[gigy]

Do check about the motherboard you mentioned. i think it has 4 channel and not 4.1. and the case cannot take additional sound card unless its usb type

[COUGAR]

It has been a frustrating week so far, with ZERO progress on the AC install!

I decided to opt for Shripad in Mumbai who had done a install for another Team-bhpian for the simple reason that he was the only fellow around who was installing the 6V10 compressor while almost all others were either Subros or 507 based installs. However this fellow has been particularly unprofessional: not bothering to return calls or even responding to emails that he asked to send! If he was so busy, then he shouldnt have commited in the first place!

Today he finally responds to an email sent a week ago with the long awaited quote and then goes on to say that i will have to leave my vehicle parked at a garage in Vikhroli for 3/4 days since that is the time the install will take! Apparently he decided to outsource the work! if he had clearly mentioned his inability to do it himself earlier, i would have gone elsewhere!

And which AC installer takes FOUR days to do an AC install? The other 3/4 installers I talked to, have indicated that it will take between 4-6 hours to do the install and I will have to return the next day to check for gas leaks. Sounds more reasonable?

[jeepster]

if he is that good then its ok to leave your gypsy for 4~5 days.

my suggestion call him one last time & clear all the things clear.
like time for job, spares used, warranty.

or contact the person who shripad is out sourcing the work from. get the quot from him

[Desmosedici]

I had called Sripadh and he had fixed an appointment and met me and explained everything in detail (this was 3 months back). I dont know about the outsourcing bit of it bit he seemed to be a genuine guy and Guru (GSFerrari) has also got his install done from him. Maybe you would want to reconsider.

However nowadays, fitting an AC in a gypsy has become common and many mechanics get it done easily but yes only with subros / sanden 506.

[ladak.imran]

Talk to Israr @ Bandra once.
Tell him you want a 6V10, and nothing else. He is one of the most reputed AC mechs here. And then there's a guy called Ramu in malad (?) - I'm not too sure.. He's supposed to be great too.

[COUGAR]

Wanted to test the audio capabilities of the Carputer build, so installed the JBL GTS-0644 4-channel amp. Have retained the JVC HU for now so I can continue to have audio while the rest of the testing and install takes place.

Couldnt wait for tomorrow to begin testing, so just went out connected the computer to the car amps and voila! Works brilliantly! And i could control individual channels the way I had expected to. Connected the center channel separately and the audio content in the channel is quite relevant, but when connected together, the lack of the centre channel doesnt seem to bad.

Also bought a Bluetooth USB dongle and the SatGuide Bluetooth based dongle worked perfectly on the short spin! Will try the phone thing tomorrow.

Not too happy with the Amp install as the installer used a different quality wire than what he had shown me. And he did not use the fuse that came with the wiring kit, perhaps because he was in a hurry. I am not comfortable driving around with a hot-wired amp so will be going down tomorrow to another installer to get a amp fuse fixed. Pl suggest brands.

[Desmosedici]

Hey, have you completed your AC Install.
If yes, from where did you get it done and can you share the costs please and also the pics.

[indianmaverick]

Hi Cougar,
I am eagerly following ur thread as you are doing something that i plan to do in the near future - spruce up my gypsy. and you list of things to do is something that i had written down sans the sleeping space in the back. Do post your progress on the AC and if you have any reliable contacts in Banglore which i can use.

In addition, i also wanted to modify the dashboard into a custom made one. I guess it is needless to say that the dashboard of the Gypsy is spartan to say the least. Do you (or anyone else) know of anyone in Bangalore that can help me on that?

[COUGAR]

Sorry for the delay in updating thread since I was super busy at the AC installers place for past week and general running around to source various sub-components for other things. Taking pictures as i go along and will be posting them shortly.

yes the AC install is now done and working. Awesome job (touchwood) and during tests it cooled the cabin down faster than i had imagined. Now just going to reroute central vents to make place for a double-din on the dash.

Came home last night and cut up the dash with a hacksaw as well in a fit of insanity! Contrary to perception there is a humongous amount of space behind the dash. I thought I may be able to shoe-horn even the motherboard of the Carputer in there, but measurements made earlier today showed avail depth to be a tad less than 170mm, while the mobo requires a minimum of 170mm. As of now just putting in a 2DIN socket and my current HU in so I can have some ICE while the carputer build goes on in the background. That can happen even after Sep 28. Right now other crucial tasks need to be done like rear cabin work etc.

