ESCAPE PORTAL
THE owner of this mega tricked-out LC79, Joe Spelta, likes to head off the grid as often he can. In fact, Joe’s escapes can often last a couple of months. “He goes whenever he wants; he’s retired,” Joe’s son Mark says. “He just goes touring up the Cape whenever he needs to.”
So, Mark schemed up a list of off-road touring enhancements to ensure that Joe would be able to tackle the solo remote adventures he often undertakes. First off, Mark and Joe opted for the fitment of portal axles courtesy of Marks 4WD Adaptors. The Cruiser now rides on a 140mm-wider track, and the portal axles combine with a two-inch lift (courtesy of Ironman 4x4 Foam Cell Pro dampers and matching springs) and 35-inch Procomp Xtreme MT2 tyres wrapped around a set of satin-black 17x8-inch Moto Metal Rims, to give Joe plenty of clearance. Mark also added a GM six-speed auto gearbox conversion (also from the team at Marks 4WD Adaptors).
On top of the rugged drivetrain and suspension, the Cruiser’s 4.5TDV8 donk (fed by an ARB 180litre fuel tank) copped a boost courtesy of an ECU remap by Power Torque (Victoria), matched with a GSL Shorty four-inch stainless steel exhaust (that includes a CAT and resonator). Additional powerplant mods include a Provent catch can, MV fuel filter and Safari snorkel.
Premium Deluxe bullbar and Big Tube side-steps and rails, all colour-coded in that schmick silver paint. Again, due to Joe’s penchant for solo travel, the Cruiser has an EFS 13,000-pound winch (with S rope) fitted both front and rear, an ARB hydraulic ‘Jack’, and one of ARB’S monster dual air compressors (with air tank).
Illumination is achieved via a set of seven-inch Blast spotties atop the bullbar, a 135-watt singlerow LED light bar affixed to a Rhino-rack Pioneer platform rack (along with a set of Maxtrax Titanium), and two side-mounted 30W LED light bars above each door. Powering all this is a mini power station of electrical accessories including three 110-amp deep-cycle batteries and one crankstart battery. There’s also a host of Redarc gear
– a 1000W inverter, 40-amp DC-DC charger and battery management system – and a number of 240V charge-points and external Anderson plugs.
The tray/canopy combo is the product of the team at Norweld Cairns, and this three-door Deluxe is full of trick features specified by Mark and Joe. Open up the doors of the canopy (gas strut-assisted, of course) and on the driver’s side of the canopy is Joe’s bed, with the power accessories nestled against the front wall of the canopy behind his pillow. Above the Redarc equipment and row of batteries is a full-width shelf with mesh door that holds an ARB first-aid kit, blankets and other gear. Opposite Joe’s bed is the 95-litre Waeco CFX fridge/freezer, with plenty of room above it for easy opening of the lid.
At the rear of the canopy is a double shelf setup that houses ropes and other recovery gear. There’s also a TV/DVD, which gets its signal fed from a VAST satellite TV receiver (housed in the canopy) via a Satking Promax automatic motorised satellite TV dish. There’s even more storage undertray as well: huge slide-out drawer, four under-tray toolboxes and a 70-litre water tank.
This clever build Mark came up with for his dad now means Joe gets to concentrate on enjoying the wild places a rig like this can take you. It was a lengthy process, but this dynamic duo has proven it’s better to take your time and do it properly and finish with exactly what you need. If exactly what you need is an incredibly tough and smart modified tourer that allows its owner to just get out there and enjoy the wild side of Australia, then this Cruiser more than fits the bill.