 The Toyota HiLux has a pretty colourful history. Since 1968 when they were first released with a stump-pulling 1.5L petrol and 55kW of power, they have been used for almost every application.
As well as being the first car to drive to the North Pole, HiLuxes have seen duty as ambulances, mining vehicles and work hacks on nearly every Australian building site. They have even had a war named after them back in the 1980s!
Because of their reliability and capability of driving the sandy, rutted and poorly maintained roads of Northern Chad, the HiLux was the vehicle of choice for the Chadian army and were attributed to their defeat of Libya.
All of that aside, though, the HiLux is probably best known as an awesome platform to build an off-road warrior. Whether at a 4WD competition, local club meet or touring any part of the world’s best country, you won’t have to look hard to find a well-used ’Lux.
Their only failing in recent years has been the IFS set-up. While adequate for general driving and touring duties, if you push them too hard, you may encounter some strength issues from the independent front end. That, coupled with how hard they are to lift and their lack of front-end suspension travel, is what made up Matt’s mind to do something crazy with his new HiLux.
To fix the problem of no front-end suspension flex and a weak IFS set-up, Matt employed the skills of Seldom Seen Vehicles and Engineering in Picton NSW to completely rip out the standard Toyota IFS and replace it all with 80 Series gear. Matt reckons this has transformed his truck.
The front now flexes like no ’05-model HiLux ever has before, and Matt reckons that the set-up is “perfect for taking him places Nissans can’t go”. He is also overjoyed at how it handles everything from daily driving to work as a firefighter, and from dirt tracks to extreme 4WDing.
He would like to thank the guys at Seldom Seen for the top job they have done. After seeing this truck, it is a credit to their skill and workmanship.
If nothing else, this Tojo is testament to the fact that solid-axle vehicles aren’t a dying breed. As long as people are finding new ways to make today’s fourbies into hardcore weapons and tough all-round workhorses, there will be a healthy 4WD scene to get involved in.
Inside and Out
Being an extra cab, there isn’t really a whole lot of ‘inside’ to make changes to. Matt has fitted a GME TX4400 UHF to the roof console and a Magellan XL Explorer GPS mounted to the centre of the windscreen.
On the dash are the turbo-timer controller and an aftermarket fuel gauge to monitor the custom-built 90L fuel tank. The tank was constructed from 2mm-thick zincaneal and has been specially profiled to maximise underbody clearance.
An ARB High Output Air Compressor has been sneakily mounted in an alcove behind the seats. Frontal protection has been taken care of with a custom tube winch bar made by Seldom Seen out of 44mm high-tensile steel tube, so there is not too much that will get past it. Matt has wired up a 9000lb Premier Electric low-mount winch so that it can be remotely controlled from the cab.
The winch is a 9000lb Premier electric low-mount item. It has been wired up so that it can be remotely controlled from the cab.
Sidebars and integrated rock slider/side steps are made from 44mm and 38mm high-tensile tube and prevent the shiny new bodywork from getting too many dings. The guards have had rubber flexi flares added so that the 315/75 Pro Comp Extreme Mud Terrain tyres don’t protrude too much out of the body. The tyres are wrapped around Pro Comp steel Rockcrawler rims.
For night-time driving, Matt has mounted six Cibie Oscar driving lights to the front bar and another two Narva work lights to the standard Toyota sports bar.
» Continue to Page 2
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