[Kosfactor]

Use a flat 'P' section rubber seal (comes with its own glue) across the tail gate over the handle. The canvas bottom will rest on the seal when strapped down and does a pretty good job of keeping the dust out. You can use this seal to dampen the tailgate rattle as well as use it to keep dust from entering from the section above the tail lamps as well.

[abhikb]

Hello doc,

That’s an interesting update on the 404, pls share some photographs and a bit of elaboration on the rear seat modifications.

[Dr_MNC_SK]

https://youtu.be/6oLaqTq66A0

A short video edit of visit to Tsomgo Lake or Changu lake. It is around 30 kms from my home. Wanted to write travelogues but time is not cooperating.

Have a lovely day folks.

Lot of enquiries coming up for the rear seat arrangement in facebook and here so I am planning to make a short video of that to make things easier for replication or ideas.

[pyrodrive]

Originally Posted by Dr_MNC_SK

Did a North Sikkim Drive (Gurudongmar) during peak winter- Anniversary Celebration in Covid times. Had used one Diesel antifreeze additive from Bosch and it was wonderful.
.

I am also planning a similar drive on my thar during Christmas time. Little bit of concern about cold starts during early mornings, how did yours behave on that front? Also it would be helpful if you can tell us which diesel antifreeze did you use and where did you source it from? Did you use any antifreeze coolant or the regular maxmile ultracool that mahindra recommends for the crde?
Thanks

[Dr_MNC_SK]

Originally Posted by pyrodrive

I am also planning a similar drive on my thar during Christmas time. Little bit of concern about cold starts during early mornings, how did yours behave on that front? Also it would be helpful if you can tell us which diesel antifreeze did you use and where did you source it from? Did you use any antifreeze coolant or the regular maxmile ultracool that mahindra recommends for the crde?
Thanks

Cold starts has never been a problem for me till now, 6 yearls old 75K kms done crde. I always make sure to add an additive and keep the vehicle tucked away in a corner facing the wall in sub zero temperature. (Maximum experience for me is around -10 to 15 degree in Yumesamdong in peak winter) Somehow managed to start the vehicle by 8 am morning. The trick here is to not fill the tank complete but keep some space in the tank and before going for sleep not just start the vehicle but rock it front and back for couple if times. Also in the morning as soon as it starts move the vehicle and brake abruptly rocking it to stir your tank and free the lines. And then let it warm up till you see no black smoke. Also make sure your diesel filter is new. I have also removed the strainer inside the tank as this is the culprit where diesel gels mostly. Just make sure to not allow particles fall inside tank while refuelling. Coolant has been purple ultracool. It doesnt freeze so easily. Additive is in the picture below. Available off amazon India.

[BongMonk]

The posts are very helpful (as always ! ) and it also kept me thinking if I should look at used 2018/2019 CRDE models rather than taking the new 2020 (which i waited for). No doubt it looks good but on a personal note but the waiting time and the old design is kind of making me think about it. The 2018 lags behind the 2020 version in sophistication and ease of handling but is the difference 2X (avg 2018 Thar CRDE with quoting at 7lacs) in reality as the price seems to be? Any thoughts ?

[abhikb]

Originally Posted by BongMonk

The posts are very helpful (as always ! ) and it also kept me thinking if I should look at used 2018/2019 CRDE models rather than taking the new 2020 (which i waited for). No doubt it looks good but on a personal note but the waiting time and the old design is kind of making me think about it. The 2018 lags behind the 2020 version in sophistication and ease of handling but is the difference 2X (avg 2018 Thar CRDE with quoting at 7lacs) in reality as the price seems to be? Any thoughts ?

I will be able to share some insights on this till the time doc reverts, I own a 2019 Thar CRDe 700 edition and also have couple of friends who own Thar 2020.

