[Raul258]

Hello guys,
I’ve been waiting to share my Gypsy story with you all for a few months now and I finally dug up some time. So here it goes..

My four wheel search started after a year long commute in a Honda Dio. Travelling in a two wheeler in north Indian winters was too much for me to handle. I looked up many options from ford ikon, Alto, Honda city, civic and so on but none of these cars pulled me enough to invest a few lacs until I landed on a Maruti Gypsy King, a car which has had an admirable place in my heart since childhood. I researched a lot on Gypsies in t-bhp threads which was extremely useful and decided to go for an ex-army and do the mods as per my taste. What I loved about the vehicle is its reliable, simple and a big head turner. Also restoring a vehicle from scratch is a great experience and it actually connects you to the machine. Few weeks later I saw an ad for a Gypsy King 2005 model ex air force for 2 lacs in Chandigarh. It was a completely stock, white, soft top Gypsy.



I went to see the vehicle and my untrained could not find any big flaws in it. No big rust patches, dents or signs of accidents. The tires were in a very bad shape though. But it was fine since I would have gone for wider shoes anyway. The guy did a cold start in front of me and the engine came to life in a second. That gave me some sort of confidence in the vehicle. We negotiated the price and I managed to bring it down to 1.7 lacs. Now my real problem was my next to zero experience in driving a four wheeler, I paid the advance amount and joined a driving school. A few weeks later I went to pick up the beauty along with my friend. We checked all the papers and found it was ok, completed the payment and received all the documents. The vehicle had been registered in 2015 with the RC valid till 2030 and to sweeten the deal, the RC had no mention of the color of the vehicle which meant I can do whatever paint job I want with zero hassles of paperwork.

Well there I was.. a proud owner of a Gypsy and it was quite a moment for me. With a nervous smile, I Started the vehicle and drove it to the nearest petrol pump and then straight to the mechanic (Mr. N) the previous owner told me to go to.Turns out he is THE guy for Gypsy in Chandigarh and I got really lucky there. Here is the list of things that we did.

1. Engine oil and coolant changed. Radiator given a pressure wash.
2. Opened up the axle of the vehicle, cleaned it up.
3. All filters replaced.
4. Changed the tires to Bridgestone Dueler A/T 215/75 tubeless (6k each)
5. Steering problem fixed ( there is a two-way joint which was faulty hence making it very tight)
6. Changed to a hard top. (15k including labor)
7. New windscreen
8. Got it dented and painted from another guy. Including rubber coating of the floor.

This was a real ripper. I had to shell out 45k for the whole episode.

9. New left door for better body finish (turns out the old one was damaged)

10. New wiring. The complete wiring set was a hard find. If I remember correctly, I waited more than 2 months for this. Since the vehicle was in the paint shop, I ignored the delay but eventually got frustrated as I had to finish the wiring just after the paint work. I sent a strongly worded email to Maruti customer care and after a few days told the electrician to continue with the old wires. He was almost done with the job and we got a call from the shop about the arrival of the whole set. Happy me. So the old ones had to be removed and in goes the new one.

11. New dashboard, new LED’s for meter console (white). The dashboard comes in different pieces all costing almost 2500 bucks
12. New shaft for 4X4
13. All lights replaced and auxiliary lights installed. Opted for lumax all around except the auxiliary lights which were Neolite
14. All rubber bushes replaced
15. New engine mounts
16. New floor mats
17. New spark plugs and ignition coil
18. Accelerator cable, speedometer cable and clutch cable replaced
19. Faulty temperature sensor replaced
20. Wiper blades, rubbers around the doors replaced



After a good wash

New shoes coming in. Bridgestone dueler 215/75/R15. The old ones were all cracked up except one which had sufficient tread depth to qualify as a spare. 6k saved there


This is how the dash looked. I really hated those holes and a change was a must


Getting a good service. All oils were changed and the bearings were also checked. No problems there


New Shoes!!!


Here comes the hard top which nags me till date. The rear door hits against something each time I run over a pothole producing loud thuds. But it feels good knowing my stuff inside is safe.


Off to Mr painter. I got really screwed there. Almost 3 long months and a whopping 45k including a left door (second hand) I couldn't keep up with the work as I was away most of the time.





Looks good with the primer too...


Which color was the biggest question. After thinking a lot of options I chose maroon and black combo. For the maroon, we chose Renault Kwid's paint and for the body and a matt black for the hood


The engine bay was a mess. Especially near the battery as it had leaked and corroded the body. Still running with that battery though.


New horns and headlamps.


New dashboard


Back home.




The whole process took more than 3 months and needless to say, I was drained at the end of it. But, the happiness of driving it trumps it all. Now, my previously boring weekends mostly have a short drive to the Himalayas or the plains of Punjab. I use the car for my daily commute to office also which is a 25km ride to and fro. I usually get a mileage around 10 in city and 12 in the highway which is acceptable.
My plans for the near future includes

1. New front seats with good body support
2. Air conditioning
3. CFL suspension for the rear
5. Power steering

[ariesonu]

Lucky you, to get something so clean in just couple of lakhs & that even 4x4.
I am natively from Chandigarh and would love to get something like this. PLEASE keep an eye for me.

