A “20,000 K review” means the host is evaluating the vehicle after roughly 20,000 kilometers of real-world use. For off-road vehicles, this kind of mileage-based review is often used to judge durability, wear items, and how the setup behaves over time.
Term
Four inch manor exhaust
“Four inch” is the size of the exhaust pipe. Bigger pipes can change the sound and how easily the engine can push exhaust out.
The Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series is a tough, off-road 4x4 made to handle rough roads and long trips. Here, the discussion is about how the owner feels after driving it for about 20,000 km and adding upgrades.
A “lift” means raising the car higher off the ground using suspension changes. It helps the vehicle clear obstacles and can make room for bigger off-road tires.
A “full canopy” is an enclosed rear cargo cover, often used on 4x4s to protect gear from weather and theft. It also commonly integrates storage and mounting points for accessories.
“Duck” seat covers are tough fabric covers for the seats. They’re meant to protect the seats from dirt and everyday wear, especially if you use the vehicle off-road.
Car
the grenadier
They’re comparing the Land Cruiser to the Grenadier, another off-road 4x4 aimed at overlanding. The key point here is which one feels more comfortable and fits the owner’s goals better.
“Running gear” means the parts underneath that help the car drive and move—like the drivetrain and suspension components. They’re saying they wanted the Land Cruiser’s factory setup as the foundation for upgrades.
Term
fouries
“Fouries” is slang for four-wheel-drive vehicles. They’re talking about heading toward more serious 4x4 options.
Sound deadening is stuff added to the car to make it quieter inside. It helps reduce noise and vibration, which is why the host says it’s a priority for comfort.
Dynamic diesel performance is basically tuning the diesel so it feels stronger and responds better. It’s about changing how the engine manages fuel and boost so you get more usable power.
“Tickle turbo” means turning the turbo up a little bit so the engine makes more boost. It’s usually a mild change to make the car feel quicker.
Term
campus style
“Campus style” sounds like a particular way of setting up camping gear on the vehicle. It’s basically how they arrange and use the back area for camping.
Bar lights are extra headlights mounted on the front bar. They help you see farther ahead on dark roads and trails.
Term
scrubby side steps
Scrubby side steps are tough side bars/steps for getting in and out. They’re also meant to protect the sides when you’re driving through rough, brushy areas.
A “dog box” is a special kind of manual gearbox. It uses a more direct gear engagement method, which can make shifting more robust when you’re working the vehicle hard.
The Gunbarrel Highway is a famous remote road in Australia. The host mentions it to explain which upgrades were done before tackling that kind of tough trip.
A Tough Dog kit is an aftermarket suspension upgrade. It’s meant to make the vehicle handle better off-road, especially when you’ve added weight like bars, a tray, and other gear.
This is an extra fuel filter setup placed before the main one. It helps keep dirt and water out of the fuel so the engine runs cleaner and more reliably.
The airbox is part of the engine’s air intake. It helps control how air gets into the engine, and off-road versions are often better at keeping dust out.
That’s the extra electrical system in the car that runs accessories on 12-volt power. Off-road setups usually improve wiring and power so gadgets work without draining the main system.
A tune is a calibration update to the engine’s control unit (ECU) to change how it runs—often to match new intake/exhaust/fuel hardware or to improve drivability. In off-road contexts, it can help the engine respond better under load and maintain smoother fueling.
The “70 series” is a Toyota Land Cruiser model line. It’s built for tough driving, and people often add protection like bull bars so the front end can handle rocks, branches, and debris on trips.
Term
sluggish
In this context, “sluggish” describes throttle response and low-speed acceleration feel—how quickly the vehicle reacts when you ask for power. They’re warning that if you’re coming from another car into a 70 Series, the V8 may feel less immediate until it’s tuned or you adjust expectations.
All-terrain tires are made to handle both normal roads and rougher off-road surfaces. They have tread that grips better on dirt and gravel, but they’re still meant to be usable day-to-day.
“Rear track” means how far apart the rear wheels are from left to right. If it’s not set up the way you want, people often change it after buying the car.
A “track correction kit” is an add-on you buy to change where the wheels sit. The goal is usually to make the rear wheel spacing match what you want, instead of leaving it as-is from the factory.
This means the exhaust pipe is about 4 inches wide. A wider exhaust can help gases flow out more easily, which can improve breathing and change the sound—though it’s not always necessary for everyday driving.
Bigger tyres can change how the car grips the road and how it feels to drive. They can also make the ride and steering feel different compared with the factory tyres.
“Heavier back” means the rear of the vehicle has more weight than before. That can change how the car sits and how it feels when you’re driving, especially when turning.
“35s” means bigger off-road tires—about 35 inches tall. Bigger tires can change how the car rides and steers, especially compared to smaller tires like “33s.”
“33s” means smaller off-road tires—about 33 inches tall. Compared to “35s,” they often feel a bit easier to drive on the road while still being capable off-road.
Off-road capability means how well the car can handle rough, unpaved, or tricky terrain. They’re saying the LandCruiser did better than expected when they tested it off-road.
Traction control helps stop the wheels from spinning when you’re on slippery ground. They’re asking whether traction control (and similar systems) switched off during the dash issues.
ABS is the system that helps you brake without the wheels locking up. If ABS is down, stopping—especially on wet or loose surfaces—can be less controlled.
Low range is a special low-speed gear in a 4x4 that makes the vehicle move slowly with more pulling power. First gear low range is the lowest, most controllable setup for steep hills and rough trails.
Second gear is the gear you use right after first. If it’s “short,” the car moves to the next gear quickly, which can change how the truck feels when you’re creeping along.
“Free” steering means the wheel can move a bit before the wheels actually turn. That “play” can make the car feel less precise, especially when driving straight.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact SUV meant for regular driving. It’s designed to feel comfortable on regular roads, which is what the podcast is pointing out. Some versions can also have 4-wheel drive, depending on the model.
“Sensors” are the car’s electronic “eyes and ears” that help it detect what’s happening. If a vehicle has fewer sensors, you generally can’t rely on as many automatic safety/handling features.
Term
line corners
A “driving line” is the path you try to follow through a corner. If you don’t know the road well, choosing the wrong path can make the car feel sketchy, so you need to drive carefully.
