CLIMBING EVEREST

IT WOULDN’T be fair to the hugely capable Everest to not include in our list of Favourite Ford builds, and this carefully constructed example was simply too good not to include.

After considered research, the owner of this mid-spec Everest Trend, Chris, opted to dress-up the front-end with quality protection. To this end, a steel ARB Summit bullbar and associated brush rails and side-steps – all colour-coded – got the nod. A Warn M8000 winch and LED spotlights are neatly nestled into the ARB bar. Beneath the bar is a Roadsafe metal bash plate and rated recovery points.

Stock suspension bits were replaced with Ironman 4x4 components including Foam Cell Pro shock absorbers and heavy-duty coil springs, giving the Everest an overall rideheight lift of 50mm – aided of course by the 285/65R18 Cooper ST Maxx tyres and CSA Raptor alloy wheels.

As it’s a wagon and not a ute, space is more compromised.

So, again, careful consideration was required to appease any storage shortfalls. Recovery gear and other off-road essentials are packed away in a set of 900mm-long slide-out drawers which also house a Waeco fridge. Concealed beneath the fridge is an aux battery and Projector DC-DC charger.

More items are stored on the Rhino Xtray roof rack, including a high-lift jack, traction boards and a shovel. Gemtek lighting turns night into day on bush tracks, while an 80-channel UHF radio from GME keeps Chris’s comms active.

The stock 3.2-litre engine remains unchanged and emits 143kw and 470Nm, with the only modification in that area being a TJM Airtec intake snorkel.

While not as wild as some of the other builds on these pages, this Everest proves you don’t need a massive budget or a massive list of aftermarket gear to make the ideal 4x4 for your needs and wants.