[Spitfire]

Lot of times, it gets difficult to make people understand why we have a 4x4/Jeep/Gypsy or any of these. I have had some intersting conversations with people around. How about adding them on this thread.

I am sure a lot of you in here will add on.

A recent conversation with a colleague(he drives a Santro):

Colleague: So I heard you have couple of cars?
Me: Yes, but not really cars.
Colleague: Oh then?
Me: Based on Jeeps rather.
Colleague: Oh ok. What all?
Me: Bolero and a Classic.
Colleague: Classic? Whats that?
Me: Open top small jeep, Mahindra one..
Colleague: Oh yes, lot of them seen in the hills and one contractor back home had one. Noisy and diesel right.
Me: Err... yes.
Colleague: The other a Bolero?
Me: Yes.
Colleague: Don't you have any "dhang ka" cars? (Translated - Don't you have any proper cars?)
Me: You won't get it.

With my dad, when i bought an used Classic. Sometime in 2001.
Me: Dad, come and see what I got.
Dad: Ok.
Me: Mahindra Classic 99 model.
Dad: What no doors?
Me: Duh.. its a open top jeep.
Dad: Yeah i know. But i thought these things will atleast have doors. Also only 2 seats.
Me: Its 4WD.
Dad: I see you on the beach splashing around in this thing. I will make you sell it the next day.
Me: Don't worry. I will be taking it to the jungles and stuff.
Dad: Don't just fall off when you hit a speedbreaker or something.
Me: Err...ok.

He only ever sat once in it. Never drove it. Still won't touch it. Even to move it in or out of the Garage.

With my wife, recently when i said we need to get the Classic to Bangalore.

Wife: Where are you going to park it?
Me: In the basement parking.
Wife: And where is the elephant(Bolero - she calls it that) going to be teethered then?
Me: Err... good point. Probably in the office.
Wife: And when we have to go somewhere, we go in the roofless one(Classic).
Me: Err..no. The Bolero.
Wife (gives me the look only a wife can give) - Roameo, copyright violation I know. But can't find a better line
Me: See, there are lot of activities on weekends here with a small group of folks.
Wife: We still haven't got beyond the parking issue yet?
Me: I will handle that, don't worry.
Wife: How?
Me: Wait listen. Anyways its lying there doing nothing.
Wife: So getting it to Blore is the solution?
Me: But, i am missing out.
Wife: See, we already have one elephant and 3 bikes parked in the basement. Another vehicle and the society will throw us out. Build an independent house here in bangalore and park whatever you want around it. (this is 2 birds in one stone statement, if you can get it).
Me: grumble, grumble. WHEN IS DINNER?

[shishir_bn]

hahahaha nice one.... Couldn't stop laughing(about the conversatioon you had with your better half). By the way this is all because people don't know what a classic is. I think even our mod GTO has one. he can give more incidents like this

[beejay]

My parents hate my Jeep
1.Cause it has no doors. (He says its not a practical vehicle up here in the hills as it can get pretty cold during the winters.)
2. Makes a din wherever I go.
3. Smokes the neighborhood.
4. Brings snakes home, (refer the snakes thread here.)http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ve...snakes-12.html

However he loves driving it whenever he gets a chance. The recent rains and having all the roads blocked made him change his mind. Big time.
There was fuel only in one single petrol station. The road was blocked from both sides to reach there. All the people had to walk and get fuel and come back carrying the heavy cans. My sweetheart grazed through the landslide and reached the station. Filled her up and also bought fuel for the other vehicles at home.

My face was like, WHAT SAY NOW, DAD?

[Samurai]

Shishir, most of us regulars of this section generally know each other's Jeep/Gypsies by sight and specs.

I live in a place whether even 4x4 Jeep owners look at those two levers quizzically. So they simply don't understand why a Grand Vitara owner wants to drive a small Jeep. However, I haven't faced much question from acquaintances. They just think it a fancy.

[Ravveendrra]

Lovely thread Spitfire. Forget getting a proper Jeep, when I wanted to buy a Safari 4 X 4, I got pretty much the same responses. I cannot understand what is it with people that they consider only a saloon or hatchback proper.

That particular fire might have dimmed but the embers are there. Who knows - one day perhaps........

Cheers,

[beejay]

So whats this for now, to get the school chicks to look at you, Is it?

[khan_sultan]

Good thread.!!! Luckily no one in my family had objections and my wifey loves the Gypsy over any other vehicle.

But yes, neighbors do not seem to understand what the heck I do on weekends when I look like a plumber carrying towropes/jacks/wires from the house to the Gypsy and come back all muddied up

Originally Posted by Spitfire

....we need to get the Classic to Bangalore.
.....
Me: But, i am missing out.
..

Where is it now? Or do you still plan to miss out? There is a OTR this Sunday. Why don't you join in -- should be fun.

