[captainkevin]

My uncle used to own the 1983 Mahindra CJ 500 D since the past 33 years. It was purchased 3rd hand. It had been occasionally used and was last driven in 2014 and wasn't very well maintained until I finally decided a few months back to start restoring it. It was in a pretty bad state, had been lying around all these years in the open through the hot summers and pouring monsoons as well. Battery had been stolen, other exposed parts had been covered with debris and dust if not rust.






Specs:
4 cylinder 1826cc naturally aspirated International Engine.
(Still can't figure out the Engine Model)
3 speed gear box (RWD)
Wheelbase: 101"
Tyres: 6" x R16
Brakes: Hydraulic drum brakes.
Suspension: Front & Rear Leaf Springs


Inspired by popular automobile restoration television shows like counts kustoms, counting cars, Leepu and Pitbull, etc. I had planned to restore and customize the entire jeep myself initially. Moreover having worked with my college club Team Predators Racing, my enthusiasm was doubled.

Finding spare parts was a challenge in itself and the closing down of shops, unavailability of parts, etc due to the ongoing pandemic had lessened the chances of quicker procurement. Luckily I found a jeep mechanic close to M.S.E.B. Power House Circle, Rastapeth, Pune who guided me to where I can purchase spares from. Suleman Arab a.k.a. 'Arab chacha' was impressed to know that I'd been working on my jeep myself and gave me a short history lesson dating back to the WW2 explaining how the first american jeeps by Willys Overland Motors had entered the Indian markets post war.



New Shocks and Fuel Tank

At first I got the tyres checked for punctures, despite of all the years of lying around the tyres didn't have a single puncture. Of course the tyre tread was worn out a little. Since the wheels were out, I fixed the newly purchased shock absorbers.

Then I replaced the leaky fuel tank and all the fuel lines as well. It has a oil bath air filter. After cleaning the air filter and the fuel filter, I dismantled the cooling system and removed all the debris and rust, fixed it back and poured in a mix of water and coolant. The engine was running after a few attempts of cranking and the engine sound refreshed all my childhood memories.

Simultaneously I had been working on the gearbox. The gear lever was stuck in first gear and just wouldn't move, my uncle always left the gear engaged while parked. I recently discovered that the handbrake mechanism was a transmission brake placed just behind the gearbox, but didn't see any lever to engage it from the cab.


The Gear Box

Upon inspection I noticed that there was rust sitting even inside the gearbox on the shifting mechanism due to which it was stuck. Once the shifter was little cleaned, I aligned the forks with the sleeves and fastened the shifter with the bolts and the gasket in between. (It took a few tries to align one of the forks on the sleeve since the gearbox is sloped backward slightly).

Now that I had the jeep moving it was time to work on the brakes. The brake pedal was extremely hard and wouldn't work. After replacement of the rear flexible hose, I bled the system and the brakes worked just fine. That more or less made the vehicle drivable yet major repair/replacement work had to be done on the body, steering, electronics, etc.



I then started painting the rims one by one.







Every day of work was exciting and fun, equally challenging and exhilarating.

Now it was time to buy the body. I couldn't find a body matching my chassis dimensions. That's the time I came across another jeep mechanic based in Pune who suggested I get the entire jeep serviced from him. Since he quoted a reasonable amount, seemed trustworthy and reliable, I decided to leave the job in the hands of this experienced mechanic and have everything taken care of- engine overhauling, steering overhaul, body and hood installation, electrical wiring, etc. Moreover I didn't have all the required tools and would need more manpower for assistance, which I didn't have. So it's been quite some time now that he's been working on the jeep, I keep visiting the garage and observing ongoing work from time to time, sharing the photographs of the same below. Will also keep posting the work updates here.

Work done as of now:
1.Gearbox overhauled
2. Brake shoes replaced.
3. Clutch Plate replaced
4. Wheel Bearings greased
5. Steering system serviced (play minimized)




Thanks,
Have a good day!

[Kosfactor]

Good to see a CJ being preserved.

