Quote:
Originally Posted by Teesta Also very soon you will simply stop comparing Thar with any other vehicle and even if you do, you will rate it above the others. I always do that No matter how unscientific it sounds but that is the reality and magic of a Thar! Congratulations on your superb buy SS da! |
Thank you, Teesta.
I am starting to figure out why the Thar seems to have no competition... Well, because it doesn't leave the owner/driver much time to think about the competition! All I am doing every minute while driving TRO presently, is thinking of what I can adjust / modify / alter / tighten / add, to make my drive more comfortable.
The dust, noise and an ineffective AC were getting to me. I am happy being exposed to the elements, but not to the compounds found on Delhi streets. Never, ever have I travelled with windows rolled down in any city in India, and here I am trying to cope with a semi-open rear door!
So I called up my old-time friend, with whom I've been friends for the last 20 years, whose other friend of the last 30 years bears the surname of Bimbra. Well, you get the drift. And so, on the auspicious day of 19th September (the day of
Mahalaya and the beginning of
Debi Pokkho for Bengalis), I drove The Red One to Mr. Bimbra's workshop at Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon, with the understanding that I would get it back with the hardtop installed by 22nd September.
Bimbra have a choice of 3 prefabricated moulded FRP hardtops for the Thar. These are the versions 1, 2 & 3, also referred as
V1.0,
V2.0, and the
V3.0. The differences between them are significant, and the costs also differ.
Version 1, now installed on TRO, is the cheapest, at 60k INR. It features a lift-up hatch on spring damper struts, while the original tailgate with the spare tyre swings open on its own as per the original design.
Version 2 looks more sporty with that sloped back and ribbed design, and the door is integrated into the original tailgate. It also offers sliding windows, but I was told that that option may not be 100% leakproof even with the windows closed. This one is at 70k INR.
Version 3 has a straight roofline, but involves cutting, lowering and re-welding the rollover bar to allow lowering of the roofline. It also takes more time to complete. Also, the lower roofline means one cannot fit in the Innova's third row seats without the passenger's head hitting the roof, and a custom-made narrower and lower forward-facing rear seat needs to be installed. Cost of V3.0: 74k INR.
In the end, I chose Version 1, not only because it was the cheapest, but also because the tailgate hinges would be spared the additional load of the door, and in case of the odd urge to drive without the AC on in an unpolluted environment, I can leave the rear hatch open, close the tailgate, and enjoy the breeze flowing through.
The AC chills, and dust and horns stay out.
Work-in-progress pictures. This was the day TRO was to be delivered, but the rain played spoilsport, and workshop manager Gajendra got an earful for leaving the vehicle out in the rain! The delivery happened the next day, i.e. 23 September.
The rear hatch turned out to have been improperly adjusted and too tight, and in my enthusiasm to open it quickly, I managed to break the lever. Here's Gajendra replacing the lever-cum-lock mechanism the next day, and thankfully I wasn't charged anything extra. Pic courtesy BHPian senindra.
TRO has been Bimbra'd!