HAMISH AURET 2009 TOYOTA HILUX

IF YOU HAVE A COOL DAILY-DRIVER AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT APPEAR IN DAILY GRIND, EMAIL EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ

Hilux engines are meant to be as tough as they come, so why did you ditch the diesel and throw an LS at yours?

I’ve actually had V8 Hiluxes for about 15 years. Originally, I had an old-school lifted 4WD Hilux with a 302 Windsor in it. It was a pretty cool truck for bashing around, but you almost needed a step ladder to get in, and [it] was really more suited to the bush than a daily-driver. After a few years, I upgraded to a slightly newer two-door one that had already had a 1UZ conversion. This one was much more reliable and was great fun to drive. I kept this for about 10 years, during which time I had gathered together a wife and three little new additions to the family. The two-door quickly became a real pain.