[beejay]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

But yes, neighbors do not seem to understand what the heck I do on weekends when I look like a plumber carrying towropes/jacks/wires from the house to the Gypsy and come back all muddied up

. That's a good one. One can literally imagine.

[H3LIOS]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Wife: See, we already have one elephant and 3 bikes parked in the basement. Another vehicle and the society will throw us out. Build an independent house here in bangalore and park whatever you want around it. (this is 2 birds in one stone statement, if you can get it).

I feel your pain buddy, 'cos I know exactly what you are talking about. In my case, I have a real elephant - the Xylo. Wifey simply refused to give up the one single parking spot we have in our apts for the Xylo. It belongs to her Santro AT. And any discussion on it ends with the "build an independent house, then you can park whatever you want" argument.

I put up the Xylo in my office (with a lot of inconvenience to others) for a while, and then at my parent's house for a few weeks (they are already grumbling about the MM540 I have at their place that is awaiting restoration for the past 6-months). Then I got lucky and struck a deal with a car-less neighbor to rent me their parking space. So my elephant has a proper place now.

I park the Kinetic Honda at the office - mostly used by my assistant now-a-days. The Yezdi Roadking is parked either at home or office depending on the situation. And my recent attempt to purchase the Bullet Classic 500 was struck down with a vehement "NO" citing parking issues and how rarely I use the Yezdi.

Ah, well....

[dwaraka]

Nice thread spitfire.

First 4 wheeler was softtop gypsy of 1987 model. bought it because of road presence and macho. Wondered about the smaller lever next to gear lever. Within one year, there came a hard top gypsy modified by DC and got fida over it. Wife wanted to see the gypsy and that's it. She said buy this one. What about the softtop? Sell it off.

This gypsy is older than 10 years now with me, which is 1995 model. family like it more than me now. Karcha kiya bahut ab tak, lekin bechne ka mann nahin athe.

Done 70k kms on highways and balance 50k on road, off road, inside city traffic. Changed the heart and lungs now and she is perfect company for me even today

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by beejay

So whats this for now, to get the school chicks to look at you, Is it?

Girls / Women are generally not into jeeps. If they look at it, it would be only to turn up their noses and sneer.

To be the cynosure of girlie eyes, get yourself a nice curvy car preferably in pink (a non-estilo Zen would do very nicely) and watch them coo "cho chweeet" etc.

BTW it is now politically correct to be in touch with ones "feminine side". Metrosexual Jeeps anyone?

Cheers,

[beejay]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

Girls / Women are generally not into jeeps. If they look at it, it would be only to turn up their noses and sneer.

To be the cynosure of girlie eyes, get yourself a nice curvy car preferably in pink (a non-estilo Zen would do very nicely) and watch them coo "cho chweeet" etc.

BTW it is now politically correct to be in touch with ones "feminine side". Metrosexual Jeeps anyone?

Cheers,

Thanks for the pointers Sir.

Some people I know love to drive my Jeep and they are quite good at it too.

[propeller]

" Wife " very good at " (this is 2 birds in one stone statement, if you can get it ) "

This happened to me nine months ago -

My Wife first question was Where will you park it .

I said outside the compound wall .

Next question is wont someone steal it .

No they will not - None will even touch it .

They again why are you then going for it . We already have 3 cars home.

I said but no Jeep . Its like my Bullet . It would give me strength ,confidence and a feeling of I'm the Man .

Mom comes for rescue : Its ok let him buy - Its like we buying gold for you , we'll get a JEEP for him both prices increase and value goes up as time goes by.

Suddenly i was able to see a golden ring around my mom head and mom was like Angel to me.

Now starts it : Ok Then do one thing let one of the car go to my MOM house and we'll have space for parking and then you can bring in what every you are saying in provided no more fooling with your school jerks in your bike.

Finally she finishes : i hope you are seeing the movies and getting spoilt and no Surya , Jyothika and all ok . You are married and 30 yrs old OK ?

i said OK Done fine and silence all over .

When Girl becomes wife - East become West !!!

[shishir_bn]

i am not able to control the laughter after i started seeing this thread. But one thing commendable is that even though all these things happened you people are having the priceless beauty in your stable and flaunting it.

[SirAlec]

For a change I thought this thread is about the conversion of VW Thing to 4x4. which is impossible. unless you are re-incarnation of Ferdinand Porsche.

Now ours is just Ulta.
When i first bought 800 in '99, Esteem for a short time and later the Swift. All the time I had criticism back home. 'Ete Honcho', meaning so low slung, How will you survive the potholes and bumps. Everytime I had to explain them that roads are much better than Darjeeling elsewhere and not every places has railway line running along the main road that crisscrosses. Our folks practically lived whole of their lives on 4x4s.