Trax Gurkha Test Drive on Horrible roads and Off-road too

[DKG]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

This is from the Force Motors Gurkha brochure (seriously, I didnt' make this up).

"Available in Black Color (Denoting Strength and Authority)"

That's hilarious! Any guesses where the copywriter would have studied? Government/Military school?

If you figure out a good design/fabricator, please do let me know. I want to do the same for my MM540

Didn't some company with a big "R" logo at the back make a fibreglass top for the MM 540? The Wrangler top was very pretty with large windows and two people could lift it off/put back easily

PS Here's a nice tag line for the Gurkha "May the Force be with you"

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by DKG

Didn't some company with a big "R" logo at the back make a fibreglass top for the MM 540? The Wrangler top was very pretty with large windows and two people could lift it off/put back easily

The company that made the Top for MM540s was called Roplas. Not sure if they are around any more, but it doesn't look cool, and my MM540 will end up looking like an Govt/NGOjeep !

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

The company that made the Top for MM540s was called Roplas. Not sure if they are around any more, !

Roplas is owned by M&M.

Originally Posted by DKG

PS Here's a nice tag line for the Gurkha "May the Force be with you"

Since nobody knows if, how and when the Gurkha is available for sale, "May the Farce be with you" would be a more apt tagline.

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Roplas is owned by M&M....

This is news indeeed....I didnt know this...but how could they make such lousy looking hard-tops for their own jeeps ??? (the hard-top for the MM540 looks like a big bad ill-fitting wig). Only once have I seen hard-top on a police MM540 that looked neat, but dont know if it was a Roplas.

Originally Posted by DKG

...PS Here's a nice tag line for the Gurkha "May the Force be with you"

I am not sure Arka (ex670c) would be happy about that .....what say, Arka ?

[DKG]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

The company that made the Top for MM540s was called Roplas. Not sure if they are around any more, but it doesn't look cool, and my MM540 will end up looking like an Govt/NGOjeep !

Yes Roplas! What I wanted to suggest was instead of fabricating it from scratch you could consider getting one of these and modifying it with larger windows etc making it aesthetically more appealing. Costwise that should be cheaper. Other option is to pick up a good used Wrangler top from Dubai and bring it in. Perhaps if a group of 540 fans brought one top in you could use it as a mould and make a dozen for all friends wanting the same.

PS You can imagine the interest level of Force to sell the Gurkha, they haven't bothered to educate the dealer on the vehicle and how the diff locks work etc. Just sent two cars to Hyderabad expecting the owners to figure out? The dealer driver was using the car on tarmac with the 4wd engaged. Luckily I met them before they gave active test drives and pointed out they'd grind the system to bits if they did that for a prolonged period. He was wondering why the car smelt awful after every drive

One of the requests I've made is if its possible to collect the car from the factory. Would hate to have some joker drive it down from Pithampur to Hyderabad with 4wd engaged!! Come to think of it the 4wd lever looks quite like the gear shift and when my friend drove the car he tried engaging first using that. They could have used a shorter lever to distinguish?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by DKG

One of the requests I've made is if its possible to collect the car from the factory. Would hate to have some joker drive it down from Pithampur to Hyderabad with 4wd engaged!!

When they delivered my cousin's Gurkha, the A/C and P/S belt got broke on the way.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by Samurai

When they delivered my cousin's Gurkha, the A/C and P/S belt got broke on the way.

That's just my worry. I remember the days when Ambassadors used to be driven down from Calcutta invariably the dealer used to overhaul a new car engine every once in a while before delivery as some errant driver would completely mess it up!

We had made it a practice in the Amby days to actually drive a car before buying it. Interestingly when I bought my 207 last year I made this peculiar request that I'd like to inspect the vehicle and start it before I buy it. The dealer staff gave me a quizzical look saying I was the first (weirdo?) making such a request. I am glad I did as a year down the line she's been running smooth and trouble free. I encountered many with missing/smoking engines etc in the yard.

The Force dealer did mention the Gurkha is sent via truck to some towns. Not too sure if Hyderabad would get that lucky

[Samurai]

Today I saw a fantastic looking LWB Gurkha (Judo?) on brigade road. It was oozing quality, nothing like the stock Gurkha. It was light olive green in color and had a Merc logo on the side. The license number ended with 98, whose is this magnificient beast?

[DKG]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Today I saw a fantastic looking LWB Gurkha (Judo?) on brigade road. It was oozing quality, nothing like the stock Gurkha. It was light olive green in color and had a Merc logo on the side. The license number ended with 98, whose is this magnificient beast?

I think there's someone in Bangalore who stripped a Judo and redid the car completely in light olive green. There's a nice video of that car on the net, in a beautiful forest during monsoons, filmed as they are demonstrating the use of the diff locks. They really do make a difference!

[rockyb]

7 lac? on road? where? In Bangalore I was quoted Rs.9.12 lac

The speedo console is straight out of 70s - so neither retro or present

I feel its highly overpriced.

Add to that "(not) made to order" waiting period

:(

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

The beige interiors blend well for the Gurkha's character , for 7 lacs couldn't they provide a better console for the speedo. Damn !!

What about the AC ?

[Torque-ative]

Originally Posted by Samurai

It will be more like what is a Gurkha, than why Gurkha. It has less sightings than a Yeti. I have never seen a Gurkha before and after doing the TD.

Like Samurai rightly says it is a rare vehicle to behold and thats what makes it all the more alluring to auto enthusiasts !!

Personally I'll put my money on the 5.5 Lac Gypsy any day !!
I am sure in the "RIGHT HANDS" it can equal the Gurkha on most terrain, that is thrown across it !!

Prepare the Gypsy and then its a different story !!

[DKG]

Originally Posted by DKG

Other option is to pick up a good used Wrangler top from Dubai and bring it in.

This is what I was referring to, its a very smart reasonably light top



I think even if you get one you can use it as a template for many

[Monster_BHP]

@Samurai.. Did this Gurkha have Diff locks? Comparing to the diff-locks in my vehicel which has a box and two rather large leavers on top of it, this one just has two small knobs and no box?!! was there diff-locks in this one?

[madan80]

Originally Posted by DKG

I think there's someone in Bangalore who stripped a Judo and redid the car completely in light olive green. There's a nice video of that car on the net, in a beautiful forest during monsoons, filmed as they are demonstrating the use of the diff locks. They really do make a difference!

If its the same video that i have seen - it was a demo made by Force for the IDF (Israel Defense Forces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) . i heard (and it needs to be verified) that a bunch of Judo's were made for them. The video shows some really capabilities of the Judo / Gurkha.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Monster_BHP;920671[B

@Samurai.[/b]. Did this Gurkha have Diff locks? Comparing to the diff-locks in my vehicel which has a box and two rather large leavers on top of it, this one just has two small knobs and no box?!! was there diff-locks in this one?

Who would buy a 8L Gurkha without diff locks man?

Force motors is continously improving the Gurkha, in fact the Gurkha that I saw in Coorg OTR was better than the one in this thread, because it is few months newer.

The Gurkha TDed in this thread has these knobs to set the diff locks: