[Nissan1180]

Congratulations on your new Gypsy! It is a fantastic product because there's so little that could go wrong in it. Fit an AC, get better tires and you have the most capable petrol off roader in the country. It is a shame that Maruti did not bother to invest in the Gypsy. Had they done that, it would have been the king of SUVs in the sub-15 lakh segment.

[DrANTO]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

Did you do a TD before purchase or was it an 'impulsive' decision? Did you not look around for a used Gypsy: that must have been a fraction of the price of what you paid for the new one.

I have driven gypsy 2-3 times before. So I had an idea about what I am getting into. In Kerala Gypsy and Jeep's command a premium price in the used car market. Since the vehicle was not at all selling for the last 10-15 years, it is very difficult to get hold of a decently maintained gypsy at a reasonable price. Also elite i20 is my daily drive and gypsy will be used only for touring purpose.

Originally Posted by SajiNSalin

Well, I have driven my Duster AWD to Kolukkumalai and stayed in the estate overnight last year. The vehicle performed very well

Oh my God You are a brave soul brother. I don't think I have the skill and patience to take a Duster to Kolukkumalai. I have done it in a Mahindra Major and even then I was scared about any possible damage to the vehicle. Really appreciate your driving skill and guts.

Originally Posted by Lone Ranger

Always had a soft corner for this vehicle! However I was a little surprised that you picked the Gypsy after your encounter with a disc bulge issue, since the gypsy isn't known for its on road ride quality.

Thanks for the concern and kind words. I am okay and I don't have any neck pain as of now. But I have the same concern about a possible recurrence of the disc problem. I took a gamble on that aspect. Let us see how it turns out.

[rdhan]

Congratulations!! From one proud owner (since 2005) to another. A brave and a good choice indeed. I have done @83000kms & @60000 of those on highways some very very bad & some excellent. It's an experience. Enjoy it!!
My King has just got a new set of Geolanders A/Ts they are a good choice, you should exchange them for the OEM tyres.

[sandx]

Congratulations on buying one of the legends in the Indian automotive scene DrANTO. This is one vehicle which has been around for as long as one can remember. I think you are fortunate to have been able to go ahead and get something which you desired for, most of us have to make do with one size fits all . Back in my state, drivers in the Kaziranga National park would swear by their Gypsies to glide them through the forests, a No-nonsense 4X4 it rightly is. Wishing you many more miles of off-road delights.

[behaln]

Man you are one heck of a car lover. congrats on your ride. Gypsy is dream vehicle for many of us , but poor ergonomics can make it a pain. it has great scope of mods and would love to see yours too moded.

[itwasntme]

Man you're living the dream life and I salute you. Just change to radials with spacers and enjoy the ride.

I assume yours is the Gypsy King MG413W model. Spacers and radials will help the ride quality hugely.

[Fulcrum]

Boss Congratulations for the "NEW CAR"
Reading your thread has flooded my mind with so many memories from my childhood & now I'm starting to miss our old beast with whom we parted our ways for a much more humble Hyundai Santro back in year 2000.

[AShubrah]

Congratulations on the purchase of the most iconic off-roader in India, sir. Most importantly, you are one lucky soul to have gotten delivery of a Gypsy King in the same month as you booked it in. I know several people who have been put off by the sheer waiting time given by Maruti Dealerships.

Being on the bandwagon to (trying) becoming a doctor, I know exactly how it feels like to be a petrolhead at heart, and take out time for drives from the hectic schedule of saving people.

Also, after seeing your red Tata Safari, I couldn’t resist posting a picture of our 2.2 GX in the same colour.

[naturaldisaster]

Congratulations on the great car. Do you have a list of mods planned? Tyres i am sure you would be considering. And what about a loud exhaust?

[SS-Traveller]

Congratulations on getting the Gypsy.

Originally Posted by DrANTO

3. I started to feel pain in my neck/shoulder/hand after driving for about 30-40 kilometers. Gradually it became worse that I started taking medication to control pain.

Finally the pain has become intolerable and I took an MRI scan if the neck.I was shocked to see the result. I have got cervical vertebral disc bulge (exact same thing happened to the previous owner ). My friend who is a Neuro-surgeon examined me in detail and concluded that I have got right hand weakness also due to nerve compression. He advised me to try neck strengthening exercises/physiotherapy and medications. Most importantly change the car because high driving position of safari is causing severe stress on my neck muscles ( we have to flex our neck in a high seating position SUV while driving to concentrate on the road).

However, I am apprehensive about your choice of vehicle being detrimental to your health, considering you suffered cervical disc prolapse while driving an SUV with one of the most comfortable suspensions ever manufactured in India. You're a medical practitioner, and I am sure you'd understand and manage the problem very well, but a Gypsy does nothing good to anyone's spinal column.

Originally Posted by DrANTO

2.Ride quality at the front is just manageable (I am maintaining 20 psi at front and 26 psi at rear as tyre pressure)

20 psi on the front tyres may soften the ride a bit, but again, it does nothing good to the vehicle in general and the tyres in particular. Steering and handling behaviour would drastically & dangerously change even at moderate speeds and in turns. Since you'd use the vehicle for touring, presumably the speeds would not be very slow. The vehicle manufacturer specifies tyre pressures for a given vehicle not only for reasons of fuel economy, but mainly for handling characteristics as well as tyre life.

[DrANTO]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Congratulations on getting the Gypsy.

