AUSTRALIA has a love affair with the humble 70 Series LandCruiser. There's just something about them that speaks to us on an almost genetic level. Rugged and adventurous, without all the glitz and glamour that'd see them compared to a tall poppy. They're part of our culture, ingrained in us so deeply that it almost seems ludicrous that Burke and Wills didn't just load up a Troopy and slip on a pair of thongs for their ill-fated adventure up through the Red Centre. Combine those romanticised ideas of the old leaf-sprung 70 trundling along a dirt road, with the off-kilter idle of a diesel under the bonnet, and is it any wonder we collectively lost our minds over the double-cab 79? You'd be hard-pressed imagining a better vehicle for Aussie conditions.
Unless of course your name is Ben Kingham, the man behind the ideas and the spanners at OzTrack Custom. Then your job would be to literally imagine a better version of a 70 Series, and set about building them for willing customers. If Ben was a painter, we'd call this 79 his masterpiece. But what exactly has he done here to flex those creative muscles? Let's take a closer look.
TRACKING RIGHT
ANY 79 built to the nines is going to have a shopping list as long as your arm to get the suspension working, and when it comes to making the suspension work, Ben's 79 doesn't leave anything on the table. Starting from the ground up, the factory Toyota rear axle has been relegated back to the Jurassic era when it was first designed. In its place, OzTrack has slotted in a Superior Outback Tourer Diamond diff. This not only allowed a significant GVM boost up to 4T, but also corrected the trackwidth, bumping the rear in line with the front, and afforded a strength upgrade as well. The US-built 300m RCV axles slot into OzTrack 4340m billet drive plates and trick anodised axle caps for a sleek finish.
This story is from the December 2023 edition of 4x4 Magazine Australia.
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This story is from the December 2023 edition of 4x4 Magazine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
OUTBACK WATERING HOLES
SINCE OFF TRACK WINES WAS LAUNCHED, OWNERS ANNA AND BRETT FISHER HAVE DRIVEN MORE THAN 20,000KM UP, DOWN AND ACROSS AUSTRALIA SPRUIKING THEIR WINES-IN-A-CAN MADE FOR CAMPING. THEY DROPPED INTO PLENTY OF OUTBACK PUBS ALONG THE WAY AND THESE ARE THEIR SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FAVOURITES
BIG COUNTRY
THE PILBARA IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF BIG COUNTRY, AND THERE IS PLENTY TO SEE, DO AND ENJOY IN THIS ANCIENT LANDSCAPE IN WA'S RUGGED NORTHWEST
ISLAND PARADISE
NEAR THE TOP OF THE BUCKET LIST FOR EVERY AUSSIE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVER, K'GARI IS PACKED WITH STUNNING HIGHLIGHTS AND BOASTS SOME OF THE BEST BEACH DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY
WEIGHTLIFTING
INCREASING THE GVM OF YOUR 4X4 SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN SHOULD NOT BE AVOIDED IF YOU NEED IT. WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS ON OUR FORD RANGER TO EXPLAIN HOW TO GET IT RIGHT
NOW HEAR THIS
THE CEL-FI GO MOBILE BOOSTER WILL KEEP EMAILS, MESSAGES AND CALLS COMING THROUGH TO YOUR DEVICES WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS HEARING CRICKETS
LOOKING BACK
A PAIR OF MSA 4X4 TOWING MIRRORS ENSURE WE ALWAYS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND US WHEN WE HAVE A TRAILER HITCHED TO OUR MITSUBISHI TRITON
TRUCKIN' LIFE
CAN FORD AUSTRALIA'S NEW F-150 BE AN ACCOMPLISHED OFF-ROAD TOURING 4X4?
WHAT LURKS BENEATH
IT MAY LOOK LIKE A FAIRLY STANDARD (IF CLEAN) 80 SERIES, BUT DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER AND YOU'LL FIND A MONSTER BELOW THE SURFACE
EYE OF THE HURRICANE
RAM HAS DUMPED ITS HEMI V8FOR A SIX-CYLINDER, AND IT'S COMING TO AUSTRALIA
GETTING TANKED
GWM EXPANDS IT TANK 4X4 RANGE WITH THE LUXURIOUS TANK 500 WAGON