Owning A "Fort": My Pre-Owned First Gen Toyota Fortuner

[Driveright]

MAY DAY DIY:
I had the entire morning and noon free today and thought i will do a front grille black out for TANTOR. I had bought spray paint for my DIY painting of the M800 wiper .I had more than 3/4th can remaining and instead of preserving paint wanted to finish it with this cosmetic DIY.
Most of the description and pictures tell the story .Getting the grille out is the best way for a good finish and coverage!careful with the plastic tabs they can break if excess force is applied .
I took time to clean out the front of the radiator and the massive chrome of the Roots megasonic horns as the grille was out .Wash and sandpaper the surface of the ABS plastic so that the paint can adhere better .
Allow for 10-15 minutes between each coat for better finish and preventing runs.
This was my first experience with rattle can spray paint and was a good learning experience about the coverage and finishes achievable through variation of distance and speed of application .Watch on and give me your feedback friends

 

[bhvm]

The job is fantastic.
Spray cans are addictive once you get used to them. You can do wonderful art projects using those.
Remember to use clear coat for long life of the paint.

 

[Driveright]

thanks bhvm for your appreciation .Will the clear coat give a glossy effect as i prefer the matte effect of the paint for now .Yes ! as you said spray can is addictive i have already other projects in the pipeline

 

[bhvm]

Will the clear coat give a glossy effect as i prefer the matte effect of the paint for now

There are glossy, Frost and matte Clears available.

i have already other projects in the pipeline

Wow. May I know which ones?

BTW, here's what spray paint can really do-
“The Blue Elephant” My Safari 4x4 Review & Mods

 

[Driveright]

thanks for the information bhvm ! which brand do you generally prefer ?and do you buy them online or directly at stores?
I have gone though your work on the "blue elephant" and certainly your work is an inspiration
Surely and shortly I shall post my projects as I haven't yet started on them yet .Suspense

 

[bhvm]

For more serious Projects I use Rustoleum.(Safari)
For simpler ones I use Abro or Coating Daddy. Coating daddy is most economical at Rs 300/can whilst has very good quality.
Rustoleum is double the cost at 600~650 a can. I brought all my stuff on Flipkart.

 

[Driveright]

Repair update :
TANTOR had lost his left inner fender liner during his run in January .With the upcoming long journey I decided to get it fixed to prevent road slush and mud from damaging the exposed underbelly in the wheel arch and engine bay.
Fixed an appointment with NANDI toyota Kanakapura road .Got the fender liner replaced for a total of Rs 4780 including labor cost.The tax itself for this plastic component was close to Rs 940 .
All buttoned up and ready for his next trip .Coming soon

 

[Driveright]

Long pending vacation:

Finally TANTOR and I received a satisfying dose of long drive.The vacation period for my daughter was coming to an end and the weather had also eased up in my native home town.
Our family took a 10 day long vacation from Bangalore to hometown in Kerala .We did beaches , lakes, rivers and forests ..Every terrain TANTOR had missed in the urban roads of Bangalore.
DAY 1:
As always , my starts are before day break at 4AM when it’s easy to get out of Bangalore through Hosur onto the inviting tarmac of TN.Some where en route TANTOR caught up with his posh cousin

Reached my home town in Allepy, Kerala at 5.30 PM .Got stuck in some bad traffic jams near Kochi due to flyover repair and the roads didn’t help too much either . In total done in 13 hours with 4 breaks in between for refueling the body and the vehicle.
628 kms MID mileage :11.8 kmpl

 

[Driveright]

DAY 2 :
Visit to JATAYU ROCK and Varkala beach .
Fantastic experience at JATAYU EARTH CENTRE .

It has been developed into a good tourist spot .The Ramayana character JATAYU who was cut down and killed by Ravana has been made into large sculpture. The ride up to the sculpture is on a cable car and we all enjoyed the ride and the picturesque views from the cable car. At RS 450 per head well worth the experience .

Well maintained lounges, neat and fresh cafes at the summit .Washrooms at all levels which were clean and dry with handicap friendly facilities .Very systematic and hospitable approach by the staff.

to be continued

 

[Ambylovers]

Hi,
Good write up.
Fortuner is kind of dream car to me. Slowly analysing whether it will suit us or not. Because Innova is very comfortable and doing its duty more than expected.
But not sure about Fortuner and its maintanence territory.

