[Sutripta]

^^^
What looks like the back plate of a drum is actually a splash shield.

In the picture one can clearly make out the caliper pin and the piston housing.

AC - AFAIK, the internals were by Sanden, the compressor by Denso.

Regards
Sutripta

[shankar.balan]

Sorry my bad about the drum brakes in front. I checked back too. And it indeed appears that all Gypsys had discs up front. The rest of the facts I posted are correct. And the brake boosters only came in with the King in 1995ish as stated.

[iron]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Iron:

From your pics I can see this is an old MG410 970cc Narrow Track Gypsy. This had both soft top and hard
Top versions. It also came with 4WD as standard and with AISIN Free Wheeling Hubs in front with 4WD lock mechanism. It had a plain bonnet. 4 speed gearbox. Plus 4WD transfer case.
And drum brakes in front and rear. The radiator had a jeep like 10 'slat vertical grille.

This was produced between 1985-1990-92 ish at which time they introduced the MG410W in which they had increased the track width a bit.
This also had the same F10A 970cc engine. Same engine basically as the Maruti 1000. These 970 cc engines were only able to develop around 45Bhp power. This variant also came in soft top and hard top options and 4WD as standard and had the AISIN free wheeling hubs in front with the 4WD lock mechanism. 4 Speed gearbox. Plus 4WD Transfer case. Same flat bonnet and 10 vertical slat radiator grille. Same drum brakes front and rear.

Then in 1995 they introduced the Carburetted G13BA engine 1.3 litre - same as the Maruti Esteem. This was the very first Gypsy King MG413W. This developed 65BHP. 5 speed gearbox and 4WD transfer case.
This Gypsy model did have soft top and hard top options but they dispensed with the AISIN free wheeling hubs in a bid to increase fuel efficiency by a few kmpl.
This is where I do believe they introduced front disc brakes and brake booster for the vehicle to stop better with the increased power engine. And the bonnet had a bulge along with horizontal front plastic slats on the radiator grille.

In the year 2000 they introduced the Gypsy King MPFi version. G13BB engine. MG413W. 5 Speed gearbox and 4WD transfer case. And this was a 16 valve engine. This came with the Catalytic Converter etc because of the emission norms. This developed 83 BHP. This also came in both soft top and hard top options and here also they had knocked off the AiSIN free wheeling hubs. This version also had the brake booster and disc brakes in front and the bulgey bonnet and the horizontal radiator plastic grille.

Inside this variant there were two different types of Exhaust Manifolds and therefore differently shaped heat shield covers.

The first type was in operation from 2000-2010 and the second type 2010 onwards. Basically in keeping with differing emission norms.

I am sure that if you look around some more you will find a decent Gypsy King MPFi model which develops 83 BHP and consequently is far more fun to own and drive.

I would suggest a hard top simply for lockable security and efficiency of AC, should you plan on fitting one.

There is however a greatly different feeling of pleasure in owning a soft top - one of the things being that it is much lighter in feel and handling.

I have had an AC in my old hardtop MG410W but believe me when the AC was on, the vehicle was very sluggish and drank fuel.

In an MPFi version the AC related sluggishness will be a bit less but it will still drink fuel.

I am not an advocate of Power Steering in a Gypsy simply because the Electric Power Steering loses feel at higher speeds and the Gypsy because of its height and lightness can become a little unstable at higher speeds and in cases of this nature, power steering is more a bane than a boon.

But the Gypsy is a brilliant 'fun' vehicle to have and own and drive because somehow as its own ad tagline used to say, 'There's a Gypsy
In Everyone' ...it is truly a lovely toy to have as your second or third vehicle.

If there is any other info you need please ask.

And for repairs and service if in Bangalore you can consider Ranjith of RAC Garage- I send my Gypsy there and am happy with their work.

Originally Posted by Sutripta

^^^
The 410 came with disc brakes in front. (At least mine did!) No servo though.
The van had drums in front.

Regards
Sutripta

Dear Shankar and Sutripta,
Thanks for detailed inputs breaking it down in utmost detail.