The “79” is short for the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Series, a tough 4x4 meant for hard use. Here they’re saying it doesn’t feel as great for quick, hard braking unless you upgrade the brakes.
“Heavy G” brakes are brake components designed to handle higher deceleration forces (“g” loads) than standard setups. The idea is better fade resistance and stronger, more consistent stopping when you’re doing repeated hard braking—like towing, descending, or frequent stop-start traffic.
Tarantama is the brand of brake parts the speaker installed. They’re saying those brakes have been strong and consistent, helping them stop safely when traffic suddenly brakes.
On a 4WD, you can switch between “high range” and “low range.” Low range makes the car crawl slowly with more pulling power, which is useful for rough trails.
They’re talking about 4WD—power going to all four wheels. That helps the car stick better on slippery or rough ground, especially when you’re going slowly.
Company
AGD
AGD is the workshop the host is praising. The point is that people who know Land Cruisers trust them to do the work.
That phrase means the installer is really good at the car’s 12-volt electrical system. They’re the kind of person you go to for wiring up accessories and making sure everything works safely.
A “PDP kit” is a set of parts and upgrades for a diesel to make it run better. The idea is usually to improve airflow and how the diesel system breathes so it feels stronger and more responsive.
The Acura TLX is a mid-size sedan that’s made to feel more upscale than a basic car. In the podcast, it’s mentioned because someone needs to coordinate how to get it to a location. It’s being referenced as a specific car model in that process.
“Ranger” means the Ford Ranger pickup. People often compare it to a Land Cruiser because it’s a common 4x4 option with lots of parts and accessories available.
The Toyota Hilux is a midsize pickup truck that’s commonly used for work and outdoor driving. The podcast mentions it because it’s a well-known model and because people are talking about hybrid versions. It’s being brought up as a popular choice in that category.
“Hybrid electrics” are cars that use both a regular engine and an electric motor. The goal is usually better fuel economy, but people still want to know how well they work for towing and off-road driving.
The Ford Falcon is a car model that can be modified or customized. In the podcast, it’s used as an example of a vehicle you could choose if you wanted to do a certain kind of project. It’s being mentioned as a possible starting point.
They’re name-dropping the Subaru Forester as a practical car for trips. The idea is that you can use it for getting around and doing some dirt/gravel-style driving.
“Due diligence” means doing careful checks before buying a used vehicle—like verifying its condition, service history, and overall suitability. In car buying, it’s the difference between assuming a car is fine and confirming it with real evidence.
Armrests are the padded supports you rest your arm on. They can make long drives less tiring, especially when you’re trying to keep your arm in a comfortable spot.
Cup holders are the little built-in spots where you put your drink. On bumpy drives, they help keep your drink from tipping over.
LIVE
Alright, four-drive podcast, we're back, powered by side power, built by Grounded, and not
in the back of that studio today, but in Liam Douglas' 79 series cruise, I hope you
can hear us over them.
Ah, the V8 sound, because it's loud, mate, it's a loud, loud sounding car, shout out
to Terrain Tamer on board now with the tip of the week, the Terrain Tamer tip of the
week, and I hope you got a bloody good one, mate, because I think in the episode we're
going to be talking about your car.
Yes.
Because how many K's are you on now?
We have done, on this drive, to where we are going, we will tick over the 22,000 mark.
So it's a bit of a 20,000 K review of the 79, we thought we're going out bush or we
can jump in the car and have a little chat about the 79, and yes, it is loud, and that
may be part of my answers to some of your questions.
It's loud, the sound of this thing, so enjoy that drone noise in the background, but you
might be able to hunt that out.
Hopefully they're hungry, we've got some editing whiz happening there, which we know that we
can do.
Yes, and the biz.
Yes, we are very good at it, over there at Backchat Studio, so give us a listen, mate.
Wow, we're in that bush, I think the first time in a while you and I are heading out
bush together, which is nice, you messaged the other day and said, let's go, I'm sick
of just hitting the curbs between the four drives, get me out there, get me out, let's
go.
He sent through a few pins, not too far out of Perth.
He sent through a few pins.
A few pinnys?
Locations on the map.
Locations on the map.
Yes, sorry, we're just going to use slang on this podcast for anyone who doesn't know.
How'd you go about finding the locations, mate, because I'm interested in just in your
process there to go, all right, we're going on a day trip, we're not doing an overnight
or anything, we're doing a day trip, what were you looking for, did you go hills?
I wanted to go, obviously it would have been great to get an overnighter, but so we're
filming and recording the day after a game for me and we played a late game last night,
so it would have worked out quite well.
Good game by the way, mate.
Good game, had a win, but if we had have say that game had been a bit earlier, we could
have punched it out last night, although yesterday was one of the worst days of weather I have
ever had in my almost 12 years of living in Perth.
In terms of wind, because I don't think it was that rainy, it wasn't like this down
last night, yeah, it came down because it wasn't too bad, I went and watched you play
you and the boys and it wasn't, it held up, it wasn't pissing down, which I was like,
oh, okay, great, because I was sitting on like level one, like out on the cover, not
on the cover, and I was like, whoa, must be nice, it must be very nice, I don't think
I don't know, just standard tickets, mate, you know, just a banter.
Yeah, so when it worked like yesterday, it was the amount of debris on the roads this
morning, like there's a serious cleanup meeting in Perth, that was a decent little storm that
not little it.
Going around Lake Munga, there's a few trees, there's waves in Lake Munga, yeah, it was just
a good foot of surf, but anyway, I thought we've only got a day, so we don't necessarily
bloody have all day either, but I was like, let's get out, we're going to record on the
way out and do a little bit of a review on this thing, but then also maybe we might have
a little surprise in store for the upcoming episodes in a week or two, but...
We do.
We got some things planned.
Yeah, but it was like, so we're sort of facing ourselves out of Allenbrook, and we're, honestly,
we're sort of 40 minutes away from all of the destinations that I've marked, and I've
not been to them before, so we're kind of just going to go and have a look, we just jumped
on Google Earth and had a look at some spots, found a couple of little tracks, and it'd
be good for Perth people, we'll let you know where we are when we get there, because for
a little run out of Perth, it's not that far, and we're hoping that it gives us a little
bit of a feeling like we're in the middle of the bush, just surrounded by nature.
God, I love the sound, mate, as you take off, oh, it's good, not speeding, it's more
buff than bite.
