[Sudarshan]

Originally Posted by Sudarshan

Hello, everyone .
I have a 540 for almost 21 years, I would like to know a few things about Thar .
I have noticed a few shortcomings of the 540 , some of which are taken care in the Thar ( Box/tubular chassis, larger fuel tank, powerfull engine,thus good highway speed etc. ) .But I would like to know about the following shortcomings( Photos provided )
1)Groundclearance below the G.B. cross member
2) Groundclearence below fuel tank
3) Hazardus fuel supply line 'Below' the tank & also the drain plug.
In the following photos I have placed a 11" high object for reference point .
Note: I am No engineer but the experiance & few wise men have tauht me,this are just a laymans quries.
Yours Sudarshan
P.S. Please note this 540 runs on 7.00 X 15 crossply tyres.( Not low profile radials )

Hello, every one , I had asked a simple Question ,hoping that someone specially people from the other side of the wall will answer (people like Mr. Behram, Mr. Spike )
Have they overlooked this ?
I have been driving this 540 & maintaining also for last 21 years, I have almost learned driving on this( prior to that I had a heavy licence & used to drive too), this vehicle has taught me repairs. This 540 has been driven 1,50,000 Km.( she ran less as I opted to drive another vehicle in past 11 years)
With this back ground in mind & also with my FUTURE interest in buying THAR , I simply seek some Clarifications. I have suffered a lot with this vehicle because of thease Flaws & the Quality of the Product, but that is not the Issue here ,this is only a reference point as I hope that those things will not repeat in Thar.
I can feel that the Generation has changed in M&M, & I also see that People like Mr. Behram & Mr. Spike who are taking Active part in Discussions here , this could not have happened If they were not having Open Minds,This Indicates their honnest & Prompt nature. Thease people Seem to be ready to listen its a good thing that is happening.
I have waited for almost 20 hrs for an answer, now Please Mr Behram or Mr spike ,Can you answer ?
Yours Sudarshan

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear Docfreak - your query on comparison of the Thar to a Gypsy, I would like to mention Samurai San's words here - "driving the Thar is like riding the tiger", "it just took off" and "this is one of the few occasions where we have seen the wild nature of the Thar, then, before you could say Thar, it again took off and climbed the obstacle with no fuss at all". Believe me, I am not exaggerating when I say that you need not only total control but also a very positive temperament to be able to handle and enjoy the full power and potential of the Thar, and I am not saying this because it happens to be my baby, just look at the engineering specifications, finally it is all engineering only. I enjoy it every day in Nasik. I press the "chamcha" (accelerator pedal), it just takes off and I just quietly smile and then keep quiet.

On Thar's suitability for a motorsports event like the Himalayan Rally Raid, yes, it is the ideal vehicle. It has everything going for it, super power, tough build, simplicity and diesel reliability, reinforced by today's technology. What more can anybody ask for? I have competed in the Himalayan Rally many years back, won the second national award also, so I know what to expect. On the stages, the Thar will be blisteringly fast but again remember my above paragraph. It needs a very very potent driver, full of positive attitude. If you are that guy, you got it made. I had mentioned somewhere a few days back that I would still want to do the raid and win it also. I would do it in a Thar only.

Dear Sudarshan - I had seen your queries but could not reply immediately due to work exigency (for me, TeamBHP is a sort of relaxation from my daily grind). Without mentioning any figures, I can tell you that the fuel line does not come out of the bottom of the tank and it is completely protected inside the chassis envelope. The ground clearance below the fuel tank is more than sufficient.

Thank you for your comments on the M&M generation. Yes, it has changed and changed for the better. That's how life is, you move on. It is for each individual to decide what to make out of it. I'm thoroughly enjoying my job.

By the way, I recall seeing MHZ182 somewhere. Did you by any chance bring it to Dadar Parsi Colony in Mumbai where Mr.Behram Kerawalla stays? I stay in the next building.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by docfreak

will it be able to provide the gypsy some competition on the rally circuit? or is that totally not in the view?
sharat

Yes it is in the view, mostly rear view

Originally Posted by Sudarshan

I have been driving this 540 & maintaining also for last 21 years, I have almost learned driving on this( prior to that I had a heavy licence & used to drive too),

I have waited for almost 20 hrs for an answer, now Please Mr Behram or Mr spike ,Can you answer ?
Yours Sudarshan

Hopefully, I will be in a position to answer your queries once my R&D on axles and fuel tanks is complete

Spike

PS- Sudarshan bhai, just like you even I had my first tryst with MM540 many years back, although I learnt driving on a Fiat at a very tender age and had a heavy driving license ( I may be reprimanded if I mention my age here ). It was a blue colored 540DP 4WD with a white HT

[Sudarshan]

Dear Behram Sir, Thank you for the reply .
I still have 2 un answered Q s.
1) has the belly been tightened up ( the dreaded gearbox mounting cross member )
2) the tank drain plug , does it have an inverted plug ( Like the engine sump plug )
The GB crossmember was the usual customer to get hit in my 540. I had planned to modify it & move the GB upwards but that project never took off as I found an alternative vehicle the Landy.
About the 182 & Behram Kerawala , its a secret though I will explain it Personally to you .
Yours Sudarshan
P.S. Just for the comparison sending thease pics of the Land Rover Series 2a (Production 1961 to 1971 )
& thanks Spike too, thease photos may help you in your research ( I can understand your limitations & obligations , imagining where you are .)

[headers]

@BD Sir, I hope to see the THAR rocking the Raid - Only time will tell.

The gypsy is a wonderful machine giving it the edge in plonking bigger engines. The leaf springs on the vehicle give it a superb ride and handling on bad roads.

