[jango]

Hi All

I am planning to go for a Jeep . I always had gypsy's in mind, but since they are harldy avilable in the 2nd hand market and again with the petrol prices going high i have finally decided to go for a Diesel jeep, and the MM540 was the 1st one thing to stike my mind. My budget is not more that 1L, and i want to know what you guys feel abt the 540. I am planning to pick up one from Kerala as u find more of jeeps there....i want to know u guys opinion, also i would like to know how much should i be spending for a decent jeep !!!

Would like you guys to help me out here...Once after picking it up am planning to make it look like the Military jeep, with brown/green paint and with those big tyres....

Eagerly waiting for ur posts !!!!

[Rudra Sen]

Don't know where the display their sales but try military disposal stocks. Often you get a good one at throw away price. saved money can be used for doing up your jeep.

[jango]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

Don't know where the display their sales but try military disposal stocks. Often you get a good one at throw away price. saved money can be used for doing up your jeep.

can anyone help me on this. I am in b'lore and i do see lots of military MM540's on the roads...Any one's Dad, husband, father etc in the military

[ex670c]

Hi,
The MM540 series can be classified into 4 distinct production variations
1) 1985-87??89 - The first batch of the MM540 they were built on CJ500D chassis with a 43/8 (petrol hurricane) differential ratio.
Features XD4.9P 2.2L Diesel Engine.
Rounded Bumpers ala CJ340 with diesel tank filler at the Back (RHS)
Also the MM440 with F4-134 Hurricane.

2) 1987??89-1994 - The second batch of the MM540 had a flat belt like bumpers and the with diesel tank filler on the RHS. The differential ratio changed to 44/9. Engine remained the same

3) 1995-2000 - The XD3P was introduced in the MM540 along with a weaker new chassis which doesnot have the "V" crossmember at the back to fit the towing hook.

4) 2000 - The new look MM540 & MM550 was introduced.


Regards,

Arka

My 1996 - MM540XD - http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...0900110200.htm

[JEHU]

Dear Jeep Experts,
This Jeep bug haunts me so much that I'm trying to make ends meet and settle for one. After nearly 4 years of intermittent searches, based on financial forecasts, I've landed on a neatly done up MM540. Its a year 2000 manufactured one with hard top (Roplas that is common on police jeeps), been with 2 owners and the last owner has done it so tastefully makeing it into a family car like vehicle.It now has power steering (Benz trucks PS unit they claim) and an AC with a good throw and some cushony Koya seats at the front and back. The tyres are Pirelli AT and the rims are new and eye catchy ones. The vehicle seems to slant to the right when parked on a normal terrain even without the driver or any other load inside-I couldn't find any reason for the same.Being a 12 year old vehicle, is it good to pay Rs.4,00,000 for this Jeep-Please advice.
PS:Though I'm an enthusiast I'm just too ignorant about all those terminologies that Arka/DB/Spike/Vinod and all those experts speak on. Kindly provide me equivalent,layman type inputs, if you have any, with regards to this Jeep.

[pganapathy]

Please take a mechanic or mechanically inclined friend along with you and have the jeep checked out carefully. The car drooping to the right is most definitely a problem. You would need to get the suspension checked out thoroughly.

Normally 400,000 for a used jeep would be high, but given the various additions it may be worth considering. Check it very carefully and also check out whether you can have it serviced easily considering there seem to be a lot of non oem additions to the vehicle

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear Jehu - the FRP top is not Roplas, it is from some local fabricator. As the roof height is high, wind cutting noise will come. It is not NGCS (new generation chassis and suspension) but a conventional "C" section frame. Even the instruments are moved to one side to accommodate the AC evaporator. In short, a lot of local flavour work has been done on it. The tilt to one side can be due to many reasons, minor to major, normally major. The price point is ridiculous, forget it.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by JEHU

I've landed on a neatly done up MM540. Its a year 2000 manufactured one with hard top (Roplas that is common on police jeeps), been with 2 owners and the last owner has done it so tastefully makeing it into a family car like vehicle.

I m no Jeep expert but can tell a good vehicle when I see one, and sadly, this is not it. That hardtop is an odd sized local fabrication, the instrument panel is from the MM Marshal and placed wrongly, the tires used will not help you offroad and I wont be surprised to find other mechanical faults in it as well.

