[sreejeshmp]

I was totally satisfied with my MM550 XD and living with it but everything get changed after a small technical discussion with Pratheesh about 51"/57" OKBJ,MRCBT steering 2.6Turbo Scorpio Engine NGT520/530 gearbox etc.Those was the things I need for my Jeep. Then I understand that spending around 1.25L for mechanical modification on a 550 XD Chassis is not worth the effort and again the reliability will remain like this "??!!" . Then Pratheesh asked why can't you sell this jeep and buy a NGCS and continue the experiment on a better platform ? Yes Thats it A NGCS but it should be with NGT520.

Next day I called Babal & Prabhu told them I need a 2006+ NGCS MM550 !! Both of them agreed and Babal Called me with a good news there is one NGCS is there in Chennai & will be coming for auction within 2-3 months, I thought I have enough time to sell my jeep so lets take this Chance.. Finally the auction day came but I was with empty pocket So we let the NGCS go. On that evening I got the Call from Prabhu, He got an NGCS and He bought it for His friend "Sreejesh" I don't know what to do on that time because My jeep was with me. Then He told me He is going to restore it if I am not able to take it.

Few weeks of phone calls posting adds, repainting price negotiation OTRs and finally a Call from Babal He is coming to my home with a buyer for my jeep and if the deal is not happen then He will take my jeep to help me. I got the advance and the very next day I went to Coimbathur and towed The Jeep.

I would like to say thanks to Pratheesh,Sudarsan Bhai,Babal and Prabhu for helping me to get this Wonderful Machine.

I hope i managed to write something like a story .

Now this how it looked when I first Saw the Jeep.

Engine XD3P with EGR

Gear Box (NGT 520)

Seats


After the Hand over of my Jeep My Little girl was so sad the problem was one Uncle & aunty came and took Vava's Jeep and She need it back (I feel proud that I can see another Jeeper ) I give 2 days time to my father for just relaxing and called our Driver, I told him we are going to Coimbathur on tomorrow moring 4.00 AM to tow the next Jeep .

The towing tools.


We reached Coimbathur by around morning 7.00 and the jeep was ready to tow.


then we found the interesting thing There is no seats in The jeep. Ok we called the upholstery man and asked about the seats he told everything is fine but no seat cover , Then we told him finish the Driver side seat cover right now and give.

Finally the seat came.


My Bolero is ready to tow the new Member.




Reached home around 9 PM. See my Verna thinks OMG Again that Jeep thing

[sreejeshmp]

Dhanush Came home to see the new team member in his XD cousin.



Next Day I took the Jeep to the Water service .I am so happy after seeing the under body tub & mechanicals.










Jeep again towed by my pik-up to the workshop for the tinkering & basic Mechanical job to make it running condition.

[sreejeshmp]

Only patch work is needed on the body So no need for removing the tub & the Electrical is perfect without any cutting of wires.

















The only disappointment is the body gage NGCS body tub is 18 gage only but in case of my old 550's was 16 gage as per my tinker. Bought a half sheet of 18 gage Japan Sheet Rs.1024.00 and the work started.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by sreejeshmp

I would like to say thanks to Pratheesh,Sudarsan Bhai,Babal and Prabhu for helping me to get this Wonderful Machine.

Glad that you listened to me. Now a request, please do not start with any hanky-panky as seen frequently these days. Make it a real Jeep without much makeup ( i.e. KISS- Keep it simple stupid).

Originally Posted by sreejeshmp

Next Day I took the Jeep to the Water service .I am so happy after seeing the under body tub & mechanicals.

The strength of a Jeep lies in the under-body, IMPO, whatever seen outside (exterior looks) does not make much sense to me, apart from making a few jaws drop.

Originally Posted by sreejeshmp

The only disappointment is the body gage NGCS body tub is 18 gage only but in case of my old 550's was 16 gage as per my tinker. Bought a half sheet of 18 gage Japan Sheet Rs.1024.00 and the work started.

Which body parts are you referring to? Not all body sheet metal parts have the same thickness.

After the Hand over of my Jeep My Little girl was so sad the problem was one Uncle & aunty came and took Vava's Jeep and She need it back (I feel proud that I can see another Jeeper ) I give 2 days time to my father for just relaxing and called our Driver, I told him we are going to Coimbathur on tomorrow moring 4.00 AM to tow the next Jeep .

I understand that your family knows I am the miscreant behind this idea, so any problem arising in the Home Ministry must be your sole responsibility. I still don't know how this department works.

I look forward to see this as a capable and well performing machine. Probably, when I come back, would love to repeat the trip that we had with Jeevan and Dhanush - this time with your new steed.

Good luck !

Spike

Edit- I am living my dream through you.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

I am living my dream through you.

Dear Sreejeshmp and Pratheesh - so am I guys, so am I. This is the perfect start of the project. Please keep it simple, don't spend money on frivolous things, please. I look forward to driving it some day. Best of luck.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by sreejeshmp

I hope i managed to write something like a story .

Haha.. And the story came out really good Sire!

After the Hand over of my Jeep My Little girl was so sad the problem was one Uncle & aunty came and took Vava's Jeep and She need it back (I feel proud that I can see another Jeeper ) I give 2 days time to my father for just relaxing and called our Driver, I told him we are going to Coimbathur on tomorrow moring 4.00 AM to tow the next Jeep .

I could see the look on your fathers face.

Dhanush Came home to see the new team member in his XD cousin. Next Day I took the Jeep to the Water service .I am so happy after seeing the under body tub & mechanicals.

Sreejesh, Your Jeep body hasn't lost shape a bit. I think its very easy to maintain the factory level perfection of body with very little effort in tinkering.