Here is one of my most favorite GYPSY on the forum:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post4081277

The choice of front bumper, steel rims is amazing in this Gypsy. She is what is everything right with this vehicle.

You have done pretty good jobs so far but will request you to not go overboard with MODS.

Some minor things that need immediate attention are:
> The S in the front grill where someone has put M logo
> Better headlights as lenses look dull
> The MG413 sticker on the side
> A better numberplate

Pls do share some interior photos as the DASH needed some HOLES repaired

Regards-Sonu

[Raul258]

Originally Posted by ariesonu

Lucky you, to get something so clean in just couple of lakhs & that even 4x4.
I am natively from Chandigarh and would love to get something like this. PLEASE keep an eye for me.

Here is one of my most favorite GYPSY on the forum:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post4081277

The choice of front bumper, steel rims is amazing in this Gypsy. She is what is everything right with this vehicle.

You have done pretty good jobs so far but will request you to not go overboard with MODS.

Some minor things that need immediate attention are:
> The S in the front grill where someone has put M logo
> Better headlights as lenses look dull
> The MG413 sticker on the side
> A better numberplate

Pls do share some interior photos as the DASH needed some HOLES repaired

Regards-Sonu

Thanks Sonu.
You are the first person to tell me that the vehicle was worth the price. Have met many here in Chandigarh who thought I have gone mad to pay 1.7 lacs for a 2005 king.

The guy from whom I bought this had another Gypsy king with him for 2.2 L. Ill PM you if it's still there.

The dashboard and number plates have been replaced. I have not clicked any new pics but will upload soon. The headlamps are just a few months old. I had replaced the old ones with 90/100 lumax headlamps.. they appear dull

Suzuki logo and side stickers are also in the list.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by Raul258

Have met many here in Chandigarh who thought I have gone mad to pay 1.7 lacs for a 2005 king.

Lat week I traveled to Patiala from Jalandhar to check and - if I liked - buy a 2005 gypsy king for 1.85 lacs. So I guess you have company.

Ultimately, I didn't. While the exterior looked appealing, it was no where as good to drive as I imagined. Its funny what you end up imagining after looking at pictures. It looked so well maintained externally, I thought it would also drive atleast 80% as well as my petrol Etios. It took me no time to imagine myself driving to Leh - from Jispa in an open top gypsy with my family following me in Innova as a support vehicle! Thankfully, better sense prevailed and I didn't buy it. But such is the lure, that I had a hard hard time saying no to a vehicle which was essentially going to be a money pit.

Congratulations to you on finding such a well maintained gypsy. I am certainly going to buy one in the future but I will buy a new one - am just too scared of old gypys now.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by rrsteer

Lat week I traveled to Patiala from Jalandhar to check and - if I liked - buy a 2005 gypsy king for 1.85 lacs. So I guess you have company.

Ultimately, I didn't. While the exterior looked appealing, it was no where as good to drive as I imagined. Its funny what you end up imagining after looking at pictures. It looked so well maintained externally, I thought it would also drive atleast 80% as well as my petrol Etios. It took me no time to imagine myself driving to Leh - from Jispa in an open top gypsy with my family following me in Innova as a support vehicle! Thankfully, better sense prevailed and I didn't buy it. But such is the lure, that I had a hard hard time saying no to a vehicle which was essentially going to be a money pit.

Congratulations to you on finding such a well maintained gypsy. I am certainly going to buy one in the future but I will buy a new one - am just too scared of old gypys now.

Scared of old Gypsy's??
It is probably the easiet vehicle to fix in case anything goes wrong. Makes all sense to buy a used one cheap and do it up as per your liking than paying ~7L for a bare basic gypsy.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Scared of old Gypsy's??
It is probably the easiet vehicle to fix in case anything goes wrong. Makes all sense to buy a used one cheap and do it up as per your liking than paying ~7L for a bare basic gypsy.

Problem is finding even mildly abused cars. The scene here in Punjab is such that majority of these Gypsys have been converted to diesel, the remaining are either very old or have been subjected to grave misuse with almost no maintenance. The good ones are being sold at a prohibitive price. In such a case, for a keeper like me, it would make sense to buy new.

[shankar.balan]

Raul!
Im with you mate.
Even I recently succumbed to my long standing love affair with the Gypsy and bought a 15 year old used example from a private seller in Noida a couple of months ago. It was a tired old beast though used by an enthusiast.

I had it trucked all the way down to Bangalore. This is the Third Gypsy in my
life - the first was in 1997 - a 1988 model soft top 970cc narrow track, the second was 2003 - a 1995 model hardtop 970cc wide track and now this one the 2002 model hard top 1.3 litre MPFi King.

I ve spent a bit of cash since I received the Gyp in Bangalore and have jazzed it up a bit.

