[zadoom]

Need suggestions for sourcing a swan neck towbar in the USA

Hi All,
I have been trying to install a towbar on my Storme so as to be able to use my existing cycle carrier. I am looking to source a swan neck towbar. If any one in the US or someone with knowledge of the US market can suggest where I could buy one of these towbars as shown in the image (part marked Green), I would be really grateful.

Have someone who is travelling back to India from the US in 2 weeks time and am thinking of getting them to personally carry it back for me.

Best Regards,
M

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by avinash_m

Thanks; but I thought I'd read somewhere on the forum that they are of a harder make/compound, so not as much comfort oriented!? I could be entirely wrong though..

Also, can the Storme take 245/70 R16 instead of the standard 235/70 R16?! Aside from the obvious speedo error, just trying to understand the other pros and cons

G015 has side wall puncture issues. I will advise you to steer clear from them.

I am riding on 245/70/16 for past 60,000 kms or so. Only issue was slight rubbing with plastic cladding in side front wheel wells while turning. resolved it by cutting off the plastic part. Other issue is that snow chains can not be installed on front wheels with this up size. Otherwise they are just fine, provide better grip and minor gain in ground clearance (6mm). I had Dueller A/T earlier and replaced with Ceat Czar AT. It is difficult to get this size in AT in NCR though.

[avinash_m]

While lurking on team-bhp is pretty much a daily habit, didn't realize I had not posted on this thread for a long time. Let me also take this opportunity to post some updates on my truck!

To begin with, it is currently at 72.6K on the odo and I'd be completing 7 years with it in May 2023. It underwent it's 6th year annual service at TASS around Jun this year. Best part is there weren't any major issues to report or fix besides the regular fluids change/top-ups and general checkup.

Honestly, my mind had started wandering a bit after the Scorpio N launch this year, had even pre-booked one just for the heck of it! But better sense has prevailed and I've decided to keep the Storme till I hit the 1 Lakh kms mark at least. Why - few reasons which popped up on deliberation were - Vitamin M, probably the most important one. For even a decent (performance, space, safety, bells & whistles) replacement for the Storme, I'd have to spend at least 20L. The Scorpio N did tug at the heart quite strongly, for the package that it is, but financial prudence took precedence. I just wasn't able to convince myself (and home minister) to part with such a significant sum on a new car. And one big influencing factor was addressing the question if I am done/bored with it - the answer I got was a resounding no! I've spent quite a fortune (regular/preventive maintenance) on it's upkeep over the years and the sound mechanical condition helped me decide to retain it. Understand I am missing out on much advanced (& safer) cars of this day and age, but a (bigger) part of me is just not ready to let it go.

And then the enthusiast bug bit hard! While it is a 6+ year old car, doesn't mean it cannot have few relevant improvements done!? The real selfish reason was to 'feel-good' having spent some money as a small reward. Initially thought of getting all the deep scratches fixed but a quick visit to a body shop (thanks to reference from local bhpians @Vixit and @Varun_Hexaguy) changed all that; was suggested to let them be as is as the time/effort/money would be better spent on something else. And boy did I take that seriously!

Apologies for the pics; all are taken from my Nord 2 and am strictly average in this aspect.

1. 3M Detailing Session (both interior and exterior), after 2 years, due to Covid.










2. New upholstery - Ordered a full set of seat covers and 2D floor mats from Elegant Auto retail outlet here in Hyderabad. The best part was they still make it on order for older cars like the Storme. Quite an exhaustive collection of materials and fabrics to choose from and I liked what I got in the end. I was specific on getting the cloth based seat covers and chose this shade as I thought it'd go well with the dull silver panels in the cabin and the roof liner.









At the time of taking delivery I did get a set of (cloth) beige seat covers offered as a freebie during delivery. Had never liked them since the first day and finally chucked them out (within 6 months) as they picked up some bad stains, was running the stock seats until now.

