[harjeev]

Hey Guys,
After reading threads after threads and dreaming of someday owning my own Jeep this is what I found today









The particulars are as follows

1999 Model Soft Top Model MM-550-DP 2WD Mahindra Jeep
Single Civilian Owner (the owner is a government servant and is now retired)
Original condition, paint is also original. Also my driver told me that the vehicle appeared non accidental as the seal (when the company joins metal) were intact. I don’t know what this means but I guess it as a posotive
Total mileage 77K kms
New Battery
In good/ proper driving condition
Gears felt good (I dint like the positioning the third was hitting my leg) but probably as I was driving a safari when I went there and have never driven a Jeep
No smoke even under hard acceleration But on idle when I rev the engine there was a little smoke
All the Meters in the dash were working perfectly The speedo, Temp, fuel, Also had a volt meter, oil pressure). The indicators were also working
Dint find any rust on the body panel. There was some rust on little dents, but I guess that’s OK)
The underbody also appeared to be fine
The Jeep was half a self start, but the ignition lock was very loose. I had to hold it with my left hand. But it started in the first try


Cons
NO 4WD
Tyres bald 2 of them
Steering has a lot of play & he said that steering needs to be worked on
Gears are very loose (play) but dint slip, but again this can be as I am used driving a tata safari
Drove the vehicle for 2-3 kms and felt ok (this is the first time I have driven a Mahindra so I don’t know how to feel) obviously was a little different but good
Body line ok but the doors had to be opened from inside
Brakes were inadequate, But again this can be as they were drums and not disks



If I buy this then according to me I have the following wishlist, so how much would it cost? Not adding anything cosmetic now as it can always be done later. It is the mechanical thing that I am more concerned now

Can I add a 4 WD? Will the engine take the load of a 4WD system.
Disc Brakes?
Steering Overhaul ( I am not thinking of adding a power steering at present as I felt ok when driving it in peak traffic)?
I don’t think that gearbox overhaul is required as the car is in well working condition


This is what I have been get on the internet on this vehicle
“Mahindra MM 500/550 DP is the vehicle with the diesel XDP engine 4.9 C delivering maximum output of 62hp@4500rpm (DIN 70020) and torque of 12.3kgm@2000rpm(DIN 70020).This variant of this range is equipped with various equipments like speedometer,temperature and fuel gauge, oil and pressure gauge, hazard warning switch, high beam, oil pressure, parking brake and turn signal light etc.”




How much should I pay for this vehicle?

The dealer is well know in our area and he had first quoted me 1.00L. Then came down to 90 and now is quoting 85K.
Also he has told me that I can buy and keep the car and in 10 days if I am not satisfied with it I can always book a loss of 10K and return it.
He is vouching for the car that its non accidental, has been driven genuinely for 77K kms, and says that its a good deal to go for.

Additionally I think that I might just be able to break him 80k +/- 2k

What to do?

[bluestraveller]

Harjeev,

Try this. This is posted in our own market place
Team-BHP Classifieds - MM540 DP - Powered by PhotoPost Classifieds
4wd, hardtop, AC, fewer miles, better paint all for 1.5 lakhs. The above jeep is good for the price but would need a lot of work to get it to a 4wd. Your call

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by harjeev

Hey Guys,
After reading threads after threads and dreaming of someday owning my own Jeep this is what I found today
Attachment 76430
[A
What to do?

Just go for it before someone else does. Who said this engine does not have enough power for a 4 WD? Yes, you can easily convert a 2WD to 4WD.

[simply_sunny001]

Harjeev,

80k seems fair price but but and but only problem i see there is no 4WD.

and i'm sure there is substantial cost involved and you might not get the same reliability.

so,i would say skip this one instead look for a 4WD one.

[prmd_cochin]

Dont let this go. MM540 are gems, people simple dont realise that. And price is good too.

[headers]

80K is a fair price, IMO go for it. 4wd conversion is easy and the engine can take the grunt!

