2010 Toyota 79 Series

Engine - 4.5L Turbo Diesel V8
Transmission - Manual
Suspension Lift - 5inch Superior Engineering (Front) Tough Dog (Rear)
Tyres - 35inch Micky Thompson All Terrains
Equipped for - Touring

What made you go for the 79 Series? 

I started off with a few different cars beginning with a 2009 SR Hilux and just had problem after problem. So I decided to sell and look for something that would be awesome to go on tough 4x4 tracks and chose a bright red GU Patrol Ute that unfortunately got stolen off me. I was then needing a new car and have always wanted a v8 79 series, so thought I would buy one. It took a while to try find a fairly clean looking one and in the end I found this one for a reasonable price.

Tell us about the canopy?

The canopy is a MW toolbox canopy made to the profile of my headboard to make everything look neat. It’s decked out with a Drifta draws and MSA fridge slide for my Waeco fridge. I’ve got a 200w 12v solar panel on the top of the canopy to charge my dual battery and helping that is a Redarc bcdc 1225 battery charger. I also have a retractable air line that goes to my compressor so it’s packed away neater, while it’s also quick and easy to get off for when I pump my tires up (can also use air tools with it too). I also have a Kings RTT for when I go away on trips. The canopy comes in handy but can also be a big pain because it adds heaps of weight to the car and is top heavy at the same time.

Lots of people give the V8 70 series a hard time, what are your thoughts on it?

I agree yes and no, depending on what you want to use it for. After owning both a patrol and a Landcruiser, the patrol was the best car in my opinion for tough 4x4 tracks and just fanging it around. I’ve slowly gotten out of always wanting to go on hard tracks and to just go touring and camping and the 79 in my opinion is a bit more reliable engine wise. They do get a hard time being leaf sprung in the back and the rear track is 100mm different to the front which most people try to correct. Other then that I think the 70 series is great.

With such a large lift and canopy how does the ute handle on-road and off-road?

At the moment it handles terrible on road as I haven’t got new radius arms to correct my caster. The weight of the canopy doesn’t help either, it feels like I’m driving a boat (you pretty much need a boat licence to drive my car haha). But besides that it is fun to drive and I love driving it around everywhere as lots of people tend to just look at it.

We have a fair few American and other various visitors to the site who unfortunately don’t get this V8 Turbo Diesel motor, can you tell us how you are finding it and if you’ve done anything to increase power among other things?

From factory the V8 is very under powered with only 98kw and just over 300nm of torque and with the weight my car is sitting at 3.6t it always struggled everywhere. I decided to go out and get my car remapped and tuned from ‘Down Under Diesel’ and it changed the car completely with nearly double the torque at 560nm and 142kw. It now drives like it should have been for a turbo V8, I’ve also got a manta 3” straight through shorty exhaust pipe which finished right under the passenger seat out the side. It’s loud but doesn’t bother me.

Images by Sunday Garage & thanks to Reece for sharing his Landcrusier.