But with all the expenses including the buy price, transport and all that I ve spent, I am still hovering at around 1/3rd the price of a brand new stock/ off the shelf Gypsy.

Enjoy your ride buddy.
It is a lovely vehicle for an enthusiast...

I just cant stop loving the Gypsy...here's a couple of pics of my 15 year old, 'restoration-in-constant-process' Gypsy!

[Vikram Arya]

Congratulations Raul & welcome to the club!

Your's is a labour of love & its coming along really nice. You're absolutely right; owning a Gypsy is an experience like no other. This vehicle somehow gets under your skin. It is a fantastic vehicle & engine combination that offers endless possibilities.

Though it bereft of any features that can make your life comfortable but that raw feel that you get while driving a Gypsy is an experience that only those that appreciate its pure sense of purpose & no nonsense appeal can truly appreciate.

The fact that it has hardly any complex electronics endears it to me personally even more. It is indeed one of its kind and probably last of its kind.

Having owned 7 different four wheeler right from a puny 800 CC Maruti (my first car) to a 5.7 ltr. V8 Dodge Charger in last 19 years Gypsy remains my all time favourite.

Enjoy the drive & be safe!

[Raul258]

Well after a break of a few months I've replaced the clutch since it was worn out and also replaced the throttle body.

It drives like a new car now. The odd variation in the idling speed has vanished and the acceleration is butter smooth with no jiggles. Most importantly the mileage as gone up by almost 2kmpl

A basic music system setup has also been installed with JVC HU and Pioneer 600W speakers behind the front seats.
Next in the line is air conditioning and power steering. My mechanic has quoted 15000 for the AC installation with second-hand subros 80cc compressor and 22k for the power steering. Although I am sure about the AC setup, I'm in two minds whether to install the power steering or not.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the 4x4 Section. Thanks for sharing!

[IN-RJ]

Originally Posted by Raul258

..and a big head turner.

Jeep(/Gypsy) is not for everyone and everyone is not for jeep.

I went to see the vehicle and my untrained could not find any big flaws in it.

My God. That’s a big risk. How the Transfer case is working?

As far as possible try to keep the beast original. Gypsy is most beautiful in its true looks. What is that?

My plans for the near future includes

5. Power steering

If it is not hard needed, please avoid.

Please get connected with Bhpian Leoshashi (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ries-here.html). He has Prats Catalogue of all marutis before 2010. Get the Part Number and bring the fender sticker of Gypsy King to complete the originality.

Looks like beast have a minor shunt after paint job!

[Raul258]

My God. That’s a big risk. How is the Transfer case working?

Yes indeed.. but the desperation makes you do stupid things. In my case, I got extremely lucky as the vehicle had no major issues. The transfer case works just fine. I guess it has not been used much

As far as possible try to keep the beast original. Gypsy is most beautiful in its true looks. What is that?

True that. It is a 4X4 3D sticker from flipkart

If it is not hard needed, please avoid.

Even I love the current setup but there are times when I really missed a PS while in the city traffic. Still in two minds though.

Looks like beast have a minor shunt after paint job!

That is a because of a minor accident recently. Still more lessons to learn.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Raul!
Im with you mate.

I ve spent a bit of cash since I received the Gyp in Bangalore and have jazzed it up a bit.

Enjoy your ride buddy.
It is a lovely vehicle for an enthusiast...

I just cant stop loving the Gypsy...

Well, with The kind of love you have for the vehicle I think you should get a new one if possible. I have been following your restoration for quite some time now.
I'm totally new to the entire car scene but still, I don't think I would have enjoyed the ownership of some hatchback as much as I do with the Gypsy.

Originally Posted by Vikram Arya

Congratulations Raul & welcome to the club!

The fact that it has hardly any complex electronics endears it to me personally even more. It is indeed one of its kind and probably last of its kind.

Completely agree. I don't think Maruti Suzuki would launch even the Jimny in Indian markets. The rare following for these kinds of vehicles are conviniently ignored.

Having owned 7 different four wheeler right from a puny 800 CC Maruti (my first car) to a 5.7 ltr. V8 Dodge Charger in last 19 years Gypsy remains my all time favorite.

That's a pretty good place to be for the gypsy.

[rmonie]

I had a Gypsy for about 7-8 years, & was convince to fit a power steering in about the 5th year of ownership. Apart from making life slightly easier in very slow moving situations e.g., parking etc., i felt it was a waste of money! a correctly calibrated deep dish steering wheel is a far easier & cheaper fix, not to mention the aesthetics.

[Raul258]

Installed new rally seats after a long hunt for them. These offer much more support than the stock seats and give a tad higher seating position. Sourced these from a manufacturer from Delhi at a very reasonable price.. I had to do a bit of tinkering to mount them. Very happy with the result..

[Turbanator]

sourced these from a manufacturer from Delhi at a very reasonable price

Looks neat, can you share details of manufacturer here. And what sort of modifications are required, I have been thinking of buying a new Gypsy for a while.