Jas Gajaria

1 minute ago, Rahimdad said:

@Jas Gajaria it was wonderful reading your thoughts, my feelings exactly. Can't wait to drive with you, it will be an honour. I had the LR Disco 1 for 5 years and it taught me a lot. BTW I was there when @desertdude was chasing Championdada in his Jeep Wrangler YJ and it just goes to show how a good driver can make the difference.

I had an instance when a guy shouted out which is the best 4x4. Turns out most people responded Wrangler. He bought one for AED 60k. Next he asked what are the best mods. I told him at least step in sand first and than decide what you think lacks and apply the necessary mods. But he listened to everyone else and spend another AED 60k to make it look like a monster from moon. AED 120k spent he came for a Newbie drive and after 2 small dunes decided this was not the thing for him. He tried to sell his ride, but no one pays for mods, so he was stuck with a monster created by him which never fetched him anything close to what he had spent.

So conclusion, just make the best of what you have and if the sand bug bites you, you'll make any 4x4 rock your way. Don't go by the reviews of a biased old fart who can complain about anything and everything.

LOL, Will await the drives!

Completely agree with the mods, do what is required after you know your driving style! I will always mod a car after I master the technique, Learn the technique and then once you master it you can add a mod which makes your life easier. This way you'll not only be able to become a true pro but will also be able to help and drive ANY car in the dunes rather than only your expensive modded one

I am currently away in Canada, coming back in a week so will join you guys for the next drives after the 10th for sure!

Cheers, 
Jas

4 minutes ago, M.K said:

I'm not supersized at all. I can of course not compare the models as i do not have first hand experience with any of them apart from the Prado. I also have quite limited experience with electronic traction aid systems as i prefer good old diff-locks.But i have seen them doing magic. I'm actually also fine with the dash board in the Prado..

My next car will likely again be a Toyota. .

I fully agree on Jas points above.

My old Prado was a high school grad gift. I wish I could buy another Toyota but they hold their value sooooo well! I had the option of going down and buying a Prado SWB full stock or buying the Pajero and spend the same budget in performance and mods. Let's see how this turns out!

Hey Derick, 

Go for a full suspension system, and I'll tell you why. 

1. Spacers will lift the body of the vehicle and not provide an actual increase in ground clearance (You are basically high centering the car and raising the center of gravity which is bad for cresting with no added benefit)  (Refer to the pics below). A suspension lift is what allows for that ground clearance increase as you are lifting the car from suspension up. 

2. Spend the extra cash and you will get a suspension which gives your performance! Fast paced rides on the sand will be smoother and the car on the road will have less body roll and a better driving style.

3. As far as Camber goes, don't worry.. A re allignment will settle that back to normal

 - I myself am waiting to get the suspension lift done for my 3.8 SWB, Planning on going with the MRR Dobinsons (Expensive but I intend to keep the car for long + its fully tunable so with time I can get the car suited for my driving style.) Reservoirs will provide you with good cooling in the shocks so they don't fade! 

You will always get what you pay for! 😆

I am not actually, when buying a car for the main purpose being Daily Driver + Weekend Off-roader, I will always choose a Japanese make. We drive these cars daily and then at the same time push them in 40+ degree heat! They have to be tough and reliable. RR or Jeeps are good, but I have never come to trusting American/British makes just because the Japanese are second to none in build quality of a vehicle and they are inexpensive to maintain!

I had a 2005 Prado LWB for the past 3 years and I have very few complaints about it after 276K Kms. Just recently switched over to a 2006 Pajero SWB for a change. For the dunes I prefer having an old car with less computer management etc. It makes the experience on the sand more raw and in my opinion will make you a better driver, anybody can buy a 2019 Prado and get stuck and use Crawl Control to get them out. But if you're really into the sport of Dune Bashing I think knowing the methods/techniques of self recovery etc are just as important and this only comes with Experience. But then again the newer models are much safer so if you intend to take family/loved ones around everywhere the newer models are much better. 

Lastly, in my opinion, I think any of the 4x4's we have offered in the market (Pajero/Prado/LC/Patrol/JK etc.) are all perfectly capable vehicles. Each has their own USP's but overall they all will run the toughest sands the Middle East has to offer just fine :D. I'm a strong believer of the saying "It's the driver, not the car". If you know your car well and how to take advantage of it, there is no dune that will hold you back!

Oh! Also this is my first post here and I hope to be seeing you guys soon on some drives. 😁

Cheers, 
Jas