Pat Callinan s 4X4 Adventures WORDS BY SAM PURCELL, IMAGES BY NICOLAS GENOUD SWISS GU Patrol.indd 85 5/07/13 2:53 PM

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1 I LOVE TO DISCOVER NEW LANDSCAPES AND PEOPLE, BEING IMMERSED IN A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, WHERE MAN IS REDUCED TO ITS TRUE DIMENSION. 4X4 TOURING VEHICLE THE BLACK BUG The term tough tourer gets bandied around a bit these days in Australia. Suisse Nicolas Genoud hasn t heard of the term, but he also happens to own one of the most capable overland vehicles we have ever come across. WORDS BY SAM PURCELL, IMAGES BY NICOLAS GENOUD SWISS GU Patrol.indd 85 5/07/13 2:53 PM

2 02 01 Nicolas Genoud, founder of GEKO 4x4, is a thinking man. I cannot claim to know the man well, but Nclose inspection of his 2007 Nissan GU Patrol wagon tells me that he is indeed a thinking man. Here at Pat Callinan s 4x4 Adventures, we see plenty of highly modified rigs, bristling with non-standard parts and accessories. Highly thought through vehicles, on the other hand, are a bit less common. This Patrol managed to firmly plant itself in each category. I love to discover new landscapes and people, being immersed in a natural environment, where man is reduced to its true dimension. I am always travelling with an open mind, curious, and with respect for nature and the people who live there, says Nic. Nic founded GEKO 4X4 in Treyvaux, Switzerland, in Initially just importing and distributing Australian and South African 4X4 expedition equipment in Switzerland and France, his business has now grown to include a workshop, custom fabrication, and organising offroad tours in GEKO-prepared vehicles (the Patrol, a Toyota HDJ-80 LandCruiser and a Land Rover Discovery TD5). Our older HDJ-80 has taken us to some magical destinations, he was the king of the desert. Waw Namus, an extinct volcano in the middle of the Libyan Sahara, was the most memorable. There is a 20 kilometre wide circle of dark ashes around the crater. With overland expeditions becoming the bread-and-butter of his business, Nic s flagship Patrol has now become a bona-fide working vehicle. Not just for displaying the products and skills that Nicolas has access to, but the Patrol is also used to lead expeditions into some of Europe s most remote and harsh areas. I bought it second-hand with 40,000 kilometres on the clock, as this vehicle is not sold anymore in Europe since I bought it 12 months ago, and we took six months to build it. Our favourite destinations are the Sahara desert (Libya, Algeria); Northern Russia; Iceland; and the Carpathian Mountains. Since the political instabilities that occur in Northern Africa, we have decided to extend to other destinations such as Kenya, Ethiopia, all southern Africa, Siberia and Mongolia, USA, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. We have led more than 30 expeditions across the Sahara The rear diff and Nissan s 3.0 litre dampers are well diesel hasn t been protected, thanks left alone, getting to high-density modifi cations to the polyethylene (HDPE) turbo, intercooler, skid plates. exhaust, fi ltration and electronics. Touring Vehicle SWISS GU Patrol.indd 86 5/07/13 2:53 PM

3 WITH Overland OVERLAND EXPEDITIONS BECOMING THE BREAD-AND-BUTTER OF HIS BUSINESS, NIC S FLAGSHIP PATROL HAS NOW BECOME A BONA-FIDE WORKING VEHICLE SWISS GU Patrol.indd 87 5/07/13 2:53 PM

