Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2016 i NZ4WD

After several years on the market here being imported and distributed by Ateco Automotive, Chinese marque Great Wall is going it alone with an updated ute model/s. The Great Wall Motor Company Limited assumed control of both the Australian and New Zealand operations on July 1st this year, pledging continued service for the existing customer base and dealer network in both countries. “This signals the beginning of an exciting new era for China’s most successful utility manufacturer in the region,” said GWMA Managing Director Parker Shi. “As demand for utilities continues to grow, Great Wall Motors decided now was the time to take the brand to the next level by establishing a direct OE presence here.” Mr Shi said a new Great Wall ute would go on sale here before…

Petrolheads from all over the country converged on Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds over the July 16-17 weekend to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the now CRCbacked Speedshow. From humble beginnings at what is now the (much smaller) Vodofone Events Centre in Manukau City the event has grown and prospered, attracting thousands of enthusiasts each year to a constantly evolving smorgasbord of all things to do with speed. This year’s show was the 10th, and ninth at the ASB Showgrounds venue. While noise restrictions have put paid to some of the more visceral exhibitions of old in the Classic Cover Live Action Arena, organiser Ross Prevette always seems to pull something new and interesting out of the bag to keep the crowds in the stands entertained. This year was no different with…

August 12th & 13th 2016 Mainland Winch Challenge Series Round 3; Blenheim, Friday night stages, Saturday day stages. For more information email Vicky at mainlandwinching@gmail.com August 14th 2016 Mainland Winch Challenge Series Round 4; Nelson, event is in Richmond. Sunday 10 day stages. For more information email Vicky at mainlandwinching@gmail.com August 12th-14th 2016 Mainland Winch Challenge Series NZ1; Top of the South, Round 3 and 4 together becomes NZ1. For more information email Vicky at mainlandwinching@gmail.com August 27th-28th 2016 Off Road Racing North Island Championship; Round 3 Hosted by PNORC at Palmerston North. Short course only. www.oranz.co.nz All enquiries to: Helen 06 8621594 – helenrust1@gmail.com September 16th-17th 2016 Mainland Winch Challenge Series Round 5; Timaru, venue to be confirmed. Friday night stages, Saturday day stages. For more information email Malcolm…

The event was also a launch of sorts for a range of 75th Anniversary models for Jeep, with the Wrangler, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee all getting in on the act. All the 75th Anniversary models come in Bright White with low gloss bronze wheels, bronze and orange exterior accents, unique interiors, including exclusive seats with embossed 75th Anniversary logo or one-of-a-kind Ombre Mesh fabric and a 75th Anniversary exterior badge. The 75th Anniversary package adds $2,000 to the price of all models, with the Cherokee Longitude kicking the range off at $54,990, while the Wrangler Unlimited Overland version lands at $69,990. The Grand Cherokee Limited tops off the 75th Anniversary model range with two versions available – a petrol model for $84,990 and a diesel version for $91,990.…

Asking “how four-wheel-drive a four-wheel-drive trip will be?” was an auspicious start for this journalist offered the opportunity to ‘tagalong’ on one of Robbie and Connie Crickett’s 1250-kilometre NZ Adventures’ High Country Safaris. Usually I would class myself as a good vehicle passenger – chatty, happy and not an ounce of carsickness. But I think our hosts received the occasional message about my state of mind… a tight grip on the door handle, mouth firmly shut and eyes into the hillside. Certainly some of the places driven in the tour are not for the fainthearted, but that’s more in terms of the sheer drops or long, steep inclines up to spectacular views and back down again. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you a little bit about…

If there is a single item of outdoor equipment that symbolises a Kiwi’s love of – and indeed unique relationship with – the Great Outdoors it is the Thermette. Invented by Manawatu plumber, John Hart, in 1929 and standard issue for NZ troops in North Africa during WW2 (where it was nick-named the Benghasi Boiler) a Thermette quickly and efficiently boils hot water and produces heat for cooking using little more than a match and scrap or two of paper and a few twigs. A third generation is now using the MacKay family Thermette and I consider myself very lucky both to still have it (and the hessian sack it has always been packed back into) and be able to still use it. These days you can buy a new…

