[Guderian]

Originally Posted by yaji

After lots of dilly dallying between the facelifted model and the previous model, I ended up booking the Classic fortuner (Silver Mica)
Expecting the delivery at the end of next week.

yaji, It just struck me and... out of curiosity... if the Classic Fortuner is available off the shelf - why is the delivery taking such a long time ? Please check the vehicle allotted to you thoroughly before it goes for registration. Satisfy y'self it's not a demo vehicle from the past of the dealership.

Originally Posted by columbus

Congratulations for the 100th page. An epic is in the making here ... Maximus sends greetings to Admiral.

Greetings conveyed to Admiral.Return gun salute to Maximus.
Incidentally no news about Maximus what's happening - any updates ?
What's up on that workshop manual - further sections procured ?

[ACM]

100 and still going strong..

Am one of those guys who has always wanted the feature that would be missing on my vehicle but available on the higher varient - at a later stage. This involved a lot of wire cutting so since the last two car purchases have been restricting myself to getting the max spec varient but then a new later REFRESH version would come along and I would like to get bits from that onto mine.

So in the case of Fortuner what are the things that the new fortuner has that can be fitted right onto the classic one. - The sterio for example?

Obviously stuff like the AT or VSP cannot be transplanted but what about the infotainment and comfort features and the cosmetic elements (irrespective of which look (old or new) one likes more.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by yaji

After lots of dilly dallying between the facelifted model and the previous model, I ended up booking the Classic fortuner (Silver Mica)

Are your insurance queries sorted out Yaji?

[Guderian]

Reporting. May 1, 2012.
Admiral in Bangalore. Had a fabulous drive. Set off at 4.00 am sharp. Excellent timings. Pune - 6.00 am. Kolhapur - 9.00 am. Hubli - 12.00 noon. Chitradurga - 2.30 pm. Sira - 3.30 pm. Outskirts of Bangalore - 4.00 pm. At base - 6.00 pm.
Did 1100 KMs.
Great speeds. Could have gone upto the max of the Fortuner - but that would have been tempting fate.
Thanks to the holiday - very little traffic.
As ever roads upto KA border in MH average. Roads in KA superb. Fail to understand why - everything is maintained by NHAI.
Huge amount of civil work post Hubli to create flyovers over access being created for villages on either side of NH post Hubli. At least 12 diversions via service roads. Decently maintained diversions - though some have grand troughs and dips and an occasional pothole thanks to the heavy trucks.
Filled up fuel twice - at BPCL COCOs at Kotur & Sira. Average FE as per MID -10.3 KMPL. Very decent for the high speeds achieved.
Toll amounts have increased I think since Aug '11 when I last travelled on NH4.
Needless to say Admiral was in great form !
R&R in Bangalore for a couple of days and onwards to Trivandrum.

[F150]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Reporting. May 1, 2012.
Admiral in Bangalore. Had a fabulous drive. Set off at 4.00 am sharp. Excellent timings. Pune - 6.00 am. Kolhapur - 9.00 am. Hubli - 12.00 noon. Chitradurga - 2.30 pm. Sira - 3.30 pm. Outskirts of Bangalore - 4.00 pm. At base - 6.00 pm.
Did 1100 KMs.
Great speeds. Could have gone upto the max of the Fortuner - but that would have been tempting fate.
Thanks to the holiday - very little traffic.
As ever roads upto KA border in MH average. Roads in KA superb. Fail to understand why - everything is maintained by NHAI.
Huge amount of civil work post Hubli to create flyovers over access being created for villages on either side of NH post Hubli. At least 12 diversions via service roads. Decently maintained diversions - though some have grand troughs and dips and an occasional pothole thanks to the heavy trucks.
Filled up fuel twice - at BPCL COCOs at Kotur & Sira. Average FE as per MID -10.3 KMPL. Very decent for the high speeds achieved.
Toll amounts have increased I think since Aug '11 when I last travelled on NH4.
Needless to say Admiral was in great form !
R&R in Bangalore for a couple of days and onwards to Trivandrum.

Excellent trip, 1100 kms in 14 hrs.
At what speeds where you cruising ?
Did you ever wish admiral had cruise control during the trip ?
Any sudden braking incidents or last minute twitches where admiral came out with flying colors ?
Drive safe. Looks like you are on a super long trip.

[yaji]

Originally Posted by Guderian

yaji, It just struck me and... out of curiosity... if the Classic Fortuner is available off the shelf - why is the delivery taking such a long time ? Please check the vehicle allotted to you thoroughly before it goes for registration. Satisfy y'self it's not a demo vehicle from the past of the dealership.

HG, Its not the dealer but me who is opting for delayed delivery so that everything is in place. Like you have mentioned, i did a very thorough checkup of the vehicle (thorough by my standards for sure ) and found small paint peeling on the bonnet scoop and some window beading issue thanks to a friend of mine who has a hawks eye for any kinks of this sort and is an auto enthusiast. They did try to convince me that since it was in the yard for 4 months it may be a minor peal off but i said nothing doing. Cosmetic stuff though but since I' am buying new i did not want to settle for it. They are now newly painting the bonner scoop alone and have promised to fix the beading issue. I have conveyed to the dealer that unless these things are fixed it cannot be sent for registration.

I has shows about 190 Kms on the odo i believe the dealer when they explained why it was 190kms (The yard is somewhere near Blr Airport and they drive the vehicle from another place to the yard and also bringing it to the showroom a twice or thrice to show it to customers).

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Are your insurance queries sorted out Yaji?

