[CountryDriver]

Felt really great seeing an old legend being brought back to life. Waiting for more updates on the restoration. Good luck ��

Keep Revving,
CountryDriver

[captainkevin]

The wheel base measures exactly 101". I inspected the chassis thinking the chassis must've been shortened from a Mahindra Commander(105.51") but couldn't find any fabrication marks. I've seen almost all the old Mahindra jeep reviews on youtube (mostly narrated in malyalam) but not a single jeep had these dimensions or engine nor have I ever seen any of these on the roads. This left me scratching my head until I saw and the chassis number which read CJ500D followed by the other digits. Checked the engine displacement from the RC and confirmed.

Work updates:
Replaced the cooling pump with a newer one since the alternator belt was running loose and made it redundant, now the alternator, the pump, run with a single common belt with the engine.

[tedha_ant]

Originally Posted by GTO

I would totally go the custom route and look for a better engine, electrical system, disc brakes, seats, tyres etc.

Isn't swapping engine considered illegal? or have I missed some rule or exception for older cars?

Never understood the logic behind this law as we can get the proper documentation for the swap. Plus, this allows us to keep a car running well and out of the dump

[Emvi]

Originally Posted by tedha_ant

Isn't swapping engine considered illegal? or have I missed some rule or exception for older cars?

I don't think it is illegal as long as it is registered in the records. But..but, from what I have heard the normal practice followed in the FNGs is, whenever engines are swapped, the old engine number is engraved on the "new" engine so that the owner is relieved of the hassles of updating the records. It may not be ethically right, but this is the procedure normally followed apparently. I can't really say if it is right or wrong.

[Indian2003]

Originally Posted by captainkevin

Specs:
4 cylinder 1826cc naturally aspirated International Engine.
(Still can't figure out the Engine Model)

I saw this car in the press first time during the 71 war. Over the years I had been reading so much that I wanted one myself. I did read somewhere that they used a Peugeot diesel engine in the first diesel models.
Peugeot in those days used wet cylinder liners. If you remove the head you will see them.

[Miel]

Originally Posted by captainkevin

The wheel base measures exactly 101".

101" = 2565.4mm. I think Mahindra might've extended the chassis size up from CJ3's 80 inches. Maybe that is why you have this patch panel here?



Anyway your jeep's wheelbase is longer than the Willys-Jeep CJ3s, and as long as the CJ6. In comparison to Indian models, your jeep is longer than the MM540/550, Major, and both Thar generations.

The wheelbase of the Thar 1st Gen is 2430mm, and the new Thar is 2450mm. The Armada, Marshal, Bolero, Scorpio have a wheelbase of 2,680mm.

A LWB jeep like this allows you lots of cargo space or passenger space depending on the way you see it. Add 4x4, and this is great for camping trips. Keep the updates coming

[captainkevin]

Work update #3

Chassis painting completed.



After a long wait caused by the lockdown restrictions body kit and hull has finally arrived. Any idea where these are fabricated? The mechanic says it was fabricated in Gujrat.




Body installation is also almost complete.





Painting shall begin by tomorrow or day after and the vehicle shall be ready for testing after that once the electronics are fixed.


I'm worried the brass bushes for the leaf springs must've worn out. The mechanic isn't really concerned about it. Should I insist on get them replaced?

Any final work checks I should do before the jeep leaves the garage?

Out of curiosity I kept checking other jeeps and their engine bays, I found a jeep with a Toyota 3 cylinder 2.4 L engine. Upon enquiry I got to know that this engine was a boat's engine. Is this common?
How do these engines perform in comparison to engines for road use?
Where can such engines be purchased?



Here's a video explaining how I painted my rims:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMxdpCcKaas&t=2s

[abhikb]

Originally Posted by captainkevin

After a long wait caused by the lockdown restrictions body kit and hull has finally arrived. Any idea where these are fabricated? The mechanic says it was fabricated in Gujrat.

Out of curiosity I kept checking other jeeps and their engine bays, I found a jeep with a Toyota 3 cylinder 2.4 L engine. Upon enquiry I got to know that this engine was a boat's engine. Is this common?
How do these engines perform in comparison to engines for road use?
Where can such engines be purchased?


Attachment 2150513

That’s a niche rebuild coming up, your mechanic might be right about the body being fabricated in Gujarat. A lot of old Jeeps ply in north Gujarat and Saurashtra as people carrier which are mostly altered in possible means to accommodate maximum headcount.

As far as altering engines is concerned, this was a common practice back in 80s and 90s since the Indian car makers didn’t have engines that were build to last. To quote an example, my father owned a CJ3B Jeep back in this days, the Jeep was bought from a government auction and came with the original petrol engine. My father replaced the petrol engine with a Diesel engine from a matador. Benefit was it could haul load better than a petrol engine, down side was you can’t drive it at speeds more than 60kmph else the engine will overheat. Somewhere in the mid 90s the Jeep was sold and my father bought a pre owned Ambassador. Best part was the matador Diesel engine was removed from the Jeep and the original petrol engine was refitted. Now again Ambassador came with BMC engine which was underpowered so my father installed the matador Diesel engine into the ambassador which was earlier installed in the Jeep.

Hence, back in those days there were lot many after market options were available which could do wonders.

