1998 Toyota TroopCarrier

Engine - 4.2L 1HZ
Transmission - 5 Speed Manual
Suspension - 2inch Old Man Emu
Tyres - 255/85r16 BfGoodrich KM2
Equipped For - Touring

Jake & Emma this must be one of our favourite TroopCarriers out there! What made you guys pick the Troopy for your adventures?

Just like Australia, Land Cruisers have always felt like a part of kiwi car culture and growing up I knew that I wanted one someday, especially from the 70 Series family. But unlike Australia, Troopcarriers are still super scarce over here and are typically only really found amongst commercial industries, such as Tourism and Forestry, so until a few years ago they did a pretty good job at staying off my radar.

Our adventure with this wagon all began in 2016 when Emma's mate Dom over in Aus recommended we check out these things called a 'Troopy'; as he reckoned they'd be the ideal truck to set up as a New Zealand tourer. As we quickly became familiar with these wagons, and again due to the scarcity in NZ, we knew we had to look to Aus if we wanted to pick one up for the right price. Sure enough, after a few months of trawling through Gumtree and Car Sales, and convincing dozens of people I wasn't an international scammer, we had locked one in from a bloke in inland Queensland. A week or so later it was boarding a ship, ready to be imported to New Zealand, with seventeen tonnes of red dust for our troubles.

With your build, it looks like you’re trying to pay homage to the original classic look of the Troopy with the split rims, visor and stock chrome bumper.

You're bang on! We always wanted it to have some sort of a classic look, and with an abundance of parts from SWB cruisers in New Zealand, I figured it'd be cool to make our 1998 wagon a little unique by using the bumper and grille from a 1985 BJ70, and fitting a grandpa spec visor as the icing on the cake. The wheels were inspired by Alex from @fitgarage first Trakka Troopy, and without wanting to overcomplicate the exterior, we were pretty happy as she sat from there.

It looks like you guys have put in plenty of blood, sweat and tears into the rear fit-out. How many times have you changed it?

We're currently on our third iteration of a rear camper fitout. Each time we build it out, enjoy it and put it through its paces, and then plan out what we can do better next. It really isn't the most cost effective method, but we love planning it out, getting stuck in with the builds, and everything we've learnt each step of the way.

What advice would you give to someone looking at a second-hand Troopy?

They're amazing vehicles really. Super spacious, simple, strong, and easy to work on. They're like a giant tin can, so stock standard they're pretty loud, and move around like a bus offroad. Like many Land Cruisers, rust would be the key thing to be mindful of, and 100% a big concern if you're looking to import one from another country like we did, as you'll pay for it when it comes time to get it registered and roadworthy.

We know you guys do a heap of traveling around New Zealand. What are your favourite places to explore?

We've now done two decent laps of New Zealand, but our favourite places to explore would be Northland, the East Cape, Otago and the great Mackenzie Country around the Southern Alps. Truly fortunate to have all these great places accessible in little old New Zealand.

Photos by Emma Orchard & Jacob Emmens