[Vikram Arya]

I understand your emotions as I also feel very strongly about mine too.

Mine is a 2016 and I'm already worried about its maintenance, parts etc. With so many vehicles still in service, I'm sure parts will not be a problem for at least 20 years.

Long-term preservation of the vehicle is a concern as mine is parked in the open though I have a cover (2nd in 3 years, that tells you about the quality of stuff that you get nowadays). Unfortunately, I don't have an estate to park so it is at the mercy of elements.

As you would know we get a lot of rain and a little bit of snow in Shimla so corrosion could be a potential problem. I'm looking at a few options and will write about it once I finalize. I have a couple of neighbors who have a Jeep Wrangler and corrosion around frame is a major problem in Jeeps and these guys actively work on their rigs.

Paint obviously is getting oxidized slowly and there's nothing that I can do about it other than getting it waxed which happens once in a year. It gets driven three or four times in a year if that and problems associated with infrequent use may crop up in the long term though for now it still starts at the first crank. Dad had taken it out the day before yesterday to a friend's orchard which is two and a half hours from Shimla (35 kms west of Solan) and it drove beautifully, so I'm told.

You're absolutely right about NGT's order in regards to the scrapping of 15-year-old vehicles instead of enforcing the emission standards that an older vehicle should have been required to comply with however as with almost everything else in our great country it is the inability of the system to enforce such norms that might have forced NGT's hands. Well, I will worry about it in 2036.

Till then let us take good care of our rigs and drive on....

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by antihero

Not really. The condition my Gypsy is in, I have no doubt it will last another 10 years with ease unless the government decides to outlaw it. When that happens I will decide what to do with it (not the government). I'd rather run it to the ground (or over the side of a mountain) than have it thrown in the scrapyard because the government deems it to be scrap.

To me my Gypsy will never be scrap. It is far better maintained than any commercial vehicle that I see on the highway. With its rigourously maintained carb, engine tune and catalytic converter exhaust (borrowed from a king) it pollutes far less than most commercial vehicles. If the Green Tribunal had any brains it would mandate a MOT like yearly checkup than a blanket order banning old vehicles. Let vehicles that are lovingly maintained stay on the road rather than casting them aside with poorly maintained commercial vehicles that I see on the road everyday.
No sir, the Mg410w stays with me till the day I can't drive it on the road. And once i can't it still stays with me on my estate. NGT be damned.

Absolutely right. The government in its shortsighted wisdom can only impose these stupid rules on simple regular people, but never on those who openly flout all their god damned laws. When the emissions left behind by those government agency lorries and buses and even those horrible Corporation trucks and commercial lorries is so bad, I dont know why they have to trouble our well maintained classic vehicles and harass us. And yes, an MOT like check up would be a great mandate where most of us owners would happily comply!
I also am going to hang on to my old Gypsy as long as I can. And once they completely put a ban on such vehicles, I will gift it away to one of my friends and house it on his estate where I can visit now and then and play with the Gypsy in its home terrain.

[antihero]

Continuing to dig up suzuki gems from YouTube I came across this

https://youtu.be/XOp3xB8oAX8

https://youtu.be/JloRaZLFuB0

https://youtu.be/ILhczmko1rw

My takeaway. Tyres are the best upgrade you can make on any car. Maybe @vikramarya will say it's synthetic engine oil but I will stick to my guns

I have a set of Michelin's on my Gypsy that cost me a fourth of what the gypsy cost, but I believe it's the best upgrade I've made.

I do t think we need to worry about our steeds yet. Let's just keep truckin'

Meanwhile enjoy these SJ videos

[starter]

Originally Posted by antihero

I have a set of Michelin's on my Gypsy that cost me a fourth of what the gypsy cost, but I believe it's the best upgrade I've made.

Which Michelins do you have on your rig Antihero?
The LTX was discontinued a few years back, wasn't it?

[antihero]

Originally Posted by starter

Which Michelins do you have on your rig Antihero?
The LTX was discontinued a few years back, wasn't it?

Good old latitude cross 215. No good winter tyres to be had in India so far.

[Vikram Arya]

Originally Posted by antihero

Continuing to dig up suzuki gems from YouTube I came across this

My takeaway. Tyres are the best upgrade you can make on any car. Maybe @vikramarya will say it's synthetic engine oil but I will stick to my guns

I have a set of Michelin's on my Gypsy that cost me a fourth of what the gypsy cost, but I believe it's the best upgrade I've made.

I do t think we need to worry about our steeds yet. Let's just keep truckin'

Meanwhile enjoy these SJ videos

You're absolutely right Antihero; tire upgrade is the best/most important upgrade that should be carried out on the Gypsy. In fact this was what I did, the very next day when I took the delivery of mine.

As for the synthetic/semi synthetic oils, engine oil is the life blood of the motor and with prices of synthetics/semi synthetic having come down in last few years, it is a no brainer. A semi synthetic formulation is at least what I would strongly recommend especially for your Gypsy in light of extreme temperatures that you encounter in the winter months.

I use Shell Helix HX-7 10W-40 which is semi synthetic formulation. A 3 ltr. jug of the said oil is available for Rs 1,199 at Amazon which is a great deal. 10W provides you with a lower pour point and 40 takes care of the upper end as recommended by Maruti.

Michelin is a great choice however when I upgraded the tires I was not aware if Michelins are available in the right size or the load rating.

