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Old 6th January 2011, 11:37   #316
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

@gsferrari
Looking for a Half cabin??? Have a look at my gypsy .(Team-BHP Photo Gallery)
Pm me if interested in a FRP cabin.
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Old 6th January 2011, 11:51   #317
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

Guru, do the front tyres foul with the chassis on full lock turns or have the offset rims/ spacers taken care of that?
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Old 6th January 2011, 12:34   #318
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

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Originally Posted by XtremeG View Post
@gsferrari
Looking for a Half cabin??? Have a look at my gypsy .(Team-BHP Photo Gallery)
Pm me if interested in a FRP cabin.
Will do - thanks!

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Originally Posted by satan View Post
Guru, do the front tyres foul with the chassis on full lock turns or have the offset rims/ spacers taken care of that?
Neville - read the posts in the Tires/Rims thread - there is NO fouling anywhere under normal use. Maybe with some articulation when I go off-road there may be some fouling...not sure.

So far the offset and smaller rim has taken care of that! Plus I have a 2" shackle lift and I have added leaf-springs and got them re-cambered so my Gypsy is taller than stock. I have also flattened some of the edges inside the wheel-well.
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Old 6th January 2011, 12:48   #319
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

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Jaggu - not possible as it is a double layer fiberglass. I am getting a half-cabin made similar to the one on Spidey.
Before doing that check out the FRP full flat top on Danny's personal Gypsy. It looks great and will look even better on your Gypsy with the improved taller stance.
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Old 7th January 2011, 18:27   #320
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

Wheels and Tyres look swell and overall the gypsy looks purposefull. Good progress within completion of 1 year da. I am waiting on yours and Allans custom half cabin work. Enjoy.
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Old 9th January 2011, 18:16   #321
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

Just back home after my first OTR after getting all the mods done on Geoff the Gypsy king. One word...

AWESOME!

The combination of the suspension work, differential locks, transfer case guard, petrol tank guard and Maxxis Trepadors have transformed the Gypsy from a decent off-roader to a serious competition level machine.

The first obstacle today was a steep climb on loose gravel, sand and shale. At the top was what looked like a ramp-breakover angle more than 50 degrees (excluded). The climb was about 15 feet or more on the vertical and Geoff did the climb easily without any drama at the top and cleared the ramp over without touching the chassis. Perhaps there was a small wheelie at the top to let this happen...only Mohan knows.

The second obstacle was a near-vertical earth wall which was to be approached at an angle. On my first few attempts I could not make it and neither could Soumya in his CJ3B with NDMS. Kishor in his Classic with Big-Horn tires was able to clear it by taking a straight-on approach. He took a few attempts and in the process took damage to his exhaust canister, transfer case cross member and bumper.

At this point I had already given up and moved on to the next obstacle. Tejas told me to stop being a big girl and do the obstacle again so I went back around. First attempt I did not clear because I was worried about breaking something (the transfer case guard conveniently forgotten at this time). Soumya (genesis) told me that the transfer case was doing it's job and if I gave a little more momentum it would slide through. Tejas told me to gun it and I gave it a little bit more this time...THROUGH!

I did scrape a little paint off my new bumper and I did break one of the indicator lenses but I made it through the obstacle without any mechanical damage. Now I have to sit with Allan and redesign the bumper to have "recessed" light fittings so that they don't get damaged in this manner again.

Very happy with the bumper and it did not affect my approach angle too much thanks to the bigger tires and lift. Arka would rather I didn't have the bumper at all but I love how it looks and it helps in traffic as well. Perhaps during competition time (Palar etc.) I will remove the front and fit a temp bumper identical to the rear bumper I have now.

I didn't have time to do the rest of the course because of some breakdowns up ahead but I've had a glimpse of what Geoff is capable of now. I want to go hit the EXAMM trail (obstacle 1 and the descent/ascent) and see whats what.
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Old 9th January 2011, 18:21   #322
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

I love your signature and I admire your being doing exactly that.
Nice report.

