Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i NZ4WD

For Kevin Smith and Sharon Monteith-Smith, the couple behind Hawke’s Bay-based Back Country Tagalong Tours, life is for living and they share a passion for helping others to do the same. Back Country Tag Along Tours provides self-drive touring access on private and public land and roads in the North Island for owners of 4WD vehicles. The excursions offer safe, well-planned and enjoyable experiences, a new appreciation of surroundings and hopefully a new friend or two. Sharon and Kevin have been avid fans of New Zealand’s back country for years and it seemed a natural progression to take a favourite hobby to a mainstream part of their lifestyle and to be able to share their passion with others. Back Country Tag Along Tours offers excursions ranging from day trips in…

You’ve heard of the Ford Model T, but how about the Model TT? Though less well-known, it also had a big impact – as the forerunner to the modern day ute and van. Launched 100 years ago, in 1917, the Model TT was Ford’s first purpose-built utility vehicle. Owners could customise the chassis with a cargo bed to transport everything from letters to fuel – first at home In the United States, and later in the UK. The Model TT ute was longer and stronger than the Model T car, with a cab that could seat one driver and one passenger. The engine was started using a cranking handle on the front. For a smoother ride, customers could choose modern air-filled rear tyres instead of solid rubber. Ford released this…

Ford has finally gone and done it – confirmed that a Raptor-based performance version of the top-selling Ranger ute is on its way here. Set to arrive in New Zealand and across Asia Pacific in 2018, the purpose-built, desert-racing inspired pickup truck joins the Ford Performance family, carrying the name ‘Ford Ranger Raptor’. “We are very excited to bring Asia Pacific’s toughest and smartest pickup truck to a whole new level,” said Trevor Worthington, vice president, product development, Ford Asia Pacific. “Ford Ranger Raptor will offer Ranger fans a fantastic opportunity to own an authentic off-road performance version of their favorite truck for the first time.” Key to the increased ‘off-road-ability’ promised in the new model is (or so informed sources say) a new multi-link coil-sprung rear suspension package and…

Decked out in bold, brawny accessories, the Hilux Gladiator Concept vehicle turned plenty of heads during the 2017 Mystery Creek Fieldays, near Hamilton. So much so that Toyota NZ is currently considering a detuned version or special limited edition Hilux Gladiator inspired by the Hilux Gladiator Concept. “We built it as a showcase vehicle for the Toyota display at the 2017 Mystery Creek Fieldays demonstrating a broad spectrum of customisation,” said Spencer Morris, Toyota New Zealand’s General Manager of Product. “And we were thrilled at the response.” The Gladiator concept was built with help from Auckland-based Retro Vehicle Enhancements and included a special BP-51 suspension-based lift kit from ARBowned Australian specialist Old Man Emu and a much broader and more aggressive stance thanks to low offset 20-inch alloy wheels and…

The ARB 4x4 network can provide a full range of servicing for 4x4s as well as supplying the full range of ARB 4x4 accessories. ARB Agents are 4x4 specialists and have specific knowledge of what is required for your 4x4. Each ARB agent has full workshop facilities and equipment specifically suited to servicing 4x4s and suitably trained technical staff. They can offer a wide range of services from routine scheduled maintenance to diagnosis and full mechanical repair to wheels and tyres. They have well stocked workshops and of course also stock the range of the renowned ARB 4x4 accessories. Because 4x4s have such a wide range of capabilities they are used in a multitude of different applications from recreational vehicles to explore back country, access hunting and fishing spots and…

Today’s heavy duty diesel engines are expensive, more technically advanced than ever before, with ever-increasing oil drain intervals. A customers fleet is often the backbone of their business, with reliability and component life meaning everything. Gulf Western Top Dog Indestructible has been formulated using Gulf Western’s indestructible additive technology, which the company says makes engines stay cleaner, use less fuel, and last longer. Top Dog Indestructible15W-40 meets the majority of modern engine manufacturers’ specifications. It is formulated to meet API CK-4, which is the latest heavy duty diesel engine oil classification released in January 2017 by the American Petroleum Institute. It meets the specifications of modern and older engine manufacturers and OEMs, and is backward compatible with API CJ-4 and CI-4 engine oil specifications. It is suitable for heavy duty…

