[bajwasingh]

Manuuj u are very senior too me i was there from 89 to 2000 and our headmaster waa mr hakim

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

I measured the distance from the ground of the front bumpers to a Fortuner without the kit and there wasnt any difference there either.

Hi Manuuj,
Glad to hear that. You are right about the rear. The wrap around the stepney would be really great as one of my bugbears is the partly open to view stepney. Yeas since the tyre's there and this just wraps around it it would just mean a few MMs decrease of GC.
However I am still puzzled about the front as I feel that it would be off by at least an inch and a half from the standard, at the periphery, going by the design.
Attaching couple a snaps side by side for comparision. I know Admiral's angle of the snap is not the same as your Fortuner's - but does give wee bit of an idea of the shape and size of the bumpers and air dams.

Originally Posted by bajwasingh

Manuuj u are very senior

Hi BS,
Then bow low and in sheer reverence to grey hairs, wrinkled cheeks and rheumatic joints.....!

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Hi Manuuj,
However I am still puzzled about the front as I feel that it would be off by at least an inch and a half from the standard, at the periphery, going by the design.
Attaching couple a snaps side by side for comparision. I know Admiral's angle of the snap is not the same as your Fortuner's - but does give wee bit of an idea of the shape and size of the bumpers and air dams.
Attachment 872171Attachment 872173
rheumatic joints.....!

The front skirts also wrap around the bottom of the original bumper. If you look carefully at the point where the add on front skirts are attached you will notice they are right under the front fog lamp.

In the original bumper there is a few inches from the end of the fog lamp to the end of the bumper. This is the space that the addon skirt occupies. The approach angle is affected a little bit maybe as the stick out a little more than the original bumpers. So far despite some offroading that has been done the front has never so far scraped the ground.

Again you may notice that the underbody shield is visible in the old bumper (like the tyre in the rear) and is part of it is still visible with the add on skirts in place.


One of my original concerns was the difference in GC that might occur due to the front skirts but over the last two years they have never made a difference to the offroad performance.

[Manuuj]

Uttaranchal Road Trip..final stage.

"The woods are lovely dark and deep..but i have promises to keep".. Departure from Ramganga Resorts, Marchula for Nainital for one night.

The road to Ramnagar from Marchula

Corbett Falls -Kaladunghi

Entering Nainital.. 65 kms from Ramnagar. A very clean hill station.

The Lake.

Dawn breaks over the lake.

Early start for Delhi on a cold cold day. Destination was the Airport as my friends had a flight to Mumbai to catch. We ruminated over the contrast of breakfast in Nainital and dinner in Mumbai. They were sad to leave this wonderful part of the country. It was so cold when we left that a thin sheet of ice had formed over the windscreen and the wiper fluid had a slushy consistency.

The suns rays warmed us up..

Picturesque hill village.

What a view!

Back in Delhi!


Thus ended a wonderful adventure than took me from the deserts of Rajasthan, to the Kingdom of the Tiger and the heights of the Nainital Hills.

The Fortuner returned about 11.5 kmpl over the whole 3600 kms journey and left me and my company in awe and renewed respect of it abilities. The same car could be used to travel at 160 kmph over miles and miles of flat tarmac ,then driven over sand dunes of the Thar and rocks in dry river beds of the deep jungles in the Himalayan foothills.

It behaved impeccably and took on everything without a single whine or complaint.

Nothing went wrong..nothing.

As i see it standing confidently in my driveway i cannot help but smile and it seems to be smiling back in return, asking me as it does, when the next adventure will begin.

The End.

[rrsteer]

Hi Manuuj,

Thanks for the great snaps. But looks like your front tyres are worn out. (going by the pics...or its the pic angle)

I too am a Corbett lover and its my favorite place. By the way, you were luck with that lonely wild tusker - which is the MOST DANGEROUS animal to encounter in a jungle. Elephants always live in herds. A lonely elephant means one which has been discarded from the herd because it turned rogue.

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by rrsteer

Hi Manuuj,

Thanks for the great snaps. But looks like your front tyres are worn out. (going by the pics...or its the pic angle)

I too am a Corbett lover and its my favorite place. By the way, you were luck with that lonely wild tusker - which is the MOST DANGEROUS animal to encounter in a jungle.

I noticed the uneven wear in the front right tyre also rrsteer. Will be looking into it at the 50,000 kms service which is due very soon.

A lone male elephant is surely the most dangerous animal that one can come across in the Jungle. This one did show aggression and i had the car ready to take off at all times. Though out-running a grown male which can get up to speeds of 50 kmph is another matter altogether.

Being in the Fortuner incase i needed to make a quick getaway did give me some sense of security and solace though.

[nilanjanray]

Manuuj,

Lovely narration!

Question: did the Fortuner start the usual way in sub zero temperatures? No extra cranking needed?

