[Axe77]

For the reasons outlined in your post, I'd say:

1. Keep it,

provided

2. you can find a close trusted friend or relative who will use it from time to time.

I would go out of my way to find such a contact / friend / relative and do my best to try and keep it. The worst you've got to lose is the value of the vehicle itself. Write that off in your mind, in the interest of the ability to retain this special object and keep it.

If the person who you leave it with will genuinely enjoy it too, then that's a bonus. That way even if your travel extends, you can know that at some point if you return, the vehicle is there for you to reclaim.

Every time you drive that car when you visit / return to India, it will bring you back that very special memory of the time you spent with your dad. To me, that is invaluable.

[Amrik Singh]

Even if it is rarely used, the tyres would need replacement after few years irrespective of its condition. Same goes with battery.

Then comes PUC and insurance etc. While expenses on the vehicle keep adding up, depreciation will lower the resale value

Even if these two last, the Government directives on diesel vehicles may cause problem in selling or driving.

[asit.kulkarni93]

Car ownership is a very practical aspect today. We love our cars but also know that there is a limit. I would have normally suggested you sell it off but looking at the reasons I say retain it. You are not close to the sea, so you don’t really have to worry about rusting. Rest it’s a thar. Doubt much can go wrong with it. Find someone trustworthy in your circle who can take it for a spin atleast once a week. I do the same for a friend’s fiesta. He has been at his hometown since the lockdown and is planning to wrap up the family business there and come back. I use it once or twice a week. Park my car at his place and use his car for 1-2 days. He lives around 5kms from my place.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by GTO

If you think you will be back in 2 - 3 years for good, keep the Jeep for your Dad's memories. Anything longer, just sell it.

Ask in your family & friend's circle if someone wants a Jeep. That way, it could still stay "within your circle". Who knows, years later, when you return, you could buy it back .

Advice from mighty GTO himself. Thanks man. Yes, I have already started asking within my circles and family as my plans are not concrete.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Sell. Been there, done that.

Sorry to hear about your loss and can understand your connect with the car. But the truth is nobody else can take care of your car as well as you can. Given the uncertainty in your future plans, the decision is obvious.

Thanks Ninja, like you some of the previous replies also have given compelling arguments about selling it.

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

If you do decide to sell, you call always retain something from the Jeep and maybe even carry it with you.

Maybe the number plate? If the ownership transfer is out of your current state/RTO, the plates will likely change. You can then ask the new owner to give you the old ones back once he gets the new ones. Just a thought.

Definitely. I have plates from my car in USA where it seems like a common practice!

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Hope you have documented this memory. Please weigh this memory Vs memory object itself.

Contrary to suggestions earlier in thread, I would say retain Thar provided someone you know well keeps it running. We have many regretful owners within forum having sold their vehicles be it Thar itself or 2-wheelers like RX100/RD350.
How far is Thar going to be parked, does it have AC for them to use it similar to their current car?

Right, regretting the sale is also something I have in my mind. They are not going to make cars like this anymore. It will be parked about 120-140 km from sisters' places. It has A/C but quite different from their current cars!

Originally Posted by JediKnight

Keep the Jeep man. Cover it nicely put it in covered parking. Plug the air intake/exhaust. Put fuel stabilizer/microbe growth preventer in the tank. Put some activated charcoal packets on the inside. Keep lot of naphthalene balls inside the engine bay. Overinflate the tyres. No need to tell anybody to drive/maintain it.

Two years is not a lot of time. Probably when you return you will have to change your tyres/battery and go for a complete service. You can get the jeep in working condition. May be some effort/money spent but it is not undoable.

You won't get these simple machines in future. And it reminds you of your Dad Keep it.

Exactly. Memory and simplicity of the machine both are factors why I was intending to keep it. This is a machine last of its breed.
I have never stored a vehicle for such long term and I wanted to know if it is even possible. I have seen unused cars just rot away even in dry areas like ours. I do have a cover, good shade and I was even thinking of putting it raised over jacks all around if the house is locked over many months. Back of my mind I have same thoughts as what you have described.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by Axe77

For the reasons outlined in your post, I'd say:

1. Keep it,

provided

2. you can find a close trusted friend or relative who will use it from time to time.