It is, yeah.
How, what exhaust have you got on this?
Four inch?
Four inch manor.
Four inch manor exhaust.
Yeah.
Now, I'm going to, you haven't asked me what I'm just going to tell you.
No, no, no.
The elephant in the room is the sound inside the cab.
Now, some people love it, I kind of love it.
At times, it does get a little bit frustrating.
Okay, I was going to ask about it, because it is quite that, and you've obviously got
a newborn child who, car seat in the back, you're driving around with Solly in here.
Yeah.
How does Solly go with it?
There's not an issue for him, he actually, I think, drives the drone sound, which I've
spoken about before.
Yeah.
Wait, that's the...
No, it's not him, it's another one though.
Oh, wow.
He's got a wave as well.
Come on.
I've just seen a couple of like, big, like, not big, they're like falconutes, but with
all like the big bull bars, mud flaps, spotties, aerials, the full like, yeah, Denny
U-Mustache style U-Mustache.
And that's our second one that we've seen, in a very short space of time.
We are doing a bit of this on our topics here.
Yeah, sorry.
Sorry, I was just talking about...
Oh, the sound.
The sound of the car.
One thing that I probably, I'm going to look into, and I sort of already have been, is
is sound editing the cab.
And it's purely because it's, when it's just me, I don't really mind too much, but when
Lauren's in the car or yourself, J-Dog, it is a little bit hard sometimes, especially
when you're just cruising at like 100, 110 on the freeway.
It's quite loud.
There's a bit of wind noise.
You're trying to listen to a tune, there's a lot of competing factors.
Oh, he's turning his head at your car, mate.
Yeah.
Good.
But it's, yeah, I think sound editing is something that I will look to do in the future.
And I feel like I should probably have a crack at it myself.
Apparently, it's not that difficult.
Obviously, plenty of people have done it, there's plenty of videos on YouTube around
it.
Well, we had Corey on last week and he did it till he's 60 series himself.
He's basically pulling out the seats, pulling up the carpet and laying it down.
So I've done that.
Yeah, you haven't.
It's sound editing, but I've pulled the seats out and pulled up the upholstery and everything
just to get to the transmission.
Oh, okay.
Because when I had the gearbox issue and I replaced the gearbox, had to obviously pull
up all the trim and take the seats out to get into the gear seat, into the transmission
and undo some bolts up the top here to try and get that out.
So yeah, it's actually not difficult.
It's two bolts.
Yeah.
Two bolts on the seats.
I'm not sure if it would be as simple in another, no, it might not.
While it's alright.
It probably wouldn't be this.
But again, you're probably not needing to sound edit those because you're not getting
the same sort of cab noise, but it's definitely something I reckon I'll have done eventually.
It isn't that bad.
I can hear you quite like I hear that I can hear the interesting source.
So here you go when we go on a bit quicker.
Yeah, it'd be interesting to see how you go on trying to edit this up because I reckon
that's where you'll probably notice it, but it's it's not horrible.
No, it's not horrible.
It's just sort of at that 10000 and ten, it can get a little bit especially
like the times I've noticed it is, you know, maybe later night you're driving home from
dinner and, you know, we come out to Alenbrook quite a bit to say Lauren's family and say
we're coming back from dinner and it's like, it's just you're a little bit tired.
You kind of want to relax and it's just to get home and it's like there's just that.
But it's very it's first world problems and I wanted I wanted a four inch exhaust and
yeah.
No, I look I get that first world problems are still problems.
They do say that.
And they've always said that.
Yeah, they have always said that.
It's probably what people in the first world say it is what people in the third world people
aren't saying.
Well, they're still probably.
Yeah, they're probably not.
Yeah.
So how what?
How many Ks are we on at the moment?
Who's up?
Oh, no way.
76 is my, you know, all the times you get him.
Sometimes you don't.
All night.
So we're sitting on 21995 at the moment.
Yeah.
So not far off in 22 yet.
And then I've got a few questions for you on and how you're feeling about about
the car.
20000 Ks in.
Obviously, you were choosing or you were tossing up also shout out Hanbrew Hanbrew.
Yeah.
Shout out Hanbrew.
Great.
Great, bro.
Still still on them.
Yeah.
Still loving it.
A beautiful drop.
Obviously, you were tossing up between getting a quarter master or grenadier.
Yeah.
The wagon or the you probably the you the quarter master you were tossing up between the quarter
master and the 79
Yeah.
Obviously, you've chosen the 79
I'm keen to get your thoughts on how you're feeling.
22000 Ks in to owning the 79
You've obviously done a few mods to it.
You've got the tires, the lift, the bar work done.
You've got the full canopy on the back.
Thanks to TLX, I tech world with the twelve volt setup in the back.
You've got the the black duck seat covers, the one stone armrest inside.
The interior is quite nice.
You've done a you've done a few things to it, mate.
Like, yeah, is it first first question?
Are you happy with this over the quarter master?
Obviously, you've you've seen Ronnie's quarter master.
You've you've been in that you've driven.
Have you driven that one?
Yeah, I've driven the quarter master side.
But yeah, we were on the drive skip.
You drive skip.
We're on the gun barrel with it.
How do you feel about your decision for the 79 compared to the quarter master?
Does it sit well with you?
Yeah, it does.
It sits really well with me.
I often think about it to this day and every time that I've sort of reflected
on the decision, it's yeah, it always sits positively with me.
So I am I'm yeah, I'm very happy with the decision still.
And and I think to be honest, I think I always will be the one thing that I do
like it always with what you don't have.
You wonder, you know, could have it been better or always great.
You know, that's actually it is.
But I sort of don't really creep into it too far.
I've loved this.
Yeah, I'm loving this vehicle and it's been it's because it was such a dream
car of mine, like I sort of almost pitched myself sometimes that I've actually got one.
Yeah.
And I kind of like I probably sat on the decision for a long time.
The quarter master popped up or the grenadiers popped up and I started to
like my heart sort of fell in love with those for a while.
Yeah.
But yeah, now that I've had this for 22000 days, it's it's definitely
yeah, I'm super happy with my decision.
And yeah, like I just I love how capable this thing is.
Like obviously, a lot of my driving is is city based at the moment.
But the times that I've had this doing what it's meant to be doing, it's like
you just feel so it feels so sad.
