MOD TO THE MAX

A BIT OF TRIMMING AND A LITTLE LIFT... AND 35S FIT UNDER THIS TRICK LATE-MODEL D-MAX WITHOUT ANY DRAMAS

- DEX FULTON

A COUPLE years back, Quinn was on the lookout for a late-model work ute that he could use for the daily commute and trips to the bush after his 2013 Ranger met an untimely end at the hands of a deeper-than-expected water crossing. He hit up his local mechanics for advice on what to buy and they mentioned that they didn't get a lot of Isuzu utes in with any serious issues. So he went shopping.

At the time, the country was locked down thanks to the spicy cough and used-vehicle prices were hovering somewhere between 'tell him he's dreamin' and eating paint chips as a non-fatty snack. Quinn quickly realised that, absurdly, new vehicles were actually competitively priced against the bonkers used market so after a trip to his local D-MAX dealer he came away with a brand spanking weapon that was just begging for a few mods.

He initially threw in a set of strut spacers to get a bit of real estate under the sills, then spent the next few months hatching plans for what he wanted to achieve from his new beast.

While it's not exactly finished (they never are), Quinn reckons it more than does everything he asks from it and is pretty happy with how it has all panned out. Then again, you'd have to be a pretty salty person to be mad at a late model ute on 35s.

THE FRONT END

THE nose of the D-MAX is protected by a trick-looking steel Ambush bar from PSR that's been churched up with a Carbon winch should Quinn find himself without forward momentum halfway up a Kenilworth hill climb. Stedi Evo spotties are also mounted to the bar, helped out by the 40-inch Stedi light bar up on the leading edge of the roof rack. Twin UHF antennas (one for the radio, one for the Cel-Fi mobile signal booster) on fold-down brackets and LED fog lights round out the front-end nicely. It should also be noted that the engine, transmission and transfer case are all protected from errant rocks by PSR steel bash plates.