Hyundai certainly can build a tough vehicle, as was shown in the destruction of the NZ4WD Terracan Tales project vehicle (see February 2006), but we didnt realise how tough until quite recently.

When we said goodbye to the project Terracan late last year it was headed for the scrap heap, or so we thought.  The vehicle was totally destroyed on TV when, amongst other indignities, it was dropped approximately 25 metres from a crane.

The Terracan was disposed of by Hyundai NZ but ended up in the hands of Deon Cooper, dealer principal, of Wings and Wheels Taupo.  Wings and Wheels are the Hyundai agents in Taupo and Rotorua and the Cooper family are very keen motor vehicle enthusiasts.

With the Terracan wreck sitting in the workshop a plan was hatched, together with the Wings and Wheels service manager, Neil Hodgson,  to take the vital organs out of the Terracan and transplant them into another vehicle, preferably a ute. 

A 1994 Hilux double cab ute was acquired and Deon and Neil set about working the plan, which seemed simple; take the engine and gear box from the Terracan and fit it into the Hilux. 

While it sounded simple enough, it took several months and many a sleepless night working out the finer details. The biggest problem to overcome was fitting the 2.9-litre common rail diesel engine into a chassis that was six inches narrower than the Terracan. 

The engine is also very tall, compared to the original 2.8 Toyota engine, with the intercooler mounted on top.  After many hours, the new engine mounts were welded in place and the engine fitted but the Toyota front diff had to be removed to make room. 

The plan was to use the Hyundais independent diff but it had sheared the pinion during the demolition, so for now there is no front drive.

The Hyundai gearbox and transfer case would be used but first Neil had the job of welding up the bellhousing; all 26 pieces of it as the impact had broken the bellhousing away from the engine. 

The clutch plumbing and the inhibitor switch, which requires the clutch to be depressed before you can start the engine, was also used.  Neil commented that without it all the gear changes were not smooth and the clutch shuddered.

The Terracan driveshaft was used along with the centre bearing mount and then the Toyota rear shaft was mated to this.  The Toyota rear diff was kept, although the ratio was changed from 4.4:1 to 4.1:1.

The Terracan hand brake was used inside the vehicle, an additional bracket was incorporated underneath, along with the cables through to the rear brakes, to get the handbrake working properly.

Inside the complete wiring loom from the Terracan was fitted into the ute along with the wiper motor, the dash, heater controls, electric window controls and switches mounted onto the drivers door rest. 

The Terracan steering column and steering wheel were fitted along with the steering box. Fitting these items took more head scratching but, eventually, all that was needed to fit the steering box were a couple of spacers to properly locate the box to the chassis.  Even the splines for the steering arms were the same, so everything else went together nicely.

The team at Wings and Wheels wanted to use the Terracan fuel tank but it was fractionally too large and no matter what they did it couldnt be made to fit but the sender unit and pump were fitted into the Hilux tank with a little modification.

The complete exhaust system from the Hyundai was also used although it had to be cut and a section in the middle added.  Neil asked that we didnt look too closely at the welding.

Up front, the bonnet scoop that provides the air for the intercooler was fitted to the Hilux bonnet after it was painted and a suitably-sized hole was cut in the bonnet.  

By now there was more Terracan than Toyota, including the personalised plate from the Terracan, so the Toyota badging had to go too. 

The front grille was altered and the centre bar from Hyundai Getz was fitted, complete with Hyundai logo and it now looks genuine.

Unfortunately the interior and seats of the Terracan were marked from the fireworks that were let off inside but the interior is still very much Hyundai all the same.  Cream leather seats from a donor Sonata were available, so these were used instead.

Somewhere along the way the vehicle was given the name Terralux and this has stuck.  So, to finish off the exterior and brand it with the new name, Deon has fitted transfers in the genuine Hyundai font and colour to the front and rear of the vehicle. 

Up front, on the bonnet scoop, is the Terralux name, along with details identifying the engine as intercooled turbo CRDi.  On the back, the tailgate reads Hyundai and Terralux in very large lettering, so you read it when it speeds past you.

Performance-wise, it is quite simply a rocket ship.  The Terracan engine was always very punchy but the new body is quite a few kilos lighter, so it doesnt hang around. Deon reckons it has a top speed somewhere between 160-180 kph but in our short drive of the Terralux we werent game to see how right he is. 

From a standing start you are selecting second, almost immediately, followed quickly by third gear.

With all this performance it is just as well Deon has fitted a performance wheel and tyre package.  The wheels are 18-inch and came from yet another Hyundai and are fitted with 255x55x18 Toyo Proxes directional sports truck tyres.

As with any vehicle that has been repowered, low volume certification is required and the Terralux is no exception.  The certifier was very impressed with the vehicle and the high standard of work that had gone into the conversion.  It was a credit to the team who worked on the vehicle. 

He did however ask for a couple of small items to be attended to; slightly move a brake pipe that was considered too close to moving parts and to fit a safety hoop over the Hyundai driveshaft.

As with many project vehicles, it is a work in progress. While currently Deons daily driver, it is still to have the centre console area tidied up and Neil is still working out how he can get the front diff into the confined area between the sump and the suspension. 

Given what they have achieved in three months, to date, I dont think it will be too long before the team at Wings and Wheels will have solved that little problem..: