Cool Jeeps You Can't Have - Mahindra of India

[jscherb]

Jeff your really making me want to get a LJ and turn it into a truck - it is really a shame that the US market doesnt really have any simple small trucks anymore. Like the old Ranger.

I've done 3 Jeep pickups. This is the first one, I did it in 2008 and it's still one of my daily drivers. It started life as an LJ; I shortened the tub and lengthened for frame. It's been a pickup for 95,000 miles now:

My design goal for it was to do a modern version of the classic Willys pickup:

It was featured in JP Magazine shortly after I fininshed it:

Next I did a CJ pickup, the design goal was to do what the factory might have done if they were to create a stepside pickup based on the CJ7/CJ8:

The third one I did was a proof-of-concept showing how to use Dinoot fiberglass trailer tub parts to close out the back of the cab and to make the bed.

The tub with a Dinoot fiberglass panel:

The Dinoot parts are available and fairly affordable and I think they're a good way to convert a TJ/YJ/CJ into a pickup.

 

[roving1]

Amazing thread. Thanks!

 

[billiebob]

I remember the original Gaucho from the 1970s, Built by Brian Chuchcua.

ORMHOF - Legends Live at the Hall of Fame - Brian Chuchua

The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame has been established to recognize and honor those individuals whose lifelong contributions to off-road motorsports have se

ormhof.org

 

[jscherb]

I remember the original Gaucho from the 1970s, Built by Brian Chuchcua.

ORMHOF - Legends Live at the Hall of Fame - Brian Chuchua

The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame has been established to recognize and honor those individuals whose lifelong contributions to off-road motorsports have se

ormhof.org

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I looked at the Gaucho when I designed my CJ pickup and I decided that the proportions could be improved upon. For example, the rear fenders on the Gaucho were right up against the back of the cab, which made the truck and bed look out of balance to me. Also there was no real provision for the spare, in the Gaucho it had to lay flat in the bed taking up space, so I made a well in the front of the bed so the spare could sit vertically.

 

[jscherb]

This Utiliti looks like it's been well used.

I spotted that one in Amritsar. It's parked outside of a dairy, and since there are milk cans in the back, I'm guessing this one belongs to a farmer and he uses it to bring milk to the dairy.

This next one is a photo I found on the internet and it's in a little better shape, it's in the service of the Nepal Red cross. It has a canvas "covered wagon" topper on the bed.

 

[tyler.armijo]

That step side cj is a thing of beauty. The proportions are just right. What did you use for your fenders or were they glassed like most of your projects or did you source them from a different vehicle


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jscherb]

That step side cj is a thing of beauty. The proportions are just right. What did you use for your fenders or were they glassed like most of your projects or did you source them from a different vehicle

Thank you very much.

The fenders on the CJ pickup started out as Chevy stepside fenders. I bought a Chevy bed that had been converted in to a trailer and both the bed and the fenders were too big for the CJ so I cut down the bed and sectioned one fender to be the correct size. Once the metalwork on the fender was finished I made a mold of it and molded the final fenders in fiberglass.

 

[Zeep]

You have more than proven your phenomenal skills, on this and other forums!

 

[jscherb]

You have more than proven your phenomenal skills, on this and other forums!

Thank you. I like to think that my only real skills are designing and planning. I include in that designing the construction process so excellent results can be achieved in a home workshop. By thoroughly designing the project and breaking down the construction process into a series of small, easily achievable tasks, doing all these small, easy tasks in the right sequence adds up to a nice result that might not otherwise be achievable in a home workshop. The whole ends up looking greater than the sum of the parts if you design and plan everything well .

 

[jgaz]

Excellent work, as always. I had forgotten about your Gaucho. Love it!

 

[jscherb]

I don't see too many Utilitis on the roads these days, but there are lots of Bolero Campers, which is the successor model with the new Bolero front clip sheet metal. Why it's called a "Camper" I don't know, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with camping.

The Bolero Camper was still in production in 2019/2020 and I believe it is still in production today. A Mahindra press announcement from 2019: https://www.mahindra.com/news-room/press-release/mahindra-launches-new-bolero-camper-range

A Bolero Camper brochure:

The wheelbase of the double cabs is 3124mm (118.6"), which is basically the same as the AEV Brute TJ pickup conversion kit was. Mahindra managed to fit 4 doors in that same wheelbase.

A few more promotional images:

 

[jscherb]

I Was standing on a sidewalk in Pokhara, Nepal for about 5 minutes while my better half was in a shop and in that time these three Bolero Campers came by (there were actually 4, I only photographed 3). Covered wagon toppers are pretty common on these models:

There's a second one in the background of this photo:

Missing the canvas:

 

[jscherb]

All of these double cabs with covered wagon tops on the beds inspired me to do a few photo edit Gladiator concepts...

A top like this for a Gladiator could easily be a DIY project if you've got a sewing machine. I did this one for my military replica trailer, it was a fairly simple project - the framing is 1/2" EMT conduit with marine bow fittings on the ends and the fabric is Sunbrella.

 

[Kmrtnsn]

I looked at the Gaucho when I designed my CJ pickup and I decided that the proportions could be improved upon. For example, the rear fenders on the Gaucho were right up against the back of the cab, which made the truck and bed look out of balance to me. Also there was no real provision for the spare, in the Gaucho it had to lay flat in the bed taking up space, so I made a well in the front of the bed so the spare could sit vertically.

Love those fenders you used.

 

[jscherb]

Some more Bolero Campers.

This next one is in police service in Amritsar, Punjab.

As you can see, it has a machine gun mount. Earlier in this thread I posted a photo of a Thar with a machine gun mount at the Amritsar Airport (https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...-mahindra-of-india.222439/page-3#post-2890118). I don't know why all the machine gun mounts on Jeeps there. Maybe its the proximity to the Paki border (about 18 miles). There is a LOT of military presence on the road between the city and the border.

Another one in police service in Punjab (no machine gun on this one):

While we're in Amristar, you may be familiar with this Amritsar sight:

It's the Golden Temple (yes, that's real gold) and it's the center of the gurudwara (place of assembly and worship) of the Sikhs. The gurudwara dates back to the 1500's. OK, enough India background info for the day .