The original sxs

very cool little truck https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/c...0?bof=yZbet4V7 up there with the warbro https://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/collecti...6/truck-warbro

Drove on a bit would have helped if you were only 10 years old as leg room etc was marginal.
But they did climb places.

I got given one of those with a Dato 1200 engine years ago. Could never get it to run right, even though the old Datsun is pretty basic. Sold it on TM and it went to the deep south. LJ50 were a great wee machine for their day and I bet some stories will come out.

Was my first 4x4 I owned. Went everywhere, great little truck. 22mpg at 95kph flat out on the road, or in low box all day. Carted a fence strainer around as a hand winch.

i used to sell them when new, took our demonstrator up Mt Tarawera, over Thompsons Track great fun. Just as fast as most Landrovers of the day.

I brought one back in about 1989 - originally green while i lived in Blenheim. Previous owner converted in to Corolla 1300 engine. Ran well with beefed up drive shaft as well. I media blasted (plastic beads) the complete body to bare metal at work. Repainted in white. Aside from my hunting wagon, i also used it in the mud plug competitions in the Marlborough region. Got a prize for rolling it the most in one comp! Did little panel damage aside from the battery blowing up - i forgot to re check the fluid level! I even drove it to Auckland early 90's where i eventually sold it. Attachment 165869Attachment 165870Attachment 165871

there a couple of minters in gisborne 20 odd years ago both were in the local club, one was used in national rally comps the other was rebuilt after it was washed down a river and was very very tidy both run the original two stroke.

We had one of the first of these. 3 cylander and 2 stroke. I recall that DOC had the very first of them at Mangaweka (Henry Dorian). Perhaps 1970. Ours was yellow and was like a buzzy bee - fantastic.
Eventually the motor cooked and warped its head, We re-ground it on the wool shed grinder - half a side of the head at a time. Plenty of gasket goo and it went for a long time after that. The farm was over 20 km long and muddy tracks all the way, and the old Suzi loved it. So did I. Anyone who farmed at Pongaroa at the time will likely remember it. Iconic. I will try to find some pics.