[Rajith]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Manveet - THANKS YAAR! .

By the way, with the tandem booster, the LSPV setting value changes. Please get this information from Rajith in Bangalore, he has done this work on his Thar so he knows the exact value. Rajith - please.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Allready on the job with him, Sir.

Done a clean upgradation of the vaccum tank of Mhawk in my THAR to support the double booster, as the current set up runs out of vaccum on continuous instant usage .

Resembles as a OE fittment inside Engine bay, will post pics soon.

[ninjatalli]

Manveet,
Awesome choice of car, and bloody awesome seats! I'm literally drooling on those since you put them up.

Btw just one point to make - you choose to ignore BMW, Audi etc to stay low key. And you believe a smashing red Thar with alloys and awesome mods is going to help you do that?

Please put some more pics, especially of the interiors.

[codelust]

Manveet, that is a beautiful looking jeep you have there. If the costs of building out the vehicle to what it needs to be is not a problem this is THE platform to buy, especially for someone who likes to tread on roads not often travelled. And your list of mods look very similar to the one I'd do.

Which Brimbra HT are you going for? I hope not the one that is very boxy, I have seen in it real and it is positively awful.

I'm hoping to replicate what the M&M guys have done on one of their Thars, but only after a while. Let us see what the 2013 upgrades will bring to the vehicle.

My ideal end result will have to come as close to this as possible. Maybe not the MT tyres.

[coloneljasi]

@ manveet: Those subtle mods are doing wonders to the looks of your already good-looking machine. I must say that I've never seen a de-badged Thar CRDe before, looks good.

And those seats are just brilliant. I would hesitate to take something so good looking off road.

Mate, your thread has just been bookmarked on my latop!

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by Rajith

Allready on the job with him, Sir. Done a clean upgradation of the vaccum tank of Mhawk in my THAR to support the double booster, as the current set up runs out of vaccum on continuous instant usage. Resembles as a OE fittment inside Engine bay, will post pics soon.

Dear Rajith - maybe you can change your profession! Remember, "your" fitment must be always "better than" OE fitment because you don't have to be constrained by the **** **** that happens! HaHaHa! .

Dear Manveet - the de-badged vehicle looks fantastic, sorry I missed it! Now, finally, please put the "real" (JEEP) badges on both sides in front of the front doors, please?

And please stick to the OE soft top. I've put all my passion into making it! All said and done, with respect to all the hard work put in by people, except for the Italian hard top, none of the others look good! And, looking good is what this vehicle is all about! See if you can source and fit Wrangler tail lamps, lose the rear bumperettes and change the number plate location to make it look like Wrangler.

Then, start upwards to finally make my dream come true - THE REAL THAR!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[manveet]

Originally Posted by codelust

Manveet, that is a beautiful looking jeep you have there. If the costs of building out the vehicle to what it needs to be is not a problem this is THE platform to buy, especially for someone who likes to tread on roads not often travelled. And your list of mods look very similar to the one I'd do.

Thank you very much. In the extensive pre-purchase homework that I did, this was one of the pictures I used for reference as well. So it's evident that both of us have excellent taste

Originally Posted by codelust

My ideal end result will have to come as close to this as possible. Maybe not the MT tyres.

Another problem I have in life (apart from disliking stock cars) is that I am very fussy about small things. With the Thar, one has to maintain a balance between aesthetics and being technically correct with respect to the for the choice of application. Which is where I appreciate the form in which way Mahindra provides the Thar - they give you a raw platform and you decide what you want to do with it. Of course, some people will always crib that Thar has IFS instead of fixed axle, and others will have a problem that it doesn't come with power windows, music system, etc.

So my application is 80% on-road. The max offroading I have done as yet is jump kerbs or pavements, or use the shoulder of the road more than I otherwise would. Am still trying to find out an OTR group in NCR - but have not met with success there.

Attachment 1026203

Now coming back to the subject, if you look at the Thar above - you'll notice the snorkel. Which implies that I am likely to go waist deep in water. And I have speakers and power windows installed in my doors, along with end to end carpeting. So who would I be fooling with the snorkel?

Same with the winch. I could go for something chinese, but from what I understand a good winch would cost me upwards of 50K. And I really don't see myself landing up in a situation that warrants winch usage. Same with MT tires. Look good but too much noise on Tar.