Below are advantages of Thar CRDe and Thar 2020:

Advantages of Thar CRDe over Thar 2020:

1) Retro Jeep appeal which means better user experience, Thar 2020 is nowhere close to being a Jeep.
2) Lots of options and flexibility to customize as per your budget, preference and taste.
3) CRDe motor is a gem of a motor, it’s not that Mhawk engine is not good but it’s like having confidence on older machines than the new age tech thing.
4) BS4 engine which means no hassle of DEF/DPF issue of BS6 engines.
5) Less electronics results in lesser niggles.
6) Thar CRDe was launched in 2010, Mahindra products are known to evolve better with time, 2018-2019 are the best ones with lesser niggles in Thar CRDe.

Advantages of Thar 2020 over Thar CRDe:

1) NVH level is way better controlled, if you ask an owner of Thar CRDe how good is NVH, his reply will be Huh??
2) Has better low end torque and wider peak torque range.
3) The 6th gear makes highway cruising much better.
4) Option of a factory fitted hardtop.
5) Has got the bells and whistles like a new age car.
6) Thar CRDe gets a MLD as a off road hardware whereas Thar 2020 also gets a BLD at the front.

Trust the above will be useful. Do ping me if you need anymore help.

[BongMonk]

Thanks #Abhikb. You drilled down to basics and it makes a lot of sense. Without going into comparison I guess the legacy of classic Thar has a romance .I have had RE Classic 67 (sold) and currently have another phased out RE, 2011 classic 500. While there is no reason for falling for it , i just cant let it go...i guess somethings are hard to explain or reason. I will stick to 2018 CRDE and find one . The Brio AT can handle the city driving I guess (Damn! that's also phased out).

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by BongMonk

The posts are very helpful (as always ! ) and it also kept me thinking if I should look at used 2018/2019 CRDE models rather than taking the new 2020 (which i waited for). No doubt it looks good but on a personal note but the waiting time and the old design is kind of making me think about it. The 2018 lags behind the 2020 version in sophistication and ease of handling but is the difference 2X (avg 2018 Thar CRDE with quoting at 7lacs) in reality as the price seems to be? Any thoughts ?

It depends on your use case. But if you ask me, the new Thar is a much more modern and safer vehicle. Unless one is going to use the vehicle only for offroad purposes, there is no sense in buying the older Thar in this day and age. Ten years down the line, people will refer to the 2020 Thar as the classic and bitch about the 2030 Thar The price is high, but if you look at the market, everything is expensive. A premium hatch costs 12l and the pseudo SUVs are touching 20.

[Dr_MNC_SK]

Happy New Year all.

2021 has been a great year for me on travel fronts as I clicked close to 14000 Kms on road trips outside my state this year.

Early 2021 (February) , did a 3400 Kms trip to Puri Orissa via Kolkata on the Thar Crde, then fast forward to Sept October a massive 6400 kms to Ladakh and Rajastan again on the Thar Crde, the December did a 2300 kms to Assam Nagaland Manipur on the Ciaz and fag end of the year did a 1200 kms to Patna and back on the Ciaz.

The Thar having been with me since last 6 years and 75K + on the Odo has been an absolute gem with more or less no niggles or hassles on long interstate trips. Having done Nepal Bhutan Arunachal etc as long ones on it before. The only drawback being the lack of ABS and Airbags making highway runs more scary and the softtop making all luggages to be removed at the end of the day or pray it doesnt get stolen.

The bug to sell it and move on to another 4x4 bit me lately and infact i put it up for sale with a list of mods and a rather high price but the number of enquiries and the enthusiasm people are showing to buy it has floored me and made me decide agaisnt selling it. I decided to rather keep it as a secondary vehicle for the occsaional offroading trips and the legacy it has to offer. I regret selling my old Enfield and dont want to go through the same again having shared lots of memories with the vehicle and places it has taken me to.

Coming to people comparing old & new Thar here and elsewhere, there is nothing in common except the name and the number of doors. The New Thar is a refined good vehicle sans the charm of the rugged old one and it is light years ahead in terms of Comfort and Safety. But the home is where the heart lies.

The Ciaz has been a nice travel partner of late having done some 3000+ in the last month itself outside Sikkim, having been equal at ease in good roads and the bad (Read Kohima Mao Manipur Stretch), has been pocket friendly at 18kmpl and also luggage could be locked up in the humongous boot. Also getting hang of the Keyless Entry and Climate Control and Fancy Electronics. The Thar Crde is no doubt the head turner and this threat shall live to see another day soon. Goodday folks.

