[amolpol]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Amolpol - before you do anything on this, please get the ASC to change the radiator pressure cap, drive for some days and revert. The winch is priceless, please use it carefully.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Thanks BD sir, have asked them to change the cap and we'll see. But the SA seemed a bit over enthusiastic about fixing the issue so I don't know if they'll end up doing anything more than what i've told them.

I'm scheduled to get the jeep back tomorrow and am hoping they won't give me reasons to complain, but then I do realize that it's Mahindra afterall

[amolpol]

Ok, the jeep is back and I can't say I was super impressed by the "Premium" service I got at the XUV service center. They forgot to clean the jeep even after me asking them specifically to do it, add to that a day late for delivery and promises that some of the pending issues will be fixed "next" time.

- The coolant leakage was apparently diagnosed to a leaking hose somewhere and replaced. Funny part is that they drained all the coolant to fix the leak which was something that was a manufacturing defect, but they charged me almost 900 bucks for 5litres they replaced.

- The front right fender has been replaced, hopefully I don't end up breaking it again soon.

- I am told that the brakes were checked and double checked and I shouldn't have any issues with them going forward, only time will tell how true that is.

- The clamp between the rollcage and the targa band is still an open item, I'm beginning to believe that it's best done by an expert - outside of Mahindra.

- The front suspension bushes have been changed, but the technical expert at the ASC pointed out that I need to be ready for frequent changes of the bushes because of the taller Bighorn tires. I guess I will have to look at polybushes in the future to overcome this issue.

- The front part of the soft top is still not fixed properly. Apparently the workshop guys couldn't figure how to get it corrected, sad!

Overall, I think there's a lot of scope in the way Mahindra & India Garage could have handled this service event to win over my confidence in their abilities, but I don't think they really care!

On the other hand, I bought a 48" Hi-Lift jack today from Bolton Concepts and found out that they are authorised distributors for Rugged Ridge. Nithin had a Wrangler style double folding rear seat by Rugged Ridge which is a perfect fit for the jeep. So now, I finally have the rear seating done and am pretty happy with the setup. It was a matter of drilling a few holes to install the clamps and the seat is ready to use. This came in just when I'm supposed to drive to Chennai for the OTR and my wife's pretty excited about it.

[manveet]

Originally Posted by amolpol

[*]The sub-standard quality hood latches are now replaced with better ones and hopefully there won't be more paint scratching off the bonnet or rusting of latches.

This one sounds interesting, more details please?

[amolpol]

Originally Posted by manveet

This one sounds interesting, more details please?

I just picked up a pair of latches from the US...i think its the bestop brand. They're very similar to the stock ones but better quality, no mods required to fit it. I'll try and get you the exact link if i can find it in my email.

[amolpol]

Quick update:

• Did a 700km round trip to the JeepThrills Annual OTR near Chennai over the weekend. My wife was pretty happy with the rear seat setup even though I was thinking it may be a tad too low. Good thing is that because it sits on the floor, you're pretty much at the same level as the front seats and having a conversation is more like in a car. I made sure there is enough leg room for people to stretch their legs and be comfortable, but I'd say it works best for anyone under 5'6". Anyways, my objective was to deliver a comfortable seat for my sponsor who's confirmed that she's loves the way it is now.
  
• The jeep performed quite beautifully through the OTR and most of the mechanical ailments reported during the service were taken care of I think. The coolant levels didn't drop off significantly as they would have done previously, the brakes didn't give up on me anytime yet so that's reassuring too.
  
• On the highway, I found the jeep cruising comfortably between 90-100 kmph. It can easily do more with a push of the throttle, but somehow I don't feel safe beyond a 100kph with all the noise and bounciness.
  
• The OTR was pretty elementary since there were SUVs in the group too. It was good in a way since my wife got a first hand experience of driving the jeep in an off-road environment. She was actually doing pretty good for her first time.
  
• We had a lot of people getting stuck at the Palar river bed and the winch proved its worth on the second day of the OTR. We did about a dozen successful recoveries with it. I was amazed at the ease with which it pulled out a Fortuner stuck at a 45 deg incline given that its rated at 8000lbs only.
  

Things on my to do list:

• The jeep seriously needs a good wash, both inside as well as outside. My car wash guy would have had a heart attack when he must have seen it on Monday morning, but he's done his best to take the muck off from all visible places on the outside.
  
• The front part of the soft top is misaligned and is making noise. I need to get this fixed when I visit the ASC next time. One of the rivets holding the front portion has fallen off and you can see that in the picture above.
  
