Walk this way
From the showroom to the bush, this custom Walkinshaw Colorado has undergone a radical transformation.
Like me, I'm sure you're guilty of ignoring the Holden Colorado as a touring 4WD. Why? I don't know. Maybe it's because we don't see that many of them set up for long-distance touring. But, after stumbling across Jamin's kitted-out RG Walkinshaw Colorado on Instagram, I knew I had to get a closer look at it.
WORDS AND IMAGES BY HARRY TEMPLE
VEHICLES Walkinshaw Colorado
THE OWNER
For a 25-year-old, Jamin has his priorities sorted. Spending his first few working-years in mining, the confessed 'young, dumb, cashed-up miner' walked into a Holden dealership and bought the flashiest ute he could find. Fast forward five years, and he is married, owns a house back in his hometown of Bundaberg and has kids. He now spends his time running school camps in the summer, and remotely managing his motel in Wodonga. That means Jamin gets to spend the colder months of the year traveling with his young family and passing on his passion for the outdoors.
THE VEHICLE
Being the Walkinshaw Colorado Xtreme, Jamin's pickup had 19-inch rims and some suspension tweaks over the garden-variety model (front lifted by 50mm and the rear by 15mm. It wasn't long before Jamin decided it was due for some 35-inch tyres and that was the catalyst for the rest of the build. Jamin has methodically overhauled nearly every part of the vehicle. Let's get into it.
ABOVE The UHF install is tidy, but he tells me that it’s soon to be replaced by a hideaway unit
ABOVE The 12,000lb winch has never been used, but it’s a cheap form of insurance should he need it // BELOW Free-wheeling hubs are a must with the amount of angle being put through the cv joints as they cut down unnecessary rotation while daily driving
ABOVE Powered steps are a nice touch and a very handy one for when the whole family gets in to go exploring // BELOW Solar panels hard mounted to the front of the rack are constantly charging the 200Ah system in the canopy and helping take the strain of the alternator and Thunder DC-DC charger while driving
By the time it is fully loaded in the rear on top of the 300kg constant EFS leaf packs, the vehicle comes in just under GVM and sits somewhere shy of six-inches of lift. A superior chassis brace kit has been welded in to make sure the Colorado doesn't end up on one of those banana chassis pages.
At the front, the hoops on what once was an Oz-Terrain bar are eye-catching. Jamin wanted something different and tacked them up himself, welded them on, and paired them with a set of square nine-inch LED spotlights. Extra LED bars sit underneath the custom headlights he built himself (and, no, he won't make another set) and light up the side of the road. Two antennas adorn the front bar, one is a mid-range 6.6dB for his Uniden UHF, and the other is hooked up to a phone booster.
The most recent addition to the rig is a custom-made canopy to make the most of the space behind the cab. With a focus on lightweight strength, alloy was the obvious choice. Once a box was acquired, Jamin began building the rest himself, saving a fair whack of money in the process. A coating of Raptor Liner was applied to the canopy to finish it off and tie in with the black and white theme. The hard-shell rooftop tent is quick and easy to set up, as is the 270-degree awning. Two 100Ah slim-line batteries keep the Companion dual-zone fridge ticking over, as well as the LED lights, Thunder compressor, and water pump. There is usually a hot water system on a swing-away arm, but it is currently filling in for one that failed in the caravan.
THE MODIFICATIONS
The 2.8L Duramax-powered Colorado (147kW/500Nm) has towed his caravan around Australia and returned 13L/100. That is nothing to be scoffed at, especially considering it is running 35psi on a 1KD Performance tune. A stainless snorkel and airbox maximise airflow on the intake side, and a high-flow exhaust lets it breathe freely on the way out. Sixth gear hasn't been used since the 35s went on, and Jamin swears it performs better than factory, even with all the added weight of the modifications. Even when towing more than 3000kg, Jamin tells us there's no noticeable difference in performance, which is a credit to the 2.8L diesel engine as a tuning base.
Probably the most common question he gets asked is to do with the Colorado's lift. It's big. At the front, it's running PSR struts set to two inches from an N80 HiLux, which equates to around four inches of lift on a Colorado. SPC adjustable upper arms were required to pull the castor back in and return driveability to factory levels. He also added a two-inch body lift around the same time, and that necessitated a diff drop kit to ensure CV joints lasted longer than one trip into the bush.
BELOW Jamin used to race rally cars with the family, so it’s no surprise that when he moved across into 4WDs they would be just as aggressive
FINAL THOUGHTS
It takes guts to buck the trend and choose something a little bit left of centre. Jamin has taken an uncommon four-wheel-drive and turned it into his dream truck that is snappin' necks wherever he takes it. Jamin tells me his next trip will be across to WA to spend a month exploring the Gibb River Road. Keep an eye out for him.
