4x4 van

[Live To Jive]

There used to be a lot of these years back. I remember the Electricity Dept. used these trucks for their work. Are there any of these surviving or have all been scrapped? I think the model is FC-150 as mentioned in the picture. Here are some pictures courtesy a link in the CJ3B website.

Mods kindly edit the title of the thread once the Model number of the concerned vehicle is verified by the experts.

[Spitfire]

This vehicle has been discussed somewhere on the Vintage and Classic Cars Forum. Try and search on there. All relevent info is on there.

You are in Goa. Go to Malaria Research Centre at Campal, Panaji. Quite a few of these were rotting there couple of years back. Not sure whether they are still around.

One major difference between the Willys and the Mahindra's was the front windscreen - it was curved in the original as per the pics above whereas Mahindra windscreens were flat.

[trammway]

these pickups were plenty available in tamilnadu, I'm still seeing them on road at my hometown.

[Live To Jive]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

This vehicle has been discussed somewhere on the Vintage and Classic Cars Forum. Try and search on there. All relevent info is on there.

You are in Goa. Go to Malaria Research Centre at Campal, Panaji. Quite a few of these were rotting there couple of years back. Not sure whether they are still around.

One major difference between the Willys and the Mahindra's was the front windscreen - it was curved in the original as per the pics above whereas Mahindra windscreens were flat.

OK. I didn't check there. I searched the whole 4x4 section and didn't find any info so I created a new thread.

Mods please merge this thread with the one referred to by Spitfire.

I remember the electricity dept ones had the curved windscreen. One of them even had the original loading bed with the spare tyre at the side. The others had a conventional one. I doubt there are any left at Campal. Most old govt vehicles have been scrapped. The last time I saw some Matador Ambulances being scrapped.

[harit]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

One major difference between the Willys and the Mahindra's was the front windscreen - it was curved in the original as per the pics above whereas Mahindra windscreens were flat.

This link was sent to me as I am looking for such a vehicle. Very difficult to find.
But, the statement about the windshield is not quite correct. Initially the Mahindras were also called JEEPS, this name was on the front pressed into the body by the body dies. And they came with curved windshield. I understand from a gentleman who worked in Mahindra that the main difference between the Indian and American vehicle was the engine. As usual, the Indian vehicle was underpowered.
Later, Mahindra was forbidden to use the JEEP name. I believe that at that time they supplied the vehicle in chassis form only and a small short front upto the windshield level. Thereafter the body builders did their own thing. So we had all these shoebox looking police and medical vans.
So what Spitfire says is correct, only these were later versions with local bodies.
Perhaps Mr. Behram can add to this.

Cheers harit

[Parm]

were these truck 4x4s as standard equipement from the OEM itself?

[amit V8]

this link has enough information-

Jeep Forward Control - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

indian versions-






Up until 1998, Mahindra offered a truck similar to the FC-150. It was called the FJ-460.

source-Mahindra Pickups

[dhrishikesh]

@ Amit,
thanks for the valuable info.
BTW around 15-16 years ago there used to be a scale model of these Mahindra FC trucks. One of mu friend still has one in red color. Will try for the pics.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by harit

This link was sent to me as I am looking for such a vehicle. Very difficult to find.

We had uptill 2000 i think a 4WD FJ-470 S4 at our farm. It was totally rusted by then and was sold as scrap.

I was still a student then and no money to buy it from my dad

But, the statement about the windshield is not quite correct. Initially the Mahindras were also called JEEPS, this name was on the front pressed into the body by the body dies. And they came with curved windshield. I understand from a gentleman who worked in Mahindra that the main difference between the Indian and American vehicle was the engine. As usual, the Indian vehicle was underpowered.

The curved windshield and the JEEP embossed on the front stayed till Mahindra had the rights to use the JEEP name. Some later models also had a plate with Jeep written on it below the Mahindra plate.

The FJ-470 came in 2 engine options - the XDP 4.90 Diesel and the S4 Diesel.

It came in 4WD and 2WD with the above engine options for both.

It came in Cab & Chassis and Platform versions. We had a cab & chassis with a closed load area - locally fabricated.

The S4 was a torque bomb but very noisy engine. It would run on anything though .

I have the specs for the vehicle somewhere. If someone wants them, I will put them on here.

Later, Mahindra was forbidden to use the JEEP name. I believe that at that time they supplied the vehicle in chassis form only and a small short front upto the windshield level.

This was called the platform version.

I am not too sure about this. But what i know - After the Mahindra lost the JEEP name. The remaining cab/chassis form FJ-470's had a plate stuck with Mahindra written in silver wordings on black background. Once this remaining lot was sold there were no more FJ-470 cab and chassis or open platform models available.

Mahindra then only made various Van versions (bus, ambulance) with flat windscreen.