It just feels like this is the car for Australia almost and some of the things
that I want to do.
And but in saying that the grenadier, if we're going to compare,
like Ronnie's proving that that he's doing as good, if not a better job
and he's doing it probably more comfortably.
So well, arguable, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah, I think it's more comfortable and I was going to have their
preference as to what they're chasing.
But the the comfortability for me was something that I was willing to part ways
with to get my V8, the Land Cruiser, the running gear on this out of the factory.
And then obviously the the aftermarket options that you have
and the grenadier will grow as well with those.
But that like the I don't think the Toyota badge and a 79 in particular or 70 series
can really be matched in that in that space.
So are we going up here?
Are we no further up further up?
We'll be further up.
So we're going to become fouries.
You know, I've loved every minute of owning this car.
And yeah, I feel pretty happy with where it's at right now, too,
in terms of the modifications and what's going on.
But there's obviously a little bit to do.
Obviously spoke about the sound deadening that's probably top of the list now.
And I just think that's that that is a comfortability thing.
Well, that's for me, that's just part of that experience in here and driving it.
I did think just as you were taking off of that hill on that turn,
I was like, yeah, the sound deadening would be we're in the hills now.
So you'll probably start to hear it a little bit.
Yeah, it's it's noisy.
But everyone knows that when you buy one of these.
So 100 percent.
That's why the sound ending is such a popular mod.
Yeah. And obviously, I've tuned it a little bit.
They're probably underpowered out of the gates.
So it's sort of that part.
I've only done a very small tune with dynamic diesel performance.
And I'll probably eventually end up back there and giving it a bit more of a tickle turbo,
something that I'll probably will upgrade to some stage as well.
Yeah.
That'll help with a little bit of that.
But yeah, in terms of the the mods coming up, I'm pretty happy with where it's at.
I'll probably just need to use it a little bit more now in terms of the back set up
and the the canopy and the campus style.
Yeah.
That's the next sort of, yeah, obviously, I haven't really camped out of the canopy
for any long period of time just yet.
So I'm trying to see how that works and figuring all that out as well.
So a couple of rows down there.
So you already know, this is the best thing about Perth.
Like we're still sort of in the next area of it.
Yeah, we whatever we've been going is the amount of time it's taking us to get out of the suburbs.
All bear we're on the edge of the the city.
Yeah, we're just out of the road buttings.
Yeah, but we're now we're sort of in the hills.
You already feel like you're getting a breath of fresh air out of here.
It's nice, isn't it?
This place is for sale here.
Why are we worth a pot of house?
I actually might have driven past this one before.
There is a beautiful view down towards Bell's Rapids right there.
And it's that house.
It's quite expensive.
But if you're looking at on campus, campus, campus, campus you go,
I don't know how you say a campus road.
I'm not a real estate agent or working for the agency, but that one's a nice home.
There's a cool lookout up here, actually, which we won't stop at because we're going to another lookout.
But there's quite a few nice places, not far out of Perth.
That is gorgeous.
I really wish I could show everyone this.
Yeah, there's a couple of cars there.
This is enjoying the view.
Yeah, this isn't good for us.
But everyone's stuck watching us.
We should turn the camera around.
No, we'll just explain it.
Yeah.
Yeah, so mods to the car.
Do you want to run us through what you've done and kind of in the order that you've done it?
Cool.
Oh, here we go.
High vote.
Yeah.
76.
76.
We're back.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Had the reflected gas panel.
What sort of wave was that that you got then?
Oh, I got the five finger one.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The five finger solution.
Just because I wanted to make sure that they saw.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And that we were both waving.
You know, that's what I wanted.
Yeah.
So run us through the mods you've done to the car already and maybe go for your top three
essential mods that you would do to this car every single time you do it, every single
time you get it.
Oh, I was in like if I was getting a 70 series again, what I would get to do.
Well, like say someone's getting a 70 series, they're getting a 79 and they're not 100%
on what mods they want to do in the car first.
Yeah.
Like what are your top three most important mods to do to this car from stock?
Basically probably in order of what I did, it was sort of, I think the bar work went on
first, cool bar lights, scrubby side steps, that sort of thing.
Obviously I had the tray on there.
So fitted a dog box on that at the time.
Yeah.
And that was your setup that you had on the gun barrel highway.
Yeah.
So this is a different setup than what you had on the gun barrel.
Yes.
Obviously you've got your suspension a little bit heavier rated.
Yeah, which tweaks that.
So that, but suspension went on early to lift, went on early, the tough dog kit and then
the exhaust was fitted quite early, snorkel was fitted quite early.
I can't remember the order of all that happening, but all of that was on prior to the gun barrel
trip.
So that was all sort of within the first, it would have been 8,000 K's I reckon.
Yeah.
Tires, wheels.
So all of that was kind of done ready to go.
Pre-fuel filter kit was done, airbox was done, all of that.
That's right.
Did you get the, you obviously got the diff breathers as well with that?
Diff breathers were done.
You got the combo kit.
I did, yeah.
So all of that was pretty, that was all done quite early.
So that was like, basically since the gun barrel trip, it's been the canopy.
The 12 volt setup has obviously improved.
Like I was running a basic object world setup for the gun barrel trip, but then swapped
that around to a much bigger setup now in the back of the canopy and the tune happened
post trip as well.
So I ran just the standard engine numbers, all that gun barrel trip, which was still
more than enough, especially for that style of driving.
So that was all done post that.
Everything else, basically everything on the exterior was pretty early except for the
diff breather kit and the fuel filter.
So that, that was all, yeah, out of the way.
I think for, for me, like nothing that I've done has been extremely necessary, if that
makes sense.
So if I was putting it down to a three that I would do or I would recommend for other
70 series owners to do.
Let's say straight away.
I think straight away, I'd do the bar work, like especially if you're going to be driving
it, if you're planning to go camping touring.
And especially WA.
WA, if it's a farm, you'd, I reckon anywhere, it's sort of, it's just, it's not cheap insurance
because it's, they're expensive, but like, I think just look, it's a big investment of
70 series.
So I think protecting the front end and that sort of thing is important.
And I think the bar, I think bars on the 70 series look good.
They just look like they're meant to be.
Yeah, they do.
So I probably would definitely go with the bar work.