[harjeev]

Thanks for the response guys. I think that I will go for it and maybe pick it up tomorrow.

please also do give me an idea on how much should I conversion to a 4WD cost and also I would like to fit Disc breaks in the front wheels. The rest of the vehicle I think is ok for now.

This is the advise that I got from a friend
all that is needs to be done is getting your front tube housing and rear Differential swapped with a set of 4wd front and rear diffs of a mahindra 550(you will have disc brakes installed on the front diff of 550) from Mayapuri, need to buy a T90 transfer case and a matching front and rear drive shafts. hand all the goodies to an able mechanic and you'll have a 4wd Jeep with front disc brakes.


I would like to know how to go about it and how much should all this cost be.
@fazalaliadil: I think that you got the same thing done on your Jeep (the green one). So please share details

EDIT: I was comparing the Specs of 540 and the 550 DP. Both have exactly the same specifications. The only noticable difference mechanically, to a layman like me appears to be in the ratio's of the front and rear axels
Is this correct. So if the 540 has the juice to handle a 4x4 drive terrain, then why cant the 550 DP?

Please also clarify that the T90 transfer case is this the gear box or what. I am totally a layman when it comes to technical terms and am just buying this vehicle for Off-roading and dont want to take any chances.

[harjeev]

Also as I would be buying converting it into a 4WD, what additional features like LSD(for the front axels) and Free Wheeling Hubs (for the rear) can be installed at the same time, or do these come preinstalled in the above diffs?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by harjeev

Also as I would be buying converting it into a 4WD, what additional features like LSD(for the front axels) and Free Wheeling Hubs (for the rear) can be installed at the same time, or do these come preinstalled in the above diffs?

Generally you put free wheeling hubs to the front wheel, this is to disengage the axle in 2WD mode. You can put the free wheeling hubs in the rear if you have fully floating axles in the rear, but that is for a very different purpose, which escapes me at this moment.

The LSD is generally used on the rear axle, while Arka's Jeep is an exception to this rule.

[vinayrathore]

Dear Harjeev,

The vehicle looks exactly how a well maintained 99 MM550 should be like. A good find!

However, of what we all know, an army spec, 4x4, 2001 or later model can be found at Mayapuri or Pathankot for around the same money. Also consider that the newer model will have front disks too.

If you want to add 4wd and disks to this vehicle, it will cost you another 20-30k and more for other minor/major things depending on what all you want to add or change.

That apart, this vehicle looks like pretty well maintained. If you can break him down to arnd 70k. This will a good deal.

PS: The way you say the vehicle feels is typical of all the mm550/540s so don't worry. (U might also have felt the vehicle swinging a bit while hard braking) Also the engine will accept the 4wd.

Senior Jeepers, kindly suggest...

Regards
Vinay Rathore

[DesertKing]

If I did not have already one, I must have looted this deal. It is a fair price. Vinod_Nookala, who won the Polar cup, his Jeep also has the same engine. It is quite capable engine.

[headers]

Originally Posted by DesertKing

Vinod_Nookala, who won the Polar cup, his Jeep also has the same engine.

Its "The Palar Challenge 08" not the Polar Cup FYI.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by DesertKing

If I did not have already one, I must have looted this deal. It is a fair price. Vinod_Nookala, who won the Polar cup, his Jeep also has the same engine. It is quite capable engine.

A Chennai guy driving an open and unheated Jeep in Polar region, just the thought gave me a goose bump.

Very interesting typo.

[DesertKing]

Originally Posted by headers

Its "The Palar Challenge 08" not the Polar Cup FYI.

You should still be wondered that a guy sitting just at the opposite side of mother India also know these details. However sorry if I break your heart by typing the wronge name of the event .

[Sudipto-S-Team]

One thing I like about the photographs of the vehicle is that the owner doesn't seem to be overtly eager to sell the vehicle. He hasn't fixed some of the normal wear and tear signs like the right indicator light or general cleanliness of the engine bay etc. I think this is a good sign. When I see a too perfect vehicle up for sale in the used vehicle market I get suspicious that something must be wrong.