[gsferrari]

Back on the topic of modifications:

Short Term Mods:
1. Dealer fitted A/C: Rs.46k (44k parts and 2k labor)
2. Gear-Lock and Steering Lock: (yet to decide)
3. Aftermarket Tires: Decided on BFG 215/75/15
4. Headlight upgrade: 90/110 Philips Nightbreakers
5. Cover Bonnet Top Grille: Getting a stainless-steel plate with a map of the Leh-route etched into it
6. TeamBHP stickers: One on the rear, one on each side
7. Relocate the rear number-plate or just get a sticker installed: Sorted
8. 3M sun-film: vCool seems easier to obtain. Will go for full transparent option to avoid ruining the looks of the vehicle
9. Decent stereo and front speakers: Have an old Pioneer mp3 stereo. Will buy bang-for-buck speakers and get an aux input. Install cig charger as well with USB
10. Louder horns: The latest from Bosch/Roots
11. Car alarm with GPS tracker: Yet to decide
12. Bull-bar - Yet to decide
13. Locking front hubs: Going for Aisin hub-locks. Need help sourcing them!!
14. Aftermarket Hella Lamps: To be purchased and mounted on bull-bar
15. Mini air-compressor: To be purchased and installed
16. Electric winch: Yet to decide if this is necessary
17. Insulation for Fuel-tank and pipes: In prep for Leh in september
18. Performance ECU from Race Dynamics with K&N intake and free-flow header and exhaust. Need this for those highway runs.




Some questions:

1. Do the BFGs increase drag compared to equivalent Geolandars?
2. If I install the K&N I know it will improve breathing at higher altitudes with a remapped ECU. How will a free-flow exhaust affect performance at high-altitudes?
3. What is the lightest-weight option for the crash-guard?
4. Which vendor do I go with for the security/SIM/GPS alarm system?

[Desmosedici]

Do u really think an ECU remap / performance ECU is necessary. From what i heard its a pretty expensive option to go for and dont you think you should try to keep it as stock as possible since its a new vehicle.

Just my views

CHeers

[gsferrari]

Originally Posted by Desmosedici

Do u really think an ECU remap / performance ECU is necessary. From what i heard its a pretty expensive option to go for and dont you think you should try to keep it as stock as possible since its a new vehicle.

Just my views

CHeers

Fair point and noted as well. I suppose I will be doing this post-Leh because I want the vehicle to be as close to stock as possible and as trouble free as possible during that trip.

What I have heard from a friend who has done the Race Dynamics mods to his Gypsy is that it is the same setup used in Rally spec Gypsies. The engine revs much faster than stock and combined with the intake and free-flow header/exhaust - there is a significant power boost. His Gypsy can hit 120kph. I am not sure how fast a stock Gypsy will go.

While speed is not what I am seeking here - My Leh calendar includes a blistering 1400km drive on day-1 from Mumbai to Behror. HVKumar does this in his Scorpio which can cruise at 120 with ease. I am not sure what a comfortable cruising speed on the Gypsy is but I suspect it is between 80-100 kph (Please correct me if I am wrong here because I have seen Altos that do 120 with ease).

In that case I will NOT be able to make the distance in a single day and the effect of that delay will cascade down through the rest of my itinerary and land me in Leh on a saturday (which is bad if you are looking to collect your permits for the other destinations).

I thought I'd do a few mods to the Gypsy to give it that burst of performance to tackle these highway blasts. The mods that I have planned for this are:

1. Race dynamics ECU
2. Intake K&N
3. Free-Flow headers and exhaust
4. Aisin locking hubs up front. For highway use
5. Tires - Is it advisable to run BFGs for 1000s of highway miles? More drag, more weight and more road noise. Your inputs please...


Decision will be helped greatly by understanding the performance of the stock Gypsy. I'll be calling Imran bhai today to see if I can score a short drive

[gsferrari]

So the saga isn't over yet...

Got a call from the dealer who had the A/C supplier on the conference as well. Seemed to be a very knowledgeable person who also did the climate control in the Silk-Route Mahindra vehicles.

He informed me that they would be using Sanden 507 compressors and Super-King blower for the cooling circuit. To fit the oversize super-king blower they would have to cut a portion of the parcel tray in the passenger foot-well. I said this would be alright with me.

I told him I would need heating capability as well for my Leh trip. Now is where the absolute barebones nature of the Gypsy reared it's ugly head. He will have to check if the heating coils are in place by default or not. If they are in place then we can use the same blower. If they are not in place then he'd have to fit another blower under driver seat or in the rear cabin. He would have to tap the engine coolant, run hoses to the location of the blower, fit the heating coil and then route the coolant back.All this sounds like a recipe for disaster...have I just bought a vehicle for Leh which cannot get me there without turning me into an ice-cream cone?

How can I get both cooling and heating, with the super-king blower without turning the vehicle into a rolling frankenstein? It shouldn't be this difficult...so hoping for a solution!

[Zorro4X4]

Hey gsferrari,

The Gypsy does come with heater as standard fitment.