This will be probably unpopular, but I would take it to get a little tick or tune.
Okay.
Just like, if you haven't come out of the 70 series, if you've come from another car
into one, I think you will find it potentially a little bit sluggish.
So I would say that an easy one to do and you don't need to go, you don't need to go
overs at all.
I don't think they don't need to go and get these big, make it a race car and try and
get the fastest 70 series out there.
But I think a little tickle helps.
It just makes driving a bit more fun, but also, yeah, especially in the city, like
it's all, I know it's important for elsewhere, but driving around the city, like just having
a little bit more punch when you need it to, you know, if you're crossing traffic or
something like that, just having a little bit more punch.
It's only minor, but I actually, I would do that every time.
And keep in mind, this is just for V8s, obviously, too.
Yeah, yeah, it's a little bit different in that sense.
Definitely different.
But I think the third one, it's hard like that.
You could almost pick your poison with it really.
It depends what, that sort of comes down to what you're going to use it for.
I think what I would do to any four-wheel drive is tires.
So, you know, not even.
Head to your local tire power.
Head to tire power and just get, even if it's just a set of rubbers, not like you can take
the stop rims to stop wheels and just get a decent set of all terrains on there or
something like that.
I think that would be the next go.
So, that's probably more so if you're going to be using it off-road.
But even so, if you're not, it's a good look.
Yeah.
The all terrains and they're probably the three that I would do straight away, but they're
probably three, maybe apart from the tune that I'd do to most four-wheel drives anyway.
So, it's probably no surprise.
No, that'd be pretty standard.
Bulba and Tune were interesting.
I would have thought they would sit outside the top three.
Yeah.
If I had more time to think, potentially I would find something else.
No, I like that it's just off the top of your head.
I think that those are the first three that you've gone to and tuned is different.
Yeah.
I don't think that...
I mean, it makes sense coming out of the Ranger, especially being automatic.
Yeah.
You've got that power straight away.
Yeah.
As soon as you put your foot there, you've got it going.
And you do kind of in this as well, but it just takes a little bit longer to get there.
Yeah.
It's probably just the car that I'd come from.
Yeah.
And I tuned my Ranger.
So...
Yes.
Yeah.
Look at this.
Put your arms up.
It's a roller coaster.
All right.
All right.
So...
Run up.
God, that is just such a gorgeous sound.
It's nice, ain't it?
It really is.
So we're on 22,007 at the moment.
Oh, we missed it.
We missed it.
And that's okay.
That's why we're talking about it.
You're 22,007 K's in.
Are you still as stoked with this car as you were when you first bought it?
Yeah.
Are you more stoked?
And these could be quick fire.
You don't just spend a lot of time on them if you want.
I'm probably more stoked.
Like I actually...
I said, sometimes I'll come out of the shopping center and I'll be like, that's my car in the
car park.
And it's actually like this.
It's cool.
I love looking at it.
And like I said at the start, like a bit of a pitch myself feeling sometimes that I've
actually got this vehicle.
So I kind of...
I still have that, yeah, that sort of appreciation for it.
And because it was a dream for quite a while to have a 70 series, you know, it wasn't necessarily
the ute, but the ute made sense for me in the stage of life that I was in.
So it's cool.
Like I love the look of it.
I love driving it.
So I definitely feel like it's still got that.
Yeah, I've still got that feeling about it for sure.
Yeah.
Is there anything that you would change to the car if you could?
Like from buying it, like from factory or...
Let's go from factory and then let's go like additional.
Is there anything that you've done to the car that you would change?
From factory would definitely be to correct the track, the rear track.
Yeah.
I just...
I find that so bizarre that...
And I'm sure Toyota have got their reasons, but just the fact that they haven't brought
that rear track out.
It's 100 mil.
Yeah, it's almost...
Yes.
Anyway, I don't get it.
I don't have the answers to that, but I just feel like that is something that should have
been sort of rectified on their end.
Because everyone goes and either offsets the rear wheels or they have to go and put a track
correction kit in which is an expensive task.
So I feel like that's the one, the big thing that from factory floor, I'd love that to
be different.
But that's okay.
That's fine.
And then from...
Something that...
So potentially...
You also don't have to change anything.
No.
You're happy with it.
You don't have to say, oh yeah, I'll change.
I'd love to change this just for the sake of change.
Yeah.
I mean, there's probably nothing really that springs to mind.
I feel like if we...
A four inch exhaust is pretty...
No, it's not outrageous, but it's plenty of people building it.
But it's a big one.
It is.
Did I need that?
Maybe not.
But I'm not.
I don't regret the decision.
It's just more, I probably don't need...
Well, it's not always about need.
No.
No.
So anyway, that's probably...
The track correction is definitely something that I wish from factory, but it was different.
Yeah.
Okay.
Let's move to the ride and handling.
Is there any surprises or anything?
How do you feel about the comfort of the car?
How do you feel about how the car handles?
Has it surprised you in the way that it drives compared to...
Let's compare it to the Ranger, because that's what you used to have.
Yeah.
Is there anything there that's kind of a bit...
I mean, it doesn't...
It'd be interesting.
Do you like the way it drives?
I do.
Definitely, you have to hang on more than you would in the Ranger.
It handles well.
You know, I definitely noticed the difference going from the stock tyres on no lift to bigger
tyres, lifts, you know, heavier back.
So I've noticed all of that change, but it's still...
I think it handled quite well.
I did like...
Yeah, it's not...
It doesn't sit on road like other cars, but it's definitely comfortable enough.
Like, it's not bad.
You know, comparing it to the Ranger definitely doesn't feel as calm and steady, but...
But no, it's pretty good.
With the 35s that I had on for a period of time, that was a very, very distinct change.
Going back to the 33s, it just suits probably this car at the moment, the way it's set up
and the driving that I'm doing.
So, yeah, I think at hand it was well enough.
I'm pretty happy with it, but yeah, there's certainly...
You hang on more, for sure.
It seems to drift a little bit easier than what my Ranger would on road.
Is there anything that surprised you with the car?
Like, is there anything that you expected to be worse that's better?
Is there anything that you expected to be better that's worse?
It surprised me is the off-road capability.
The trust that I quickly built on it on that gum barrel trip was just huge.
And there's a few things going on as well on that trip that everyone knows about.