The antennas look neat too. Good for leading trails, but then I will have to rule out underground parking at malls - which is where I land up most of the time.

Hope you get the drift.

Originally Posted by codelust

Which Brimbra HT are you going for? I hope not the one that is very boxy, I have seen in it real and it is positively awful.

This is the one, but mine will have tinted glasses. Sending it to Bimbra on 17th, and delivery expected by 19th December. But I really need a hard-top and don't have many options. I really don't think it looks that bad. Maybe once it gets installed on my Thar, I will be able to change your opinion.

Originally Posted by coloneljasi

@ manveet: Those subtle mods are doing wonders to the looks of your already good-looking machine. I must say that I've never seen a de-badged Thar CRDe before, looks good.

And those seats are just brilliant. I would hesitate to take something so good looking off road.

Mate, your thread has just been bookmarked on my latop!

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Manveet - the de-badged vehicle looks fantastic, sorry I missed it! Now, finally, please put the "real" (JEEP) badges on both sides in front of the front doors, please?

Thank you so much for the kind words. Jeep badges were ordered a fortnight ago and have already been delivered to an address in UK. They reach me on the 21st of December.

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

And please stick to the OE soft top. I've put all my passion into making it! All said and done, with respect to all the hard work put in by people, except for the Italian hard top, none of the others look good! And, looking good is what this vehicle is all about!

I was expecting this opinion on the soft-top and on the tail-lights from you knew before I posted this thread, and I was really feeling awful about it. It is awesome as a soft-top but end of day it is a soft-top. Too much "phad phad" from the canvas once I cross 80 kmph, and too much noise in the cabin as well. A hard-top was not part of the initial plan, but now that I have used the vehicle for a month-and-a-half, I have accepted the fact that the soft-top will have to go :(

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

See if you can source and fit Wrangler tail lamps, lose the rear bumperettes and change the number plate location to make it look like Wrangler.

Sirjee, I saw you appreciate those LED Wrangler lights on another thread. But looks are very subjective - I didn't like those at all. I am absolutely in
love with the stock tail lights and front indicator+parking lights. In fact, the vehicle looks absolutely delectable at night, with just the parking lights on. Its the old school world war era look that I absolutely love and want to keep a few of those key elements in place.

For the same reason I like the front and rear bumpers as well

But please share any other thoughts that you have. This is exactly the beauty of the Jeep. Everyone has their own concept of what they want their Jeep to look like - and they are so different. Each as good as the other.

Note from the Team-BHP Support: Please use the EDIT or MULTI-QUOTE buttons instead of typing one post after another on the same thread.

[codelust]

Originally Posted by manveet

Thank you very much. In the extensive pre-purchase homework that I did, this was one of the pictures I used for reference as well. So it's evident that both of us have excellent taste

Ha ha. Looks like that. I'll be quite happy to see you take it as close as possible to the M&M one. It will give me a good reference point cost-wise to make a final decision.

Was that M&M one kitted out at Performance Auto?

I'd spent two weeks with a Thar, me in my Gypsy, in June doing some pretty awful stretches in Lakdah and I am a fan of the base platform - IFS included. The only problem for me is price. By my estimate (hard top, AT tyres and Bushwacker-style fender flares added on), a new Thar will be ~9L on the road. That kind of price level is not an easy option for me and it will be my only vehicle, should I go in that direction.

As long as there is a HT, factory AC and immobilizer, the rest are things that don't matter much to me as I prefer functionality and reliability over too many bells and whistles that can potentially break down in the far-flung areas that I like to drive to. Snorkel - not needed for me, I'd rather drive around than risk getting water everywhere and a breakdown while on the road. Winch - same as the snorkel, go around than go through where it can be helped. In any case, I'm a tourer and I don't like breaking the vehicle in OTRs.

Originally Posted by manveet

This is the one, but mine will have tinted glasses. Sending it to Bimbra on 17th, and delivery expected by 19th December. But I really need a hard-top and don't have many options. I really don't think it looks that bad. Maybe once it gets installed on my Thar, I will be able to change your opinion.

That's the Bimbra one I have seen. Saw the same vehicle near Karnal. You can spot it from a kilometer away. It towers over all traffic like a big matchbox.

Taste, though, is subjective and as long as you like it, that's what matters.