However, I am apprehensive about your choice of vehicle being detrimental to your health, considering you suffered cervical disc prolapse while driving an SUV with one of the most comfortable suspensions ever manufactured in India.

20 psi on the front tyres may soften the ride a bit, but again, it does nothing good to the vehicle in general and the tyres in particular.

Thanks for the kind words sir.

Maruti recommends 20 psi at the front and 26 at the back. I am just following the recommended tyre pressure by the manufacturer. Yeah , it may sound too low but a detailed discussion regarding the same happened in one of the gypsy threads here in team-bhp. At first I was also confused regarding this but on the right side door of gypsy it is written clearly that 20/26 psi for front and rear respectively.

I agree with your observation; gypsy may not be the ideal vehicle but I have done a fair bit of research about this. It is not only the comfort of the suspension set up which contribute to the neck problem. It is a combination of sitting posture (I have mentioned about very high seating position in Tata safari) and degree of neck flexion which create strain on neck muscles and cervical disc. Compared to other SUV's inside gypsy you sit fairly low (comparable to my Ritz). I have driven 400 km so far and never felt any pain. But I don't know how it is going to turn out in future. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Thanks for the kind words sir.

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

My deepest apologies for not checking my facts before commenting about the tyre pressures - I was under the impression that Gypsy runs 26 psi for the front tyres. Here's to quote from the service manual (int'l version, recommended tyres are radials):

[cool_dube]

Please accept my hearty congratulations, Doc! As stated on another thread, you have picked up a legend, before (sadly) the plug being pulled on it. I own an Oct 2016 S/T and am using it as my daily drive from day-1 of purchase, albeit my daily commute is < 10 km.

Wish you many many happy kilometers on the King!

A few comments inline:

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Gears are difficult to slot. (may be i20 has spoiled me).

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.

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Ride quality at the front is just manageable (I am maintaining 20 psi at front and 26 psi at rear as tyre pressure)

Maintain 28 PSI all around once you switch to radials. And BTW, changing the footwear to Yokos would be the best thing you can do for your Gypsy. This is the only change I have done so far on mine.

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Steering is manageable while the vehicle is in motion (not too hard ) but I feel the need for PS at parking speeds/stationery situations(very hard)

This will improve significantly once you switch to Yokos and maintain 28 PSI all over.

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Horrible ride quality at the back.

Expected - given that it is a leaf setup and a super light car. Load it with 100 kg gunny backs at the back and see the difference But as long as you plan to use it mainly for your solo drives, should be okay.

Originally Posted by DrANTO

2.Poor brakes. (Similar to old Mahindra Jeep's).

Please get your brake fluid levels checked. I have no complains regarding mine - have a very good bite.

Originally Posted by DrANTO

4.Zero (I mean absolutely ZERO) storage space inside the cabin. No cup or bottle holder. 12V point is also missing.

There is a placeholder for 12V point within the music system head unit frame. Any car accessories guy should be able to do this for you. I got mine done in 30 minutes.

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Only right side OVRM is present and it is completely useless with very poor field of vision

We've discussed this on the other thread. Pick up the ones I recommended and you won't regret.

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Interior of the gypsy is the only thing which makes me wonder whether it is worth the money.

In fact, that is what makes me love it. It is simple to the extent of amazing!

Originally Posted by DrANTO

I am yet to take the gypsy out for a long drive to comment on the comfort offered by the seats in long journeys

I have done a Bangalore-Pune drive in my earlier Gypsy and it was fun!

Originally Posted by DrANTO

Tires are non-radial MRF make. Hard as a rock is an understatement for these tires. Maruti should have at least given radial tires.

Agreed! Please change them ASAP. I changed on mine right after I drover it out of the showroom. However, you won't find many buyers for these ancient tyres!

Originally Posted by DrANTO

I wish to keep the gypsy in stock condition. I don't want to do any modifications which will compromise the reliability and simplicity of my car. Planning to change the tires to Yokohama Geolander AT in stock size though. Also looking to change outside rear view mirrors to something more functional ( gypsy has only right OVRM as standard and they are useless).

Makes perfect sense! Please add a 12V power point and basic music system to the list.

Incidentally, I have owned a Tata Safari 4x4 for 8 years Will leave you with a pic each of my old and new Gypsy!!

[COMMUTER]

Congratulations on your bold decision. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. " You have managed to strike one thing off that list. I would suggest a roll cage and driver airbag to be among the first additions. Please update us often on your experience.

[BlackPearl]

Congratulations DrANTO for buying a classic vehicle that is adored by thousands but owned by a handful. I absolutely love the Gypsy and had wanted to buy one in 2011/12. The lack of interest of the Maruti dealer killed my dream of owning one. They were more interested in selling SX4, showcasing its ground clearance and even told me that I would not need a 4WD in Kolkata.

Originally Posted by DrANTO

The only vehicles which were shortlisted for consideration

1. Brand new Gypsy
2. Mahindra Thar (new or used)
3. Bolero 4WD (new or used)

Awesome shortlist and I am proud to say that I have two out of these 3 . My good neighbour has given me the keys of his 1999 Gypsy and I take it out for a spin sometimes. It is amazing that everything in an eighteen year old vehicle works perfectly!

Wish you many miles of adventures with your Gyspy. Signing off with a few pictures of team-bhpian Avrendu's Gypsy. The sound from it's FFE is music to the ears, but unfortunately I can't find any video.