ford

For over two decades, Pat Callinan has built himself a reputation as a no-nonsense outback tourer. His shows, websites, magazines, and 4X4s have all been about exploring the Australian landscape focusing more on the natural beauty and the excitement of discovering new tracks, than showboating. But with last season’s Everest and Ranger builds serving as big-lap proven tourers, and the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a 2024 F-150 Lariat, what happens when Pat wants to have a little fun? What does it look like when he sets out to build a rig that’ll put a smile on his face whether he’s parked up trackside in Innamincka, or just heading to his local watering hole to spend an afternoon with mates? Enter ” Project Thirst Responder”, a vehicle that marks a departure from Pat’s utilitarian ethos to embrace the sheer joy of motoring down an outback track with the promise of good times and better mates at the end.    The Rig     Ford’s F Series line of trucks has had an on-again-off-again relationship with Australia. Factory-backed, we’ve seen a few models over the last 50-odd years including the F-250 in the mid-2000s, and the F-100 and Bronco back in the 80s. While you’ve been able to buy grey import and locally converted F-150s for a while now, Pat’s 2024 model…