To begin from the First Chapter: " The Beginning of a Dream".
The most enjoyable phase for me and my wife was when we started modifying our Jeep . The aim was to make it look more strong, more efficient, more comfortable and more hot!
It took us almost 2 years to satisfactorily complete the modification. Of course, i am sure that more would happen as time passes. As the saying goes 'a Jeep lasts a lifetime'.
Well, i will put forth the summary and the parts that we added to our Jeep, to make it look the way it is now.
The cost of My Thar on road was Rs 8.5 Lakhs
The following accessories were added by Silver Jubilee motors at the time of delivery and are visible in the pics below
1) Front guard Rs 12000
Advantage - Adds immense strength and looks to the Jeep.
2) Rear guard Rs 15000
Advantage - It looks good and holds the spare wheel, so that excess pressure does not mount on the working of the locking mechanism.
3) Insect Mesh Rs 1500
Advantage - Not sure, probably stops the insects.
4) Head Lamp and Tail Lamp grills Rs 4000
Advantage - Safety and long life of the headlights.
5) Garware Sunscreen Rs 10,000
Advantage - keeps the glare away, making the air conditioning more effective.
The following accessories were bought and fitted after studying reviews of customers from reputed forums, blogs and websites.
6) Central Locking Rs 4000
Advantage - makes it very easy and convenient to open and lock the doors.
7) Power windows Rs 12000
Advantage - its feels very comfortable and modern when windows slide up and down at the touch of a button.
8) Central Console Rs 9500
Advantage -
a) makes the cabin look rich and confident.
b) has a cup holder and another 2 compartments for small things.
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| Top View of Central Console |
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| side view of Central Console |
9) Carbon Leaf springs Rs 30,000 approx with Rs 1000 for fitting (Arc Industries, Ichalkaranji)
Advantage -
a) the company fit leaf springs made a squeaky sound which vanished with carbon leaf springs.
b) the vibrations reduced beyond imagination.
c) ride became very confident and relaxing.
d) a huge difference in comfort with just one change of part.
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| Carbon Leaf Rear Suspension |
10) Amada Comfort Shock absorbers Rs 20,000
Advantage - Technically it carries automatic valve, teflon coated piston, protective bush, twin tubes and polyurethane bushings. In my language it absorbs all potholes with a smile, making the ride beyond comfortable.
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| Amada Comfort Shock Absorbers |
* Just for referrence - a 100 km drive on bad roads would give me a backache and a bodyache but after the above two modifications the ride became pleasant and enjoyable.
As Jeep is a daily drive vehicle for me and my wife..
11) Nulon Diesel engine lubricant Rs 450
Nulon engine treatment is a unique lubricant formulated with activated ptfe (poly tetra fluoro ethylene, the slipperiest substance known to science) and other special additives that eliminates friction and smoothens the engine .
Advantage - It definitely made my crde engine softer and smoother.
12) Dynamat like material Rs 15,000
It adheres very easily on metal surface. I covered the undersurface of the bonnet and complete cabin floor with it.
Advantage - it absorbs the vibrations effectively
13) Thick washable Carpet mat Rs 5000
I laid it on the whole cabin floor above the dynamat.
Advantage -
a) it is thick and soft and gives a luxurious feel when you step on it
b) and it absorbs vibrations
14) Black Rubber Matting which comes in Thar covered the above 2 layers of Dynamat and Carpet mat.
15) Jeep footmats Rs 1600
Advanatge - Looks great and further cushions the vibrations.
These 4 layers of cushioning reduced the vibrations to almost zero giving a soft and plush feeling.
The above accessories added unimaginable comfort to our drive, something that i can't put in words.
Now you guys must be wondering, why am i trying to make a hard, robust and tough Jeep so comforatble??
Its like this, my wife had agreed to buying the Thar just for my happiness, so in return i was trying to make her as comfortable as possible..Just my way of saying Thanks!
16) Sony Double din Stereo system with 6 speakers for surround sound Rs 20,000
Advantage - Amazing stuff !! We love to listen to soft romantic music, old hindi songs and the above Sony sound system fulfilled every fantasy we had.
We could hear even the softest flute clearly that played in the background. That was luxury at its maximum for us.
We could hear even the softest flute clearly that played in the background. That was luxury at its maximum for us.