Loved this para of yours:
The Fortuner returned about 11.5 kmpl over the whole 3600 kms journey and left me and my company in awe and renewed respect of it abilities. The same car could be used to travel at 160 kmph over miles and miles of flat tarmac ,then driven over sand dunes of the Thar and rocks in dry river beds of the deep jungles in the Himalayan foothills.

It behaved impeccably and took on everything without a single whine or complaint.

This is what makes the vehicle what it is - a great allrounder.

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Manuuj,

Lovely narration!

Question: did the Fortuner start the usual way in sub zero temperatures? No extra cranking needed?
It behaved impeccably and took on everything without a single whine or complaint. [/i]

This is what makes the vehicle what it is - a great allrounder.

HI Nilanjan! We really did not hit sub zero as such. 2 degrees C was the minimum we saw. There was no extra cranking required. The usual half to one crank is all it took. Even in April when i had visited Manali/Rohtang where it was also quite cold i faced no such hassles.

Surprisingly my OE Exide is still doing duty on the Fortuner even after 2 years. I expect to replace that with an Amaron sometime this year though.

Have not faced any issues, but if a trip to Ladakh materializes then will surely get a new Amaron battery before i leave.

By the way i was mystified by the cranking hassles you faced on the Bison. What came of the investigations? Hope all is well now.

The Fortuner truly is a great all rounder like its siblings the Prado and the LC. They all perform without hassles or tantrums. All look equally good parked in the porch of a 5 star or in front of a Machaan in the jungle.

I havent seen the New Fortuner in the flesh but i prefer the butch looks of the Classic Fortuner. The only part i would have liked is the VSC. The rest like Touchscreen DVD player with USB etc and Rear Camera i have already fitted in mine. Dont want electric seats etc anyway. The more manual everything remains the better.

I guess a lot of people may go in for the Manual 4x2 version. Personally, if it was a matter of an extra 1 lac for the fantastic 4x4 i would always want that option at hand if and when i need it. I used to own a 4x2 jeep at one time and found it to be a severe handicap. All looks and no go if u know what i mean.

The Auto makes sense for people who find manuals cumbersome. They did a good thing by not offering Automatic with 4x4. Besides the cost factor i feel all 4x4's should be manual, our Range Rover included.

What are your views?

[nilanjanray]

Cranking issue fixed - there were deposits on the starter motor - the system got cleaned. The problem hasn't come back since then. Hope it is permanently gone.

I prefer the Classic Fortuner look. VSC would have been good to have, but I have got used to my vehicle now, so not a biggie.

I personally like MT, but there are some folks who say that AT is better for offroading. I don't have sufficient expertise to convincingly argue for one against the other apart from the fact that I like the way MT gives me control over things.

I especially like that fact that the Fortuner is a great vehicle for night driving - where you need a combination of good lights, speed and bad road handling capability. I recently did a drive to Bandipur in the evening. My house to Bandipur gate was done in 3 hrs 33 mins (which would mean Bangalore - Ooty in ~ 5 hours in the night, to give some context). Drove on a 2 lane highway with no lights. Managed to reach the forest gate 30 secs before it was about to be closed for the night (@ 9 PM) - the guards were lowering the barrier as I went through it :-)

When I pushed the vehicle, it responded well and reinforced my faith.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

The front skirts also wrap around the bottom...

The way we have been discussing skirts and them wrapping around the bottom/s, front, back etc...could lead certain unsuspecting folks here to certain twisted conclusions !
To summarise - great if it hasn't been a hassle and I am sure those couple of MMs in excess anywhere wouldn't matter much in a vehicle which has a humungous GC.
Tell me - an unrelated Q - have your Fortuner's underbelly plates ever sustained a hit ? Large rocks etc ? How did they take it, if there was an event ? Reason I am asking is to check whether, and I suspect so, they like the skin elsewhere are paper thing and susceptible to distortions after hits. Admiral had a underbelly hit in Aug thanks to a large flower pot. Though the FP was crushed it left the plates slightly bent - which then had to be straightened out at the ASC when I took it for the next service. Ever since contemplating 6 mm aluminium sheets to replace the existing steel sheets. Have talked to a couple of fabricators to get the shape right.

Originally Posted by Manuuj

Uttaranchal Road Trip..final stage.
"The woods are lovely dark and deep..but i have promises to keep"..

When I first read these 'Frosty' words off a text book at school it had a different flavour and today when I read the words it means something totally different...all in a space of few days - called a lifetime. And of course I am ready to sleep now before the miles go !
Gratifying to note that you didn't have any cold weather cranking issues. Secondly in your numerous travels - on the the uphill twisties did you feel any loss of power ? Or is it an issue of changing the driving style to keep the vehicle always in the optimum RPM range/power band ? Something that has been talked off and on in the forums here.
Nothing like first hand experience.

