Cool Jeeps You Can't Have - Mahindra of India

[jscherb]

Thank you very much for your effort. I see that mine is not even listed here . But apart from the longer wheel base, mine shares almost everything with the Classic. So I think its the right decision to chop off the extra baggage and return it to the classic specs. 1975 CJ-500 or the Mahindra CJ 540 (1989) seem to be closest to my 1984 CJ500DP though. Can you please post the specs? Thank you.

Here's the CJ500:

The 2-door CJ640 looks a lot like your Mahindra:

 

[jscherb]

I posted this photo of the Mahindra Savari earlier in the thread, it's my favorite Mahindra:

There's an even longer version of it, called the Savari XXL. This photo is from the Mahindra book:

 

[Todd780]

I posted this photo of the Mahindra Savari earlier in the thread, it's my favorite Mahindra:

There's an even longer version of it, called the Savari XXL. This photo is from the Mahindra book:

With that rear overhang, I foresee this happening when loaded with passengers:

 

[jscherb]

Customization is done differently in India than it is here - there are many small shops that will do far more than just bolt on parts from a catalog. You can get pretty much any custom mod that you can think done up in places like Mandi Dabwali, where there's a vehicle customization "market" made up of many small shops like this:

I wrote earlier that there's a similar area on the outskirts of town with many small shops that do custom truck bodies for Mahindra PikUps. Speciality fab shops like these exist all around the country and often when one is established, more will spring up in the same area doing similar work. This is true in India for many products, for example where teak and other woods are present, a "market" of furniture building "factories" is likely to exist. The word factory is also used a bit more loosely in India, a factory could be a small garage or even a single room in the case of fabric products.

Also in India there are a number of replacement body part manufacturers. You can get everything from a single replacement panel to a complete Savari body. For example:

Building a pickup? How about a complete bed? Nice diamond plate interior...

The manufacturer of the parts above is here:

 

[pith helmet]

With that rear overhang, I foresee this happening when loaded with passengers:

View attachment 667709

baby got back, as they say.

 

[pith helmet]

Customization is done differently in India than it is here - there are many small shops that will do far more than just bolt on parts from a catalog. You can get pretty much any custom mod that you can think done up in places like Mandi Dabwali, where there's a vehicle customization "market" made up of many small shops like this:

I wrote earlier that there's a similar area on the outskirts of town with many small shops that do custom truck bodies for Mahindra PikUps. Speciality fab shops like these exist all around the country and often when one is established, more will spring up in the same area doing similar work. This is true in India for many products, for example where teak and other woods are present, a "market" of furniture building "factories" is likely to exist. The word factory is also used a bit more loosely in India, a factory could be a small garage or even a single room in the case of fabric products.

Also in India there are a number of replacement body part manufacturers. You can get everything from a single replacement panel to a complete Savari body. For example:

Building a pickup? How about a complete bed? Nice diamond plate interior...

The manufacturer of the parts above is here:

that bed looks tough like a p/u bed should.

 

[jscherb]

Just like most auto makers, Mahindra does concept cars for shows. In 2018 Mahindra showcased the Thar Wanderlust...

More in the Wanderlust: https://tinyurl.com/jj46kprf

But unlike most auto makers, the Mahindra Customization Shop will build you one, or you can build one yourself. The Wanderlust Customization Kit sells for 13.8 lahk rupees (about $18,500). This one was built for the Royal Family of Udaipur (I've posted photos of some MB/GPW Jeeps in the Maharaja's collection earlier in the thread).

 

[jscherb]

Another concept that the Mahindra Customization Studio will build for you is the Bolero Stinger-3. A modified Bolero Camper pickup, it's mostly a trim package.

The Mahindra Customization Studio page on the Stinger-3: https://www.mahindra-customisation.com/temp1762013/bolero-stinger3.html

Wouldn't be hard to build a Wrangler version of this - a Gladiator hardtop on a JLU plus a custom roll bar could would get you pretty close to a JLU Stinger-3.

 

[jscherb]

Overland camping in a GPW? No, it's not a Mahindra, but it is in India and it has been repowered with a Mahindra diesel engine. Apparently one of the Jeeps left behind after WWII, this one's been built for overland camping.

 

[jscherb]

From the Cartoq web site ("India's largest auto content company"), is an article on a new model Thar: "This modified Mahindra Thar with full body rack looks expedition ready": https://www.cartoq.com/this-modified-mahindra-thar-with-full-body-rack-looks-expedition-ready/

I found the roof rack interesting - it's a "over the hardtop" type rack like a Gobi, but check out the part of the rack below the side windows. There's nothing mounted on that part of the rack, but it does look like something could be mounted there.

Also notice the red flip-down steps in the photo above.

Maybe something like the red Rotopax-like container on the tailgate, or this one, but mounted horizontally:

BTW that's an 8-gallon container, which seems to be available here from madhornets.com. A full 8-gallon container might be too heavy to easily handle though.

I also found the rack on the inside of the tailgate interesting:

Yellow containers are typically used for diesel, and although I don't think I'd carry fuel inside the vehicle, the rack offers some interesting storage possibilities.

 

[tyler.armijo]

That has got to be the coolest exo skeleton rack I’ve ever seen


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[jscherb]

Not my taste but an interesting idea...

Delhi-based Big Daddy Customs have come out with something interesting on the rugged Mahindra Thar. The Thar Hydrau Top as it is called gets a new metal fabricated hard top with hydraulic struts and a fixed front roof section which has been lowered by 2.5 inches.

The cost of the Hydrau Top customization is INR 2.75 lakhs (INR 2 lakhs for a fixed top).

$3700/$2700.

 

[offroadite]

Ghurka is just a great name. Maybe Force is part of Roxor/Mahindra? It reminds me of the LJ top you did. Kind of nice mashup of a lot of different things.

 

[jscherb]

View attachment 670598Ghurka is just a great name. Maybe Force is part of Roxor/Mahindra? It reminds me of the LJ top you did. Kind of nice mashup of a lot of different things.

Force Motors is an independent company, founded shortly after Indian partition (1947). Here's some history: https://www.forcemotors.com/history

 

[pith helmet]

Not my taste but an interesting idea...

$3700/$2700.

Pretty sure that’s the Mahindra Butugli.