4WD questions to ponder

Two photos regarding question 10; these were taken years ago when the P38s were still  in production and expensive … but some owners were prepared to wallow.

A baker's dozen of things you, too, may have noticed or been wondering about 4WDs:

1. Why do people keep saying the Suzuki Jimny is a good 4WD off-road?

2. Why won't Land Rover fit an automatic to the Defender?

3. Ditto Toyota and the Land Cruiser 70. The box from the 200 Series would do nicely.

4. Does it also astonish you that the Land Cruiser 70 LX wagon now lists at more than $80,000?


5. When will Jeep put the KK Cherokee out of its misery and give us a new one that lives up to its predecessors?

6. Has the Nissan Patrol had any credibility since they dropped the TD42 diesel?

7. How do you think the Hummer H3 would have gone with a decent engine? Too late now, don't bother answering.

8. What was Toyota thinking when it signed-off the lousy outward vision of the FJ Cruiser?

9. Does anyone use the current-model Pajero seriously or semi-seriously off-road?

10. Why are so few P38 Range Rovers used as club trucks? They're cheap enough.

11. How quickly do owners get sick of their four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited?

12. Regarding question six, should we petition Nissan to put the two-door GQ back into production?

13. Have you noticed how owners of straight, low mileage Suzuki Samurais can pretty much name their price?

Let's clog up the courts

The police threat to permanently lower the speeding tolerance to 4km/h is ridiculous; despite modern electronic speedos four kilometres an hour is within the margin of error for many vehicles. The change will do nothing to lower the road toll, only further alienate the police and the public and clog the courts as the number of defended tickets spirals. As an aside, driving home from National Park on low-tolerance Waitangi Day with cruise control set at 100km/h in an effort to tame the Jeep's thirst for fuel, almost every vehicle overtook me, including vans and cars towing caravans.

The easiest way to fix a track hazard

Hand a spade to enthusiastic Auckland 4WDer Peter Vahry, then casually look the other way while he does all the work. Disclosure: Being a bit mischievous here with this example of how the camera lies. Martin Langridge (left) of the King Country 4WD Club and Jack Talbot (centre), Auckland 4WD Club, were pitching in before becoming momentarily distracted. For the How and Why, see the next item.

Preparing for National Park

Hmm, will this bridge stand up to another safari pounding?

Feb 22 update: Too late, the safari is now full. 


Spent Waitangi weekend helping – and I use the term loosely as the others did all the work – prepare for the Auckland 4WD Club's National Park safari, now coming up to its fourth year on March 3-4. It’s open to anyone with the $70 entry fee and a 4WD that has low-range gearing. This year, it raises funds for Ruapehu Alpine Rescue. It's a great spot among some equally great scenery and the Waitangi weekend mission was to make the run as different as possible from last year's event. The two Landcorp farms are littered with tracks, so the mission has been pretty much accomplished. It was mainly a matter of finding out which new ones were drivable and whether they really went where the map indicated. 


Despite the presence of a couple of tough-truck Nissan Safaris, this is an event easily do-able by any 4WD with low range and a driver with a modicum of off-road skills. But don't get too complacent, as the organisers have thrown in a few surprises that might cause a few butts to clench. You can get information on the trip and accommodation here. I reckon that at 70 bucks for one and-a-half days, it's the best value on this year's tag-along calendar. On top of that, the trip finishes around noon on the second day at the 42 Traverse so those who want "one more trail" can knock it off, too.

No, Martin Langridge isn't taking a quick heave; he's confirming that it looks like the bridge will, indeed, stand up to another safari, or so it seems from the underpinnings.

"Hey, I like the cut of your BFGs, big fella."

It's a bit boggy here, but the group fails to get stuck.

Group of spectators decide it'd be better to flock off.

Martin Langridge leads the team.

We stop for lunch at the 42 Traverse, while swarms of blowflies dine on the animal dung that has accumulated on our trucks. The Jeep tasted delicious.

The Trooper gets a hand across the hazard that Peter Vahry is seen digging in the item above.