“I wanted to make a splash at the Melbourne show being the biggest event on the calendar. We missed our initial deadline of the WA show but that gave me the time to raise the bar again and really make things perfect,” begins Ben ahead of his first time touring the east coast with a car.
To understand how Ben and the ‘Cruiser got here, we took a look back through his automotive inspirations and discovered a teenager obsessed with Mighty Car Mods and Japanese vehicles.
“We used to watch YouTube episodes up the back of the classroom!” laughs Ben, until an excursion in a buddy’s Nissan Patrol piqued his interest in vehicles at the polar opposite end of the spectrum.
“That drive in the Patrol sparked an interest in dirt bikes and fourbys. A few years later a mate bought a Ford Ranger and I ended up buying one within days - it all went downhill from there!” he jokes.
His journey with the Ranger saw it suitably modified and thanks to his activity on social media, he quickly developed a modest following. “It’s never been about setting goals for followers or engagement though, it’s always been about good quality car content,” insists Ben.
As the list of modifications to the Ranger continued to grow, Ben quickly found the limits of the Ranger’s independent front suspension and a friend suggested it might be time for him to look into something with a solid front axle. His search turned up a Landcruiser with a few light modifications, including a set of Open Country R/T tyres.
“When I was a young apprentice I wanted to have enough money one day to put Toyo tyres on one of my cars! I’d done plenty of research and they’re so well regarded in the enthusiast groups on social media. I’ve been on Toyos the whole time I’ve owned the ‘Cruiser,” he adds.
It’s amazing to think how far the ‘Cruiser has come in the time that Ben has owned it, and while its 800hp potential 1FZ engine does a lot of the heavy lifting, the latest round of modifications are set to get chins wagging at the show and on social media.
“We’ve got 37in Open Country R/T tyres on custom KMC wheels, which will look great for the show, but for touring we’ll probably go back to the 35s,” admits Ben, who’s quick to point out that he’s very much in favour of practical modifications.
“That said, we’re going straight from the Melbourne show to the Victorian High Country so we’ll see how the 37s handle the snow!”
Being based on the west coast full time, it’ll be Ben’s first exposure to driving in snow and an eye-opener into how four-wheeling is different from his home base in and around Perth.
“There’s a huge interest in Perth in the iconic East Coast destinations like Fraser Island and the VIC High Country. We do the majority of our touring along the WA coast line because there’s just so much to explore, and you don’t have to pay to access our beaches unlike some destinations over east.”
So what keeps Ben coming back to the Open Country R/T?
“I use my car for everything from day-to-day errands to weekend trips away, and with the power there’s the extra consideration of on-road grip as even in the dry it can be like driving in the wet. With the Open Country R/T I’m not constantly switching between all-terrains for daily driving and a mud terrain for the weekend. I’ve got one tyre that does it all and I never have to worry about grip in the wet which is a huge consideration.
“Muddies just don’t seem practical for me, and for some of the tracks we’re tackling you want something a little more aggressive than an all-terrain. The Open Country R/T is the obvious choice,” he insists.
Asked if he could distill his modification experience into one potent piece of tyre advice, Ben barely hesitates; “buy once and buy right. Obviously know your budget, but buying the best quality parts you can the first time means you won’t have to spend money twice.”
You can keep up to date with Ben and the 48ONGATE ‘Cruiser through his social channels, or catch it in person on the Toyo Tyres stand at the Melbourne 4x4 Show:
Instagram: @48ongate
Facebook: facebook.com/48ongate
TikTok: tiktok.com/@ben_sigle