If there is one area us Kiwis could learn from our Aussie cousins it is in the value of the contemporary ‘swag.’ Like Australia’s, New Zealand’s colonial past has plenty of references to the down on-his-luck ‘swagman.’ But that hasn’t stopped our Trans-Tasman neighbours breathing all new life into what in effect is a practical, simple, and cost-effective outdoor overnight option for one (or at a stretch two!). Take ARB’s state-of-the-art SkyDome swags, designed from the ground up to meet the needs of 4WDers and other assorted outdoorsmen and women alike. Over the years, the humble swag has evolved from a simple sheet of canvas to a tapered design, and more recently to dome shaped structures. This evolution continues with the ARB SkyDome swag. The SkyDome range includes both single…

Four-wheeling is definitely a ‘minor’ recreation in New Zealand in the view of many of our politicians and bureaucrats, and seems to be mostly regarded as a nuisance. Maybe we’ve been portraying ourselves poorly, as over in Australia’s state of Victoria, their government has recently announced a three-year funding programme for Four Wheel Drive Victoria, to the tune of AU$750,000. The Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Ms Lily D’Ambrosio MP, also released a new ‘Discover Four Wheel Driving’ guide and announced the establishment of a ministerial four-wheel drive advisory committee. www.premier.vic.gov.au/www.premier.vic.gov.au/victoriasenvironment-at-its-best-on-four-wheels/victoriasenvironment-at-its-best-on-four-wheels/. The Victoria government sees value in the efforts of Four Wheel Drive Victoria and the support is a reflection of the work of many volunteers dedicated to four wheeling. While not quite the same level of support,…

Sponsored by Can Am, this year’s New Zealand (off-road) Endurance Championship event was once more a chance for the new force in off-road racing – UTVs – to show their competitive form. The UTV or ‘side by side’ class has brought shop-floor off-road racing to New Zealand as never before and nationally there are more than 40 of the new race cars. This year they have been divided into U-class (production) and S-class (modified and turbo) racers, with Can-Am and Yamaha now moving in to give Polaris some stronger competition. In 2015, the tight nature of the enduro championship track played into the hands of the nimble UTVs, with Polaris driver Ben Thomasen taking victory. Ten laps per day This year the track was a 26.5 km loop, with racers…

Keen for an even greater slice of the booming ute market, Holden has given its Isuzu-based double-cab Colorado turbo-diesel a mid-term upgrade, the company unveiling the new-look model at the final game of the 2016 State of Origin (rugby league) series. The redesigned Colorado is introduced with fresh styling, an extended range of accessories and a raft of high-tech additions from advanced connectivity to active safety features. Holden New Zealand Managing Director Kristian Aquilina said the redesigned Colorado is a key vehicle in Holden’s future product portfolio and its progressive new styling, improved driveability and leading technology content are sure to be a hit with customers. “Colorado has resonated well with customers in a segment that has more than doubled in sales in the last ten years, and we’re confident…

The Central Districts 4x4 Club held put on another impressive 4x4 swap meeting and show’n shine at the Manfeild Stadium in Feilding on Sunday July 03. The show was all inside which considering the temperature was a great venue. I spent my time walking around looking at the different club trucks, along with the new vehicle products also on display. The swap meet and show also proved to be a great place to catch up with of the fellow 4WDers I’ve met over the years. It was also great seeing what the local clubs get up as well as the different trucks on display which spanned the gamut from competition to club and safari setups.…

It’s the exhaust note that got me. That instantly put a smile on my face as I hustled the top-of-the-line S version of Jaguar’s all-new F-Pace SUV along the Kaiaua-Mangatawhiri backroad, south-east of Auckland. Sure, the instant, lag-free surge from the supercharged 3.0 litre petrol V6 fitted to the 35t and S models was impressive. But it was the aural accompaniment that left the biggest impression on me. While not overly loud, per se, it still managed – somehow – to get past the layers of sound-proofing, and believe me, my soul was the better for it. Jaguars – and you don’t really need to be an aficionado to appreciate the fact – have always been about the senses. And I am pleased to say that the F-Pace, the company’s…