I did a little bit of research for the winter tires; these are available here in the right size however transporting these would be a pain. Additionally winter tires have a soft compound and would wear very quickly when the temperature goes above 7C. If the maximum temperature in Patnitop stays below 7C for a couple of months in winter then only would I recommend winter tires.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by antihero

Good old latitude cross 215. No good winter tyres to be had in India so far.

Are the Wrangler M+S not sufficient for our normal Indian conditions? Decent road tread plus can manage slush and muck and rutted muddy and slushy tracks and wet grass quite nicely as per my experience in Coorg. Of course, down South we ain’t got no Snowy Mountains, but I thought these tyres, with their tough tread ought to be adequate. Perhaps snow chains are a good idea for the Northern Snows....

[Shwetank]

My 1991 MG410. So much more tractable than my 2015 King. Note the fibre fender extensions which were discontinued in 1994 with the introduction of MG410W.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by antihero

My takeaway. Tyres are the best upgrade you can make on any car

Right said, Fred! I switched to Yoko Geolandar 215s within a few days of getting my Gypsy home. The only other upgrade worth considering, in my humble opinion, is suspension. I have switched to ARB (aka OME) and believe me, it is worth every penny and more. The Gypsy is a completely different animal now!! On a related note - I have the entire OE suspension kit with me (leafs, shock absorbers, steering damper, bushes, u-bolts, etc.) - used for 4100 km only, almost exclusively on road. Please PM me if anyone is interested.

Originally Posted by Vikram Arya

As for the synthetic/semi synthetic oils, engine oil is the life blood of the motor and with prices of synthetics/semi synthetic having come down in last few years, it is a no brainer

Agree there! I have been feeding fully synthetic oil to my Gypsy right from the first service. I guess the MASS guys are using Shell but the moment I am out of warranty, will switch to Mobil-1. Needless to say, the synthetic oil has kept both my cars butter smooth so far

Originally Posted by Shwetank

My 1991 MG410. So much more tractable than my 2015 King.

What a lovely piece of engineering Do you have both MG410 as well as MG413W? If so, you are one lucky bloke! How about a pic of both together?

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Right said, Fred! I switched to Yoko Geolandar 215s within a few days of getting my Gypsy home. The only other upgrade worth considering, in my humble opinion, is suspension. I have switched to ARB (aka OME) and believe me, it is worth every penny and more. The Gypsy is a completely different animal now!! On a related note - I have the entire OE suspension kit with me (leafs, shockers, steering damper, bushes, u-bolts, etc.) - used for 4100 km only, almost exclusively on road. Please PM me if anyone is interested.

Agree there! I have been feeding fully synthetic oil to my Gypsy right from the first service. I guess the MASS guys are using Shell but the moment I am out of warranty, will switch to Mobil-1. Needless to say, the synthetic oil has kept both my cars butter smooth so far

What a lovely piece of engineering Do you have both MG410 as well as MG413W? If so, you are one lucky bloke! How about a pic of both together?

Sir DUBE,
What was the price of your suspension upgrade to ARB?
Must have been some mind bending cost no?

Anyway, just for fun - I ve been driving my old Gypsy to work these last 3-4 days and believe me, people give it a lot of respect. Yes it is Dark Green. Yes it looks like an Army Gyp. Yes, I can pass for an Army Man.

But mostly it is the fact that it is elderly, slightly battered, is inherently very narrow compared even to a modern hatchback. And anyway its the kind of vehicle where one doesn’t care too much about the surface one is driving on. Importantly one can park it almost anywhere without fear because there is nothing in it worth robbing and a few extra scratches here and there will only add to its experienced appearance.

[whitemm550]

Agree there! I have been feeding fully synthetic oil to my Gypsy right from the first service. I guess the MASS guys are using Shell but the moment I am out of warranty, will switch to Mobil-1. Needless to say, the synthetic oil has kept both my cars butter smooth so far



dare to say, that i have been using both, Mobil 1 and Shell Ultra, for my various cars, and believe me, the Shell Ultra is a far more superior lubricant, with due respect to Mobil 1

[shankar.balan]

Couldn’t help drawing this thing all over again in iPad Pro with Apple Pencil....I only cheated on the circles this time....

[AVL500]

Dear Bhpians ... having been a fence sitter for years. Finally took the plunge yesterday and booked the King HT Superior White. Expecting to close the loan formalities by Friday and the take the delivery on Sunday. Will post more details and pics soon .

[Arsi]

Originally Posted by AVL500

Dear Bhpians ... having been a fence sitter for years. Finally took the plunge yesterday and booked the King HT Superior White. Expecting to close the loan formalities by Friday and the take the delivery on Sunday. Will post more details and pics soon .

Awesome! Any details how much it costed you on-road?

BTW, I am also taking "delivery" of Gypsy King HT (White) this Sunday in Chandigarh, the only difference is that it is a used one.

[AVL500]

Originally Posted by Arsi

Awesome! Any details how much it costed you on-road?

BTW, I am also taking "delivery" of Gypsy King HT (White) this Sunday in Chandigarh, the only difference is that it is a used one.

On road price: 7 Lakh and change ( HP Registration ). Dealer gave me an offer I couldn't refuse

Congrats to you too. Getting a gypsy new or used is nothing short of a dream come true. I plan to pen down the entire journey of decision making into a thread along with Pics soon. Please share the pics once you get yours too.