Canterbury has four major rivers that collect water from the Southern Alps and carry it southwest to the Pacific coast. From south they are the Waitaki, Rangitata, Rakaia and Waimakariri. Those last three all have spectacular gorges. Ahuriri, Hopkins, Dobson, Tasman, Pukaki, Tekapo, Godley, Cass and Macaulay rivers also begin in the Alps. Their direct route to the sea is blocked by the Hunter Hills that rise parallel to the coast from Timaru to Waimate, forcing them to pool their water into Lake Benmore. Benmore’s dam and power station send power throughout New Zealand. Much of the water has already made electricity before getting to Benmore and it continues downstream to do more work at Aviemore and Waitaki power stations. The Waitaki runs arrow-straight to the sea. Total capacity of…

The Polaris NZ 1000 gave a bit of a hint into the importance of the UTV classes to the sport. There were more than 30 UTVs of all flavours at the ‘1000’ this year, and when the horrible weather closed in it was always going to favour these small, agile, all-wheel-drive race cars. In the end, the title was a fight between hard charging unlimited class racers and the top UTV teams. Ben Thomasen took pole, won both days and posted fastest lap on the Sunday. Not bad at all. It would have been interesting to see what might have happened if Steven Stokes/Troy Tufnell, Clim Lammers or Jacob Brownlee had been able to take the fight to Thomasen, Ruiterman and co. They all had turns running near the front…

If you have been off-roading for a while, then the next step could be trying your hand at some friendly competition. Which is where the popular Central Zone Club Truck Challenge comes in. Registered and warranted vehicles are matched together in four different classes to allow for modifications and then it’s left to your driving skill. The driving tests are set up in the same way as used in 4WD trials events and individually scored according to how far you can get through the terrain. This competition gives drivers lots of seat time and a good way to improve your limits. The new season of the Club Truck Challenge is due to start with three rounds to be run before Christmas this year. Coming back off our best season yet…

Arctic Trucks, a company with a long and renowned history in Iceland and Scandinavia as a creator of 4x4 vehicles able to take on the most demanding terrains and conditions, needs little introduction – Top Gear’s famous ‘active volcano’ episode made sure of that. What keen 4WD owners in this part of the world might not be aware of is the company’s recent collaboration with Isuzu in the UK. There you can buy from a specialist Arctic Trucks/ Isuzu dealer an Arctic Trucks AT35 ute based on the new generation D-Max. The AT35 is distinguished by Arctic Trucks’ signature (big, fat) 17 x 10 inch alloy wheel/35 inch Nokian Rotiva tyre combination, large guard extenders and mud flaps as well as aftermarket Fox suspension front and rear. The AT35 also…

Mercedes-Benz-backed adventurer Mike Horn has ticked off New Zealand’s Queenstown region and the Australian Simpson Desert in his two-year quest to circle the planet via its poles. Since the Pole2Pole expedition began in Monaco in May 2016, the 51-year-old Swiss has used a pair of Mercedes-Benz G-Class wagons to traverse the length of the African continent, and a Mercedes-Benz powered ice-breaking yacht to cross to and from Antarctica. In between, he became the first human to trek solo and unassisted across the widest section of the icy continent via the South Pole. Horn was then reunited with his vehicles in Dunedin so he could check out the South Island High Country, with a particular focus on Queenstown and environs. Continuing on his yacht Pangaea to Sydney, he then led an…

