in the vehicle. Needs getting used to (from the current SWIFT). will create an ownership thread and update pics shortly.

Thank to all who had replied to the discussion on the forum.

thanks
Siva