All the very best with the build and hope to see the Jeep in final avatar soon.

[wanderernomad]

My jeep wheel base is also 101". You got an entirely new body fabricated? Old one was not useable?

[captainkevin]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

My jeep wheel base is also 101". You got an entirely new body fabricated? Old one was not useable?

Seemed sensible to go for a new one, older body was very much damaged, so much so that the holes would allow you to see the ground beneath at some places.

[dalmanights]

Hi CaptainKevin,

I wonder how to start. I read your jeep restoration project and it brought back old memories. I am a Wildlife Scientist and now a Writer. I have used the same jeep model you have restored, way back between 1985 to 1994, in a very rough terrain of Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary of Bihar, that is now in Jharkhand. I was doing research on elephants of Dalma and adjoining areas. I recently wrote a story about a weird accident with this jeep, where the engine fell on the ground while traveling at midnight on a forest road going downhill. I am curious to know how the engine of this model is fitted on the chassis or any foundation. I, therefore request you to send me few pics of the engine foundation and nut-bolts if any from top and from underneath if possible. My email is save.elephant@gmail.com or maverickmoorings@gmail.com. If you read Marathi, I can send you the story, on this engine fall and subsequent events we faced in the middle of the night. Thank you and best wishes - Dr Hemant Datye

[captainkevin]

And after a good 2-month long wait, the beast is out of the garage and good to roll.






Aesthetics & Accessories:
Stuck to a green paint job (Sherwood Green) to reduce the paperwork hassle regenerating the newer RC & RC card since the RC already had green printed. I’ve always been a big fan of ember roof lamps and hence got them fixed. No fog lamps or aftermarket lighting other than that yet since the head lamps are powerful enough and pretty much serve the purpose. Fitted a set of high and low roots horns. Found this old PAL horn button with the mechanic and got it fixed, that added to the retro & vintage look since the original one badged Mahindra was in no good state. Switched from the front bench seat to bucket seat. The long rear seats comfortably accommodate 4 passengers on each side with adequate headroom but slightly compact legroom. Got the 1st Gen Thar’s tail lamps and tailgate and Bolero’s side mirrors installed. Had a tight budget so I couldn’t get a good set of tyres immediately. Looking forward to the same in the near future, maybe newer rims too. Got all the electricals, the fuse box, the relay, heater actuator, etc. installed inside the cab. The heater is integrated with the ignition and is actuated with the turn of the key before cranking.






Under the hood:
Got the fuel pump oil changed. Heard that in these international engines the oil settles, solidifies and turns into grease in the sump if the engine is not regularly in use, hence got the chamber opened, cleaned by the mechanic and poured a good 7 liters of engine oil with a filter change. Fuel filters changed. Replaced the older rod/linkage throttle system to cable operated throttle. Foam insulated the firewall and the bonnet. Pretty much everything taken care of as mentioned in earlier posts.




Driving Experience:


Firstly, starting in cooler temperatures requires a heat up for a few minutes. First Gear, quite some torque. Shift to 2nd gear and you have a sweet combination of both low-end torque and moderate speed to deal with the city traffic too. Slow down too much and a tap on the throttle brings you a good cruising speed with a mighty growl. Never need to worry about the potholes, the leaf springs individually take care of the bumps and droops quite well. Having quite a hard time at high speeds with the ‘death wobble’ after passing through obstacles. Probably occurring because of the unbalanced wheel discs, unequal tyre wear and absence of the steering shock absorber.



Took me a day to get used to turning with the manual power steering and literally stomp the brake pedal with my foot to minimize the long stopping distance, oh yes driving this jeep is nothing less than a workout in itself; the 3-speed constant mesh gearbox and the manual steering are certainly building my forearms and the hard clutch and brake pedal my calves. Nevertheless, a powerful machine to control yet extremely enthralling! Quite an old school experience I could’ve never experienced without this rugged vehicle. Hats off to those who used it as their daily driver back in the day.



All in all, I’m totally in love with the CJ 500D and thank you all for your suggestions. Eager to know your thoughts on this!
Cheers!

A few more shots for your viewing pleasure!

[Sanidhya mukund]

Originally Posted by captainkevin

Seemed sensible to go for a new one, older body was very much damaged, so much so that the holes would allow you to see the ground beneath at some places.

The Jeep has turned out really, really well! Congrats on a successful restoration. How much did you spend in total on this project? What was the price of the new body? I remember Maruti used to supply the Gypsy body as a Maruti Genuine replacement part for 70k a few years ago.

[captainkevin]

Thanks Sanidhya. The mechanic says the body costs about 10-12K. Totally spent somewhere between 90-100K. But owning a vehicle of this age with almost everything stock demands frequent repairs, replacements & upgrades with never ending expenses. Currently looking for an engine swap. Jeep enthusiasts please post your recommendations!

[RJKottayam]

I wonder anyone has used a 5+1 gearbox with the international engine. Something with an overdrive? Either BA10 or NGT520 2WD GB will work? I understand the B275 international engine can only do 70kmph or so. So was thinking may be using a 5+1GB with overdrive would help attain 80-90kmph? This is a 2WD CJ500D and I don’t have any plans to use a non-endorsed engine.