OK, it’s not Utah’s Rubicon Trail. But the outwardly gently tucks and folds of grass and scrub-covered sand dunes behind Karioitahi Beach’s Castaway Resort hide some surprisingly gnarly little steps, climbs, drop-offs and otherwise bumper and/or undercarriage-grabbing duvets. In theory the old-school, body-on-chassis LWB Wrangler that was with us should have been the preferred mode of transport the day a group of the country’s motor noters was there to sample Jeep’s latest NZ offerings. With its distinctive, square-rigged silhouette it certainly looked the part. Yet wherever it went, so too did the Trailhawk version of the company’s medium/large capacity SUV. The Grand Cherokee. Plenty, more recently, of course, has been written about British rival Land Rover’s sleek, streamlined new Discovery. Yet – particularly now it comes in a Trailhawk version…

The New Zealand Army must be one of the largest users of 4WDs and offroad vehicles and therefore has one of the biggest offroad playgrounds in New Zealand in the form of the 63,000 hectares Army Training Grounds at Waiouru. Being a military training ground, access is of course rather restricted but several times a year the Offlimits Charitable Trust holds outdoor action events for various activity groups such as horse riding, motorbikes, side by sides and four wheel drives. Ice Buster is just one of two events specifically for 4WDs and is held during winter, hence the name, while the other one is Operation Stirling held in December each year. The events are run in conjunction with similar events for side by side (UTVs) which are held on the…

It’s an image that will stay with me for the rest of my life. After focusing on the narrow, torturous track for what seemed like hours, the floor of the river valley finally revealed itself in a riot of gorgeous Autumn colours. This was Skipper’s Canyon at its best (an Easter weekend long, long ago) and as I took in the majesty of my surroundings all I could think was ‘Thank God, for brothers Maurice and Spencer Wilks who creating the Land Rover (that got us this far up the gorge), and the mechanic at Shaw’s Motors in nearby Arrowtown who had quickly diagnosed and expertly flushed out the clogged fuel filter the day before.’ Had my young printer mate who owned (and who I was sharing the driving with)…

After an early rendezvous at Masterton, the convoy of nine vehicles headed out to the small settlement of Bideford, where the seal ended and our first true backroad section started. It was a fine, crisp, sunny morning with green grass and reflections from ponds and small lakes left from the last few weeks of intermittent rain. In keeping with the theme of the trip, there were plenty of photo stops as we worked our way through the hills north of Bideford, heading for SH52. Although the good roads meant serious 4WDs were not really needed, setting off after a photo stop when the left hand wheels were on the soft shoulder was a little challenging at times, with traction control a very useful accessory for those who had it. Reaching…

You have already read about Mitsubishi Motor NZ’s own modified Triton, the Huntaway. The Huntaway is by no means the only high-rise Triton (or rather Triton-style) ute available around the world as this (badge-engineered) Fiat Fullback by Italian 4x4 specialists delta4x4 is wont to prove. Dubbed the “Italian Beast” by technicians at the company, delta4x4 first lifted the Fullback’s chassis by exactly ten centimeters with the use of a body-lift kit then mounted four fender extensions worth five centimetres each on each wheel arch to cover the matt black eight-hole 18x9 inch. rims and Mickey Thompson 305/60R18 Baja ATZ tyres. Completing the toughened up Euro look is a polished stainless steel frontal bar and stainless steel ‘roll’ bar plus a pair of LED spot lights by the Japanese specialist PIAA.…

A distinctive new limited edition SE version of the award-winning 1.6 litre Vitara has been added to the range of Suzuki models in New Zealand. The SE comes with a six-stage automatic transmission as standard and sits neatly between the JLX level and direct injection Turbo performance versions of the popular Vitara. Distinguished by black daytime running lamp bezels, black body side mouldings and a rear upper spoiler, the Vitara SE is available in red, silver or white, all with a black roof paint finish at no extra cost. The SE also gets standard 17-inch diameter aluminium alloy wheels, privacy glass for the rear and rear side windows, front fog lamps, cruise control with speed limiter, satellite navigation, reversing camera, climate control air conditioning, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity…