• The Side RVMs leave a lot to be desired on highway drives and visibility is very poor and can be dangerous at times. Getting a better field of view mirror is going to be next on my list.
  
• Now that the seat is fixed, I have to start thinking of making a lockable box behind the seat which can be used to carry tools etc. The box under the passenger seat isn't big enough to keep the recovery gear etc which is required on these OTR trips.
  

[amolpol]

I got a couple of requests about the rear seats and how they're fitted. So here's some quick pictures from my phone camera (forgive about the quality).

I would have liked to get similar seats by Bestop which are a bit taller and have adjustable headrests, but given the complexity of getting it shipped here etc, I decided to grab the opportunity on what was readily available. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the result since the interiors look pretty stock and suited for a jeep. Nithin from BoltOn Concepts offered to help with fabricating clamps to raise the height if I needed it, but I don't think I'm going to do any more changes for now at least.

[Salikt]

Originally Posted by amolpol

I got a couple of requests about the rear seats and how they're fitted. So here's some quick pictures from my phone camera (forgive about the quality).

Looks cool and fits perfect in between. From which vehicle or is it a custom made?

[amolpol]

Originally Posted by Salikt

Looks cool and fits perfect in between. From which vehicle or is it a custom made?

Yup, it's a perfectly sized seat for the 36" space between wheel wells of the Thar. Here's a link for more info on the product which is originally designed for the older models of the Wrangler/CJ.

http://www.ruggedridgeoffroad.com/je...#foldandtumble

[beejay]

Originally Posted by manveet

Here's a picture to give you a general idea ..

Originally Posted by amolpol

I see that you have fitted the Innova rear seats in a very nicely finished manner. I do have a few questions before I start pestering you offline:
.

OT
Hello,

Where did you pick up the used Innova third row seats in Bangalore from?

I am coming there tomorrow and would like to buy one for my Tempo Traveler.

[amolpol]

Originally Posted by beejay

OT
Hello,

Where did you pick up the used Innova third row seats in Bangalore from?

I am coming there tomorrow and would like to buy one for my Tempo Traveler.

I got them at the used market near Russell market, there is a lane that goes left from the main road which has all kinds of old automotive stores. Ask around and you'll find someone with the seats.

[trek]

Hi Amolpol,

The Thar looks fantastic with the alloys and the bumper mods on it.

The rear front facing seat looks comfortable too, may I also suggest fitting a padded layer on the the plane over the wheel wells so the rear passengers can rest their elbows/hands on it.

[amolpol]

Originally Posted by trek

Hi Amolpol,

The Thar looks fantastic with the alloys and the bumper mods on it.

The rear front facing seat looks comfortable too, may I also suggest fitting a padded layer on the the plane over the wheel wells so the rear passengers can rest their elbows/hands on it.

Yeah, thats on the list of things to do along with the padded covers for the roll cage. Another thing on the list is to make sure all the holes are plugged in the rear bay since there is water/slush that comes in through those. The issue is that for these things I'll have to leave the jeep for a couple of days to get the custom seats/covers done for exact fitting.

[triedeverything]

Hey Amolpol,

Brilliant thread!
Where did you get the rear seat fixed in Bangalore? Could you post a few pictures from the rear as well? I'm was interested in the Innova last row that you had on sale.. but looks like someone took it before me :( So I'm trying to remove the last row in my Scorpio and replace it with the split seats. Do let me know if you would recommend someone who'd do a neat job. TIA!

[amolpol]

Originally Posted by triedeverything

Hey Amolpol,

Brilliant thread!
Where did you get the rear seat fixed in Bangalore? Could you post a few pictures from the rear as well? I'm was interested in the Innova last row that you had on sale.. but looks like someone took it before me :( So I'm trying to remove the last row in my Scorpio and replace it with the split seats. Do let me know if you would recommend someone who'd do a neat job. TIA!

I got the seats from BoltOn Concepts near Yeshwantpur. Based on your request, I will get some more pictures to post shortly showing the seat position and the comfort it offers etc.

I believe you can interchange the front facing last row with side facing jump seats in the scorpio pretty easily. The only issue that would happen is the reclining middle seat will no longer remain that way. I'm not sure if those Innova seats would have fitted the scorpio without modifications since the body width looks different, but I may be wrong here.

[commander]

Hi amolpol,
am using the innova/fortuner jump seats for the rear but have altered it a bit after reworking on the fenders. Was hoping to upload it but did not get the time to finish the project. A simple mod which i will upload shortly. Dont know if it'll be ok on the Thar due to the AC but have got it sorted in mine. Will definitely upload when the finishing touches are done.