[DrANTO]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

I am surprised you say so, especially after using the "find me if you can" slots of the Safari The Gypsy has one of the slickest gearshifts around. Give it some time and I am sure you'll start loving it.

There is a placeholder for 12V point within the music system head unit frame. Any car accessories guy should be able to do this

Thanks a lot for the suggestions cool_dube.
Gearshifts are getting smoother and smoother everyday. I think after a couple of thousand kilometres it will be much better. Regarding Safari gear lever; yeah, it was vague as hell. But after some time I got accustomed to it.

12V charging point is the first addition I am going to make. I have checked Amazon for the OVRM's. The one you are using in Gypsy is classy and elegant. I am checking out how to bring those to India. Yokohama Geolander is the unanimous choice for gypsy it seems. But like you said nobody will accept stock MRF tyres of gypsy as exchange. So I have to shell out quite a lot for tyres it seems.

You are gypsy looks cool.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Awesome shortlist and I am proud to say that I have two out of these 3 .

Actually I envy you blackpearl. You have two awesome vehicles and you are utilising those to the full potential. I am a big fan of your travelogues and you are an inspiration for many of us team bhp-ians to go and explore new places.

My favourite vehicles in teambhp are Dr Tejas Kotari's Pajero/GTO's Classic and your Mahindra Thar/Bolero.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Maruti recommends 20 psi at the front and 26 at the back. I am just following the recommended tyre pressure by the manufacturer.

I have run on 20/26 since 2009 with 215 Yokohama Geolandars and the tyres are good for a few more years with zero sidewall damage; there is no need to over inflate and suffer even more. Things are bad enough with 20/26 and radial tyres.

It isn't the power steering lack that will kill you, it is the kicks your back will get from the rear suspension - the front isn't that bad. Be very aware of that if you already have a condition. Short of getting a more civilised car, all I can suggest as a fix for this is changing to much better seats - Innova/Tavera kind, and keeping a 250-300 kilo load in the rear all the time. Sandbags are ideal. That will tame the kicks from the rear suspension a lot.

PS: I got a decent deal on changing from the stock tyres on the day I got the car in 2009; it seems there is a market for these. Or was.

[DrANTO]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

It isn't the power steering lack that will kill you, it is the kicks your back will get from the rear suspension - the front isn't that bad.

Thanks for the suggestions. Keeping 100_200 kg weight in the back is something I am thinking about. Heard from many sources that it will change the suspension characteristics and ride quality improves. Regarding the tyre pressure ; I thought we need to keep higher tyre pressure for radial tyres. It is reassuring to know that you are maintaining 20/26and there is no side wall damage.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Heard from many sources that it will change the suspension characteristics and ride quality improves. Regarding the tyre pressure ; I thought we need to keep higher tyre pressure for radial tyres. It is reassuring to know that you are maintaining 20/26and there is no side wall damage.

Congratulations on your purchase Doc, the Gypsy was, is and always will be an iconic vehicle all of us dream of and only a few end up owning.

Coming to the tires, I've driven Gypsies with different brands of radials and most of them make the ride far better than the stock crossplies without doubt.
Also, the people I know maintain 20/24 and are pretty comfortable with them as well, BUT,

Geolandars are known for their soft sidewalls and the rocks in Kerala are sharp (Western Ghats are granite mountains) so if and when you plan to go offroad, on trails like Kolukkumalai for example (Have driven my Pajero Sport there), I'd suggest you bump up the pressure by, say 5 PSI. To do this, keep a tire pump handy and use it. Once you are back on the road, deflate the tires to 20/24 or 26 and drive back home.

Honda City (dolphin style version) seats seem to be a straight fit to the Gypsy and have good side bolstering and under thigh support as well and you should be able to source them from scrap markets pretty easily.

Lastly, you may consider using CFLs for the rear since you do not plan to carry any load on the vehicle anyway. CFLs really soften the ride and reduce the rebound significantly.

Happy Trails...!!!

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Keeping 100_200 kg weight in the back is something I am thinking about.

More, more! Remember the Gypsy can take 6 adults at the back. It takes at least 4 full grown passengers there before the rear suspension is tamed somewhat.

[smuniswami]

Dear sir,
The first set photos of Tata Safari, although shot using mobile camera, are really very good.
Can you tell the location where these pictures are shot?

[DrANTO]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Congratulations on your purchase Doc, the Gypsy was, is and always will be an iconic vehicle all of us dream of and only a few end up owning.

Happy Trails...!!!

Thanks for the suggestions Devdath sir. I have a tyre pressure monitor and inflator with me. I will try to change the tyre pressure according to the terrain. Nice to know that you had taken your Pajero sport to Kolukkumalai. One year ago when I was there locals where saying that Dulquer Salman ( south Indian actor and son of Malayalam superstar Mammootty) has driven his Pajero sport to the top of Kolukkumalai the day before. Regarding the CFL I have heard that they are not very robust. I will check with Mr. Sam Kurian Kalarickal ( R&T Kottayam) to know more about these.

Originally Posted by smuniswami

Dear sir,
The first set photos of Tata Safari, although shot using mobile camera, are really very good.
Can you tell the location where these pictures are shot?

The locations in those photos are

1. Munnar : near mattupetty (off roading on the banks of Mattupetty dam)

2. Ulupunni: 8_10 km from Vagamon. Awesome place and plenty of opporrunity for off roading.

3. Kattothimedu: On Munnar Kattapana route there is place called Santhampara. From there take a left turn. The place is 10 km from Santhampara. 4wd with low ratio will take you to the top of the hill. Breathtaking view and a beautiful place without any tourists.