Only patch work is needed on the body

Pratheesh, BD sir. The only rust in Sreejesh's vehicle is the area near the body stay (or what do you call it?). It was like the body was fabricated and a only a coat of paint was provided along the surface. Not in between the stay/body. Is it like that? Or because it retains water and dirt?. Or what is the real reason of rust creeping only there?


Finally - I'm seeing an Army disposal for the first time in my life. The NGCS chassis is one heavy thing. Everything in this Jeep, apart from the body is 2x + times bigger, thicker and stronger than mine. So, I hope, along with the NGT520 GB, a Scorpio turbo chain drive engine would be a perfect fit in here.. What do you think?

Let more experienced fellow members comment more..

[4x4addict]

@sreejesh: Congratulations. As a Thar DI owner, I can tell you that once you go NGCS, there is no going back. The handling offered by the NGCS platform is too good compared to the earlier ones. When ever anyone calls me about a jeep restoration project, I alway advise them to spend the extra money and get an NGCS platform. The NGCS army platform is in some ways better than the Thar DI platform due to the wide track. I plan to upgrade my Thar DI to wide track down the line.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

As a Thar DI owner, I can tell you that once you go NGCS, there is no going back. The handling offered by the NGCS platform is too good compared to the earlier ones.

Dear Tini and all - thanks for your wonderful comments. We must also thank my the then Boss Mr.M.V.Venkateswaran who spearheaded the project, Ravi Deshmukh of chassis design group of M&M + Steve Styles and Paul Bennington of a "Company in the midlands area of England" who "helped out". I was also a part of the project team. The NGCS was engineered on the Armada platform (105.5" WB), the first 10 Armadas were made on 10 December 1997 in Nasik plant, then it came on the Armada Grand with the XD3/BA10, then it spread to the vehicle internally known as "Armada Deluxe" with independent front suspension for the first time, this vehicle was cristened as "Bolero". The rest is history. It spread it's wings to the MM platform (95.5" WB) when the first NGCS army vehicles were made and supplied after 2004. It then came on the "Mahindra Legend" in 2006. The legacy continues in the Thar CRDe. The Thar DI has a different chassis, as it is a continuation of the CL550MDI chassis to match the weight to qualify for meeting emission norms in its category.

Dear Dhanush - yes, in NGCS, everything is as it should be in a Jeep. Kandivli paint shop in those days was not what it should have been. You can see the result.

Dear Sreejeshmp - for God's sake, please do not do any major tinkering work and forget about 16 / 18 guage. Remove the shell from the chassis before you work on it. Just do localized welding, pre-treat the shell and paint it properly to get the vehicle to original specifications. You have managed to make a good beginning, don't do anything which is not required to be done. Please ask, we (Pratheesh and I) will guide you every step of the way. Also, please confirm that the rear axle has LSD, army vehicles were given with LSD. If so, the axle is very precious, please don't do anything silly to it, no matter what anybody tells you. Oil for LSD is different from production axle oil. Please be very careful with it.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[vivekjayasheel]

Is the oil for the LSD diff easily available in civilian shops or Mahindra dealerships? Any specific brand and grade that works best?

[Shubhendra]

Originally Posted by sreejeshmp

I was totally satisfied with my MM550 XD and living with it but everything get changed after a small technical discussion with Pratheesh about 51"/57" OKBJ,MRCBT steering 2.6Turbo Scorpio Engine NGT520/530 gearbox etc.Those was the things I need for my Jeep.
Attachment 1015820

Dear Sreejesh,
Congratulations for finding still rare platform, can you, Prtheesh or DB sir highlight difference between old 550 and NGCS 550. would be a great input to fellow jeep owners while deciding on next jeep buy. Even i am contemplating for a NGCS from a long time, but still stuck in red tapism of getting a jeep through 'quota' :(

Shubhendra Singh

[Jerrycan]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Also, please confirm that the rear axle has LSD, army vehicles were given with LSD. If so, the axle is very precious, please don't do anything silly to it, no matter what anybody tells you. Oil for LSD is different from production axle oil. Please be very careful with it.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Sir,
Did the NGCS Platform also come with LSD ? I was under the impression that only the previous 31 spine axles prior to 2004 had LSD.
@ Sreejesh that's +50k

[sreejeshmp]

Originally Posted by vivekjayasheel

Is the oil for the LSD diff easily available in civilian shops or Mahindra dealerships? Any specific brand and grade that works best?

I used 85W140 GL5 in both the front & rear in my MM550 XD (I had LSD in both the diffs )

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-te...d-oil-use.html


DB Sir,
Thank you for your support and Suggestions. I will keep the jeep as stock as possible as You and Pratheesh suggests. I am not yet opened the diff but I searched the LSD name plate on the rear diff but no luck :( . I think its 19 spline axle so i will be putting a track lock auto locker in rear diff. Now the tinkering started and the mechanical work will start after I finish the tinkering.


Dhanush,
after seeing you and your jeep ,and you came from Wayanad to see my jeep ,My Mom feels so happy.She said, so there are lots of jeeppranthanmar (mad Jeepers).

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by vivekjayasheel

Is the oil for the LSD diff easily available in civilian shops or Mahindra dealerships? Any specific brand and grade that works best?

Some of us Chennai Jeeps including myself (ex-chennai) and arka have been using Chemoleum GL5 85-140w oil in diff as well as gearbox.

[sreejeshmp]

A gift from A jeeper Friend



Will be fixing like the CJ7.

Tinkering started some WIP pics









Hope I can finish the tinkering this week.

[vivekjayasheel]

Originally Posted by sreejeshmp

I used 85W140 GL5 in both the front & rear in my MM550 XD (I had LSD in both the diffs

Ah I learn a new thing everyday! I didn't know there were army jeeps that had LSD on both diffs. I only knew about the rear diff having LSD...