[nanju]

The start
It all started as a search for a gypsy for my twin (Amrth), had put in a word with all my contacts, but wasn’t finding any good car to freeze on. In the meantime hooked on my twin to kushwanth Randawa and the deal was struck with between them.


I had a gorgeous esteem, which was sold recently in order to get myself a better drive, was looking out for a good baleno. So my search for a baleno started here. Somewhere in the back of my mind I had calculated that if I can get a baleno for a decent price, I could also buy a gypsy and build it for competition purpose. We twins are known to be freak motor heads, dad was into active rallying during his years, we also had our share of fun with some motocross, autocross and TSD’s. We planned to actively get involved in the sport (rallying)after making some moolah. Had plans to participate the coming Dakshin Dare 2011

The love
Untill one day, on my way to the office, I found a good decent looking hardtop Gypsy. Went near it and enquired but was disappointed not to find its owner. Had a slight restlessness so devised a clever way to flush out things, called my two drivers aside and promised them reward if they can get me details regarding that gypsy. Flat 20 mins after that, I had two good news; one that gypsy is for sale , two the guys phone number.
Called the guy up and fixed a time to see the car at 4 pm on that Saturday evening. Half an hour past four the car is in front of my Guest House for inspection.

The pit
I have driven all kinds of gypsys, the mean, the wicked, rally tuned, raid de himalays prepped, etc etc. During my last stint in Bangalore, I had opened a dirt track on pay and practise model. This 1.5 km track was also short listed for the 2009 K-1000 SSS. In those days, I had made en-number of friends who were into rallying and other kinds of motorsports. Also my mechanic is also a well know Rallly tuner from Bangalore, who specialises in building gypsy’s.


No where had I driven such a gypsy, which purred like a cat when the ignition was switched on. One could barely notice that the engine was running. This made me suspicious, opened the hood and checked the engine for any tampering. The engine bay was perfectly untouched. The body line looked great and negotiations started.


The negotiations took ten mins, as that seller was more than glad just to have my contact and me the car. By 6pm on that Saturday I had the car in my GH. A 1998 model Gypsy 410 W hard top

The shock
In all this excitement I forgot one word that sums it all up – KING, I had completely forgotten about the Gypsy King. Not that this baby was no less, but a king is always a king. The RC book said it was Gypsy King, chassis numbers matched, engine numbers matched. I even spoke to Amrth who asked me to double check them. I was convinced this was a king, but Amrth who is in Pune wasn’t convinced. He said there were no kings manufactured in 98. He did some research on the net and then said maybe its a king. It was kind of relief for me then.


The next day I was able to get thru my mechanic, I wanted to know the complete engine specifications of a king. Thus came down my world with these. The carb was on the side, the air filter was cylindrical in shape, it was a four speed and the radiation fan was not electric. None of these matched the specifications of a gypsy king and thus fell my dream of building a competition purpose gypsy.


The dumb RTO GUY registered this 410W as a Gypsy King. I was dejected and called my twin to meekly to agree that this was not a King. His words took me by a surprise, he asked me not to get bogged down, but create a monster out of my 410w. He sent me few links of Teambhp, which had builds of Alans gypsy, Arjuns Zuk and a few more noticeable ones.
Plonking in a baleno engine in my esteem was a dream for me, the overall financials was way to high, which resulted in me looking for a baleno itself. Now instead of a baleno I had a 410W, which we planned to create a monster out of it. We twins discussed and though that I will shed my baleno plans, build this baby into my daily drive.

The trouble
It is easier to plan, than to implement. In our history of owning cars and Bike, both we brothers haven’t had a history of getting the cars or the bikes serviced without our physical presence at the garage. Now I had two choices, send my car to Bangalore to my mech and get it built under remote supervision or get hold of a good tinker near my town and get the build done and drive down to Bangalore for the final built. Rarely do my planning match my expectations.


I stay at a place called Sivangangai in Tamil Nadu and am into the renewable energy sector. This place is a remote location. No tinker in this town was ready to touch a gypsy and all I ended up was with a single contact of a person in Madurai, which is 120 kms up and down from my place. I had no choice but to contact this guy. Sent the gypsy along with my trusted driver to meet this mech in Madurai. The gypsy and the driver reached Madurai, but the mech was on a holiday. Asked the driver to leave the gypsy there at his garage and get back home.


Next day morning with a heavy heart, hoping that the gypsy is still there at the mech place, I drive upto Madurai. The sign of relief when I saw my baby still standing there was quiet an appreciable one. I met two brothers there, one is a mechanic and the other tinker. Spoke to them in length and they agreed to work with me on this build. The initial works we planned for this are as follows

• 1. Overall service
• 2. Tinkering
• 3. Soft top conversion
• 4. Differentials check up
• 5. Suspension check up
• 6. Body lift and extra leaf set up
• 7. Complete new wiring
• 8. Custom soft top upholstery

Thus started my build, its been a month since all these began, I have lost the count of the number of sleepless nights. Had given the mech’s deadline of 2 weeks, its 2 weeks past those two weeks, work is still under ways and I have done more than 20 (2400 kms) trips to Madurai and back. Start at 6 in the evening and return home at 12 midnight. All my Saturdays and Sundays are spent in that garage, morning to evening at 40 degree away from the ac office, but none the less the satisfaction for seeing your baby come alive is worth more than the sweat and the drives. The list of work completed so far are
1. Front grill change
2. Hard top removed
3. Custom shackles
4. Extra leaf setup
5. 255/70/15 tires
6. 1.2 inch spacers to accommodate reverse tire setup
7. Completely overhauled break setup.
8. Esteem brake booster
9. Lots of small Tinkering patches
10. Complete engine, transmission and differential service