[abhikb]

Originally Posted by Dr_MNC_SK

The bug to sell it and move on to another 4x4 bit me lately and infact i put it up for sale with a list of mods and a rather high price but the number of enquiries and the enthusiasm people are showing to buy it has floored me and made me decide agaisnt selling it. I decided to rather keep it as a secondary vehicle for the occsaional offroading trips and the legacy it has to offer.

Hey Doc, glad you didn’t sell your beloved 404, the new Thar has certainly put the brand Thar at a different spotlight, however, for most of the CRDe owners it has always been heart over mind buying decision so one can convince the mind but never the heart.

I have decided to stick to my 700 CRDe as long as the government allows to keep it (2 years and 35k on the ODO right now), the reason is quite simple nothing else gives that goosebumps like the CRDe with its retro Jeep appeal does.

All the best and hope to see the 1 Lakh Kms mark on 404 soon

[Dr_MNC_SK]

Finally decided to add a Racedynamic Dieseltronic Off-road Edition Tuning Box.

The RD guys were very receptive and send it in a week by Speedpost. Installation is straightforward. I managed to pass the wires into the well via the firewall hole and hence the box is inside the cabin (on the right side). The remote would work better i felt this way rather than keeping the box inside the engine bay. The E mode though makes it sluggish bumps up mileage by 4-5 kmpl as i noticed over the last few hundred kms. I haven't been able to calculate mileage with P1 and P2 mode but torque delivery is definitely more low end and loving it in our hills. While i have had no major issues with this in the last 400 odd kilometres i used it I got an engine check light and limped once when i was lugging in 2nd gear in P2 mode in a steep unpaved incline. Going to stock mode and switching off and restarting the engine fixed it apparently without any tell tale signs of any problem and since then has been working just as fine.

Lost my brakes courtesy a faulty master cylinder and one rear wheel cylinder leakage also detected during the check. Got the vehicle prematurely serviced (as i had done some long haulages and stressed the engine on my 6500 km Ladakh Rajasthan trip after the last service) That otherwise vehicles holding up well and plans of retaining the thar reinforced.

[Dr_MNC_SK]

A weekend was lying wasted so brother and me decided to visit Men-moi-Tsu (Memenchu)

Men-moi-tsu (also known as Menmecho) Lake is a mountain lake located now in the newly created Pakyong District in the state of Sikkim, India. It lies on the way to the Jelep Pass and is situated at a distance of 20 kilometres ahead of the Lake Tsomgo. It is the source of the river Rangpo chu, a tributary of the Teesta River. The waters of the lake are sourced by melting snow in summer, and the monsoon in the wet season. This lake is not open to tourist generally and had been alluring me to visit since quite some time.

Had a good time with narrow trails like road and a rainy day at hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOs2ufxJzDw

[DirtyDan]

In my part of the Himalayas the mountains effectively stop the monsoons, the southern moisture-laden air, and you get alpine high, dry deserts. North of Jispa and Zing Zing Bar, you rarely see a tree or even much green foliage. It can quickly get to be an ugly dead moonscape, at least, at first glance. It takes a discerning practiced eye to appreciate the deep Himalayas.

Thar is one nice way to get up there and take a look around.

[Dr_MNC_SK]

83000+ kms.

Very few active Crde threads now in TBhp.
Mines clocked 83000+ kms now and is in its 8th year. Recently got the front brake hoses replaced and also the master brake cylinder (Bosch) and rear wheel brake cylinders changed as part of preemptive maintenance plus due to some suspected cylinder leakage. Other then that everything is going great and I prefer to drive this over any other car in the garage every single day. Front suspension wearables also saw some replacement at 82000 and the new Amada shock absorbers bushings were the main ones to be changed with a makeshift bushing from the FNG. Does anyone have links to source the bushing for the same please?

Thinking of preemptively changing major rubber parts (read hoses and belts) now. Can anyone please help me with the part numbers and what all should I replace at the bare minimum?