3. Tyre Swap - The std. Bridgestone Duelers had served really well over the years, with hardly a puncture or two. But given the age, remaining tread depth (and odo at 66K), decided to swap them out with a new set. A camber issue on the front end for the past 10K kms or so, ate up the inside treads on the front pair as well. I really wanted to try something else and had decided on the Michelin LTX but didn't have any luck sourcing them. Finally went with the Yoko Geolanders as I found them pretty cost effective.















After having driven close to 5K kms on them (both wet and dry), I'd say they're def. grippier in the wet, but the Duelers were quieter/smoother. I'd never heard/felt the expansion joints on bridges, on the Duelers.

4. Some random clicks













Recently completed a ~2300kms round trip alone in the Storme doing Hyd-Bhubaneswar-Hyd; have posted some quick thoughts on the routes thread (post 926 on the Blore-Vijaywada-Bhubaneswar route queries thread).
It continues to amaze me, the sheer mile munching ability of this car. The fact that I was able to cover ~1140/- odd kms in 15 hours is a testament to that. Yes I was tired at the end of it but it was more mental (out of concentration) than physical. A good night's sleep was all that was needed to recharge all the batteries.

Noticed yesterday that the tail lights (brake) stopped working all of a sudden. Pretty sure they conked (shorted) along with one of the tailgate number plate lamps (had put white LED in that), when I (DIY) installed a new pair of Hella Trumpets; everything was fine before that. Booked an appointment at the local TASS today and got new bulbs for the tail; still have to source a white LED for the number plate. While I was there, I also placed an order for the cracked upper grille and Left Headlight unit which had cracked (but works fine) in the low-speed shunt I'd couple of years back. Eagle eyed bhpians will notice the fogged up left unit in the pics posted above..

Signing off until the next major update

CHEERS!

[Heisenberg_ad]

Wonderful thread. I see now why poeple love the old safari!
It has got so much character. The new one got a lot softer.

Maintaining old car is mostly better than upgrading to a new vehicle. The newer ones have gotten expensive and are not an upgrade really. 10 years ago you could buy i10 or swift for 5L and c segments sedans were priced at around 10L.
Today i10 or swift top end touches 10L and c segment sedans touch 20L. I personally find it very difficult to shortlist or even like newer cars.

[viXit]

Originally Posted by avinash_m

Noticed yesterday that the tail lights (brake) stopped working all of a sudden. Pretty sure they conked (shorted) along with one of the tailgate number plate lamps (had put white LED in that), when I (DIY) installed a new pair of Hella Trumpets; everything was fine before that. Booked an appointment at the local TASS today and got new bulbs for the tail; still have to source a white LED for the number plate. While I was there, I also placed an order for the cracked upper grille and Left Headlight unit which had cracked (but works fine) in the low-speed shunt I'd couple of years back. Eagle eyed bhpians will notice the fogged up left unit in the pics posted above..

Signing off until the next major update

CHEERS!

Beautiful pics!
Your car is a looker!
Welcome to the Geolandar club.

WOW! I had the exact same bulbs fail on mine! within a short time period.
One number plate bulb, and one tail light bulb.
The tail light function was not working, but the brake light function was working on that bulb.

My HID high beam bulb finally failed. put a philips premium halogen for now, will switch to osram LED in a bit.

We should take some pictures of both the cars together, yin/yang with the contrasting colors

[Randamoozham]

Wise decision Avinash. There are lot of threads in retaining the existing and use it to the maximum before we go for a new one. Moreover I will not venture on the Scorpio until Mahindra iron out all the niggles.

Man, 1150 kms in 15 hours. Thats awesome. how many breaks did you take? What was the actual running time?

[avinash_m]

Originally Posted by Heisenberg_ad

I personally find it very difficult to shortlist or even like newer cars.

Tell me about it! Apart from being expensive, these days it is all about the striking/complex designs. Being old school I find myself at a loss appreciating any of the new cars, but that's just the norm now. Just hope cars like the Scorpio N, continue to be around (provided the niggles are sorted), as it is the closest to carry the old world charm.

