Race-inspired 2019 Nissan Navara

Sometimes there are positives that arise from negative situations.

For martial arts gym owner Simon Taylor, creator of this wildly modified Nissan Navara, the positive outcome from an incident involving his first Navara called Rogue 1.0, and what he describes as a car-killing swamp, is that he had the opportunity to build a new Navara and make it his ideal version of a modified four-wheel drive. In saying that, it’s probably for the best if we don’t mention said swamp again.

Rogue 2.0 started life as a bog stock 2019 Nissan Navara, which he chose to purchase again as he was chasing a vehicle that he could comfortably travel long distances in, as well as tackle rocky technical terrain.

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When asked what he likes about the NP300 Navara platform as a vehicle to build up in to his ideal daily driver and escape machine, Simon had this to say: “I’ve always liked the shape of the NP300. It’s an affordable base vehicle that ends up being very capable with the coil-sprung rear end. The inspiration for this build comes from American pre-runners, and I always wanted to inject that style into the build.”

We must say, job well done too mate, as this is certainly a striking custom Navara, that looks to be a hoot to drive on tough tracks. Let’s take a closer look at what makes Rogue 2.0 a special off-roader and see what Simon has learnt about modifying an NP300 the second time around.

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Inspired by pre-runner-style 4x4s from the USA, Simon opted for this unique custom spare wheel carrier.

Suspension

As Simon alluded to, one of the major benefits of the NP300 platform is the fact it has a coil sprung, solid-axle rear end with a traditional 5-link suspension design similar to what you’d see in a GQ or GU Nissan Patrol. Not only does this ride better than most leaf-spring set-ups, the ability to customise and enhance the off-road performance of the Navara is next level.

Starting with the front, Simon had a pair of four-inch raised Superior Engineering remote res 8-stage adjustable struts, with 3.5-inch raised King springs to give the big Nav some altitude. To make this amount of lift work as well as possible, Simon also ticked the box that said SPC upper control arms, SuperPro offset bushes in the lower control arms and ATI diff drop, please.

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The 11-inch long Superior Engineering repot res shocks provide plenty of flex and a good ride according to Simon.

The diff drop is necessary to allow the CV joints to operate at a more suitable angle after lifting the front end 3.5-inches, and the upper control arms allow for correct suspension geometry, better wheel alignment and more clearance between the coil springs and upper control arm.

At the rear of the NP300, Simon has gone with a lower two-inch raised tapered coil spring, to give him the nose-up pre-runner look that was the inspiration for his build. Superior Engineering remote res shocks were also installed in the rear, fun fact they were originally designed for a Nissan Patrol, and offer 11-inches of travel.

To get the best from the rear-end flex wise, Simon also opted for Superior Engineering upper and lower control arms, which are much beefier than the stock units. Simon also had an adjustable Panhard rod installed, to keep the axle centred after the lift, as well as beef up another potential failure point.

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It might only be a 2.3L motor, but after some key performance upgrades, this thing now has plenty of grunt.

Coil drop out cones and retainers also make their way into the list of goodies, as do extended braided brake lines to cope with the new-found additional down travel.

While the NP300 isn’t a big ute, Simon has managed to shoehorn a massive set of 315x70R17, or basically a 35-inch tyre, under the guards. Simon’s tyre of choice is the ever-popular Maxxis RAZR mud-terrain, which he has mounted to a great looking set of Dirty Life DT1 alloy wheels.

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Simon has performed a tub chop at the rear of the Navara to improve the departure angle, and his only future plan is to fabricate a custom rear bar.

Engine upgrades

From the factory floor, the Navara isn’t the most powerful ute in its class, powered by a 2.3L twin-turbo diesel motor that produces 140kW and 450Nm. The good news is they respond well to tuning and upgrades, and it’s safe to say Simon hasn’t left his Navara stock in the power department.

Starting with a 3-inch exhaust system to expel gasses quicker than stock (and sound cool in the process), Simon also had the CRG Diesel Tuning team instal a front-mount intercooler to help keep intake temperature down. An aftermarket air-intake pipe and throttle body pipe have also been fitted, offering improved reliability over the stock items.

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Lastly, CGR Diesel Tuning worked their magic with a custom tune, that saw figures of 182hp and 615Nm at the wheels on the dyno. That’s a significant jump in both power and torque, especially when you consider it’s a little old 2.3L motor.

And what does Simon think about this increase in power over stock? “I’m happy with where it is at, and how it performs. I wouldn’t change anything,” he tells us excitedly.

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The 35-inch Maxxis mud-terrains mounted to Dirty Life wheels fit like a glove and offer a massive improvement in off-road performance.

Touring Gear

This vehicle needs to be functional, not just capable off-road – it needs to be decent to drive daily as well. Simon has cut no corners here, and had a bunch of quality touring gear fitted up to make his dream package come to life.

Starting with a Redarc Tow-Pro brake controller for safe braking when he hitches a trailer up.

There’s also an Ultimate 9 throttle controller, ARB twin air-compressor mounted under the seat, and an anytime diff lock module that as the name suggests, allows the factory rear diff lock to be activated in 2WD as well as 4WD. To push things even further off-road, Simon decided to lock the front differential as well, by installing a Harrop ELocker.

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Hidden behind the neat Shoreline front bar, is an upgraded front mount intercooler for cooler intake temps when on boost.

Body mods

One of the more noticeable additions to the rear of Simon’s Navara, couldn’t really be called an addition – that’s because he took to the rear of the factory tub with an angle grinder, and performed a custom quarter-panel chop to provide a better departure angle when off road.

You’ll probably also notice the custom pre-runner style tyre gate/carrier at the very back of the Navara’s tub, which is a neat touch that looks the part. Inside the tub, a Rhino tub liner protects the paint from scratches, as do the Southern Cross Fab rock sliders, which as you can see by the pictures have copped an absolute flogging and keep coming back for more.

Frontal protection wise, Simon decided on a Shoreline colour-coded front bumper which hugs the contours of the Navara and is lighter than a traditional bullbar.

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With no winch on the front, Simon decided to fit a pair of heavy-duty Roadsafe recovery points.

He hasn’t fitted a winch yet, but that’s always on the cards. Roadsafe recovery points have been installed in the event he does need to be recovered, or as is more likely, if he needs to recover someone else. Custom bash plates were also fabricated to fit the Navara, after fitting the diff-drop kit the stock bash plates were never going to fit right.

All up, Simon tells us he’s invested roughly $30,000 in to the build of Rogue 2.0, and it’s taken about three years to get it to this point. In saying that, he has no future plans to change anything on his Navara, expect for perhaps a custom rear bar. Otherwise, his only plan is to get out there and use the vehicle for what it was intended to do.

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As you can see, the Southern Cross Fabworks rock sliders have copped a hammering, yet would look like new with a coat of paint.

With thanks

As always, it takes a team of people to build a custom 4WD. Simon would like to thank the people from Superior Engineering, CRG Diesel Tuning and Pushys Fabrication for their help in creating Rogue 2.0.