Ofcourse, even the gypsy is a decade old in design and needs to be improved. And alas, we dont have anybody on this forum AFAIK from MSIL to take care of this baby.

BTW, what does having a heavy vehicle license got to do with this thread. I seem to see the last 2 posts or so mentioning the same.

THAR IMO is a LMV unless you plan to release it with a yellow board. I'm waiting either ways

Please reduce the weight of THAR to 1300 odd kgs and you have a blistering vehicle. Power to weight and torque to weight is the answer to most queries.

PS: I know it [the weight] cant be done immediately, but there is always a newer generation design coming...

Cheers

[offroad_maniac]

Originally Posted by salilpawar1

Mahindra Thar South African TV Commercial

[COLOR=#0066cc]http://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=TYTIqICclQw[/COLOR]

For the record,
R 1,69,900 = INR 10,48,344

Scorpio 2.6 GLX 4x4's price in South Africa is
R 2,21,000 = INR 13,63,650

Here is another pic of the same add. I like them both

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear all - after completing the Great Escape, I drove down alone from Mumbai to Nasik in my black Thar. At 6 PM, I set the tyre pressure to 32 psi and when I left Mumbai, it was raining normally. This continued in tolerable bursts upto Shahpur. From Shahpur to Atgaon, Khardi, Kasara and Igatpuri (around 50 kms), I faced an absolute continuous cloud burst. The rain fell in sheets upon sheets of water lashing the highway at high speed with accompanying strong winds, blowing trees and shrubs violently. Many cars as well as trucks had stopped altogether, those who were driving were going very slowly. I continued driving without reducing pace but in full control as I wanted to see the wet handling characteristics of the alternate tyres (245/75R16). I am pleased to inform you that after having covered around 5000 kms after the 12 May trip of Hyderabad (which started this thread), the tyres had scrubbed themselves. As a result of this, I got very good road grip / handling performance from the tyres and the suspension. Between Atgaon and Kasara, I effortlessly overtook just about anything that moved, which included a Toyota Landcruiser Prado, an Innova, two Skodas, a Mercedes and a yellow and white Mitsubishi Pajero. The handling which was neutral during normal rain manitained the neutral stance during the cloud burst also. Of course I had to slow down to around 20 kmph in Igatpuri when passing through dense fog.

Then I decided to try and see the handling characteristics through the road half filled with a fine sheet of water (one tyre in water). The road between Igatpuri to Gondge village has these half filled stretches. Normally in such situations, a car would tend to yaw towards the side which hits the water. As I had expected, due to the wheel setup which I have on this car now (which was not there when we were in Hyderabad), there was very minimal yaw, very well within controllable limit. The Thar remained firmly planted where I wanted it to be at all times. This means that the width of the grooves on the tyres contains volume equal to the water grabbing capacity of the tyre to throw that quantity of water behind it at 110 kmph in a cloud burst situation. A normal passenger car tyre moving at 50 kmph on a 1mm film of water is supposed to throw out 13 litres of water per second (13 litres is one bucket of water, suitable for one person to take a bath). Now imagine what would happen at 110 kmph where the water film is much deeper.

I was lucky because I got to use a free water skid pad type of test track which I did not have to pay, for hiring. I learnt a lot which I am sharing with you. Please do write in with similar experiences which you may have.

I would strongly recommend you not to try these manoeuvres at all. They require intense concentration and years of practice to achieve.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[Samurai]

Behram, what about aquaplaning/hydroplaning? At speeds higher than 90kmph, you will experience it.

[DirtyDan]

245/75R16 tyres with aggressive new tread should perform well. Any faster and you are a menace to other slower vehicles that can not match Thar's performance in those conditions. But is this the size that will be on the Indian Thar? I expected 235/70/R16s.

[maddy42]

BD sir: 1 doubt about your above post. When i drive the bolero through water at high speeds all the water ends up on the Front wind shield. This is prevented as the water may contain small soil which would scratch the glass.

Does the same happen on the thar?

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by maddy42

BD sir: 1 doubt about your above post. When i drive the bolero through water at high speeds all the water ends up on the Front wind shield. This is prevented as the water may contain small soil which would scratch the glass.

Does the same happen on the thar?

Similarly our Scorpio throws all the water under tires on itself, most of the water ends up on the windshield making it a serious safety hazard. Every time i see some water gathered on road i have to slow down the Scorpio to maintain visibility.

This issue has been discussed several times on various Scorpio threads.

[tsk1979]

It happens in the safari too if I cross a deep puddle while taking a turn, but in a straight line, the water is splashed sideways, not on the windshield at high speeds.

[MileCruncher]

I haven'tfaced the problem on my Bolero as it has the new type bumper. Not gone completely but reduced definitely.

May be the Thar should come with factory fitted Front Mud flaps like you see in Rally Gypsy's

[krishnathanthri]

Originally Posted by Parm

can i have mine in white?

Isnt this THAR just beautiful?(pls see the attached photos)?

Parm: Good to see you back.

Definitely Thar looks good in White and also in Red.

I recently heard some bank is giving mahindra Pick up at 3% interest to farmers in Chikmangalore. Even bolero was offered i heard.
Hope Thar launches soon and we get such offers.

Regards,
Krishna Thanthri

[zipperone]

Would be good if someone could post pictures of the interior and the engine bay from one of the exports models shown in these photos. Also would like to see a removable hard top similar to what you can buy in the US like so



What do we know already about the AC option? The hard top and AC will really tempt me to buy one and yes a tow hook option as well. I do not mind the hardtop to be a dealer option coz not everyone would want it. Eagerly waiting for the launch...whenever that is