The kind of posts that kinda spur the readers on. Loved it.
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Old 9th January 2011, 19:08   #323
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

Thanks for the encouragement bblost. I hope you find your bb soon or make the shift to Android/iPhone

Question for the non-purists here. Is it too silly to fit two small size wheels to the end of the leaf-spring mounts that jut out in front of the vehicle? This will prevent them from being damaged when approaching a climb AND it should ease the passage of the vehicle because instead of sliding/grinding them against the obstacle, they now just roll over instead.

Horrible idea?
Sheer genius?

I'll see what Allan throws at me when I meet him a few days time and raise this topic. All I know is that if these "guide wheels" go on the car, they will be painted orange...my new favorite color!
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Old 17th January 2011, 14:23   #324
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

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Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
Is it too silly to fit two small size wheels to the end of the leaf-spring mounts that jut out in front of the vehicle? This will prevent them from being damaged when approaching a climb AND it should ease the passage of the vehicle because instead of sliding/grinding them against the obstacle, they now just roll over instead.
What you need are known as "Spring Ramps".

I was gonna get them done on my Classic.
Attached Thumbnails
Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!-lc989.jpg  

Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!-ramp1.jpg  

Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!-ramp2.jpg  

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Old 28th January 2011, 14:52   #325
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

I have uploaded this video of Geoff crawling with almost jeep like ability over one of the climbs which normally would require run-up, wheel-spin and a bit of drama. I have compared it with a video of a Pajero with MT tires exhibiting some of this behavior of a vehicle without diff-locks.

Geoff did it with no drama thanks to the Diff-Locks, MT tires and increased GC over stock. I didn't even have to use the skid-plates this time.



However, just before the above climb I had to go over a simple looking obstacle with one catch - it had a crested top and in my first attempt I grounded the skid-plates quite hard. The second attempt I gave it a bit too much gas resulting in this jump and a hard landing which broke my left front king pin bearing (again).



Overall quite impressed with the performance of the Gypsy after these mods which are not over the top. I heartily recommend the diff-locks to anyone who wants a cheap performance boost for their Gypsy without compromising road manners too much. MT tires are a must with this mod.
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Old 15th April 2011, 09:35   #326
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

I need your help:

1. What is the approximate weight of the Hard Top with all windows intact?
2. What is the weight of the rear door with the hard top window intact?
3. What is the weight of the front bonnet of the Gypsy?

Thanks!
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Old 15th April 2011, 10:23   #327
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari View Post
I need your help:

1. What is the approximate weight of the Hard Top with all windows intact?
2. What is the weight of the rear door with the hard top window intact?
3. What is the weight of the front bonnet of the Gypsy?

Thanks!
1. 35kgs including the tailgate door and glass and the 2 side glass windows
2. Dont know this
3. ~8kgs
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Old 16th April 2011, 11:35   #328
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

Thanks Neville! The bonnet feels more than 8 kilos...closer to 20 kilos at least. So a topless Gypsy with a chopped rear and carbon fiber bonnet weighs close to 100 kilos less than a stock HT gypsy. That isn't as much as I was expecting. I thought the weight loss would be around 100 - 150 kilos...
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Old 17th April 2011, 09:39   #329
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

Not sure what the intent is, but if you are expecting onroad performance to improve by reducing the weight, then there will not be any percievable difference. Think of it as having a passenger travelling in the car and you will see what I mean.

Offroad, in a Gypsy (given its weight) you actually need more weight up front when tackling steep climbs with loose gravel/ soft mud to enable front tyres to dig in and get traction. So I would leave the bonnet stock.
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Old 17th April 2011, 11:18   #330
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Re: Which 4x4 should I buy : Thinking out aloud. EDIT : Finalised on a white Gypsy!

When I drove Imran Ladak's gypsy it was significantly faster and smoother than mine. Raj's Gypsy is also smoother and faster than mine. Is it because their engines have run in a lot more than mine in terms of sheer mileage? I've only done 14000 Kms. My car is just not peppy enough...bogs down at low revs.
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