[nilanjanray]

Re uphill twisties: you need to keep the vehicle in the right RPM range and maintain adequate momentum. I have gone till 8800 feet, and regularly through the one of the steepest hair pin bends in the South (see Nilgiri Ghat Roads - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). The Fortuner leaves most vehicles in its dust on steep uphill roads if driven properly. But on flat twisties, it can't be driven as fast as a good handling sedan/hatch.

I also take it easy while coming down, and rely more on engine braking than excessively using the brakes.

Waiting eagerly to tackle some Himalayan terrain now!

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by Guderian

The way we have been discussing skirts

wouldn't matter much in a vehicle which has a humungous GC.

Tell me - an unrelated Q - have your Fortuner's underbelly plates ever sustained a hit ?

Secondly in your numerous travels - on the the uphill twisties did you feel any loss of power?

Hahaha Herr General!! It never crossed my mind that my innocent observations could be twisted into another class of Censor Certification altogether..but shh!.. no more of that. As you said the huge ground clearance is enough for the ahem..skirts not to matter.

That is also the reason that the underbelly plates have not sustained a hit so far. The "plate" covering the Fuel Tank is actually made of high strength plastic,as you may have noticed, to prevent it puncturing the fuel tank, which it would were it made of metal and twisted upwards due to a hit.The one that protects the Chamber is made of metal though. Pressed steel plates would be great but a dye would be needed to make the correct shape and that truly is a very expensive affair.

I have driven the Fortuner up several mountain roads and even up some passes and haven't really felt any deficit of power. Even when loaded up with 5 people and luggage it pulls very cleanly. Keeping it in the right gear is imperative though as in the case with any vehicle.

Its usually a case of selecting the correct gear to keep the car at around 2000-2500rpm, foot resting on the accelerator and a grin on the face.

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Waiting eagerly to tackle some Himalayan terrain now!

Fortuner awaits the arrival of Bison and indeed Admiral so they can set forth together into the Great North. I must warn you though.They will not be tested. You will find that the Himalayas will offer no serious challenges to these highly capable machines.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Re uphill twisties: you need to keep the vehicle in the right RPM range and maintain adequate momentum.

Thanks Nilanjan. I was looking more from the point of the heights where oxygen could be at a premium like the Leh/HP runs which could leave the engines gasping.Trying to get a fix on that.
But yes agree with you that on the normal (atm pressure) and high gradient twisties once you latch on to the skills of keeping the engine smiling there shouldn't be an issue.

Originally Posted by Manuuj

1. As you said the huge ground clearance is enough for the ahem..skirts not to matter.

2. The "plate" covering the Fuel Tank is actually made of high strength plastic,as you may have noticed, to prevent it puncturing the fuel tank, which it would were it made of metal and twisted upwards due to a hit.

3. I have driven the Fortuner up several mountain roads and even up some passes and haven't really felt any deficit of power.

1. Quite prudent to leave the discussions at that dear chap ! Lest we be accused of being skirt chasers - though of the plastic type.

2. I was actually looking at the front plates (under the engine and oil sump) and not the rear ones.
Actually if you see the fuel tank is made of HD plastics and there are aluminium plates (very thin 2mm gauge I think) to protect it on all sides. But they are not a contiguous set but are separately mounted/fastened shields with chinks in between. But no major issues there, though even that area and the channel under the exposed fuel lines (till the point it ascends to the engine bay) can be protected better with 4 mm Al sheets.
What I was seeking for was info whether the front plates were battered ever and the after effects.

Good to note your experience in high altitude passes.

[kedarwalke]

Manuuj I spent past 2 hours reading your entire thread!

Fantabulous is the only word comes to my mind.

I was planning to book a AT fortuner,but after going through your travelogue,I have made up my mind to buy a 4x4 manual fortuner.

Will buy a small AT sedan for my daily commute in maddening Mumbai traffic,but buying the 4x4 for sure and drive down to some crazy places in the Tfort!!

Thanks once again.

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by kedarwalke

Manuuj I spent past 2 hours reading your entire thread!

Fantabulous is the only word comes to my mind.

I was planning to book a AT fortuner,but after going through your travelogue,I have made up my mind to buy a 4x4 manual fortuner.

Will buy a small AT sedan for my daily commute in maddening Mumbai traffic,but buying the 4x4 for sure and drive down to some crazy places in the Tfort!!

Thanks once again.

Thank you for the kind words kedarwalke! You have made a very prudent decision with respect to the 4x4 Fortuner. It does make sense to have this car in 4x4 only. A city runabout in AT and a Fortuner for AT (All Terrain) is the way to go!

Trust me you will not regret it. Having the option of 4x4 with a lockable differential and low range in a dependable SUV like the Fortuner truly is lifechanging. I speak from experience as i have had a 4x2 Jeep also and felt severely handicapped and frustrated when i could not take it on certain roads as i did not have the reassurance of 4x4.

Many while crossing a certain path would wonder how it is and where it leads..Now i don't wonder. I just go.

Look forward to your ownership review and travelogues.