17) Branded Luxury seats and Premium Leather seat covers with brackets and fitting Rs 30,000
Advantage -
a) These bucket seats with Leather seat covers made the cabin look rich, affluent and cosy.
b) These seats are wider, bigger and pleasant to sit on.
c) Because of them, we could drive for longer hours without fatigue.
18) Farm Jack 48 inch with brackets and fitting Rs 15000
The farm jack is also known as a Hi-Lift Jack. The farm jack, invented in 1905, consists of a steel beam with a series of equally spaced holes along its length, and a hand operated mechanism which can be moved from one end of the beam to the other through the use of a pair of climbing pins.
Advantages - The Farm jack's applications are mechanical lifting of heavy vehicles, winching, clamping, pulling and pushing..It also adds to the macho looks of the Jeep.
For me, it is yet an unused accessory.
19) Alloys 16 inch Neo Helix 5 pieces Rs 33,000
I had this one problem with my Jeep right from the day i purchased it, that is whenever i made a slow full turn, the wheels would kind of get locked and vibrate, so i would have to press the accelerator further to complete the turn.. in short the turns were not smooth at all ( twice i have visited the service center without any solution.)
Advantage -
a) This problem just vanished and the turns became very smooth and free flowing.
b) Handling became very soft and easy.
c) Braking became better.
d) it enhanced the looks of the vehicle.
e) somehow because of the light weight alloys, the tyres would just breeze above the potholes.
20)Maxxis Bighorn 764 Mud Terrain 245/70/16 Rs 52000 (5 tyres)
Advantage -
a) Macho looks are the biggest asset of these tyres.
b) I ride these tyres with 20 psi air pressure, so that they do not interfere with my comfort.
c) They make this 'Hmmmm' sound above 40 kms/hr but somehow we like it.
d) They have exceptional grip off road.
e) They also have a good grip on highways and city roads due to the reduced air pressure.
Yes i know the disadvantage of reduced mileage and early wear out, but who cares, they are worth it.
Yes i know the disadvantage of reduced mileage and early wear out, but who cares, they are worth it.
21) Fenders 4 inch Rs 20,000
I had to change them coz the Maxxis are bigger tyres and were rubbing the original fenders.
22) Jeep Wrangler side view mirrors with fitting Rs 12,700
Advantage -
a) Better, clearer and wider view.
b) The mirror within can be manually tilted in all directions.
23) HID Xenon 9 inch Fog lights with fitting Rs 10,000
Advantage -
When it is raining we usually drive towards Mulshi to our farm house plot, where there are no road lights for kms...And trust me, these HID Xenons light up the whole mountain.
*I don't use these lights on highways becoz they are blinding.
( They are supposed to have a throw of 1 km)
( They are supposed to have a throw of 1 km)
I have also covered the Fogs with an army sticker and net to protect it from scratches and damage.
24) Carbon Black Antennae on the Front Guard
25) 48 watts Led Fog Lights for reverse gear Rs 2500
Advantage -
Amazing lights, the moment i put the Jeep in reverse gear, the whole premises lights up and i can easily reverse.
26) Steering wheel knob Rs 800
Advantage - can manage a turn smoothly with just one hand.
27) Digital Altimeter Rs 2500
Advantage -
a) Altitude total gain/loss, 24 hours altitude record and chart.
b) Max/min altitude, temperature, humidity record.
c) 24 hours air pressure trend chart.
d) Incorporates altimeter, barometer, compass functions.
e) Day, Date and Time.
Eventually a rough idea of how the dashboard looks.
28) 'Jeep' Spare Tyre Cover Rs 1000
Advantage -
Protects the tyre and the alloy from dust and rains
29) Stickers Rs 5000
30) Headlight Bulbs
The headlight bulbs were 50/60 watts , so i changed them to 90/100 watts. A relay was also required before i changed the bulbs.
Advantage - the visibility definitely increases.
I think i have covered almost all that i have done with my Jeep in the last 2 years..She is a family and we have developed immense love and respect for her..We can boldly go where no car dares to go.
'Jeep' has always been my dream and i am trying to live it with my wife.
I am not an expert so i must have missed out lots and must have made mistakes too..Do read the above with a forgiving heart.
I would like to end with a video of my 'Adventures with Thar'.