NZ4WD

opening shot

‘Ghoulies’ the local used to call them, when I first made my way to the West Coast back in the early 1980s to contest the Franz Josef (motorcycle) Enduro. ‘Ghoulies’ are the big, smooth rounded rocks exposed by the constant run-off of water from the mountain ranges which separate the Coast from the rest of the South Island. I was reminded of them as I read Scott Feller’s account of his recent trip into Montgomerie Hut and back (Page 24). This shot shows what happened to mate Sven when his ‘otherwise trusty 70 series’ got hopelessly hung up on its leaf spring hangers on just such a ‘ghouly’ in the middle of the Waitahu River. “Jamie attempted a quick snatch but the 70 was well and truly stuck,” explained Scott.…

from the editor

Like a lot of you, no doubt, I spend a lot of my at-home ‘downtime’ at the moment watching YouTube videos. As a way of passing time I’d rate it in the ‘guilty pleasure’ basket. Obviously, there’s never any shortage of chores around the house and/or garden I probably ‘should’ be doing. But ‘hell’ I seem to be working harder (definitely longer hours for less money) than I have in years at the moment so my attitude (or rather my ‘defence M’Lord’) is that I ‘deserve it.’ Algorithms being what they are it didn’t take long for my computer to decide that 4WD 24-7 (aka the Shaun Whale & Graham Cahill ‘show’) was what I wanted to watch. And – again, like a lot of NZ4WDreaders out there – I’ve got to…

hunt on for ‘crumpy’s iconic ‘ad’ hilux!

Where is Crumpy’s original bush-bashing, rut-busting, river-running Toyota Hilux? Not to mention ‘Scotty’s similar ‘city-busting version.’ The two iconic Toyota Hiluxes were the stars of arguably the most beloved advertising campaign ever in New Zealand, Barry Crump’s 1980’s Toyota Hiluxes. Toyota New Zealand is keen to find the red 1982 Hilux used in the first television commercial starring the unflappable bushman-poet Barry Crump and his sidekick, city slicker Lloyd “Scotty” Scott. They are also on the hunt for the yellow 1983 Hilux from the second commercial, which also featured the comedic duo. A new marketing campaign is about to be filmed to launch the new 2021 Hilux and Toyota is looking to include one or both iconic Hilux vehicles because, as Toyota New Zealand’s General Manager of Marketing, Andrew Davis, says, “the…

‘spellbinding’ new ram 1500 on its way!

RAM Trucks’ product onslaught continues with the arrival – in October here in NZ – of the new V8 Hemi-powered 1500 Warlock, a seriously-tough addition to the RAM family. Based on the new Crew Cab, Warlock’s key features include aggressive exterior styling, RamBox Cargo Management System, leather-trimmed upholstery, and a factory fitted suspension lift. Inside, leather-trimmed upholstery, dual-zone climate control, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity via the UCONNECT 8.4-inch touchscreen ensure every drive is a breeze. Powering the Warlock is RAM’s familiar 5.7-litre V8 Hemi, a burbling monster of a donk producing a mighty 291kW and 556Nm of torque. With an 820kg payload and the standard trailer brake control system, Warlock has a mighty 4.5 tonne max braked towing capability, pulling boats, trailers, or campers with ease. Here the RAM 1500…

terrain tamer expands

Australian 4WD parts brand Terrain Tamer is in expansion mode, recently opening a branch in the Cape Town suburb of Bellville to service the wider African community. Still owned and operated by Frank Hutchinson, who started the company in Melbourne in 1969, Terrain Tamer got its start supplying 4WD parts to tour operators who took tourists through rough, uncharted terrain in the Australian outback, to destinations such as Uluru. The company now boasts a product range of over 40,000 unique part numbers, essentially formed by parts that will keep a 4WD running – right through the gearbox, transfer case, CV joints, filters, suspension, bearing kits, brake, clutch and thousands of other parts. Operating for over 50 years, Terrain Tamer now has branches in every state of Australia, as well as New Zealand, Fiji,…

ford’s all-new bronco is (finally) back

In mid-July Ford finally did it – officially launched its all-new and much-anticipated 2021 Bronco line-up – including a classic two-door and first-ever four-door version – the flagship of an all-new family of rugged off-road vehicles. With its distinctive heritage-inspired style, legendary Ford engineering and smart off-road technology, the new 4x4 Bronco is aimed at families who want to experience the great outdoors in safety, comfort and style. “We created the Bronco family to elevate every aspect of off-road adventure and equipped them with class-leading chassis hardware and exclusive technologies to raise the bar in the rugged 4x4 segment and take people further into the wild,” said Jim Farley, Ford chief operating officer. “They’re built with the toughness of an F-Series truck and the performance spirit of our Mustang,” he said. Ford creating a…