Gypsy or Classic ? Now bought Gypsy

[pdev29]

Hey guyz i am planning to buy a 4*4 but damn confuse which one should i go for, a classic or a gypsy ???

i will overhual the entire car so want to go with a car which can easily re-built and a car which is easy to mod (performance and luxury both)
plz plz plz pour in +ve and -ve it will help a lot coz i have limited time with me.

thanx in advance
Devang

[jyobeb]

If you want to rebuild an old 4X4 then a classic is your best bet. All the parts are available very easily new or old. A more capable vehicle may be the Gypsy but its atrociously expensive to run. Of course the Gypsy would also be easier to use in the city. Parts are very expensive and difficult to source, so beware if you are going for a badly battered vehicle.
Read you post again and it looks like you want a bling car. The Gypsy will be better for Mods, Airconditioning, Comfort etc.

[Rudra Sen]

Do you get new Classic??? However, GTO is the person to give you pros and cons on Classic..

After completing more than 2500km on a brand new MPFI Gypsy (hard top) here (Beyond the clouds….Ladakh is changing), here are my comments:

Extremely versatile on rough terrain.

Extremely simple layout.

You can go for modified suspension/increase height marginally by going higher profile tyre/engine sump protection with thicker plate/differential stiffening/engine work to increase power (current gear ratios won't allow you much though)....

luxury is subjective...But any which way, Gypsy is not the car to give you that. It's not meant for that.

[pdev29]

thanx a ton guyz for your quick reply,

@Rudra i am really amazed by your photography, awsome pics on that link and great info about the gypsy too. thanx

[rranjith_kum]

I too had this confusion but however my head was filled with gypsy but later searching threads containing the classic I am completely confused ...
can you guys please tell me the cost of Gypsy hard top
also the rate from which the gypsy mpfi starts .... guys which is more powerful is it gypsy or classic also its drivability....

[Boom Shiva]

Classic is rugged and has that lovely shape. Downside is that it lacks the punch. Also I don't know if you can put an A/C.

Gypsy on the other hand is rugged, light and a great car to rip on and off the roads. Also you can have soft top and A/C, which really saves you in the city heat. Downside of course is petrol costs and you'll have to look for a good mechanic who knows his Gypsies.

For regular city and offroad use, I'd go for the Gypsy any day. Look for the later model 1.3 litre MPFI. Costs a bit more but totally worth it, with the Esteem engine tuned to 85 hp.

[pdev29]

yup i have got the same info and plannning to buy a gypsy and modify it but just worried about the new eng. cost I hope for a work around.

[jango]

pdev29, if you are looking out for off road drives, i would prefer you to go for a classic. the jeep is simply awesome, its compact and can also be used it city's, easy to park and runs on diesel. On the other hand gypsy's are gud, but they run on petrol and getting a proper 2nd hand gypsy in the market is really tuff. I have seen the performace of the classic in one of the off road's which i attended and beleive me nothing matches.......go for the JEEP

[pdev29]

@jango i want a 4*4 but i cant go for offroad drive everyday so lets think that i want a car for daily use so what do you think will be more suitable for daily use?

[iraghava]

I would say a Gypsy fitted with decent interiors, A/C, suspension & decent rubber would be infinetly more comfortable/tolerable than the Classic any day. The NVH of the Gypsy will be much better & she is much easier/relaxing to drive than the Classic. Also she'll be way more reliable than the Classic.

Off-road ability of the Gypsy is also under no doubt as some members here too have pointed out. I would say as a daily driver go for the Gypsy.

[abhijit 2284]

Originally Posted by pdev29

@jango i want a 4*4 but i cant go for offroad drive everyday so lets think that i want a car for daily use so what do you think will be more suitable for daily use?

You simply cannot go wrong with a gypsy when it comes to daily use.

I used to have a soft top king which I drove for 100000 kms after which i sold it .

Did not have to change the brake pads even once (original jap pads) but had to change the brake liners twice at 35000 kms and 90000kms resp.

Had changed to mrf radials on the day i bought it and did not have to replace the tyres too( they were immediately changes by the owner after he bought it though--it was getting slight hard to handle).

No clutch change .

And very good to drive in the city since its got a very nice pickup for the cut and thrust of city traffic plus its narrow enough to handle tight lanes and parking situations.

always gave me around 10 kmpl so should'nt be worried about that either

[GTO]

If you are looking at convenience, just pick up the Gypsy. The Classic has lots of daily niggles and issues, some of which can cause a headache. I have spent more time on my Classic than all of my other cars combined. The recent modifications have only added to that time investment. Also, in Bombay there is a lack of disciplined service support from Mahindra....something you wont have a problem with in a Maruti.

That said, I wouldnt trade my Classic for 10 gypsies. It has a character and ability to get a smile on you...the likes of which Gypsies can only dream off. The Classic is nothing but a CJ3B - A true legend. It is absolutely possible to fit an air-con and I have been running a chilling setup since 2004. The main issues you can expect to face are overheating and electrical problems. Everything else is pretty easy, simple and cheap to fix. Also, the ride quality of a Classic is far superior to the Gypsy (though both are terrible by any standards).

Hope that helps.

[Boom Shiva]

Originally Posted by GTO

It has a character and ability to get a smile on you...the likes of which Gypsies can only dream off.

Let's stay objective please. I had exactly the same words for the Gypsy over the Classic, but refrained from saying it out of respect for any Classic lovers/owners out here. After all, it's a subjective experience.

I guess it's a tribute to the Gypsy's character that almost 2 years after I've sold it, I still feel emotionally attached enough to take offense

About the A/C: Did you install it with the original engine or after you did the swap? I'm curious because initially when we were buying a 4x4, the Classic was in the running but we were told that it wasn't advisable to fit an A/C.

[GTO]

Hahah...sure thing, sport. But keep in mind that the CJ3 series are well-accepted legends worldwide. They have a 50 year old history and that "Jeep" is one of the most recognised brands / nameplates around the world. Even in some countries that dont speak English, it had equal or more recognition than Mercedes-Benz.

WRT to the air-con, I had it installed on the 2112cc Peugeot diesel. The same engine did duty in Armadas and 540s which had factory-fitted air-cons. So why not on the Classic? The installation was a challenge and to be honest...I took a lot of inspiration from this extremely well-maintained Black CJ340 which is driven around bombay by an elderly woman (appears to be a foreign national).

It took a fortnight, but in the end the air-con installation was flawless. Inside out. I retrofitted a unit taken out of my cousins Tata Sierra and it is an absolute chiller.

[headers]

I guess its classic all the way..but for reduced NVH and higher top speed. I've had a Gypsy King - 5 speed with 4WD and carb engine..good for sand but not as great as the Mahindras when it comes to extreme off roading..

I am currently rebuilding a classic and will keep you posted on the same..

hope that helps