Work yet to be completed are
1. Wiring
2. Snorkel set up
3. Soft top setup
4. Custom soft top
5. Fittings


This is my journey and some of the planned mods are

• 1. Engine replacement – either isszu petrol or diesel. 1.8, 2.00 and 2.4 options.
• 2. AC
• 3. New color paint – metallic blue
• 4. Custom bumpers
• 5. Some lil bit of extra lights

The new experience

• 1. Now madurai’s all auto parts seller’s know me by the face, even the gujari wala’s.
• 2. Drove a 2.4 issuz diesel engine plonked into a gypsy, which is used to trawl two of the 500 litres water tankers in a farm somewhere near Madurai. Oh baby this one was a real monster, it was fitted with the jeep gearbox set –up (5 speed)and 4 wheel drive.
• 3. And this is not college where you can spend en-number of hours on your cars and bikes.
• 4. Never trust your mechanics to work in the same pace as you do, its just another job for them, while its a passion for you.

Some picture for the dessert....

[IndrojitSircar]

Sorry for the ignorance, How much did you buy the car for if i may ask ? Thank you

[nanju]

Originally Posted by IndrojitSircar

Sorry for the ignorance, How much did you buy the car for if i may ask ? Thank you

Hi Indrojit,

I paid around 95 k for the Gypsy.

cheers,
Avin

[Desmosedici]

1.2 inch spacers to accommodate reverse tire setup

What exactly do you mean by this, just reverse fit the wheel and whats the advantage / disadvantage of doing this?

and congrats on acquiring the baby.

[jeepster]

Originally Posted by nanju

6. 1.2 inch spacers to accommodate reverse tire setup

Originally Posted by Desmosedici

What exactly do you mean by this, just reverse fit the wheel and whats the advantage / disadvantage of doing this?

congrats nanju!!

the reverse rim setup is strictly not recommended.

buy a decent alloy wheel set with zero or negative offset.
the wheel bearings will take a lot of load in this position.
there are only disadvantages in this set up.

rdds,
Nikhil

[adg_andy]

I am ready for more. Please let the words flow. Also, would like to see the progress in pics.

Also, do you intend to change your baby to AWD?

regards,
Andy

[nanju]

Thanks Desmosedici and Jeepster.

I shall note your words, in fact am getting the negative rims made from pune. My twin is helping me get them

Todays update are new brake booster (esteem) installing and wiring work on its way

@ Andy

No plans for the AWD.

[coloneljasi]

@ nanju: TCP? Is that an ex-police Gypsy? Trichy?

I'm sure you're prepared yourself for the build. The frustration, the time delays, the cash drain, et al. But like anyone on t-bhp would tell you, it'll be worth it in the end. My MM540 rebuild has been a non-starter for the last few months, need to make time for it...

If you're going in for an AC, wouldn't it be better to stick to the OE hardtop, rather than go in for a custom soft top?

[nanju]

Originally Posted by coloneljasi

@ nanju: TCP? Is that an ex-police Gypsy? Trichy?

I'm sure you're prepared yourself for the build. The frustration, the time delays, the cash drain, et al. But like anyone on t-bhp would tell you, it'll be worth it in the end. My MM540 rebuild has been a non-starter for the last few months, need to make time for it...

If you're going in for an AC, wouldn't it be better to stick to the OE hardtop, rather than go in for a custom soft top?

Well coloneljasi, I had prepared myself, its the time which is burning my patience out.

Regarding the AC - Hardtop is always preferred, but I would like to stick to the soft top as the ac will only look at cooling the front cabin.

[nanju]

Note from Mod : STRICTLY no more than 2 smilies per post please. Read our rules

Latest report:

The baby is still in the hospital, as the nurse and the doctors aren't pretty sure to let her go. "Mechs I plans to rip them apart". The buggers will never work unless your physical presence is felt. Last mile to run is the status.

A few bit of eeny weeny tinkering works are yet to be done and the final fitments of all the parts.

Sourcing parts has become a problem, even the wiper blade arms are not available in madurai. I need to get them from Bangalore.

I need help in sourcing a black color soft top. anybody.

[headers]

Nice Gypsy body line -

What engine are you planning to plonk in ? The 1.8 ISZ is good - Dwaraka on this forum has done the convert and retained 4wd. The 2.0 and 2.4 diesel mills are not great, i've heard!

[jyobeb]

Which workshop is this in Madurai?
Bosch wiper blades can be used without a problem.
What do you do in Madurai?

[jyobeb]

Oops! Can help you source wipers arms too.

[nanju]

Originally Posted by headers

Nice Gypsy body line -

What engine are you planning to plonk in ? The 1.8 ISZ is good - Dwaraka on this forum has done the convert and retained 4wd. The 2.0 and 2.4 diesel mills are not great, i've heard!

Thanks Headers. I am planning for the 1.8 ISZ itself. Would it be a lil more if I can ask you to PM Dwaraka' No. I want to know how he retained the 4WD.

Originally Posted by jyobeb

Which workshop is this in Madurai?
Bosch wiper blades can be used without a problem.
What do you do in Madurai?

Joyeb, I own a power station 60 kms away from madurai. This workshop is in a place called Elliasnagar. I got the blades and the wiper arm.

[fk7]

Hi,

The work being executed is looking good there. Why are you planning to planning to change to a diesel setup? Why not a petrol 1.3L conversion or better still a petrol 1.6L conversion?

There are some people in the forum who have already done this.

Firoz