I would go out of my way to find such a contact / friend / relative and do my best to try and keep it. The worst you've got to lose is the value of the vehicle itself. Write that off in your mind, in the interest of the ability to retain this special object and keep it.

If the person who you leave it with will genuinely enjoy it too, then that's a bonus. That way even if your travel extends, you can know that at some point if you return, the vehicle is there for you to reclaim.

Every time you drive that car when you visit / return to India, it will bring you back that very special memory of the time you spent with your dad. To me, that is invaluable.

True. I am not worried about depreciation to be honest, that is something I have assumed. My BIL is one person who will genuinely enjoy it but he's too busy with his new business. His preferred mode of transport is a small zippy car, even a two wheeler and Thar just does not fit into his schedule. I will still ask him. May be once the initial storm settles down he would be able to use/maintain it. Parking remains a concern but manageable.

Originally Posted by Amrik Singh

Even if it is rarely used, the tyres would need replacement after few years irrespective of its condition. Same goes with battery.

Then comes PUC and insurance etc. While expenses on the vehicle keep adding up, depreciation will lower the resale value

Even if these two last, the Government directives on diesel vehicles may cause problem in selling or driving.

Right. Govt. regulations on diesel private vehicles are only going to get worse if I am not wrong. We folks in small town are least bothered about it though. Same for depreciation, I accounted it and just accepted it as matter of fact. If I am never selling it, depreciation isn't going to bite me I am prepared for tyres/battery expenses too. Concern is even after replacing these consumables the car will need need to be driven to keep it fit. Like others have said give it to a family member who has interest in cars or employ a driver who will drive it every few days.

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

I would have normally suggested you sell it off but looking at the reasons I say retain it. You are not close to the sea, so you don’t really have to worry about rusting. Rest it’s a thar. Doubt much can go wrong with it. Find someone trustworthy in your circle who can take it for a spin atleast once a week. I do the same for a friend’s fiesta.

True. Far from sea so rust is definitely not a problem. I am actively looking for people (family and friends alike) who would drive it. I will keep everyone apprised. SOO confused right now everyone has given solid replies per tbhp standards.

[silverado]

If the jeep is in pune, it will not rot easily IMO. Check with Mahindra about how you can store the jeep long term.

If not find a good driver in your circle, whom you can employ on monthly basis to run the jeep on weekends for your family/friends routine. Fit a tracker system on jeep so that you can track the drives.

I had kept my CD100 inside house while i was out of country for 2 years, it was in decent shape so my advise would be to keep it provided you have covered parking available and some person to wash it on weekly basis.Heck put a camera near its parking for surveillance so you can look at your jeep anytime

[Precision]

Hey sorry for your loss.
Memories fade with time, but the physical manifestation of the memory will stay for as long as you want it to.
My opinion is to find a closed parking space, lift it onto axle stands and do all the prep work that fellow Bhpian's have suggested and leave the car as is.
Please do not assign a monetary value to your memory.

For further inspiration watch Barn find videos on Youtube where cars that have been left for 40 years or more have found new life.

Letting go is Easy, its up to you to decide on the value.

[RT13]

Very very sorry to hear of your loss. Im going to go the other way from the trend entirely.

If there’s an option to store it, do it. This isn’t a vehicle in my opinion. It’s a bundle of memories with your dad. Reducing it to a bunch of mechanical parts misses the point entirely. Clearly this isn’t a conversation about money (and even if it was I’d advise you to figure it out as you will def regret selling it later). With respect to keeping it in working order and getting other people to do it, that might be challenging. But, if you can find a covered storage space, you can easily put it on blocks, disconnect electricals and the battery, grease everything up nicely so rust doesn’t take hold and it’ll still be there when you come back to it. A little TLC and it’ll be back to normal as it’s a fundamentally simple machine.