Did you not try your luck with the HYD one?

[quadra]

Congratulations Manveet. The move from Accord to Thar is indeed a unique one & the upgrades that followed are worth drooling over. Please put some detailed pics for each of the mods.

Make your own story...Make your own jeep.

[manveet]

Originally Posted by parsh

This is a novice Q. What is the benefit of the Rear Suspension Composite Fibre Leaf Springs vis-a-vis OEM ones?

Originally Posted by cawnpore ghost

Is it something to do with the torsional strength/flexibility or something else?

The stock Thar provides a very jumpy ride that is especially worry-some for rear seat passengers. An hour in this vehicle even on a highway with slight undulations (which are inherent in India, and not noticeable in most sedans) is enough to give a giddy vomiting feeling. Also, going over a mid size speed-breaker without warning can sent the rear passenger straight through the roof, esp. if one is running on Innova rear seats.

Going in for something like this solves the problem to a large extent.

I have sourced mine from a company called "Arc Industries" which is in Ichalakaranji, a place near Nasik, Maharashtra. The product is good (ARAI approved, etc.) and the person manufacturing and selling it a thorough gentleman. However, at 26.5k ex-delivery it is quite expensive.

Here is a link that will give you more details on the product ..
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-te...f-roading.html

Refer below the three pictures. One is of the CF leaf spring stacked against the OE spring (as provided by the manufacturer). The other is a picture of my springs - neatly couriered and delivered to my doorstep within 3 days.

[manveet]

Conceptually this is a good mod, with some inherent Pros and Cons.

Pros:

1. Front facing, at the same time foldable to the sides. This gives complete utilization of the rear cabin.
2. Comfortable, with good all-round support
3. Spacious, as compared to most rear seats/ benches that are mounted between the rear wheel wells
4. Has the potential to give phenomenal legroom, if needed. Knees are not bent too much, one can stretch their legs and sit. A very chilled out seating posture is possible, esp. if one passenger in the rear.

The basic drawback is with the height, which leads to the following Cons:

1. Rear visibility reduces tremendously.
2. Rear seat passengers can see over, above and beyond the driver. A very awkward view for them.
3. Very dangerous, not recommended for young passengers, if running on stock suspension. On CF Leaf springs, it's quite safe.

This is the thread that inspired me to go for the Innova rear seats. Thanks a ton nitin_80 - you pioneered this.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ve...ml#post2616314

However, this is an incomplete way to install with potential long term damage. Let me explain. Below is a photo of installation as done by me, similar to what was done by nitin_80







Now the problem in this is that the sheet metal of the wheel well on which these seats are mounted is very thin. If we move the seats there is a lot of movement in the sheet-metal. Regular use of the seats can lead to tearing of the sheet metal. So I had to go back to basics and get these metal sheets bolted on both side wheel wells.



It is not evident from the picture, but each of these sheets was over 4kg in weight. The bends that you see on the edges also play a critical role in structural rigidity.

Below is the almost final result. I am not too happy with the looks and reliability of the support rods, so am planning to in for a wooden carpeted trunk (for tools, etc.) on which these seats will rest. The trunk will not be fixed and can be pushed forward to make space for the dog, etc. when seats are folded to the sides.





So this is still work in progress, should be final in the next 10 days or so. Thought I should still share with you cause I noticed that a few people were planning to go in for these seats in the next few days.

[BlackRaven]

Originally Posted by manveet

The basic drawback is with the height, which leads to the following Cons:


So this is still work in progress, should be final in the next 10 days or so. Thought I should still share with you cause I noticed that a few people were planning to go in for these seats in the next few days.

Thanks for sharing manveet. I have seen certain wranglers in the US which have a cut in the inner side of the wheel well to accommodate seats at a lower height thus providing more headroom. Will doing such a mod in Thar by cutting the wheel well a little bit, reinforcing it to suit the seats cause any structural rigidity issues? I doubt if such a mod will have the rear tyres scrap the wheel well. Thoughts?

Do you plan to integrate any seat belts for the rear? Do you think it is possible at all.

How do you hold the seat to the floor? I would guess it will be important to do that from a safety perspective. Irrespective of elder or younger passenger.

[Rajith]

Originally Posted by manveet

Conceptually this is a good mod, with some inherent Pros and Cons.