Not even overly generous motoring journalists would have described the 3.8 litre V6 engine of the Jeep JK Wrangler as adequate. The American minivan motor was no doubt chosen as a known and reliable runner. Slightly more fuel efficient than the revered 4.0 litre straight six found in earlier Wranglers, the motor soon displayed a lack of highway power as JK owners started bolting on bigger steel wheels, bars, winches and all the rest of the tens of thousands of upgrade parts available for the platform. The latest Pentastar 3.6 engine released in 2011 combined more power with better fuel economy, but for owners of the previous model who had invested heavily in upgrades the prospect of starting from scratch again may be daunting from both a cost and time/…

Ironman 4x4 have a range of products to make camping and exploring the outdoors that much easier and fun. Why bother looking for a hotel or a camping ground when you can have a rooftop tent attached to your vehicle which only takes a few minutes to set up and needs little more room than your vehicle! The luxury rooftop tent has a number of features including a raised “climate cover” flysheet to control temperature and reduce condensation, a pop-up window awning and flyscreen windows, all made from a premium quality waterproof, breathable rip-stop material. The rooftop tent floor is made from lightweight aluminium and is insulated. To aid a good night sleep, it comes complete with a 65mm high density foam mattress. Access is via a retractable aluminium ladder…

When we steer our front wheels to turn a corner we assume that they both point in exactly the same direction. That would be a fair assumption were they on a veteran car. Engineers quickly realised that as a vehicle tracks a corner the wheels on the inside of the turn roll on a different radius to those on the outside. Also, the front wheels travel slightly further than the rears. It’s a geometry thing that can be easily drawn. Draw a four-wheeled vehicle from above, then extend the line of the rear axle out to one side to about three times the vehicle width. From the new end of the line, with a compass, scribe four circles from the same centre with their radii to each wheel of the…

Recently the topic of airing down and tyre pressures came up yet again when I was called by an acquaintance seeking advice on internal bead locks such as the Second Air and Coyote. Knowing the type of four wheeling he does we discussed why he thought he needed the internal bead locks and his reason was so he could lower his tyre pressures for off road. This raised the question, what pressure does he have in his tyres for road use and what pressure does he lower to for off road? To him lowering down to around 26 psi was the ideal “lower” pressure for off road to get better traction and there seems to be many out there with the same thinking, however, as far as I am concerned,…

As Holden and Isuzu were announcing the end of their Colorado/D-Max collaboration, Mazda and Isuzu put out a press release advising their intention to take up where the Holden/Isuzu deal leaves off. According to Mazda New Zealand, “Mazda Motor Corporation and Isuzu Motors Limited have reached a basic agreement on next-generation pickup truck collaboration, allowing Isuzu to enhance its product competiveness and Mazda to strengthen its product line-up and maintain own-brand market coverage.” Translated from ‘corporate-speak,’ that means that Isuzu will do the bulk of the design and building work with Mazda getting a version it can sell as its own. “As with the current arrangement with Ford, both the BT-50 and Ranger are well differentiated for competition in the market although they share a common platform,” explained Andrew Clearwater,…

Arctic Trucks is a specialist ute modifier based in Iceland. Established in 1990 it re-engineers and converts four-wheel drive vehicles to cope with extreme conditions and was made famous by the Top Gear TV show’s trip to the North Pole. One of the company’s latest ventures is a collaboration with the UK Isuzu dealer network which will offer an Arctic Trucks-modified D-Max AT35 ute. The modded AT35, which comes as standard with 35-inch wheels, 290mm ground clearance, and rut-busting approach, ramp and departure angles, will be available in two body configurations, extended cab and double cab. The extended-cab (from $ 58,294) features rear-opening side access panels, a fold-down rear bench seat, and a braked towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes. The double-cab (from $ 61,997) features full (leather) seating for five…

Innovative technologies that will allow autonomous cars to drive themselves over virtually any surface or terrain have been unveiled by leading British car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover. The company’s multi-million dollar autonomous all-terrain driving research project aims to make the self-driving car viable in the widest range of real life, on-and off-road driving environments and weather conditions. Jaguar Land Rover’s Head of Research Tony Harper said the technology the company was developing – such as the ability of on-board computers to sense changes in terrain and even obstacles suspended in the air above roadways and tracks – would have applications for both autonomous and people-driven cars. “Our all-terrain autonomy research isn’t just about the car driving itself on a motorway or in extreme off-road situations,” Harper said. “It’s about helping…