@indianmaverick: For an AC install in bangalore you can talk to Tobias 080- 25363147.

The dashboard wont look too spartan after a LCD and a couple of cool switches are mounted! Also you could consider LED lighting for a real jhatang look. Seeing something similar in Gypsy-Boy's swift has seeded and idea!

Ok need to rush out again now to get some MDF boards carved into shape.

[COUGAR]

After returning from another punishing day shuttling between Corporation, Bohri Ali and Nana peth, i was looking forward to watching a DVD at night but found i couldnt focus on anything but the Gypsy tourer project.

So on a whim, I took out a six pack of *err* Mr.Mallya's babies and armed with a screwdriver and a hacksaw began to clumsily hack away at the dashboard to create space for the dash LCD. 2 hours later ended up with something that looked like Fig.1. Today (Sunday) I got a call from fellow T-bhpian and my "ladakh partner" who wanted to check out the AC install. I in turn could use his perfectionist touch. With a little help from his "sophisticated" cutting tools, we managed to make space on the dash for the 2-DIN frame. (Fig 3)
Returned home and mounted the JVC HU and wired up the amps and VOILA..! We have a winner!

Tomorrow: Will be heading back to the AC installer who promised to have a custom central AC vent fabricated by tomorrow. This custom vent cum cigarette lighter socket will take the place of the single-DIN stereo holder provided in the standard Gypsy.

[Desmosedici]

this is innovative suff mate. Awaiting the final result. From where did you get your AC install, Shripad?

[COUGAR]

@desmo: got the AC install done locally in Pune. details coming up shortly.

Will be driving to Mumbai to meet a client. Will be using the opp to test out the AC on the highway!

[ladak.imran]

The dashboard cut-out looks awesome!
Proud of you
Lol..

[Desmosedici]

Hey let me know when you are here, would sure want to have a dekko at your creative stuff.

[COUGAR]

After talking to numerous installers about options, and being taken round a bend by a certain installer in mumbai, i finally got round to getting the install done from a local fellow here in Pune. He had never worked on a Gypsy before and mostly specialized in making refrigerated containers for transporting medicines etc! Fortunately he knew all the issues and challenges with regards to mounting the AC in a Gypsy.

Compressor chosen was a Sanden 5H11 series with a Superking II blower unit both brand new. Fans and other components were labelled Denso but not sure if these were original. Condensor unit was Shovak make.

Did not want to use the integrated temperature cum blower control switch that came with the Superking as these had caused trouble in my old gypsy. Opted this time to retain the stock Gypsy control unit for blower control and a separate Bosch make thermostat controller mounted on the switch-pad to the right of the driver. Works fine so far.

Attached below some pictures of the AC install.

Monster superking blower unit. This one must be twice the size of the stock blower that came with the Gypsy.




Attaching the larger condensor unit took a fair amount of jugaad.



Condensor with 80W electric fan




Chalo jee: Done!



Gypsy without the front bumper looks killer eh? Birth of an idea!


Dashboard removed to remove Stock blower and mount the Superking unit in its place. Stock blower seen here.


Space behind the dashboard with the stock blower unit removed.


I needed to make space on the center of the dashboard for mounting a Touchscreen LCD. The only way to achieve that was to reroute the 2 central vents to a custom made vent unit mounted in place of the stereo holder of the standard gypsy. Managed to fabricate one using vents borrowed from a Sumo. Even managed to make space on this unit for a cigarette lighter socket, so no need to cut the dash to make space for that!


Total cost of install was 34160 and time taken was 2 days. Fabrication of the custom AC vents to replace the stock central vents took its own sweet time however and i got them only on Tuesday. Got the vents fitted in and immediately hit the highway to Mumbai where I had some meetings scheduled with my investors.

AC performed flawlessly with the superking blowing chilled air literally into your face even at Speed 2. These blowers are also more silent than the stock blowers. Around Kamshet the AC seemed to cutoff on its own. Problem was traced to a loose electrical connector.

The vehicle seemed to have become slightly sluggish as compared to before, but the sluggishness seems to be there even with the AC off, so i am not sure there is a connection. Could be a recurrence of that old clutch problem.

There was no heating up issues at regular travel. But idling for 2 mins or above resulted in a dramatic increase in temperatures. Need to find a fix for this.