Pros:

1. Front facing, at the same time foldable to the sides. This gives complete utilization of the rear cabin.
2. Comfortable, with good all-round support
3. Spacious, as compared to most rear seats/ benches that are mounted between the rear wheel wells
4. Has the potential to give phenomenal legroom, if needed. Knees are not bent too much, one can stretch their legs and sit. A very chilled out seating posture is possible, esp. if one passenger in the rear.

The basic drawback is with the height, which leads to the following Cons:

1. Rear visibility reduces tremendously.
2. Rear seat passengers can see over, above and beyond the driver. A very awkward view for them.
3. Very dangerous, not recommended for young passengers, if running on stock suspension. On CF Leaf springs, it's quite safe.

This is the thread that inspired me to go for the Innova rear seats. Thanks a ton nitin_80 - you pioneered this.


So this is still work in progress, should be final in the next 10 days or so. Thought I should still share with you cause I noticed that a few people were planning to go in for these seats in the next few days.

You could have made 35 inches width,20 inches depth and 20 inches back support double folding seats with 10/12 inches height to fit inside the wheel arch well. Give 3 inch wide and 0.8MM thick supporting plate under body.One can use a Swift/Astar/I10 type head rest.Can give heavy cushioning on left and right wheel arches from rear end to front, so the same can be used hand rest/misc.

Seat will fold like a last row front facing seats of scorpio.So space also can be utilised properly when reqd.

Also can have inner shell paint w/o any scratches or dents !!.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by BlackRaven

Do you plan to integrate any seat belts for the rear? Do you think it is possible at all.

Dear Black Raven - South Africa rollover bar has standard front as well as rear seat belt mounting arrangements already provided on it, suitable for 3 point ELR type European specification belts. The mounting meets SA / Europe (EEC) regulations, provided 14 nos of M12*1.5 fasteners are used to mount the SA rollover bar to the body and proper torque is applied to all fasteners. This determines pull out load (which is 2.5 times the vehicle GVW) during the test. That's why Thar floor is reinforced in these areas. For rear seat belt mounting on the rear floor, two standard mountings are provided (with reinforcements) below the rear floor panel at a distance of 640 mm from the rear edge (from tailgate) and 390mm from the wheel arch inner vertical faces. All these mountings have the universal standard 5/16UNF threads. For domestic, these holes are supposed to be blocked by using Christmas Tree plugs but assembly line uses aluminium foil (costs less and takes less time to put). I suggest, please use this complete arrangement for rear seat belts. This is the only way to keep the rear seat occupants safe. 5/16UNF thread is very similar to M10*1.25. People don't know the difference, they use M10*1.25 and then the joint gets spoilt. Please be careful. I cannot upload pictures due to very high memory. Similar arrangement is provided in the rear floor also for front facing rear seat mounting which Europe uses. Two locations are on the floor and two are on the vertical faces of the wheel arch. Please do not cut the wheel arch. It will spoil the body dynamics / NVH characteristics completely. This is the silliest thing that you can do!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[GoSlow]

This Hard Top is not made by Mahindra guys but by Raj Kapoor of Performance Auto. It is his Thar. He leads these expeditions for Mahindra. In fact the entire Mods are done by him and all these goodies are available for us!!

http://www.performanceauto.in/

Originally Posted by codelust

I'm hoping to replicate what the M&M guys have done on one of their Thars, but only after a while. Let us see what the 2013 upgrades will bring to the vehicle.

My ideal end result will have to come as close to this as possible. Maybe not the MT tyres.

Attachment 1026203

Attachment 1026204

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by GoSlow

This Hard Top is not made by Mahindra guys but by Raj Kapoor of Performance Auto. It is his Thar. He leads these expeditions for Mahindra. In fact the entire Mods are done by him and all these goodies are available for us!

Dear Go Slow - you are correct, that is Mr.Raj Kapoor himself driving MH01AV8605. The vehicle is one of many from marketing, so it is a company vehicle. This hard top looks good. He has been able to do things which I could not do due to the **** **** which goes on! At least now I hope somebody reads, listens, understands and does something!

Dear Manveet - I am eagerly waiting for your Thar photographs with the original JEEP badges on it. I hope they go on the vehicle when it still has the soft top. Finally I am expecting to see something which I have waited for years, to see! I wish your Thar was black! .

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar