Kits, Bits And Misses

THE TONNER COPS A HEAP OF BOLT-ON PARTS.

- Mark Allen

ONE OF the reasons I chose the GQ Patrol chassis to form the basis of this project was because there are so many off-the-shelf products available for a GQ that it makes the mild to-wild build pretty easy. With everything stripped last month, the time for fitting parts together came via a complete Marks 4WD Adaptors kit. I could have saved a few bucks in the interim by making some parts, but given the scope of this project centred around fitting a 6.2-litre V8 into the GQ chassis, having everything engineered was paramount. Not only was it easy to deal with Marks 4WD Adaptors, it has everything necessary for the engine-to-chassis conversion, as well as a heap of options. Because the parts in the conversion are ‘off-the-shelf’ and ‘engineered’, it makes it much easier and cheaper in the long run to get the finished product passed by the engineer.

An engineer must still certify that an engineered part has been fitted in accordance with their requirements. This can include welding, fasteners and hardware, as well as positioning on the vehicle – it’s a legal minefield that varies from state to state and from engineer to engineer. I could have gone ‘engineershopping’ to pass larger tyres, higher lifts and more radical mods, but I’ll stick to the reputable fella Jason at Total Care 4WD recommends and who I’ve worked with before for my Troopy’s seating and extra (third) door. Playing the engineering game correctly ensures I’ll have no problems with insurance or potential roadside canaries by the boys in blue.