Regards,
Zorro4X4

[harjeev]

Originally Posted by gsferrari

What I have heard from a friend who has done the Race Dynamics mods to his Gypsy is that it is the same setup used in Rally spec Gypsies. The engine revs much faster than stock and combined with the intake and free-flow header/exhaust - there is a significant power boost. His Gypsy can hit 120kph. I am not sure how fast a stock Gypsy will go.

While speed is not what I am seeking here - My Leh calendar includes a blistering 1400km drive on day-1 from Mumbai to Behror. HVKumar does this in his Scorpio which can cruise at 120 with ease. I am not sure what a comfortable cruising speed on the Gypsy is but I suspect it is between 80-100 kph (Please correct me if I am wrong here because I have seen Altos that do 120 with ease).

I did 120 even 130 in my Gypsy recently and my Gypsy is all stock, not even a K&N filter, but you see the Scorpio is much more stable at these speeds compared to the gypsy.
You also guessed it right, Gypsy is very comfortable around speeds of 80-100 and even 110's above that I personally was not comfortable.

1400 kms in 1 day in a Gypsy will really take a toll on you.


Go through Kaushiks thread, I do not think that 2 blowers is the answer. However even if the guys is not able to do the HVAC in 1 blower then install the superking blower for the cooling and route the heating in the stock setup.

[Sha]

A stock gypsy easily can go 1000-1100 KM in about 16 hr with 90-100 speed, i have done it.

[gsferrari]

Originally Posted by Zorro4X4

The Gypsy does come with heater as standard fitment

So the stock blower is purely for the heater and if I use this blower and install a compressor - then I'll have both cooling and heating? Do I have this right?

Originally Posted by harjeev

I did 120 even 130 in my Gypsy recently and my Gypsy is all stock, not even a K&N filter, but you see the Scorpio is much more stable at these speeds compared to the gypsy.You also guessed it right, Gypsy is very comfortable around speeds of 80-100 and even 110's above that I personally was not comfortable. 1400 kms in 1 day in a Gypsy will really take a toll on you.
Go through Kaushiks thread, I do not think that 2 blowers is the answer. However even if the guys is not able to do the HVAC in 1 blower then install the superking blower for the cooling and route the heating in the stock setup.

Thanks Harjeev - I will check out KSM's thread now. I think the top-speeds remain the same unless you change tire size of gear ratios. What the performance mods do is let you get to those speeds much faster with better throttle response and stuff.

I will not opt for two blower - I think that is just retarded. Zorro says there is a heating coil already in there. I'll just see if the same blower can be used for both. The superking blower has really impressed me!

Originally Posted by Sha

A stock gypsy easily can go 1000-1100 KM in about 16 hr with 90-100 speed, i have done it.

Thats about the same speed as me on the Karizma (I do BOM-BLR in 15 hours - exactly 1000km). Unfortunately not fast enough for me to get to Delhi in 1 day. I will have to start earlier and share driving with someone else because I think this will take me close to 22 hours to complete!

[harjeev]

Originally Posted by Sha

A stock gypsy easily can go 1000-1100 KM in about 16 hr with 90-100 speed, i have done it.

I totally agree with you on this. We too did 1000kms actually 980 kms from Bikaner, Rajasthan to Bhuj, Gujrat in 15 hours comfortably.
The only thing that got to us was lack of sleep, otherwise the driving was a breeze!!!

[Desmosedici]

Since you plan to do a lot of mods, why not also check out Khans list of mods regarding RockCrawler Gearset and Lockers. You can take Khanbhai's advise on it.

[Zorro4X4]

[quote=gsferrari;1765175]So the stock blower is purely for the heater and if I use this blower and install a compressor - then I'll have both cooling and heating? Do I have this right?

The stock blower gives you normal air as well as a heater option (Similar to a normal Maruti 800). Better to check with the A/C guy regarding routing the compressor air to the stock air ducts.

[Desmosedici]

If you see my thread, Tharakan had advised not use the stock vents for AC.
Try to check with him for further advice.

[starter]

Originally Posted by Zorro4X4

Hey gsferrari,

The Gypsy does come with heater as standard fitment.

Regards,
Zorro4X4

Zorro,
Don't go by those AC controls in a Gypsy.
It does not have any heater as standard.
I've tried and tested this in my Gypsy and there is no hot air!
Cheers,
Deepak

[Zorro4X4]

Originally Posted by starter

Zorro,
Don't go by those AC controls in a Gypsy.
It does not have any heater as standard.
I've tried and tested this in my Gypsy and there is no hot air!
Cheers,
Deepak

Hi Deepak,

My Dad is posted at a Cement Plant in M.P and he was provided with a Gypsy since 1989 (MG410, MG410W, MG413W & MG413W MPFI). I have myself experienced that the heater does work. In M.P the temperatures fall to 3 degrees during winters, the heater did used to work on all the Gypsys that were assigned to him. Funny it does not work for you.

Regards,
Zorro4X4

[Desmosedici]

GSferrari,

please have a look at the thread below for possible AC Issues after fitment from dealer. Alternatively ask Kaushik as he has fitted an AC and also faced issues.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-te...roblems-3.html