AUSTRALIAS MOST WANTED

in the shadows. (He doesn’t even have a mobile phone let alone social media) we bonded as I got to know him over many phone conversations, and what he wanted of his tailor built 79. He wanted a go-anywhere vehicle built for the rugged outback Australia, away from people.
The portal axle conversion seemed fitting, for its high ground clearance, wider wheel track means more stability, more places he can travel alone without calling in backup which is what he is used to.

Off grid sustainability and self-reliance were key factors, this meant having a reliable 12v system, 60l of water were the essentials, then the well-deserved creature comforts like a full leather interior with upgraded seats, sound proofing and the best sound system available. We even added a Starlink satellite dish to the roof for emergencies.

We decided together on a half canopy with inspiration from the SEBOSS build, this offers space for an upright fridge/freezer and all your cooking essentials, 200ah lithium battery and 12v system (charger/inverter etc) and a large slide out draw with ample storage. This would leave the second half of the tray for general storage like firewood, jerry cans and a possibly a few RPG’s (jokes).

For sleeping, a swag would be suffice – a step up from being in the trenches. A tow bar was fitted with discussions of a future trailer/bedding of some type for the longer colder trips in the future.

For performance we have upgraded the whole intake and exhaust system, and finished off with a dyno tune.

When we received the vehicle from Toyota, the original chassis paint was quite bad, so we gave it the full treatment with 2 coats of Upol Raptor. And for the duco, an Xpel PPF wrap was done for paint protection as we knew this thing would see some tight tracks throughout it life.

Handover was done at our SE HQ in Sydney, the owner flying in where we finally got to meet and go through every nut and bolt of his new weapon. He obtained a interstate unregistered vehicle permit which allowed him to drive it back home to be registered in his home state.

Since writing this post, we have remained friends with a phone call from time to time, and look forward to heading away on a trip in the near future. Away from people. Haha.