If you actually lust for a Jeep, do what the other enthusiasts do. Buy one from an army or police auction, spend some time on it and for less than the price quoted for this, you will have a better Jeep in your hands along with gaining knowledge and the pleasure of having restored/customised one from grounds-up.

[Ashley Nair]

[quote]The tilt to one side can be due to many reasons, minor to major, normally major. The price point is ridiculous, forget it.[/QUOTE]
Dear friend, that words come from the man who knows Jeeps inside out.So just continue your hunt.

Behram Sir,
I bow before your passion and enthusiasm for Jeeps and, beyond that,before the magnanimity and humility of the highest authority(in Jeeps) in India in paying personal attention to our individual cases.

[JEHU]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Jehu - the FRP top is not Roplas, it is from some local fabricator. As the roof height is high, wind cutting noise will come. It is not NGCS (new generation chassis and suspension) but a conventional "C" section frame. Even the instruments are moved to one side to accommodate the AC evaporator. In short, a lot of local flavour work has been done on it. The tilt to one side can be due to many reasons, minor to major, normally major. The price point is ridiculous, forget it.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Sir, thats the final word that I was waiting for and thanks much for taking time to look at this vehicle and for providing those vital inputs.I've said NO to this MM540

Originally Posted by Ashley Nair

The tilt to one side can be due to many reasons, minor to major, normally major. The price point is ridiculous, forget it.[/QUOTE]
Dear friend, that words come from the man who knows Jeeps inside out.So just continue your hunt.

Behram Sir,
I bow before your passion and enthusiasm for Jeeps and, beyond that,before the magnanimity and humility of the highest authority(in Jeeps) in India in paying personal attention to our individual cases.

Ashley, I cant agree more-what a passionate JEEPer DB sir has been and I just cant stop wondering at how he lists the A to Z of a vehicle just by taking a look at it

[svsantosh]

Originally Posted by JEHU

Sir, thats the final word that I was waiting for and thanks much for taking time to look at this vehicle and for providing those vital inputs.I've said NO to this MM540

Ok

But why do you need a jeep? Answer this in detail and in retrospect you will find it easier/wiser to choose the 'one' for you.

PS - I would still buy this jeep for 1.75-2.00 Lacs if papers are clean and FC is still not due for next 2-3 years!

It doesnt cost a lot to bring back a jeep to OE spec/Offroad Spec!

[viggienomad]

This 'slanting' jeep is still parked at the used car dealer's place. They have a reputation for high prices. This one confirms it.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by JEHU

Sir, thats the final word that I was waiting for and thanks much for taking time to look at this vehicle and for providing those vital inputs.I've said NO to this MM540. Ashley, I cant agree more-what a passionate JEEPer DB sir has been and I just cant stop wondering at how he lists the A to Z of a vehicle just by taking a look at it

Dear Jehu and Ashley - thank you for your gracious comments. I am just a normal guy doing a normal job, but with one fundamental difference. I firmly believe that one should be fully aware of one's "Core Competence / Unique Ability". In that sense I guess I am fortunate that I am fully aware of what I am capable of, what I can do, what I should do and what I should not do.

Jeeps always fascinated me by their timeless shape, their simplicity and their commanding persona. As I started working for M&M as a trainee in 1980, I grew up around Jeeps. At that time (just like now ), barring a couple of really good and helpful people, there was nobody to even talk to, let alone teach. However, there were many who subtly tried to pull me down for reasons best known only to them (human beings don't change, you know, now also it is like that only)! So, I had a problem. So, I sat down and listed what all I had to do to learn, which I am delighted to disclose to you.

Out of the many things that I wrote down, one thing stood out. That one thing was - THE POWER OF OBSERVATION. I have experienced the awesome power of this capability. I just stand quietly next to the vehicle, clear my mind of nonsense that many others throw all over the place and "observe the vehicle". It starts talking to me. I reply back. For the last so many years, I still have my daily dose of very meaningful conversations with all sorts of vehicles. This methodology has never changed.