I did the least thing and you haven't seen the trip.
That was just your...
You had some sense issues on the dash.
Yeah, I lost quite early.
Lost all my dash sort of stuff.
I didn't lose it, like it was still around.
Was it traction control and all that kind of stuff as well that switched off?
Yeah, the ABS system was down and all that sort of thing.
And just a few...
We had a few, like, false starts.
We almost didn't start.
Yeah, straight out of the first...
When we were leaving.
So there's a few things going on.
But yeah, the way it drove, sort of once we hit the dirt,
it just, yeah, like the...
It just felt like that's what it was made to do.
What...
The biggest surprise I had was...
I've got a room on the road here.
Was first gear low range downhill.
Okay.
That was...
Surprising.
That was incredible.
Yeah, I'd never felt that before.
Obviously, never owned a 70.
And I hadn't taken anyone else's down a steep rocky hill in first gear low range.
So we did the debris from the storm.
Yeah, so that was probably the biggest surprise
in terms of driving capability,
was that first gear low range is just an absolute weapon.
It is, isn't it?
I was exhilarating down that hill at times
because it was about to stop me.
So that's pretty cool.
And then you're talking about Mount Badell there on the South Mara Highway.
Yeah, yeah.
Okay.
And anything that you kind of thought would be worse that's better?
Or better, that's worse, sorry.
Obviously the first gear would surprise you.
You thought that wouldn't be as good as it was.
Is there anything that's worse in the car that you thought would be better?
Probably the...
I felt like first and second gear were pretty short
without the tune and the little remat.
So that was probably from...
Yeah, which is...
It's fine because you're not in them for long at all anyway.
But yeah, probably first and second were pretty short.
Yeah.
But that's fine that you can play around with that a little bit too.
But yeah, I think the...
Nothing really major there.
That's fair.
It handles pretty well.
Like I said before, the steering wheel was quite free in a way.
It's got a bit of play in it.
It's a fair bit of play.
Even mine does as well.
It does drift a little bit if you don't concentrate.
You do have to concentrate and drive it, I find.
Yeah.
Which is probably a good thing.
You sort of feel like you've got to be on.
Yeah, and that's not to say that you're not concentrating
and driving in the range.
It's just a little bit more focus on...
Those cars are comfortable.
Especially, you know, I drive Lawrence Tiguan
and they just sit on the road nice and comfortable to drive.
They've got all the sensors that let you know everything.
This has got not a lot of that.
So you are...
And changing gears.
That keeps you on as well.
So you can't...
Like driving around these roads, I've never driven on this road before.
Like, you've got to be careful around, you know,
line corners and all that sort of thing.
And the brakes on this are probably something
that I could update too.
That's probably something I haven't spoken about yet
that I potentially will upgrade the brakes
at some stage as well.
Just a heavy junior.
Yeah, a little bit heavier.
As I've gotten heavier, you do feel the car
sort of pushing you a little bit on the brakes.
That's where the manual gearbox helps to...
You can gear down and sort of use the engine a little bit.
But short-sharp braking, it's not the 79's forte.
Yeah, I got the...
I just replaced my brakes with...
Actually, Tarantama's heavy G-brake brakes.
Well, that's actually what I've been in contact with.
And those are...
I've been quite happy with those.
Those have been really good.
I've had a few close ones where it's like cars in front of me
will just break out of...
All of a sudden, you're like, oh, shit.
I've stopped every single time.
Which is great.
So, shout out to Tarantama.
Those are actually quite good.
Yeah, I might get myself a pack of those.
The V8.
Yeah.
I think that's kind of a big thing.
You've chosen the V8 over the 2.8-litre.
How have you found the V8 so far?
I might love it.
It's exactly what I wanted.
Yeah, it's been everything that I would have hoped.
And like I said, I want to use it more for what it's built for
and get it out more often.
Because it was awesome.
On that trip, we were away for a couple of weeks.
That was just...
Yeah, it just ate everything.
I loved it.
I love the options.
High range, low range.
Just the option and the manual as well.
I've never really understood the four-wheel driving in a manual.
Yeah.
But you get so much control, which I reckon is awesome.
You get that in the autos too.
100% I understand that.
But I feel like there's more.
It's sort of one and a half times the control I reckon in the manual.
So, I did love that.
And I was a little bit unsure how I'd go with the manual.
Just like actually four-wheel driving.
Yeah, I've loved it.
So, this is where we're pulling up to this...
Pulling up to the lookout here.
Pulling up to the lookout.
Which I actually don't know what we're looking at from this lookout.
Alright, let's do a quick one about fuel.
How are you finding fuel at the moment in terms of economy?
Not in terms of price or anything like that.
But in terms of fuel economy.
Yep.
You've got the upgraded tank on it?
No.
No.
Standard tank.
And what's the standard tank for?
It's $90.
It's $130.
Oh, I think it is.
Or is it not?
Or is it $90 main and then $40 spare?
No, I don't know.
It's just one tank.
Pretty sure it's $130.
I actually should know that off the top of my head.
I think one of us should at least.
Pretty sure it's $130.
It sounds alright.
But now the economies of across the 22,000 K's I've ran at 13.7 per 100.
Which is better than what I thought.
It's actually quite good.
I was expecting sort of potentially expecting 15.
Didn't know what I was expecting.
But I think it sits under where I thought it may be.
And especially with a lot of stop-start driving.
Like a lot of taking off.
You know, constantly stopping, taking off, stopping, taking off.
Which I find probably chews it a little bit more than just cruising it 80 or 100.
So that could be completely wrong.
But I find that the stop-start stuff drains it a bit quicker.
So 13.7 across those.
And that's including everything.
So it's pretty good I find.
I think so.
And do you drive it economically?
Yeah, I think so.
Or do you give it a beans?
No, no, no. I probably drive it economically.
Without being like, not for the fuel economy piece.
It's more just...
This is how you drive.
Yeah.
Because of the sound of it.
It'll turn heads when I give it a bit.
So I'm mindful of where I am when I do.
I don't want to drive down the main street of where I live.
Given it everything.
Because the car stands out.
So the people sort of know...
If they see...
I don't want to be that person that's this prick again.
I do drive it economically.
But it's more for that reason rather than a fuel economy reason.
Okay.
And how do you find driving it around the city?
