Being a famer, contractor or tradesman has its advantages…like being able to justify the purchase ‘for work’ of one of Toyota’s iconic 79-Series Land Cruisers.
There’s something timeless about the simple, set-square lines and rugged, no-nonsense single or double cab body and wellside or cab/chassis practicality.
There’s also Toyota’s much-vaunted reliability, and the fact that no matter where you live and work, there’s a dealer just down the road.
That, at least, is how you justify your purchase to your wife/bank manager/business partner.
How you justify it to yourself is under the bonnet; a turbocharged, intercooled common rail direct injection 32-valve, 4.5 litre diesel V8!
As Toyota New Zealand says in the promotional material for the 79 – this engine provides the muscle needed to tackle the best, and worst, of New Zealand’s natural terrain.
With a 5-speed manual transmission, part-time 4WD with manually lockable front hubs and switchable front and rear diff locks, the 79 is one of the most capable farm and/or on/off-road vehicles on our roads.
However, no matter how good – and/or desirable – a standard production vehicle is, its final specification is always a compromise….which is where South Island ARB rep Peter Munro of Peter Munro Commercials comes in.
Peter and his ARB-equipped demo vehicles appear regularly in this magazine. For good reason too. For most of us, upgrading our truck is a piecemeal process, one driven, more often than not, by the amount of money we have at any one time to spend on …a lift kit, a snorkel or even just set of aftermarket wheels and better tyres.
With most companies – Australian-based ARB a good example – displaying their wares on slick, up-to-the-minute websites, it’s easy to create a ‘wish-list’ of things you would like to add to your truck.
However it is still hard to properly visualise what it is going to look like.
Often, in fact we don’t know what we need until we see it – if you like – in the flesh.
This is one of the reasons Peter puts his money where his mouth is, ponies up enough readies to buy a brand new vehicle like the Land Cruiser 79 single-cab/chassis you see here, and kits it out with the best aftermarket products ARB produces.
“After 25 years listening to customers and tailoring vehicles to their individual requirements you get a feel for what works and what doesn’t. For what’s necessary and what’d be nice and knowing the difference between the two.”
Peter Munro Commercials is located at 137 Blenheim Rd in Christchurch and can be reached on 0-3-343 0114. ‘ ARB 4x4 Accessories are available throughout New Zealand from the ARB Network. Go to www.arb4x4.co.nz for further information’
To read the full story in the May 2015 issue of NZ4WD go to Zinio.com (on sale April 20) or purchase your own hard copy at the Adrenalin store.
