Some things just get better with age
WORDS BY DAN EVERETT IMAGES BY WARREN PILTON
Do enough laps around the sun and it starts becoming painfully obvious our slow descent into a throwaway society. The march for more is never-ending. Each year new models of everything vie for our attention. More bells. More whistles. More finance. The ad campaigns trying to convince us we couldn’t possibly do something without the latest and greatest technology, even if we’ve been doing just fine without it for the last 20 years.
Some things don’t need to be updated though. Some things are built to stand the test of time. Some things are worth keeping for life.
For West Australian native Warren Pilton, his 80 Series LandCruiser is a forever kind of deal. He’s owned it most of his life, and no amount of gadgets or gizmos could ever catch his attention.
Three decades ago, Warren was learning his trade down in Perth. An apprentice Master Tech and Auto Electrician in a Toyota dealership he spent his days doing pre-delivery inspections for lucky new 80 Series LandCruiser owners. Daydreaming on his smoko breaks with the other apprentices, promising them one day he’d own one. A few years later, working in the Kalgoorlie mines he’d saved his pennies and bought himself a 3-year-old 1994 LandCruiser. Neat as a button, sporting GXL trim, and Toyota’s legendary 1HD-T 12 valve turbodiesel six-cylinder backed up by an old school 5-speed manual it’s about as close to the holy grail of LandCruisers as you can get.
25 years later and that same 80 is still parked in Warren’s driveway. It’s had a few different setups over the years, but its current form might just be our favourite.
Under the bonnet, the 1HD-T has been yanked (it’s now living in his wife’s ’90 model Sahara) and in its place, Warren has slotted a 1HD-FTE out of a 79 Series LandCruiser ute. The later model donk is the pinnacle of Toyota’s big six-cylinder diesels. Sporting electronic injection and an updated head with 4 valves per cylinder it’s arguably one of the best engines ever built. Warren’s eked out a fraction more driveability out of it with a throttle controller improving throttle response on-road or dialling it back off-road. A Steinbauer performance chip was added in with the conversion to bump up torque and horsepower while an Ultimate 4X4 (back when they were called Strongarm) 170L sub-tank bumps total fuel capacity up to 260L. While the ‘box is standard ratios, Warren has swapped out the front and rear diff ratios from the factory 4.1:1 to a lower 4.56:1. Both front and rear gearsets are wrapped around ARB air-lockers and the full-time 4X4 capability has been retained. The only other tweak to the driveline is the use of a front driveshaft from the later model V8 LandCruiser utes helping eliminate the need for an aftermarket spacer to suit the lift.
Over the years Warren’s 80 has had a variety of lifts from 2in to 5in, but the current setup is without a doubt the most rounded. Up front, a set of Dobinson coils slot in between the solid axle and chassis. 3in over stock and with an extra 150kg of carrying capacity they’ve proved a comfortable and capable choice for the wagon. Warren’s paired them with a set of Tough Dog adjustable shocks, their 4in height allowing for additional down travel. A set of one-off Snake Racing radius arms to suit a 5in lift as well as their adjustable Panhard rod and weld on front diff guard.
Up the back and Warren has fitted up a similar spec again. The full-floating rear rides high on 4in lifted Dobinson coils matched with Tough Dog shocks although this time they’re rated at an impressive 600kg constant load. Poly Air airbags help bump those spring rates up even higher when the camper is hooked up. Warren made another set of custom sway bar extensions for the rear with a full set of Snake Racing adjustable arms holding the rear axle in place.
With ample room now available under the factory wheel arch flares, Warren has been able to slot in a huge set of 16x10in Allied Thunder wheels with a -44mm offset. They’re wrapped around 317/75R16 Toyo Open Country mud terrains. That’s a hair under 35in in the old measurements.
Back up on solid ground and Warren’s 80 is the poster child for how to build an 80. The tip of the spear so to speak is an ARB Deluxe winch bar. As tough as an Ox and twice as thick it plays host to a Warn XD9000 12V winch as well as the absolute laser beam ARB Intensity LED driving lights. With full radiator and headlight protection, as well as 5000kg, rated recovery points it’ll outlast religion. Moving back there’s a set of matching ARB scrub rails protecting the guards while ARB side steps protect the flanks. Up the back, a Strongarm rear bar armours up the vulnerable quarter panels while stowing dual Toyo spares. Up top Warren’s kept things simple. An alloy roof rack keeps weight down and storage up, while a Supa Wing wrap around awning provides ample shade no matter where the ‘Cruiser finds itself parked up for camp.
Swinging open the driver’s door and climbing into the captain’s seat reveals a lifetime of modifications and memories. The first thing that stands out as unusual is the removal of the second and third row of seats. With just Warren and his wife needing a seat for their outback adventures, the extra space was far better suited to camping kit than unnecessary seats. Up front, a GME TX3500 UHF provides communications via the 6.6db antenna bolted to the bull bar. A Kenwood 7in touch screen head unit heads up an extensive stereo system and LED interior lighting throughout provides ample lighting at camp. An aftermarket cruise control unit teams up with a host of on and off-road GPS units to make life that little bit easier on big touring trips.
There’s a whole host of camping kit filling out the wagon but the backbone of it all is a set of 20-year-old hand-made storage drawers right up the back. They’re the perfect place to stow odds and ends but also house a 60L water tank and a 39L Engel 12V fridge on a drop slide. An extensive electrical setup hides deep within too. A Bosch AGM battery is kept topped up by a Redarc 1225 BCDC, it’s got solar input for the twin 160W folding solar panels that live in the back as well as a separate Redarc dual battery isolator so they can jump-start the main battery from the AGM if they need to. Finally, a Redarc 700W inverter lives under the front seat and ensures all their portable batteries and camera gear are charged between stops.
Warren’s rig isn’t the kind of beast you’d see in 4X4 magazines these days, and it’s a damn shame. It’s a timeless classic and only getting better with age. Old school reliability, rugged, tough as an Ox and handcrafted to suit Warren’s needs to an absolute T.