I know enough people who regret selling certain vehicles which played very important roles in their lives, particularly if it belonged to people dear to them, now gone. A lot of boys in particular wish they could have their dad’s vehicles but were too young when they were flogged.

Hang on to it if possible at all.

And again, sorry for your loss.

[AKSarkar1]

Sorry for your loss, the current times that we are in are truly hard! Same is the story with my Vento. The Vento currently 7 years old and was a gift from my grandmother, sadly she too passed away in 2020 and this car just has too many great memories attached to be selling it despite the upkeep costs.

I would say that giving your car to your relatives/friends is a good idea. If you don't have anyone in your immediate family to take care of the car, try searching for friends who have ample parking + interest for such a thing. When I located abroad to Germany, I had given my car to a building friend who kept in in great shape for almost 1.5 years before I returned back permanently. He had a spare parking in the basement where the car sat safely.

Every week or two, he would start the car engine and take it for a quick spin in the neighbourhood. They key to keep the car in great shape was keeping it in a parking space that is safe from the elements and moving it a bit every month or so. I had given my friend full liberty to be using the car as he pleases.

The Thar is a tough one and can handle a bit of non-running.

[sagarpadaki]

If you have a permanent parking space well insulated from rats/rodents/mice and if you want to keep the Jeep then you may do so. For this you will have to store the jeep and not just park it.

1. Remove all wheels and support the Jeep on concrete blocks.
2. Drain the fuel tank and all fuel lines.
3. Cover the air filter inlet to prevent foreign body ingress
4. Remove battery and drain all engine oil
5. Drain Engine oil, gear oil, differential oil. Bleed the brake with fresh DOT4 oil if the oil is older than 2 years.
6. Place 100 to 200 Silica gels packets on and under the floor mats. This will prevent the mold from forming.
7. Cover the whole car with a large tarpaulin and fit it snugly with some cords


Now you have mothballed your car. When you come back from your long stint abroad, replenish all the fluids and connect the battery and your Jeep will be good to go. Just ensure that you have made a note of what all you have done so that you do not forget it over the period of years and will be able do the reverse when you want to bring the jeep back from hibernation

[johy]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Hello,


The Jeep now reminds me of him and great time we had together and so I am reluctant to sell.

There is no price for memories, brother. Keep it, I say. Even if your relatives start the car and take it for a short spin once in a while, keep it. I have a 2015 seldom driven Thar and a short spin once a week has kept it in good nick. Only thing, please ask them to keep her in a covered space.

[ThatCarGuy]

Your loss is beyond words! A car is a material thing, but what attaches you to that car are the beautiful memories associated with it. Logically we cannot carry all the material things which are associated with our life, but we are living in an era where we can carry digital memories. I do this with my kids, the small notes they write, the cards they make, the pictures they draw on our walls, and all the clutter they leave after playing, their notebooks, It is impossible to store all this; but I take photos, photos, photos of all these memories.

You could create a complete digital album of your Jeep, capture every nook and cranny of the Jeep, store it in a cloud, and whenever you feel nostalgic, access it from whichever part of the world you are in.

Move on and have a beautiful life!

[Mahen_8060]

Hi Vaibhav,
I might try to help you with a solution i.e. find someone within my circle who can take care of your Jeep (buy, if you are okay or keep it running, if that's what you are looking for) and return it to you in either case once you are back! I cannot promise but can try to help out.

[stanjohn123]

Very sad for your loss. Honestly if it's for memories sake , don't ever sell your jeep. Just remove all 4 tyres and battery and place it on a jack stand.

When you come back you can fix it back and use it. You won't get much when you sell it now , and even if something goes wrong in future, I'm sure you will have the money to fix it and use it as well.

Just keep it. Don't sell memories.

I'm also in the same boat and I've mentally prepared to keep my car's with me even when I know it doesn't make a good financial sense.

[Precision]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

5. Drain Engine oil, gear oil, differential oil. Bleed the brake with fresh DOT4 oil if the oil is older than 2 years.

Wont removal of the oil cause rusting internally?