Thereafter the body builders did their own thing. So we had all these shoebox looking police and medical vans.
So what Spitfire says is correct, only these were later versions with local bodies.

They went a step further they reduced the number of vertical slats from 7 to 6. Guess why...? LOL.

Lot of the original FC-150 based vehicles had an issue after the front windscreen was broken. They then made them flat windscreen by local Jugad.

Pic taken from a link supplied by amit V8. Note here its an original FC-150/160 who lost its curved windscreen. Also the plate that said Mahindra is not visible above Jeep.

Perhaps Mr. Behram can add to this.

Ahh... then i would have a lot more info. Sir, if you can add your thoughts on here. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Parm

were these truck 4x4s as standard equipement from the OEM itself?

Yes.

Originally Posted by amit V8

source-Mahindra Pickups

Thanks for the link.

[egangsta]

Originally Posted by harit

This link was sent to me as I am looking for such a vehicle. Very difficult to find.

Sirji, there was one laying with the Thane Fire Brigade at the Balkum Fire Station. It was dumped in the corner along with another fire tender. Duno the state of the vehicle now..

[Sidman]

A few Fire Stations in Bangalore still use these.

[v12]

These are still very popular as goods vehicle in Karnataka.

[IndrojitSircar]

Well you may find some of these like the small buses like the pic you have posted in one of the above posts in delhi.You may find them lieing around somewhere or in regular use but these are all converted to CNG.

[anjan_c2007]

I have been driving a FC 160 very sparingly earlier.The engines were underpowered and the gears had to be changed to lower ones during any uphill or loaded movments. The FC 150 came first to India, by the time this was done up with, in the US, perhaps in 1968. These had a right hand drive configuration, the single and large Willys speedo with the red speedo needle and were branded as Jeep.The windscreen was the wraparound kind, carried over from its mid 1950's Willys design. It shared its Hurricane petrol engine with the CJ 4A. The pick-up mostly found its market in govt departments.
The chassis was extended and it became FC160 but continued with the same petrol engine. In the late 1960's the single speedo was gone (import curbs)and the three meter (speedo, temp guage,fuel indicator) configuration from India's Yenkay came around, with the three warning lights (oil, dipper and amps) placed outside the speedo.
Around 1978, the badging changed over to Mahindra and the Jeep embossing on the front panel metal was gone. In fact the embossing was gone in the mid 1970's. After the Jeep M & M collaboration ended, there was a lull and there was no badging in the mid 1970's .Even the CJ4A had no name above its front grille till 1978.
The FC 160 continued to sell in small numbers and was offered with many body options like ambulances, minibuses and so on.
The wrap around windscreen continued to come along. Meters were now of Pricol with yellow digits and yellow speedo needle w.e.f. 1978.
In fact, once I was driving a FC 160 (petrol) and it was heated up. I opened its bonnet (inside the cabin) and the radiator cap.Ooooops me! The steaming, hot water gushed out injuring my hand. I had a lucky escape.The OE inner roof lining was of useless , crap quality cardboard that got a fountain of hot water gushing and hitting it. The cardboard bent and lost its poise giving a dirty look.It had to be replaced.
Mahindra is at its very best when it comes to doing things that gullible Indian buyers want. So soon the FC 260D came along, with a 3.0 litre MD engine. I guess this was the higher version of the MD 2350cc International Tractor engine, that they were planting the CJ500D's with.
And this FC 260D sold like hot cakes for private, commercial use. So rugged and torquey the engine was! Now they changed the rear trailer for goods loading to a flat one tweaking the old American design (seen in pictures here) that carried less goods. So there was a new pick-up design. Mini buses,ambulances, fire brigades and many variants came along. Many of these had the flat windscreen to afford more interior space. Also flat windscreens were less costly to replace. Only the pick-ups till the very end, came with the old wraparound windscreen.They last came with the 3.0 L DI engine if I am correct. This engine does its duty on the Bolero Utility and Camper range of mini trucks now.
Spitfire the picture you posted is from a pick-up whose original wrap around wind screen could not find a replacement and so the ingenuity by some "metallurgical mechanic" who welded the A and a brand new aA pillar to accommodate a flat windscreen.

[harit]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Mahindra is at its very best when it comes to doing things that gullible Indian buyers want.

Did the Indian buyer really want their crap? Were they gulliable? I believe that they had no choice, those who could afford went to STC and raised the price of second hand cars through the roof as the cars were auctioned.
All Indian automobile manufacturers, maybe Telco and Ashok Leyland excused took the Indian public for a ride. A real ride in the literary sense. And do you know that while Birla inflicted the Ambassador on normal Indian citizens, he used Rover, Cadillac, Mercedes Benz etc. In fact his Cadillac has been brought back to Mumbai and is being kept in a Birla residence as part of Birla memorabilia!

Cheers harit