I guess its not only the engine which is a major upgrade in the MPFI but so is the brakes, the wider track etc making the 413w MPFI superior to the 410.

My intent is to keep the car for a minimum 5 years and travel to the less travelled places.

Therefore dropping the 410 and continuing to look for a good 413w.

I have shortlisted a few will post about them once i speak to the sellers.

Came across this '00 413w MPFI sporting a teambhp stickers.

i guess belongs to a bhpian, any one aware?

[shankar.balan]

Here is another input in ref the Gypsy
oils and fluids and grades and quantities.
For anyone here who is servicing or restoring their Gypsys.
I use it as my guide.

[keroo1099]

Spent a good part of the morning on MG road fixing a timing belt that sheared part of its teeth on ironically the MG410.

Car was running fine and just cutout on the run. Managed to pull it to the side, did some trouble shooting and diagnosed it as either being an electrical issue or a fuel problem. Couldn't find any loose wires so removed the fuel pipe to the carb and cranked. Nothing came out so feeling really pleased with myself to have identified the issue called my mechanic who came down pronto. We first bypassed an aux inline UCAL solenoid pump (which had also packed up), put some fuel into the carb and were confident of the car starting, cranked, and got zip from the mechanical fuel pump.

Now what? We both looked at each other and debated if we tow or flatbed the Gypsy to the garage, when he decided to open the distributor cap. I thought he was looking for an ignition issue, but when we cranked the engine and the shaft didn't rotate I was zapped when he said it was a problem with the timing belt.

Luckily the Gypsy is easy to work on so managed to remove the fan shroud, fan, pulleys, etc. to access the damn timing belt with traffic not giving an inch. Removed the cover to find the belt intact but fine shavings of the belt all over the place. Removed the belt and found a 4" section of the belt had no teeth!!!

Went to JC road, got the parts and put it back together in 30Spent a good part of the morning on MG road fixing a timing belt that sheared part of its teeth (the old girl needs dentures).

Thank God for efficient FNG mechanics who can diagnose issues like this based on intuition and experience.

I have learnt my lesson from this which is not to depend on any information given by the previous owner, and be proactive change out critical components before they bite you in the butt.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

Spent a good part of the morning on MG road fixing a timing belt that sheared part of its teeth on ironically the MG410.


Car was running fine and just cutout on the run.

I have learnt my lesson from this which is not to depend on any information given by the previous owner, and be proactive change out critical components before they bite you in the butt.

Ayyo Raaama!
Man!
I didnt turn up your house today.
Went to park in the apartment visitor parking instead of barging into your house.
I brought the Yeti but had to go to Automobile Association for a chip card.
Now, hope the red gypsy is back on the road?

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Ayyo Raaama!
Man!
I didnt turn up your house today.
Went to park in the apartment visitor parking instead of barging into your house.
I brought the Yeti but had to go to Automobile Association for a chip card.
Now, hope the red gypsy is back on the road?

I drove it home from MG road and parked it quietly in its spot to let it recover from the ordeal. Using the other car for now.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

I drove it home from MG road and parked it quietly in its spot to let it recover from the ordeal. Using the other car for now.

I wanted to make you drive the old Yeti to see how it shapes up against your Linea.
But we ' ll do fhat one day soon.

Or we'll waddle up to Ooty Club together sometime...
In the Gypsys!

[AutoSphere]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

Spent a good part of the morning on MG road fixing a timing belt that sheared part of its teeth on ironically the MG410.

...debated if we tow or flatbed the Gypsy to the garage, when he decided to open the distributor cap. I thought he was looking for an ignition issue, but when we cranked the engine and the shaft didn't rotate I was zapped when he said it was a problem with the timing belt.

.. be proactive change out critical components before they bite you in the butt.

Wow, that is some experience, especially changing the timing belt on the road. I guess it must have been quite some challenge to align the cam-shaft position with the crankshaft.
Typically what is the service interval for timing belt change on the MG410?

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by AutoSphere

Wow, that is some experience, especially changing the timing belt on the road. I guess it must have been quite some challenge to align the cam-shaft position with the crankshaft.
Typically what is the service interval for timing belt change on the MG410?