VEHICLES Walkinshaw Colorado
WORDS AND IMAGES BY HARRY TEMPLE
Like me, I'm sure you're guilty of ignoring the Holden Colorado as a touring 4WD. Why? I don't know. Maybe it's because we don't see that many of them set up for long-distance touring. But, after stumbling across Jamin's kitted-out RG Walkinshaw Colorado on Instagram, I knew I had to get a closer look at it.
Walk this way
From the showroom to the bush, this custom Walkinshaw Colorado has undergone a radical transformation.
THE OWNER
For a 25-year-old, Jamin has his priorities sorted. Spending his first few working-years in mining, the confessed 'young, dumb, cashed-up miner' walked into a Holden dealership and bought the flashiest ute he could find. Fast forward five years, and he is married, owns a house back in his hometown of Bundaberg and has kids. He now spends his time running school camps in the summer, and remotely managing his motel in Wodonga. That means Jamin gets to spend the colder months of the year traveling with his young family and passing on his passion for the outdoors.
THE VEHICLE
Being the Walkinshaw Colorado Xtreme, Jamin's pickup had 19-inch rims and some suspension tweaks over the garden-variety model (front lifted by 50mm and the rear by 15mm. It wasn't long before Jamin decided it was due for some 35-inch tyres and that was the catalyst for the rest of the build. Jamin has methodically overhauled nearly every part of the vehicle. Let's get into it.
THE MODIFICATIONS
The 2.8L Duramax-powered Colorado has towed their caravan around Australia and returned 13L/100. That is nothing to be scoffed at, especially considering it is running 35psi on a 1KD Performance tune. A stainless snorkel and airbox maximise airflow on the intake side, and a high-flow exhaust lets it breathe freely on the way out. Sixth gear hasn't been used since the 35s went on, and Jamin swears it performs better than factory, even with all the added weight of the modifications. Even when towing more than 3000kg, Jamin tells us there's no noticeable difference in performance, which is a credit to the 2.8L diesel engine as a tuning base.
Probably the most common question he gets asked is to do with the Colorado's lift. It's big. At the front, it's running PSR struts set to two inches from an N80 HiLux, which equates to around four inches of lift on a Colorado. SPC adjustable upper arms were required to pull the castor back in and return driveability to factory levels. He also added a two-inch body lift around the same time, and that necessitated a diff drop kit to ensure CV joints lasted longer than one trip into the bush.
By the time it is fully loaded in the rear on top of the 300kg constant EFS leaf packs, the vehicle comes in just under GVM and sits somewhere shy of six-inches of lift. A superior chassis brace kit has been welded in to make sure the Colorado doesn't end up on one of those banana chassis pages.
At the front, the hoops on what once was an Oz-Terrain bar are eye-catching. Jamin wanted something different and tacked them up himself, welded them on, and paired them with a set of square nine-inch LED spotlights. Extra LED bars sit underneath the custom headlights he built himself (and, no, he won't make another set) and light up the side of the road. Two antennas adorn the front bar, one is a mid-range 6.6dB for his Uniden UHF, and the other is hooked up to a phone booster.
The most recent addition to the rig is a custom-made canopy to make the most of the space behind the cab. With a focus on lightweight strength, alloy was the obvious choice. Once a box was acquired, Jamin began building the rest himself, saving a fair whack of money in the process. A coating of Raptor Liner was applied to the canopy to finish it off and tie in with the black and white theme. The hard-shell rooftop tent is quick and easy to set up, as is the 270-degree awning. Two 100Ah slim-line batteries keep the Companion dual-zone fridge ticking over, as well as the LED lights, Thunder compressor, and water pump. There is usually a hot water system on a swing-away arm, but it is currently filling in for one that failed in the caravan.
BELOW Jamin used to race rally cars with the family, so it’s no surprise that when he moved across into 4WDs they would be just as aggressive
ABOVE Powered steps are a nice touch and a very handy one for when the whole family gets in to go exploring // BELOW Solar panels hard mounted to the front of the rack are constantly charging the 200Ah system in the canopy and helping take the strain of the alternator and Thunder DC-DC charger while driving
ABOVE The 12,000lb winch has never been used, but it’s a cheap form of insurance should he need it // BELOW Free-wheeling hubs are a must with the amount of angle being put through the cv joints as they cut down unnecessary rotation while daily driving
ABOVE The UHF install is tidy, but he tells me that it’s soon to be replaced by a hideaway unit
FINAL THOUGHTS
It takes guts to buck the trend and choose something a little bit left of centre. Jamin has taken an uncommon four-wheel-drive and turned it into his dream truck that is snappin' necks wherever he takes it. Jamin tells me his next trip will be across to WA to spend a month exploring the Gibb River Road. Keep an eye out for him.