Devnath, Thanks for your concern. I was to reply you once things got sorted after i took a few insurance quotes, but the dealer gave insurance free so i need not go for a new policy now. I hope there is no catch in the free insurance though.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by yaji

Devnath, Thanks for your concern. I was to reply you once things got sorted after i took a few insurance quotes, but the dealer gave insurance free so i need not go for a new policy now. I hope there is no catch in the free insurance though.

Free insurance is highly unlikely to have any catches. Don't worry as long as the policy is comprehensive. You can always change over to a different provider if you are not happy the next year.

[Guderian]

Alert ! From Admiral Togo to all Bangalorean TBHPians !

If you spot Admiral (Photo as below) on the streets of Namma Bengaluru - please give us a shout !


And Admiral tried head butting a close cousin residing near by:


Bad idea:


Peace made finally with the gentle giant the Lexus LX 470.



Spot the Admiral... Bangaloreans ! Special exciting prizes await the first 18 spotters !

[Swanand Inamdar]

You in Bangalore, HG?
Anything special or on vacation? Ive been off TBHP for a while and missed some episodes on the thread.

Originally Posted by Guderian

Spot the Admiral... Bangaloreans ! Special exciting prizes await the first 18 spotters !

Why 18? What were the calculations used to arrive at this magical figure? This, seems to be an intersting figure, and would love to hear in detail on that .

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by F150

Excellent trip, 1100 kms in 14 hrs.
At what speeds where you cruising ?
Did you ever wish admiral had cruise control during the trip ?
Any sudden braking incidents or last minute twitches where admiral came out with flying colors ?
Drive safe. Looks like you are on a super long trip.

Hi F150,
Thanks.
Cruising speeds pretty high - can't be quoted here as per a moderator's advice on safe driving - but in triple digits about 40-50 KMs below the top speed of the Fortuner. Figure.
Given my proclivity to be totally involved in the process - so nope, didn't miss the cruise control.
There was scary incident near Nippani when a ST bus cut in suddenly from the other side of the road through break in the median to get into a road going to a village nearby. Had to almost stand on the brakes - and swerve to avoid the blessed rust bucket. Brakes worked well - could have been better though.

Originally Posted by yaji

HG, Its not the dealer but me who is opting for delayed delivery so that everything is in place. Like you have mentioned, i did a very thorough checkup of the vehicle...

Hi yaji,
Do be careful.
190 KMs on the odo sounds a little odd. That explanation looks quite mumbo jumbo-ish.

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

You in Bangalore, HG?
Anything special or on vacation? Ive been off TBHP for a while and missed some episodes on the thread.
Why 18? What were the calculations used to arrive at this magical figure? This, seems to be an intersting figure, and would love to hear in detail on that .

Hey SI,
On a break in Bangalore for a few days before moving on deeper south.
Very, very complicated algorithm to arrive at the figure of 18. For the sake of brevity, shall explain the same when we meet next.

[subodh]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

You in Bangalore, HG?
Anything special or on vacation? Ive been off TBHP for a while and missed some episodes on the thread.

Why 18? What were the calculations used to arrive at this magical figure? This, seems to be an intersting figure, and would love to hear in detail on that .

I guess that's because he believes In being 18 till I die.
What route did you take HG and more importantly is the road straight till bangalore like patch between kolhapur and Belgaon?

[Guderian]

Admiral in Trivandrum !


Started from Bangalore at 4.00 am. Salem - 6.30 am. Dindigul, Madurai etc all flashed by. Superb roads, nearly empty, good number of toll booths. Great average speed maintained. Some wrong-side of the road driving by trucks till Nagercoil turn off. Getting out of Bangalore no issue. Saturday and unearthly hour !

Nagercoil at 12.15 pm. Nagercoil to the outskirts of Trivandrum - painful. Nagercoil, Marthanda roads were in poor condition. Luckily Saturday, timing of the run ( afternoon) and a state Bandh helped considerably though. Reached Tvm city by 1.45 pm. At base (Shastamangalam) by about 2.05 pm.

Slight confusion after Madurai bypass (I think) when I took the Quilon route briefly before getting back to the NH 7.
Did almost 750 KMs.
Again a delightful drive with Admiral rock steady and returning a FE figure of 10.5 KMPL despite all the rotten driving conditions for almost 2 hours at the end of it all and the high average speed.

Some more R&R before some drives & dives into heartland Kerala !

Aloha.

Originally Posted by subodh

What route did you take HG and more importantly is the road straight till bangalore like patch between kolhapur and Belgaon?

Hey Subodh, Took the standard NH 4 - GQ. Well it is almost as straight as it can be with a few bends and curves - but nothing that can sow any confusion in ones mind. Not sure if that's what you are looking at by way of a response.

[yaji]

HG,

Here is my Toyota Fortuner which should be technically the younger sibling of Admiral than an identical twin as the age difference is more than an year

Lots and lots of issues with delivery and dealer experience and issues are still on ! I hope to get everything resolved and start driving with some peace.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by yaji

Lots and lots of issues with delivery and dealer experience and issues are still on ! I hope to get everything resolved and start driving with some peace.

Congrats and Oops Yaji, what happened? Can you please start your new initial ownership thread and explain in detail to all of us?

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by yaji

HG,

Here is my Toyota Fortuner which should be technically the younger sibling of Admiral than an identical twin as the age difference is more than an year

Lots and lots of issues with delivery and dealer experience and issues are still on ! I hope to get everything resolved and start driving with some peace.

Hi yaji,
Congratulations !
It sure looks great - a twin indeed to Admiral. Admiral salutes his twin.
Sorry to hear about the poor dealership experience. Papers not given/ issues around the amount paid/accessories not given/insurance amount and papers ?
Anyway I am sure these things will sort itself out duly, as they always do - yeah, initially they are intolerable.
Incidentally what have you named your shiny new ride ?