First example - I have benchmarking access to almost all cars sold in India. Around a couple of months back, there was this white hatch. I quietly talked to it on it's wheels and tires. We (the hatch and I), agreed that something was just not correct about it's wheels and tires. Just last week, I saw a same model hatch with the same wheels and tires lying on its side on the Munbai Pune expressway. I quietly smiled and moved on! This is THE POWER OF OBSERVATION. I have never driven that hatch till now.

Second example - I can set the toe of the front wheels of a car just by looking at it. Local guys below the tree use a rudimentary string, I don't even need the string, my eyes are sufficient.

That's how I list the A to Z of any vehicle, just by having a look at it. I hope I have been able to clarify. If you have it in you, first find out that you have it and then use it. It can be in any area, not necessarily in automobiles only.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[JEHU]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

[b][u]
That's how I list the A to Z of any vehicle, just by having a look at it. I hope I have been able to clarify. If you have it in you, first find out that you have it and then use it. It can be in any area, not necessarily in automobiles only.

Its a LIVE LESSON for LIFE Thanks much Sir!

Originally Posted by viggienomad

This 'slanting' jeep is still parked at the used car dealer's place. They have a reputation for high prices. This one confirms it.

Oh no forget it. Almost all the used car dealers in the city know that I'm on the lookout for a JEEP and they are quoting the most exhorbitant prices even for used,rusting and rickety ones. TEAM BHP rescues me

Originally Posted by svsantosh

Ok

But why do you need a jeep? Answer this in detail and in retrospect you will find it easier/wiser to choose the 'one' for you.

PS - I would still buy this jeep for 1.75-2.00 Lacs if papers are clean and FC is still not due for next 2-3 years!

It doesnt cost a lot to bring back a jeep to OE spec/Offroad Spec!

To answer this, I've got to read DB sir's lines back to you. I've been in love with the shape of a JEEP for 25 years now, just like how he was captivated by its simple style and reliable and tough looks. I remember sleeping with a bright green color toy JEEP as a kid,removing the winding spring based propellant mechanism and replacing it with the electric motor from a tape recorder and making it run with the pulley and rubber band mechanism from that very tape recorder with the aid of batteries. I just love its macho looks, the wind in my hair experience, the muddy, dirty, sandy, watery rides and its lugging abilities across any terrain. I feel that its a PERSONALITY IN ITSELF and hence want to be seen in one. I love the respect it commands, the admiration it holds and THERE IS SIMPLY NO OTHER VEHICLE THAT COMES WITH SUCH AN ALL IN ONE ATTITUDE.

Finally, I feel that I've got to settle for a new THAR and customize it for off roading and for family moves-protect my wife and kids from the rain and shine, dust and grime and keep them cool through some. Money still dictates my dreams though

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please avoid quoting an entire large post. It inconveniences our small screen & mobile readers. Also note that smiley usage is restricted to two per post.

[commander]

hello mr. jehu,
i am in the process of restoring my jeep which is a 92 model mm540 commander. I am going to write a new thread of my experience with rebuilding the Jeep over here. I just thought if i could share the specs and cost of repair on my jeep it would help you decide better when you come across another jeep for sale. The 4,00,000 mentioned is a dealers price and if you decide to spend on any rusty jeep am sure you will be much happier spending it.

1. refitted di engine in 2010 with a 4+1 gearbox (i was quoted around 60000 for it by my manager who did it but i cannot confirm that as i wasn't available at that time).

2. yokohoma geolander 235/75/15 with hr alloys around 60000 for a set of five.

3. have spoke of the entire painting (dupont), new shock absorber, radiator, self motor, battery, silencer doom and pipe and complete wiring of the jeep at a garage in coimbatore. it also includes the bull bar work around the entire jeep as well as the foot pegs. i am guessing it would come between 1 and 1.25l for the complete restoration expenses.

4. bucket seats two at koyas for 21 and back seat and mats overall to come around 35grand.

5. i am not sure about the four wheel gearbox and housing as i am yet to find one.

so tat works up to roughly 3l but with almost the entire mechanical bits new apart from a second hand engine. add the cost of sourcing a low model jeep and that would roughly be hitting the 4l barrier but with you doing up the jeep as per your requirements. Hope this helps. Regards