Originally Posted by viXit

One number plate bulb, and one tail light bulb.
The tail light function was not working, but the brake light function was working on that bulb.

My HID high beam bulb finally failed. put a philips premium halogen for now, will switch to osram LED in a bit.

I checked the bulbs myself and they seemed ok as both the brake and park (works with pilot/head) filaments were intact, and only the latter worked. But since one of the 10A fuses also blew (on a fuse tap, for the dash clock), I went to TASS fearing a bigger issue. I carry spare (5&10 amp) fuses, so could replace the blown fuse but that didnt make any difference.
Am running Osram NB halogens, current pair is about an year old now. Had blown one bulb during a similar DIY earlier and had to order a new pair, so started keeping a cheap spare (Uno minda make), just in case if a need arises. Probably should keep a pair of these tail bulbs too as spare, it's quite a waste of time going to TASS for such trivial jobs.

We should take some pictures of both the cars together, yin/yang with the contrasting colors

Agreed; you do have a knack of taking some nice clicks

Originally Posted by Randamoozham

Moreover I will not venture on the Scorpio until Mahindra iron out all the niggles.

Thought I read somewhere that by Mar this year, Mahindra should be able to address all the outstanding niggles. So maybe a good idea to wait and pickup Apr manufactured cars.

Man, 1150 kms in 15 hours. Thats awesome. how many breaks did you take? What was the actual running time?

Biggest factors were me being alone and predominantly good roads; I wouldn't even dare if family was in tow. I took about 3 short breaks of 10-15 mins each and 2 longer ones (about 20-30 mins) but crucially clubbed the latter with fuel stops. The last 80 odd kms were quite slow progress due to prevailing traffic/road conditions and speed limits on the Hyd ORR. I had not decided to drive all the way back when I started early morning, had kept it open depending on when I would hit Vijaywada. Thanks to lower than usual traffic in the afternoon that day, passed it around 4 pm. And then when it showed less than 300 kms for Hyd, I decided to head home.

[sidbarabari]

Mr Avinash, your Strome looks beautiful. I have been on hunt for quite sometime in Hyderabad and i can actually see that yours is well maintained inside and out. In comparision, your odo is on the lower end too. I think you made a great decision too.
Hyderabad roads aren't bad atleast in my locality and I think you would agree that you won't feel much difference to the new cars comparatively spending over 20L on a similar purchase

[B_rohan]

Hi friends, I am a 2015 Hyundai i20 user and desperately want to own a storm. Have come across a 2018 VX 4*2 model with 67k km with a full-service history, tire needs replacement, last service was done at 52k km a year and a half back. The quoted price is 9 lakh. Do you guys think is it a fair price?

[avinash_m]

Originally Posted by B_rohan

Hi friends, I am a 2015 Hyundai i20 user and desperately want to own a storm. Have come across a 2018 VX 4*2 model with 67k km with a full-service history, tire needs replacement, last service was done at 52k km a year and a half back. The quoted price is 9 lakh. Do you guys think is it a fair price?

I thought I read on the HEXA (or some other) thread that they are available in this range, not entirely sure of the age though. So 9L for a Storme V400 sounds a bit on the higher side; well kept examples of this age should be around 7-8L max IMO.

Having said that, while it is good that full service history is available, please make sure to have a thorough run down done on all the mechanicals. Parts like the timing kit, TVD etc. should have ideally been replaced, besides the regular fluids. While tyres are easily replaceable check the tyre wear for any signs of uneven wear n tear, can point to a faulty alignment or suspension geometry. Storme is built tough but also needs good timely TLC to keep it running smoothly.

All the best!

[condor]

Originally Posted by B_rohan

Have come across a 2018 VX 4*2 model with 67k km with a full-service history, tire needs replacement,
last service was done at 52k km a year and a half back.
The quoted price is 9 lakh. Do you guys think is it a fair price?

If this is first set of tyres, AND the tyres have lasted 67k, I think the vehicle has been used with some care. But if it is second set, then at least some rough use has happened. (Check the tyres for month/year of manufacture - a 4 character code, with last two should be 18, or 17)

That VX 4x2 was about 16L (I am guessing) when new. This would be the 6-gear version ?