Fine.
I thought it was going to be more annoying than what it has been.
I've heard that from other 79 drivers that have either had them and moved them on or still have them.
But it's done 22,000 k.
So it's still early-ish.
I've had it for a bit over a year.
But I find it fine.
The one thing...
It's annoying getting in it to go three minutes to the supermarket.
But that's a little bit annoying.
So I've spoken about getting potentially a run-around car.
Kind of paused on that a little bit.
It's probably not necessary.
But it is...
Yeah.
It's actually fine.
I'm sort of 15, 20 minutes to the footy club each day.
So it's like it's not...
Yeah, I'm not in it for three minutes and each and every day.
It's sort of more just the little...the coffee run or supermarket.
Yeah.
That's where it's a tiny bit.
Yeah.
So you might be driving it slightly different to how other people are driving it around the city
or around that area.
In terms of just how close you are to everything.
Yeah.
I'm very central in the world.
It's not...
Yeah, I don't have to go too far.
But it's...
Yeah.
When I think about...
I still may get a run-around potentially just for the ease.
But it's not...
And save the engine and all that kind of stuff.
Literally.
Just like give it a...
Unnecessary kilometres sometimes.
But it's also...
It's fine.
It's not a big deal.
Yeah, okay.
Alright, next one.
Servicing.
Yep.
How do you go with servicing the car, maintaining it?
Yeah.
How many services have you done to it?
I reckon I've had...
Do you do any yourself?
No, so I haven't done any myself.
I've probably had...
Probably had three decent services on it.
Plus I've...
One little...
Just check-up.
Yeah.
Basically.
Post...
Post the Gumball trip.
Which wasn't a...
I just...
All that's been with AUD Auto.
Yeah.
Good guys down there.
Yeah, Rippers.
And their LandCruiser specialist.
So I know that it's in good hands.
And I made that decision on...
On the fact that Pete from WA Canting Adventures...
Cam Wilde from Wild Touring...
Really 300 series.
Like those boys...
And when I was speaking to Pete about it...
He's in a 76 series.
He couldn't speak more highly of those boys at AGD.
So Aaron's looked after it for me.
And that reason was like they're a big investment...
As a vehicle.
He spent a lot of money on them.
And then...
And this is not at all a dig.
Because Toyota would...
They'd handle this perfectly.
And it would be great.
But I just...
Well, yeah.
With the investment that I made...
I wanted some specialists on it each and every time.
To pick up on the things that...
Potentially might get glanced over in a big workshop...
With...
Yeah, I mean...
Not to say anything about negative about Toyota...
Or like service dealers and all that kind of stuff.
But like...
There's...
What is it?
Stereotypes with that stuff.
There's some knocks on it.
That's not to say that that's everywhere though.
Like I feel confident taking it to Toyota.
But I...
I think if you find a mechanic that's good and reliable...
You stick with them.
And that's what I knew I was getting at AGD.
So I've done...
So it's just had like the 20,000 big service.
So that's cool.
Like they strip all the bearings and everything like that.
They repack those.
So it's all like...
I just know that it's getting looked after there.
And they'll let me know...
All the little intricate details of what's going on.
And they can pick up on it.
And they're good people to deal with.
So I'll stick with the boys at AGD.
And knowing that it's in good hands every time I go.
Because I don't...
It's probably potentially a little bit cheaper going to Toyota.
But I'm sort of OK with paying a little bit extra...
To make sure that it's getting the care that...
I just don't want to risk it basically with the investment that I've made.
Peace of mind as well.
Yeah.
All right.
Last...
I'm sorry.
AGD will...
They do...
Like they will help you build too.
So you can take it there for not only servicing.
But like if I needed anything installed or...
Oh they do it.
They're good with electrics as well.
Yeah.
And Andy's a 12 volt master.
Andy's really good.
So that's...
It's not just a servicing centre.
They do build for you too.
So they actually installed like the PDP kit in the front.
The exhaust.
Yeah.
The snorkel that they've done a little bit extra for me too.
Yeah.
PDP Perth diesel performance.
Yeah.
That's the pre-fuel filter and the diff breathers.
Yeah.
OK.
What is next?
What's next?
So maybe the sound deadening kit might be the next thing.
Yeah.
Upgrade the turbo potentially is something that I'll look into coming up.
Yeah.
Yeah.
There's not a whole heap at the moment that I'll probably have on the list.
What's next in terms of driving it, testing it out, going places.
What have you got?
It's getting it out.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's getting it out.
I'm not that interested in hardcore four wheel driving.
It's more just I want to go and take it away.
And yeah, so hopefully, you know, as footy winds up back into the year,
find some time to take it out.
I'm excited to sort of see how we can camp as a family,
whether that happens to see how it all goes.
But I'm going to have to change a little bit.
I saw some videos cam wild, so the wild touring.
So the wild family were out and they've gone on the swag trip.
Oh, really?
I haven't watched the video yet, but I've seen they've cut it short.
I'm not sure where they were, but it's sort of what one of the thumbnails was.
You told us to get a tent or something like that, you know,
and so they were trying to do it in the swags with the family.
And so I think there's going to be probably some changes needed in how I camp
just to get us all in.
So you can get some real nice tents.
Yeah.
Black Wolf.
Black Wolf.
Some real nice tents and easy to set up as well.
Oh, and I need an awning.
So that's the next thing I need to get an awning on there.
I was so surprised you didn't have an awning.
I thought you had one.
Yeah, I did.
But when I put the new canopy on, I had the Bushwacker 180 awning on the front here.
But it sort of impedes on the canopy or the canopy got in its way basically.
So I want to put a 270 on the canopy rack and get a bit more coverage.
But I'll need to find some...
So obviously Rafa's destination four-wheel drive awning is looking into those
or getting some...
He's got plenty of mounts, universal mounts that will work.
But I'll probably have to go and do some...
Yeah, I'll have to probably talk to TLX about how we get it up there
just because it's a different rack to most.
Yeah.
But yeah, that's about it, mate.
There's not a whole heap more that I can think of off the top of my head that I'm keen to do.
Yeah, cool.
I think we've covered a fair bit of ground today, all right?
22,000 K's worth of stuff.
But it's nice.
I've loved it.
Can't wait to sort of, yeah, keep going with it.
I mean, I'd love to one day take this car around Australia.
