FATHER, SON AND A HOLEY (RUSTY) PATROL.
MY OLD Holden one-tonner was built in 1977, though it’s had numerous changes through its life, with a different chassis, engine, gearbox and fresh paint job; the shiny new(ish) Commodore rolled off the line in 2011; and the rusty, neglected, fairly straight and mostly stock GQ Patrol first hit the dirt in 1989. The last two vehicles will be picked apart to turn the Tonner into one wild 4x4.
Initially, I was happy to purchase an LS1 or 2 from a wrecker, along with whatever box came with it, as they return good, cheap and reliable power, but an unexpected call from Jason at Total Care in Sydney changed everything.
“Mate, there’s a VE MkII Maloo R8 ute that has been in a rear ender and statuary written off just near our shop… ya want it, ya better be quick,” he said.
“Shit yeah,” I shouted back. “LS3 and a six-speed auto with tiptronic-style shifting… jump on it, now.”
Wholly cow, my project 4x4 Tonner shot into the fast lane big time when I laid my money down for it. The Maloo only had minor damage to the rear end, but it was legally written off, so it couldn’t be re-registered. Other than the stonking engine and six-speed auto, there were a stack of reasons why I jumped at this ute: having the complete vehicle gave me access to the wiring loom and all the smaller parts that make the complete conversion so much easier and cheaper, so I had no need to scour the wreckers or online sites, spending time and money on unseen parts.
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av 4x4 Magazine Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av 4x4 Magazine Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CORRUGATIONS.SAND, AND SPINIFEX
WHEN TALKING LEGENDARY TRACKS, THE CANNING STOCK ROUTE HAS THE TITLE OF LONGEST HISTORICAL STOCK ROUTE IN THE WORLD, BUT TACKLING ITS 1850KM IN A 1970S LAND ROVER MAKES FOR ONE INTERESTING DRIVE FOR THE TV CREW FROM SERIOUSLY SERIES. YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF BY VIEWING ROAD TO RUIN
PURE WATER
THE GUZZLE H2O STREAM IS THE IDEAL WATER PURIFICATION SOLUTION FOR PROVIDING A RELIABLE SOURCE OF CLEAN DRINKING WATER OFF THE GRID
DOES IT GET ANY TOUGHER FOR THE AT52S?
HAVING TACKLED SOME OF THE ROUGHEST TRACKS IN THE COUNTRY, THESE ALL-TERRAINS HAVE PASSED THE TEST
TOP 5 4X4 SPOTS IN SA
HERE ARE FIVE OF THE BEST 4X4 DESTINATIONS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PLUGGING IN
GWM IS STUDYING THE VIABILITY OF PLUG-IN HYBRID VERSIONS OF ITS POPULAR 4X4S FOR THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET. WE GOT A CHANCE TO SAMPLE THEM ON TRACK
TOP TANK
WE HAVE COME AWAY IMPRESSED AFTER A WEEK IN GWM’S TANK 500 HYBRID 4X4.
HARD EARNED
HARD WORK AND THE RIGHT ADVICE HAVE HELPED JAMES ATKINSON BUILD THE PATROL OF HIS DREAMS
DYNAMIC DEBUT
OUR FIRST TASTE OF THE LC250 COMES IN THE FORM OF THE LEXUS GX550 OVERTRAIL, AND THIS LUXURY 4X4 WAGON IMPRESSES BOTH ON THE ROAD AND OFF IT
BLACK GROWLER
IF YOU’RE GOING TO SWAP FROM A DOUBLE-CAB UTE TO A 4X4 WAGON, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GO WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE. BRUCE HAS DONE JUST THAT AND EQUIPPED HIS GR SPORT 300 WITH THE BEST GEAR ON THE MARKET
2025 NISSAN PATROL MAKES GLOBAL DEBUT
CURTAINS DROP ON SEVENTH-GENERATION PATROL BUT NOT HERE UNTIL 2026