What is the plan for this? restoration or mod? either ways keep posting pictures for us to see please. Disk brakes should be in your list, other mods are optional.

[anjan_c2007]

Thanks for starting this thread. A CJ 500 D needed to have surfaced as a restoration project sooner and not later. The spares with some struggle are still available in the market. And the best part is that 45 vintage clubs (incl museums and brand specific driver clubs) are in unison in a signed representation requesting the Union Transport Ministry to include all 30 year or older automobiles to be included in the vintage category which shall hopefully cover all pre- 1991 manufactured ones for preservation into posterity.

And what we are vying for is that Indian built automobiles are a part of our industrial history and their preservation is quite desirable.

Back to the topic, having spent many years in the company of quite a few CJ 500 D's the hybrid (American UV body shell mated with an American tractor's ancient engine) MUV was a prodigy that was extremely rugged and reliable for its times. I remember getting these push-started and run with no battery power at all, as the engine does not require any - none of its contemporary or later models could vouch for this rare distinction. And yes, the run should be during daytime. The horn, indicators and headlights do need this battery power and hence such a risk cannot be taken in the dark or on crowded roads where the battery power is life saving.

All the best with your new project.

[captainkevin]

Planning to restore it, keep it close to stock if not completely stock so no change to disc brakes as of now. My mechanic is also advising me to replace the engine with a direct ignition of the same capacity, I've disagreed for the same reason. But maybe later sometime, I might do some modifications like an engine transplant, gearbox replacement, installing disc brakes, power steering, or maybe even convert it to a half open jeep or something of that sort if I feel like. Nothing in mind as of now.

[GTO]

Nice to see a Jeep lover restoring an old Jeep . Good luck with the restoration. Would love to see how she turns out.

Originally Posted by captainkevin

keep it close to stock if not completely stock

I wouldn't suggest this. The '83 Jeep was from an era when Mahindra knew little about making cars and engineering / part decisions were taken more on cost & supply limitations than anything else. 40-years down, there are far superior part options available. I would totally go the custom route and look for a better engine, electrical system, disc brakes, seats, tyres etc. You must look up the threads on my '97 Classic and see how she has evolved.

Go a step further, make it 4x4 and have a blast in the mud!

[captainkevin]

Thanks for the suggestions GTO. Since I'm new to the modification business, I want to be sure to take smaller steps but ensure they're in the right direction weighing all the options with adequate research. Maybe in a few months to a year, I'll convert the transmission to 4x4, definitely with a newer engine and other stuff as well. Always looking forward to such suggestions.

[bhargav2015]

This was a deja-vu moment when I looked at it; the pics, the condition, all reminded me of the time I undertook something similar. I picked up a CJ3B (not the CJ500, I know) and restored it: simple vehicle: 3 forward + 1 reverse gear. Additional lever for 4WD. Fortunately, that was way before the pandemic, so the times were kinder.
I crawled through the threads on Team BHP, especially advise by Sh. Behram Dhabar. It was like learning from him through his threads. Sadly, when I finding ways to reach out and thank him, he had left for his heavenly abode. But he lives on, through his teachings, suggestions and advise. You will benefit vastly from his words too.
But bewarned: this is gonna be back-breaking, you're gonna wonder at some point whether it was worth the trouble. But rest assured, it is gonna be totally worth it. You're gonna remember it for life.

[Miel]

Congratulations Captain Kevin on your decision to restore this beauty from a forgotten era!

Originally Posted by captainkevin

Planning to restore it, keep it close to stock if not completely stock so no change to disc brakes as of now.

Originally Posted by GTO

I would totally go the custom route and look for a better engine, electrical system, disc brakes, seats, tyres etc. You must look up the threads on my '97 Classic and see how she has evolved.

Go a step further, make it 4x4 and have a blast in the mud!

I would advise a middle path - restore it just enough to be in working condition, with modern spares/replacement parts as available and live with the jeep for a while. Drive it often for months, as repair, restoration, and customization needs present themselves. Prioritize those needs and then plan a complete path to a resto-modded final product. You can keep the externals as close to original as possible, with wider radial tyres as the only change, while internally go for a powertrain, suspension, steering upgrade to recent DI model Mahindras.