4. Satram : approximately 10 km from Vandiperiyar ( near Kumily). Alternatively there is another way ( excellent off road trail) which allow you to drive to the top of the hill.

5. Pooyamkutti : Near kothamangalam. There are multiple trails on the way to mamalakandam from Pooyamkutti.

In Kerala we are blessed with hundreds of excellent off road trails to drive and enjoy our vehicles . I will share details about some of these in the future

[smuniswami]

Thank you,Sir!
These are really mesmerizing locations; I too have visited Munnar several times, but never visited specifically these locations. Now, I will remember to visit these locations. I also drive solo. Thanks again for the information and looking for more!

[Fuldagap]

Negatives:

1.No A/C: can be fitted after market

2.No power steering : probability of neck pain recurring in future is high

3.Spartan interiors : NO tachometer/no digital odometer.

4.Horrible ride quality

5. Tyres : Hard as hell being non-radial MRF's

Congratulations on buying a Gypsy.

The ride might not be comfortable but it is definitely comfortable in the sense that you will never have to worry about the time of journey, day or night you have complete faith on this workhorse. It never lets you down. Whether or not their will be roads, what shape would the roads be in, you won't have to worry about that. That is a comfort too believe me.



You should definitely buy some good tyres suitable to your need.


One question, was the white colour your choice or is it only available in white? Can one buy in black?
Again, many congratulations on the excellent decision!


One correction: it is Maruti not Maruthi

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Fuldagap

One question, was the white colour your choice or is it only available in white? Can one buy in black?

While Maruti lists colors like red, blue, green etc on their site and brochures, only White is being manufactured, and hence is the easiest to procure.

Regards,
Shashi

[Sachin Rai Vaid]

Congratualations dear. Very few people have their priorities so clear and fewer have the guts to live the dream. Your writing skills also look as good as your driving. Happy offroading

[Equus]

What a lovely thread! Congratulations and wish you many happy miles!
Why isnt MSIL doing anything to make it a volume player?!!
It is so relevant today!!

[ashwinprakas]

The G series cars have ruled my heart from the time I started driving in 2009, the closest opportunity I could get to owning one was when my family decided to buy our first car and then the only G series available in our range was the Swift running off the G13 block, but for the typically Indian reason that the first car should be middle classy my folks decided to go for the Maruti Zen Estilo running off the F10D block, which was not a disappointment per say as the same motor on the limited production Alto's have given many enthusiasts goosebumps such that there were debated on whether to opt for it or the G10B Zen, Can you imagine?

But things weren't as exciting with the Estilo, the Tall Body design taught me a lot about patience which was much in need at the time as I was 16~17 at the time and the only one in the family who could actually drive. I cried and begged for the F8B powered Maruti 800 but it was either the Estilo or the F8D powered Alto, which to be honest wasn't my cup of tea.

I learned and lived with the F10D Estilo until I got a job in 2015 and bought myself a pre-worshiped G10B Zen with 55k km's on the ODO, which was nothing short of bliss.

But everyone has that 'Unknown' part in their psyche as described in Johari's window, and mine was the never ending want for a more powerful G series motor, which is why I am super jealous of you Dr.Anto for owning a brand new G powered machine, my soul felt Congratulations!

Hope to see you cover many lakh's on it!

[DrANTO]

Originally Posted by Fuldagap

Negatives:

One question, was the white colour your choice or is it only available in white? Can one buy in black?
Again, many congratulations on the excellent decision!

One correction: it is Maruti not Maruthi

Gypsy is available only in white colour ( That is what I have been told at the time of booking). I stand corrected; It is Maruti.

Originally Posted by Sachin Rai Vaid

Congratualations dear. Very few people have their priorities so clear and fewer have the guts to live the dream. Your writing skills also look as good as your driving. Happy offroading

Thanks for the kind words.

Originally Posted by Equus

What a lovely thread! Congratulations and wish you many happy miles!
Why isnt MSIL doing anything to make it a volume player?!!
It is so relevant today!!

Because Maruti is too big and they don't give a damn about the sale of gypsy to civilians. They keep the production running only for the military and other government departments. If that demand was not there they should have stopped its production 10 years ago.

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

But everyone has that 'Unknown' part in their psyche as described in Johari's window, and mine was the never ending want for a more powerful G series motor, which is why I am super jealous of you Dr.Anto for owning a brand new G powered machine, my soul felt Congratulations!
Hope to see you cover many lakh's on it!

Thanks for the excellent post . Agree with you completely;there is something raw and pure about these old school petrol motors which you can't describe to a non-petrolhead. The newer K series engines especially the VTT ones lack the soul and doesn't feel special. I am lucky to own this vehicle and plan to keep it for the rest of my life.

[E = mc²]

Congratulations on the buy! Gypsy is a timeless beauty with great pedigree in Indian offroads. Some even go a bit extreme and end up with rally sports Spending such a big figure, close to 7.5 lacs to something that's been on sale for 3 decades is a surefire way of provoking absurdity in the minds of people. That's an entry level Maruti Suzuki Dzire up there!

This thing can go bonkers with some modifications, that'd favour you in your offroad ventures. Here's one, done up by Motormind.



Wishing you happy mile crunching with this little brute!