That's the plan, whether or not it happens.
But that's sort of why I justified getting this vehicle is using however many years time
could dispute the car that takes us around Australia and at the moment,
like you'd say yes, it could be.
Yeah.
All right.
That's exciting.
Anything for people that are, I mean, knowing about a 79 series,
like whether they go a 79 or whether they go a Ranger,
which is obviously a quite popular youth as well,
or a Hilux, even a shark potentially,
those hybrids or hybrid electrics are coming in.
It's competitive, it's these competitive.
Yeah.
Or even a quarter master.
Yeah.
Actually, you know, I missed that one.
But no, these things are expensive.
So it's like, for what you get in them out of the factory floor,
you are paying for that engine.
So it's, and probably some of the running gear,
but it's like, if you can justify that, then this thing is for you.
Like the difference between probably,
well, these aren't, because they're not being made anymore as well.
Some people are probably trying to make the most of that.
Not being, sorry, there's in some people selling these.
Oh, yes, sorry.
I'm probably picing the price because you're not going to get them again.
But, man, the new range is the new Hilux,
as the grenadier is expensive,
that they're all upwards of 80 grand now if you're going for,
like the, you know, even the XLTs.
They're not cheap.
They're newer 75s.
So you're going to spend a bit more on that on these,
but it's also, yeah, I'd recommend them.
If you're wanting one, then it may take some time to save up to get them
because it, like, I've wanted one for years
and finally found an opportunity to make it work.
But, yeah, 100% recommend them,
but you don't, you probably don't need one either.
Like there's going to be, there's other use that will do exactly the same thing
that you want them to do and you're going to be paying less.
So that's just what you've got to play up.
I think you can say that about anything.
There's always a cheaper version of what you want.
You don't need this to get out and go forward driving, go touring,
and do what we do.
You can do this, like, in a Falcon if you wanted to,
or like a Forester or something like that.
As long as it gets you out, like, that's all you need.
But if this is a car that you've wanted for a long time
and you're putting it off for whatever reason, like, you know,
it's not the, you're not going to regret it.
I think the thing is, well, you can buy these secondhand
and still probably trust that they're going to do the trick for you.
They don't, like, don't tell your dog I said this will work
because do you do due diligence on the car that you're buying, of course,
especially with this hand, but just buy one if you see it.
But no, it's like, yeah, these things, they are built to last.
So whether you get one brand new or you might find one with 200,000Ks on the clock,
you've still probably got a fair life ahead of it.
So I'm loving it.
So yeah, take my word for it.
I've come from a nice, comfortable range and I do a lot of city driving
and I enjoy being in this thing.
So if you're actually, if you live further out here
and you can actually do a bit more of this stuff,
then it's a wicked car to have,
especially if you're going to be on the gravel and the dirt and, yeah, touring.
I reckon it's a, it's a wicked car.
Oh, yeah, it really is.
I really enjoyed being in it.
Just driving around it. It looks good.
I like your setup in the back here, your 12 volt setup.
We'll get some videos of it.
I think actually we've got a rig rundown of your car.
So you can find that on the channel.
We'll just get some sexy shots now.
Yeah, we'll get some real sexy shots.
Hey, off the car mate, mate.
No, I'll take your shirt off again.
Is that it?
Last one, because we need to do this.
Terrain Tamer, tip of the week.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Give us a tip on the 79, on owning a 79.
Give us a tip on, on something around that.
Yeah.
What do you got for it?
Like tips on making a 79 series more comfortable.
Okay.
There's, I mean, there are so many,
there are so many ways to make it more comfortable.
I'm trying to think of what would be the best one.
You've almost stumped me there.
Because I know you're quite big on the one stone armrest.
Yeah.
I think that's,
That's a great, actually, that is a great point.
That's something, even in my, even in 76.
Terrain Tamer, tip of the week.
Yeah, this is going to sound average,
but drink like cup holders.
Yeah.
And just a little bit of storage is needed in these.
Like it's very bare bones.
When you, when you drive it out and you sort of,
when you've come from a car, which most more like it,
basically every other car has more options than this to store
or put a, put a drink bottle or a coffee or whatever it is.
So the one stone armrests and some form of center console
has helped extremely.
And probably the biggest thing for comfortability is like,
I've upgraded that center console and now my elbow has got
somewhere to rest as well on that left side.
You didn't have that when you were driving.
Sorry, when it was stock?
No, the center, the center consoles are too light.
They see basically seat height.
So you can't, you can't lean on anything there.
So that just for the longer drives,
like that is probably the way that it just,
it gives you like, so the one stone armrest,
and you can use the window sill a little bit,
but that's only thin too.
So the one stone armrest is, is great for that right hand
and the center console for the left.
And it just gives you a little bit more of a comfortable position.
I found when I didn't have it in there, it's fine,
but you're resting your arm.
You shouldn't be driving with one hand, but we all do it.
So it was, you know, just a bit awkward to rest it somewhere.
Especially if you like the, yeah,
it just works well with a center console,
a one stone armrest, and it's the easiest way
to probably make it a little bit more comfortable inside the cab.
Yeah, but yeah, there's so many things like,
you can go down to the tyres suspension.
I think cup holders and armrests are perfect.
The terrain time of the week is I reckon the first purchase.
So the first purchase as a 70 series owner
would be going at yourself a set of those armrests.
There are other ones on the market, but
Ronnie's got a couple that are good.
Ronnie's got his own version.
His own ones with the pockets.
Something to put your arm on.
And then, yeah, the console in the middle,
a bit more storage up towards the stick
and then a deeper center console,
which allows you just to store some extra gear.
Beautiful.
All right, there you go.
Mate, well done.
Thanks, mate.
You
About this episode
Duggo’s Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Series V8 gets a 20,000 km review, with the conversation starting from its loud exhaust character and how it carries into the cabin. They talk freeway noise, wind, and the “elephant in the room” of sound inside the cab, plus what they’ve done to access the transmission after a gearbox issue. The hosts also compare the 79’s off-road confidence, gearing, steering feel, and brake upgrades, then wrap with ownership, servicing choices, and comfort mods like armrests and a better awning setup.
Terrain Tamer. Making 4WD parts and accessories that have been designed, manufactured and tested to withstand the harshest conditions Australia has to offer.
