This Daihatsu Rocky will make you weak at the knees
We reckon you should spend $28,000 buying a Daihatsu Rocky, and we've got a pretty convincing argument why
Last Updated: 23 September 2022
Let me paint you a picture. It’s 1992. Mike Tyson is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Bill Clinton was just elected the American President. And Daihatsu has released yet another deliciously adorable four-wheel drive, the Rocky.Â
Whether you’re into big solid axle wagons or pocket-sized 2 door tourers, there’s something about a Daihatsu Rocky that tickles me in all the right places. Especially when it looks like this thing I just stumbled across.Â
With not quite enough power and not quite enough capability to be a true offroad weapon. The owner of this beast has solved every problem we never knew we had, let me explain.Â
The 1.6L factory Daihatsu Rocky petrol motor has been put in the bin, and to be fair, that’s where it belongs. In its place is everyone’s favourite ‘mang’ machine, the 3.8L V6 Ecotec motor from a Holden Commodore. Making over 200hp doesn’t sound like much but in a car that weighs barely 1 tonne is pretty darn rowdy.Â
“In its place is everyone’s favourite ‘mang’ machine”
This 1992 Rocky is wide. It’s tough. And it’s aggressive, mostly thanks to the plethora of custom bar work engulfing it from front to back. With a custom tube bar housing a winch, front scrub bars that incorporate wider metal flares, sliders and of course that wild tray with the specially built compartment to house the coil-overs.Â
Speaking of which, let’s talk driveline and suspension because it’s about as far removed from the original setup as possible. This little Tonka truck is now running pretty much all the good gear from a GU patrol. That means front and rear GU diffs, GU transfer case and the ever-reliable GU steering box. (If there’s one thing Nissan got right, it’s those components. Now let’s move on before the Patrol drivers get a little too excited.)
“Is it worth it? Probably not. But heck, for something as unique and staunch as this; I don’t know a grown man out there that wouldn’t pay it”
To make all this fruit flex it’s running a set of 14in coil-overs in the front. There’s matching 16in rear coil-overs with hydraulic bump-stops on all four corners. Coupling this with a set of custom control arms front and rear and a set of 37in tyres means this engineered work of art is ready to tackle literally anything in Australia. Whether it’s designed for a competition buggy or a dedicated winch truck.Â
What is a nugget size Daihatsu Rocky registered comp-truck like this going to set you back? Well, the seller is asking for an eye-watering $28,000. Is it worth it? Probably not. But heck, for something as unique and staunch as this; I don’t know a grown man out there that wouldn’t pay it!