“We promote this sport to all, we keep it real, and we like to think of ourselves as living proof this sport is not about the size of your rig or the dollars you spend on it. And the one thing we don’t take too seriously… ourselves” Competition is a serious business, just ask the guys topping the leader board midway through the 2017 Mainland Superwinch Challenge. Here they are, Scotty and James, pictured doing battle at the recent event held in Christchurch, (an event they won). When asked, Scotty replied “sure I’m serious, serious about keeping it simple, using gear I can trust and I seriously like to be relaxed when competing.” When it comes to the winch, Scotty chooses Superwinch, the performance and reliability affords him all the…

Having just returned from a 19-day 4WD adventure to the South Island (or rather the ‘Mainland’ as we were often told), I thought it would be worthwhile sharing how we went about planning the trip and getting permission for access where required. My next article will focus on the trip – which in short was fantastic. So here are some key learnings to help anyone else planning such an adventure. From small acorns Like a lot of things in life it all started at the pub one afternoon over a couple of beers. A mate and I had been discussing a longer 4WD camping trip to the South Island for a while and we finally reached the point of saying ‘OK let’s just book the ferry, lock in some dates…

By early March our summer has usually settled into its stride with long fine yet mild days and brilliantly clear and cool nights. The holiday season is largely over and the roads are wide open. 99 Rivers would again cover some 4,500 kms over 14 days and at last it was time to pack the recovery gear, the fold-away seats and coolers, check the oil and tyres and hit the road. We would be staying in motels and lodge accommodation every night and so in early March nine couples from both North and South Islands made their separate ways to the town of Dannevirke, the starting point of our journey and our first night together as a group. Handily located in the south-east of the North Island it makes for…

Got an older 4WD like a Toyota Land cruiser FJ40, Jeep CJ5 or Suzuki LJ50 with huge rust holes? Don’t worry, long-established local specialist 4WD Fibreglass can help. Fibreglass is a lower weight, durable and long lasting plastic material. It can deform without dinging and when damaged, is easily repaired. 4WD Fibreglass can mould, make or fix panels for your bush truck, race truck, road truck or whatever. Panels and body tubs are supplied in a grey primer colour gelcoat. Some sanding and filling of joins may be required prior to painting. 4WD Fibreglass has 25 years of experience and manufactures from modern facilities in Hamilton. If you are passing, call in and discuss your project or watch how we create panels and bodies for other customers. The company manufactures…

I have sometimes been accused of scaremongering about potential threats to various aspects of access options for four wheeling. Many risks do exist and are often lurking in unforeseen legislation. A bit over a month ago, an email was received from a retired Walking Access Commission executive who admitted that he’d deliberately stepped away from commenting on access matters. However, he was so alarmed at finding out that – as a consequence of the government’s ‘Rules Reduction Taskforce’ project – both the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and Land Information NZ (LINZ) have been working on a review of unformed legal roads (ULR), he just had to speak up. While it is suggested that there will be ‘consultation’, a check on the www.dia.govt.nz site reveals the statement; “The Department of…

It’s an off-road racing rocket ship. The best of America, with a locally developed suspension package and a turbocharged Mazda rotary engine. And – as this is written – Cantabrian Daniel Powell currently leads the national championship after three southern rounds including an outright win in the final one. Sleek and silver, hunkered down, the Tatum Mazda throws out its own challenge: “Are you ready for this?” Answer: not sure. This is after all Daniel Powell’s pride and joy, and it has no price tag. He created this specification himself, going against all conventional opinion about engine type. Only a handful of people have ever run rotaries in off-road racing, and none have run late model turbo engines. He is racing in the national championship assisted by mate Ken Barlow.…

The front of the Discovery has looked a bit ‘bare’ since fitting the ARB bull bar (originally from Project Re-A-Range) and it needed a winch. I had tossed up taking the Warn 8274 off the 90 and fitting that, or even the Gigglepin winch that sits on the bench at Dodgy Bros. The Gigglepin wasn’t going to be an easy fit requiring too much modification to the bull bar and I was reluctant to take the winch off the 90, after all it was been on there for nearly 24 years now. Anyway a chance purchase of a secondhand Warn 8274 had me shelling out the cash. It still had the wire cable that was in good condition and was mounted in a winch plate and frame to fit a…