Club 4×4 – The first modification for your four-wheel-drive.
‘Stop, stop, stop!’ I heard over the UHF, as the coolant drain out of My brand new, sub 2000km, Prado. We were out on the Prado’s maiden voyage to the Watagans, but unfortunately it wasn’t the day we had all planned. The trip finished early after a rouge tree root wedged its way through the only gap between the bull-bar and bash plate, destroying the radiator, intercooler and a host of other expensive Toyota parts. To say I was upset would be an understatement – I’m sure we have all been there!
After the tow-truck ride back to my mechanic in Sydney, I broke the bad news to Club 4×4; that the recently purchased Prado was in need of some fixing. The only real question from Club 4×4 was, “Which mechanic is doing the repairs?” Club 4×4 handled the rest.
After all new parts were flown from Toyota in Japan, the vehicle was back on the road ready to hit the tracks. Who knew a simple tree root could do nearly $7000 in damage? Luckily the first modification I forked out for was comprehensive 4×4 insurance, making the whole process easy – it was unlikely that a typical insurer would have provided the same level of cover (if any) while out in the bush!
Cheers, Daryl