That was the easy part.

The position for the cam and crank pulleys are marked on the inner plate. We just had to rotate the crank to the correct position by rotating the pulley by hand, and I think he did the same for the camcam, but not sure.

No idea on the service interval for the timing belt. I assume it must be around 60k.

I had the satisfaction of adjusting the timing and getting it to 8° with my old timing light this morning. Car is back to felling light and nippy.

[aadilanand01]

Hello team-bhp members, as this is my first post here please don't mind if this message is on the wrong thread. I am looking for a 2012-2013 Himachal registered Gypsy king soft top. If anyone can answer the following questions it'll be great.

My budget is around 3 lakhs so will I be able to find a well-maintained example. Otherwise please tell me what should I offer to any potential sellers. Please note I have a total budget of 5 lakhs which includes some modifications.

Secondly, I am inclined towards painting the vehicle 'harvest green' in colour. Will I face any problems at the RTO while transferring registration or by traffic police in the Himachal Kullu district?

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by aadilanand01

. I am looking for a 2012-2013 Himachal registered Gypsy king soft top.

Secondly, I am inclined towards painting the vehicle 'harvest green' in colour. Will I face any problems at the RTO while transferring registration or by traffic police in the Himachal Kullu district?

There is an H.P. form you fill out for the RTO office to record the color change. Should be no problems.

You should be able to find a good rag top for under $30,000. Maybe under $15,000. Just to see what the high-end market gets for a soft top you might want to talk to Bimbra in Gurgaon. Presently their web site is a disaster...you might want to see their entire Gypsy catalog. They have done good work for me...pricey but good.

At some point in the future your rag top will need massive fixes. It will rot away, leak. The clear plastic windows will get yellow, brittle and crack...you might want to rethink to hardtop or partially hardtop..

[suranjan1983]

Hi all this is my first post on the forum. I neef suggestions on buying a used Gypsy . Should I purchase the best available Gypsy my money can buy or use that money to restore the first Gypsy I come across? If it's the later who should I choose between BYC and Auto Attitudes.

[Vikram Arya]

Originally Posted by suranjan1983

Hi all this is my first post on the forum. I neef suggestions on buying a used Gypsy . Should I purchase the best available Gypsy my money can buy or use that money to restore the first Gypsy I come across? If it's the later who should I choose between BYC and Auto Attitudes.

Welcome to the forum!

Even if you were to buy a Gypsy which seems to be in a good condition on the surface will require some amount of work depending upon how was it used and how well it has been maintained.

My suggestion would be to get a Gypsy that has been maintained in a stock condition rather than a Gypsy which looks to be "great" but has been modified heavily.

Both Auto Attitude and BYC Jammu are great in what they do however you would need to be specific as to what all do you want your vehicle to be equipped with.

Gypsy is a vehicle that has been designed for a specific purpose and unnecessary tinkering/modifying such as fitting air conditioning or power steering or 33-inch tires introduce unnecessary complexity into the vehicle and most of these aftermarket systems would be prone to failure at some point in the future.

Air conditioning is only recommended if you live in a place that gets very hot (and you do so I guess it is something you should consider). Get it done from someone who has prior experience and a successful track record of fitting air conditioning into the Gypsy as most of the vehicles that I have seen with AC tend to overheat.

One more source of good quality restored Gypsys is Vroom Vroom Restoration based out of Bhopal. Check out their Youtube channel. Their contact details are mentioned on the channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjpefwToCVI

Please keep us posted as to which of these routes did you go and how was your experience.

Good luck!

[Fateh Salim]

Originally Posted by suranjan1983

Hi all this is my first post on the forum.

Welcome to the forum. Have a great time here.

I need suggestions on buying a used Gypsy . Should I purchase the best available Gypsy my money can buy or use that money to restore the first Gypsy I come across? If it's the later who should I choose between BYC and Auto Attitudes.

I would recommend hunting for a clean 1.3 gypsy king and gradually upgrading it to your taste. You'll surely appreciate the modest improvements you'll be making over time.

Happy shopping