In July 1940, the US military invited 135 car manufacturers to bid on production of a “light reconnaissance vehicle” to replace the Army’s motorcycle and modified Ford Model-T vehicles. Willys-Overland, the American Bantam Car Manufacturing Company and the Ford Motor Company all provided prototypes. After initial testing the army ordered 1,500 Model 40 BRC vehicles from Bantam, 1,500 modified and improved Ford GP Pygmies and 1,500 Willys Quads. Further testing and evaluation led to the Army’s selection of Willys as the primary manufacturer in 1941 and so the legend of what was to become the Jeep was born. Name game The origins of the name “Jeep” are slightly murky, with the most popular and likely origins being that the name came from the slurring of the letters “GP” (the military…

In early July a group of keen off roaders headed out into the forests south of Nelson to see what happens beyond the roadside trees. The group organized by Colin Joss consisted of recreation off road vehicles and SUVs assembled at Golden Downs Village on the road from Nelson to Nelson Lakes. The village was constructed by the New Zealand Forest Service in 1946 and consisted of mechanical workshops, forest HQ, post office, village hall, general store, two hostels for training woodsmen in forestry, a single men’s camp rugby field, tennis courts, golf course and 27 houses with a population exceeding 270 residents. The village closed in 1990 with the majority of the buildings sold and transported away. An information kiosk build in 2016 now informs travellers of its past…

After a long day on the road, you can’t beat pulling up at your campsite and getting comfortable in a luxury chair. Ironman 4x4 have strong and soft arm foldable chairs which are rating to 150 kg and have side pouches for storage and insulated cup holders – you won’t get more comfortable than these! Other products include a rechargeable camp shower, food grade silicone products such as collapsible buckets and a kettle and even a foldable bush toilet! Don’t forget the range of other products made by Ironman 4x4 for letting you get to those fishing, hunting and camping spots. These include suspension upgrades, bull bars and winches, recovery gear, driving lights and snorkels. For a full range or further information visit our website or phone 0508 IRONMAN.…

The only information I had about our first destination, the Makuri Gorge, was from a brief write up on a website promoting the Woodville area and describing the gorge as being about 30 minutes from Woodville on the Pahiatua to Pongaroa road. After much poring over the NZ topo map on my GPS I finally located the gorge near the little settlement of Makuri, and marked it with a way-point. Our other nearby destination, Pipinui Falls, was described as being six kms past Makuri on Coonoor Rd, with the comment ‘you can’t miss the sign’. Lacking any more useful GPS information, I was relying on the odometer to find the falls. To minimise the trip up SH2 we turned off at Eketahuna for a short run up the scenic and…

The event was hosted by a local four-wheel drive club, 4x4 Events, with former series winner Sav out of retirement and again taking on the Clerk of the Course role. Marshall’s briefing was at 8:30am with Scotty Newport again running through a list of “Safety and Rules” with all the marshals and new co-drivers and drivers. Drivers’ briefing was a bit later then the event started at around 10.00am. Of the 24 teams entered, 14 were in the Outlaw class, three in Open, two in Clubman-B and five in Clubman. The Outlaw class has really taken over this year with quite a few new entries. Clubman and Clubman-B Classes had eight stages on Saturday with Open and Outlaw Class getting seven. All sorts We had all sorts of terrain and…

Welcome to the world of off-road racing. Each month I’ll update NZ4WD readers with the inside goss from the most exciting loose-surface racing in New Zealand. But who am I? Well, I’ve been around motorsport and off-road racing for a few decades now, and I seem to have a knack for finding out the interesting stuff before others do. The sport nicknamed me Yoda years ago and it seems to have stuck! I started off-roading in 1985 in a hole in the Woodford Glen Speedway carpark with a bloke called Ian “Stan Clear’ Foster who would go on to set up the Off-road Racing Association of New Zealand. ORANZ is still the governing body of the sport and I’ve done my time as southern vice president, a role I’m stepping…