Following your post and will do the same for next 4 to 5 months and will decide.

 

[Driveright]

Thanks Ambylovers! Appreciate that your following my posts closely for decisions about the Fortuner.
Honestly the Innova is a champion in comfort in long journeys .Are you looking for a used Fortuner or the new one ?
The Fortuner doesn't have a maintenance cost which will actually surprise most people.Being an Innova owner you can vouch for the reliable service of Toyota.
Yes Fortuner ownership comes with lot of inflation of ego..you get your way on the streets,you get good parking spots at hotels,even trucks give way when they see a Fort flashing his lights in the mirror.
I upgraded from a humble M800 to the Fortuner and the difference was day and night.I still own the M800 and love it dearly,but with the Fort you feel invincible on the streets especially these days when others mistakes could cost you damages .
My wife and I were decided on the Fort as we wanted the best in terms of reliable transportation,large luggage space and the ground clearance for the terrain we would encounter during our trips to our home town.Period.
We dint want anything less than a Fortuner .
Sure I'll keep posting the updates and service costs on TANTOR for benefit of people who can make decisions from ownership perspective.

 

[Mathew]

DAY 2 :
Visit to JATAYU ROCK and Varkala beach .
Fantastic experience at JATAYU EARTH CENTRE .
View attachment 260546
It has been developed into a good tourist spot .The Ramayana character JATAYU who was cut down and killed by Ravana has been made into large sculpture. The ride up to the sculpture is on a cable car and we all enjoyed the ride and the picturesque views from the cable car. At RS 450 per head well worth the experience .
View attachment 260547
Well maintained lounges, neat and fresh cafes at the summit .Washrooms at all levels which were clean and dry with handicap friendly facilities .Very systematic and hospitable approach by the staff.
View attachment 260548
View attachment 260549

to be continued

I visited this place some back and the few photos are posted at this location. One video also posted.
Where are you located?

 

[Driveright]

Hi Mathew,I went through your thread about this place.I am settled in Bangalore but am a native of Kayamkulam

 

[Driveright]

Next stop was the at the beach .It was no holds barred .My daughter and I were fully prepared beforehand to soak up the waves .We enjoyed the sunset and turned back home leisurely
Total distance : 178kms MID: 11.5kmpl

DAY 3 :
Visited our family friends and relatives places in various parts of Trivandrum .My nephew had just got his 1968 Royal Enfield restored and I had a chance to experience some vintage biking
Total distance : 230 kms MID: 11.3 kmpl

DAY 4:
Travelled to wifey’s placein Kotayam district and chilled out the whole day.
Total distance : 88 kms MID: 11.4 kmpl
Here we made a plan to visit Vagamon and Munnar and if possible Idukki dam on the way back for the next three days

DAY 5:
It was an exciting morning. 6 adults and 3 children packed up with luggage for 3 days. Made an early start at 6.30 AM as I wanted to catch the sunrise over the hills.
Weather was good and slowly we started ascending up the hilly terrain and experiencing the curves and hairpins .Since we were "off season" the roads to most tourist attractions were desolate. Lot of roads are under reconstruction due to the recent floods and landslides .The fury of nature was shocking! How much we underestimate the abuse of nature.

Marmala water falls : first stop the water flow wasn’t in its prime rather just a stream as we had expected but the view was breathtaking .We had a hearty breakfast on the road with a beautiful scenery in front of us .

Karikadu view point : another high point along the way giving a good view of the hills around .

Vagamon kurushi mala: a good place nestled between hills and tea estate .It is a pilgrim place and again wasn’t crowded .We had a much deserved coffee break and children had a good time in the park.

to be continued

 

[Driveright]

Did a quick 432 KM one day trip to soak in the monsoon.!Had a very wonderful drive on the bangalore -channarayanapatna highway ..slight drizzle of rain all along with spurts of heavy rain.Overall mileage was 13.6KMPL the best ever TANTOR has given .I drove with light foot 2000rpm-100kmph speed .