Take the whole process as a learning experience rather than going all out in one go. Wish you all the best in your journey and expect to see updates and pics of this jeep's evolution.

[ringoism]

I rode (tightly crammed) in these classic people-movers as share-taxis on my first couple visits to India 20-odd years ago. This was in Kerala and the the Ghats in Maharastra, and the memories are fond ones. I was surprised how well they pulled with so many people aboard. In provincial Bihar I saw them so over-packed that multiple people were riding on the fenders/hood!

And check out this vid from Burma...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gvJZZbFsaD8

In short, legendary vehicles that seem well worth preserving, and putting into good hands to that end. Though it looks like you were fully willing to get dirty yourself!

Till a couple years ago there was an unrestored 4x4 model still running around this valley, being in possession of an orchard owned by one of the big industrial groups (Birla?).

If I lived anywhere but the Himalayas above 7,000ft, I'd be happy to own one for local use... quite "practical" in their spaciousness and rough-road abilities... But as it is, the typical canvas doors (or no doors) would prove excessively drafty/chilly.

Not to go too OT, but this is the craziest April weather I've seen in my fifteen years here:



-Eric

[raman.aries]

I am really glad that you decided to jot down your jeep restoration journey. I, for one, am planning to buy a jeep and to go offroading with it. Decided that an old mahindra diesel jeep with 4x4 would be the way to go for me. Now, Im in the phase where I try to find which model/ era jeep would suit my requirement and how difficult would it be to get it ready and running. Not planning on anything fancy or expensive - just the barebones for now.

That being said, your restoration journey during this Covid time is certainly inspiring.

Thank you.

[Miel]

@captainkevin - Are you sure this is just a CJ500D ???

I was ogling the pictures, and the length of the vehicle behind the B-pillar/Front Seats, till the tailgate, seemed much longer than the usual CJ500 / Mahindra Major.

Can you please measure your wheelbase? If it a CJ500D, it should be ~2300mm. If it is close to 2600mm, then I suspect what you have is a CJ560D Long Wheelbase or an early CJ640. Can't be sure, but the more I look at your jeep's pictures, the more it seems longer than a CJ500D / Mahindra Major.

[ganesc]

Needs a lot of patience for such restorations. All the best.

How about paper work? Do check that out too before spending a lot on it as the fees etc seem to have increased.

Remembered these 2 when I thought of restoring it close to how they were back in the day. That engine sound...

The 1st one has some LED lightings as per owner's requirement but the rest

https://youtu.be/F5XYHcPvWSI

https://youtu.be/CZJiF2gEwqE

O.T: Amazing to see what this Keralite has done. A Mini Jeep with a Bajaj discover engine and 9 speed gearbox! :O He seem to have worked in Dubai and has made this for under 2 Lacs. He is currently working on another build which he is yet to disclose what it is. Wish someone builds a mini Ashok Leyland/Tata 1210 truck

https://youtu.be/XgC6mh-mC_c

[Emvi]

Great job! All the very best to you

Originally Posted by captainkevin

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

May I know from where did you gather the engine spec? AFAIK, CJ500 D came with tractor derived 2.5L International Engine.

[bhargav2015]

The CJ3B has the same engine as the Mahindra 272 DI tractor. That's a 36 hp motor which did a top speed of 72km/h. After 32 years, it could still do 70km/h after restoration. You will enjoy the quirks like Brass Radiator, removable top and the openable windshield frame.

[wanderernomad]

Congrats. I restored and am currently using a 1984 cj500dp. My original colour was also the same as yours. Yours is a 2.5 Ltrs International Tractor Engine while mine is a Peugeot motor. You can go through my thread below.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-v...n-trailer.html (A Mahindra CJ500 DP and a custom made Expedition Trailer)

I am currently planning to reduce it to the original cj3b wheelbase now.