4 Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2s (37x12.5R17 BF) are the first indicators of the amount of modification that the GU has received. To accommodate the big tyres, Lovells springs have replaced OEM, with a 12.5cm spring length increase in the front, and a 15cm increase in the rear. Lovells produce some great products. Their HD coils provide a very stable ride (even with big lift) while accepting a huge amount of load. These big springs are paired with some equally monstrous shocks; King 2.5 inch remote-reservoirs keep the dampening under control. You ll notice these shocks are protected by limiting straps attached between the axle and spring, stopping potential damage to the shocks by over-extension during rough roads and articulation. Big lifts don t mean a simple spring and shock change, however. Australian Superior Engineering products replace the front and rear Panhard Rods and rear trailing arms, along with a rear sway-bar disconnect. A steering drop-box, stainless steel brake lines, a Tough Dog RTC steering dampener and reinforced coil seats make for a strong and well-mannered setup. To compensate for the big tyres, 4.88:1 ring and pinions have been installed in the differentials to bring ratios back down. Speaking about the diffs, the rear factory Nissan locker is teamed up with a front ARB Air-locker for maximum traction, aided further by the GEKO 48% reduction gears in low range. Don t forget, I have also redesigned the front shock mounts to suit the setup, Nic adds. To compensate for the higher centre of gravity, Nic has chosen some black 9x17 ET-32 steel wheels, which increase the wheel track by 84mm. Coupled with the GECKO MasterTec front and rear bars (with a wheel carrier), the Black Bug looks great. Those elements alone show the great eye Nic has for detail and design. Although Nissan s ZD30 is an honest performer, Nic has not left it alone. The exhaust is a MantaPRO 3 inch system with sports catalytic converter and sports muffler. The car has a very civilised sound. Intake is modified heavily as well, with an Australian-sourced Cross-Country large intercooler mounted on the top of the motor. A power module has been installed, and turbocharging has been modified with a Dawes valve setup. The Dawes valve provides a linear boost curve, with higher boost figures from standard. This gives me better performance, lower consumption and better reliability. The motor also has a MANN+HUMMEL Provent 200 crankcase breather, and Separ 2000 fuel filter, preventing water and particles from invading the common-rail injection system. Good quality fuel filtration is the number one mod to do travel in remote locations, Nic said. Making the most of his available space, Nic managed to squeeze two Odyssey 1750/930CCA batteries under the bonnet, connected with an IBS system. 01 Nic s creation has become an exceptionally capable overlander Nary a skerrick of space has been neglected in the back of the Patrol. 04 An Aussie-made Cross Country intercooler has pride of place. 05 A ScanGauge II monitor helps keep an eye on things Nic s Rigid LED setup provides 16,800 lumens of driving light. 08 GECKO gear makes for a nifty camping setup. 09 Swiss-style campfire barbie! 10 Remote-reservoir King shock absorbers provide impressive performance, and are protected by the limiting straps. Also note the modified top mount SWISS GU Patrol.indd 88 5/07/13 2:53 PM

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6 IN AUGUST, IT WILL CRAWL THE REMOTE FOREST TRACKS OF TRANSYLVANIA, IN ROMANIA. These were the biggest I could fit under there, and they can work in both deepcycle and high discharge modes. The clutch plate and flywheel have been changed over for ACS (Australian Clutch Services, based in South Australia) units. The original dualmass flywheel didn t like demanding situations, so I swapped it for a solid flywheel, trying to avoid changing a clutch in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, the rest of the Patrol s transmission is strong enough to accommodate the 37 inch tyres. Camping arrangements are all taken care of in-house, by GEKO MasterCAMP. This includes a 1.4 x 2.4 metre rooftop tent with a 3 x 2 metre annexe, a Giant270 awning (much like the Foxwing) and a 45 litre fridge. The rooftop tent is mounted on a Front Runner expedition roof rack, along with a dirty great storage box. It may not be the most beautiful part of this setup, but it s just so practical! I put all the bulky and light equipment up there like chairs, boots and camping stuff. An Outback roof console keeps the cockpit organised, and an Asus 10 inch tablet keeps navigation taken care of. Communications come via an ICOM VHF/UHF and a Midland CB radio. The end result is a comfortable touring vehicle with massive off-road capability. It has to be good in any type of terrain, from deserts of rocks and sands to snow, glaciers, mud and tracks. It s also very important to have a safe, comfortable and economical vehicle on tarred roads. I chose the Patrol for overall reliability, the front live axle, the customisable ladder chassis, high parts availability, and the CRD engine producing good performance. Is the job finished? No. I have more plans for the future. I will soon be fitting a long-range tank, along with some fuel and water tanks inside the rear body panels. I will also rearrange the storage so I can fit two people sleeping inside the vehicle. What about upcoming trips in the Patrol? In August, it will crawl through the remote forest tracks of Transylvania, in Romania. Touring Vehicle SWISS GU Patrol.indd 90 8/07/13 1:18 PM