BIG BALLS continued...
INTERIOR
‘Flash’, ‘neat’ and ‘bloody awesome’ are just some of the words that come to mind when you peer into Liam’s Zook. He has indeed burnt the midnight oil fiddling to make this one very unique 4WD. From the alloy chequerplate that replaces the door trim, to the alloy chequerplate Sparco foot pedals and the black flexible rubber chequerplate pattern on the dashboard, this not only yells ‘bling’, but also indicates a passion for wanting nothing but the best. While sitting in the Suzuki GTi bucket seats and casting your eyes across the dash, you’ll see a full set of Auto Meter gauges, various idiot lights and a rev-limiter - all to let you know what’s going on with the engine and driveline.
Above the dash-mounted gauges is a GME TX4400 UHF radio, while pumping out the groovy tunes is a Sony Xplod CD player. Look a little lower and you’ll notice a pair of 32mm Sidchrome spanners doubling as gearknobs - a nice touch to keep the chromed theme happening.
Taking up the whole glovebox space is a marine waterproof fuse box that protects pretty much every electrical component in the vehicle. The engine-management computer has been fitted to a sealed, ex-army ammunition box, just in case of deep water crossings. While we’re on deep water, a very nifty touch is the fitting of bathroom pop-up drain plugs into the floor of the Zook. Should Liam dunk the Zook over the sill’s height, he simply depresses the chrome-plated plugs and they pop up to allow the water to drain out - thinking outside the square! Liam has squeezed a full set of recovery gear (which does get used often, as he takes his Zook past the impossible) along with enough tools for running repairs into the rear chequerplate storage boxes.
EXTERIOR
It would take a trained eye to notice every little change Liam has made to his Suzuki. "The windscreen is the only part I haven’t modified," Liam tells us. Every single other part has been trimmed, nipped, tucked or improved upon in some fashion or another. Bushwacker flares with rubber extensions ensure on-road legality, though the rubber extensions do come off while playing off-road. Chequerplate adorns the rear corners of the Zook, while two ARB bullbars form both front and rear protection. Liam modified a front bar to suit the rear of his Zook, which carries a low-mount Warn 6000lb electric winch for reverse recovery.
The front ARB bar (again modified) holds a Warn 8000lb high-mount winch that has been recessed into the plastic grille. Attached to the diffs are steel protectors, which did take a bashing on our photo shoot! Other skid plates have been included under the belly to protect the transfer case and disc handbrake.
Protecting Liam’s scone and fitted under the black bikini top is a six-point steel-tube rollcage, which protrudes to meet the rear floor at the tailgate. The chassis has also been braced with extra crossmembers to help handle the increased flex.
Another clever idea is the garden sprayers attached to the windscreen wipers. These provide an effective high-volume water spray to clear mud from the screen after mud runs. Marine clearance lights act as underbody rock lights. These have the added advantage of being waterproof, but no, he doesn’t have red (on the left) or green (on the right) to warn oncoming rock-hoppers.
STEER AND STOP
Steering effort through the Isotta sports steering wheel passes via a Jimny power-steering box fitted with an oil cooler complete with its own separate thermofan. A baffled power-steering fluid reservoir with rollover valve is plumbed via more braided line. A refabricated steering column, together with custom high-steer arms, Dana ball joints and tie-rod ends, helps the 4Way return-to-centre steering stabiliser control the aggressive off-road rubber. Hydro-assist steering is on the cards to help just that little bit more with the steering stakes.
Stopping the Zook are rotated International Scout vented discs and calipers up front and Vitara front calipers at the rear with refabricated mounts to make the whole lot fit. A Wilwood proportioning valve, Crane vacuum can and Wilwood master cylinder mounted to a modified Sierra booster have all been inter-woven with braided line. Holding the Zook while parked is a transfer-mounted Wilwood disc-brake conversion.
BRIEFLY
VEHICLE: 1985 Suzuki Sierra
ENGINE: 1.6L 4-cylinder
GEARBOX: 5-speed manual
4WD ACTIVATION: Part-time, manual-locking front hubs
SUSPENSION: Front - rigid axles, leaf springs, adjustable Tough Dog shocks
Rear - rigid axles, leaf springs, adjustable Tough Dog shocks
BRAKES: Front - ventilated disc. Rear - solid disc
WHEELS: Alloy American Eagles
TYRES: 35x14.5x15in Boggers
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