Start at 8L, try closing as low as possible.

Like Avinash said, get it checked at TASS. Timing belt should have been replaced at the 5th year mark. If there is a humming noise inside the cabin @ 1500 rpm (approx), then the gearbox and engine mounts would need replacement.

You look to be in Nashik, and the Storme is in Hyd. Here's another one for you, though 2 owners: This is a 2015 model, and asking 9L !
https://classifieds.team-bhp.com/buy...a/Safari.html/

[avinash_m]

Remote Key Pad fix

So the Storme has 2 remote keys - one is a flipkey and the other isn't. While the keypad on the flipkey had disintegrated about an year or two back, thankfully it is available separately on Amazon; was able to order a pair and DIYed the replacement.

But the one on the other key isn't; infact it is somehow fused into the casing. Post replacing the pad on the flipkey I'd put both the keys into a silicone casing, for additional protection, from the elements, but somehow two buttons on the other key just disintegrated. It is working fine, just that it'd to be pressed hard, to reach the button on the circuit board.

Opened it up to find a circuit board and a transponder, and would need to be transplanted into a new casing as the keypad wasn't replaceable.





The catch is the metal key is also fused into the casing, so a replacement would have to be cut as per the original. Thankfully, being old school, it doesn't have the inbuilt immobilizer. While I placed an order on Amazon for a replacement key/casing, decided to try out a local remote key repair guy. Turns out, he had new pieces (had a good collection infact of many models/cars); took him all of 15 mins to transfer the board and cut the key. Total damage 950/- but works like a charm!






The key pad on the new one isn't as tactile feeling as the original but that's ok. He reused the old back cover of the key, having the transponder, instead of wrestling it out. The emblem comes separately on the new casing, to be glued.

Cheers!!

[zadoom]

Originally Posted by avinash_m

Remote Key Pad fix

So the Storme has 2 remote keys - one is a flipkey and the other isn't.

Cheers!!

That's a good one and something that interests me. Looks like the later Stormes used to get a flippy key, mine is a 2014 one and used to have both non-flippy ones. The problem is I got 2 flippy keys from the TASC, and the quality seems to be pretty flimsy, on one of the keys the Lock and Unlock button area, the plastic material has completely worn off and now it is almost impossible to reach the circuit. This is even after using the silicone cover.
You mentioned you used Amazon to replace the flippy key, would you please share the link of the product or some info so that I can look it up as well.

TIA

Cheers,
Mayank

[avinash_m]

You mentioned you used Amazon to replace the flippy key, would you please share the link of the product or some info so that I can look it up

Here you go Mayank; this one is available. The one I'd ordered from in 2020 isn't anymore.

Key Hub Compatible Slicon Key Cover with 3 Button for TATA,Safari Storme https://amzn.eu/d/4B8Ao8V

Just to clarify, I replaced only the keypad on the flippy key, not the entire casing. Infact, had ordered 2-3 extra just in case if it goes bad again.

Cheers!

[zadoom]

Originally Posted by avinash_m

Here you go Mayank; this one is available. The one I'd ordered from in 2020 isn't anymore.
[/h3][/h3]

Thanks Avinash for the link, got the keypad delivered yesterday and did the quick DIY. Cleaned the edges of the place where the keypad goes and then just press fit the new keypad. Had removed the chrome border of the new keypad as I couldn't remove the chrome border on the existing key (rather did not try much as it felt fixed and like a part of the remaining key).

The new keypad did fit in though it is not the best of the fits. Ideally it should not be bulging out as much. But did the trials and it does work with and without a silicone cover as well.

So this 250Rs solution saved me from claiming the key replacement add-on cover on my insurance that I had specifically taken considering the condition of the key.

BTW, in the 3rd pic the key on the left side is the one that got DIYed. You can make out from the bulge and the gaps that it is not the factory version.

Cheers,
Mayank