Congratulations on being selected for Auszookers Zook Owner of the Month!How does it feel being honoured with the nomination for Z.O.O.M. 2016?It is an honour looking back at the previous nominees.
So tell us about yourself. Who are you, What's the meaning to your username, Where do you live, and what do you do for a living?I’m David Mc Culloch pretty easy to see where my user name comes from. I live on the Northern side of Brisbane in Pine Rivers. I work for Energex and have done so since 1982.
The SWB before the Mods started.
How did you get started in Suzuki's & how many have you owned?This is a long story.
I never had an interest in 4wds, until my youngest son turned 14 and started showing an interest in 4WDs. I had the opportunity at the time to get a 100 series Landcruiser through work, so that was the start of the whole 4wd journey.
Our typical Saturday was shoot up the coast go for a surf and then on the way back do some 4wding back through Glasshouse Mountains. This was great until our inexperience soon caught us out and I plugged the Cruiser deep in a bog hole. Well I soon had the front foot wells filled with water and not another car in sight.
Lesson learnt make Lockie walk Glasshouse Bog holes.
After that I had reservations about wheeling hard in the Cruiser as it was stock. Lockie was suggesting to me that he’d like a Suzuki Sierra as his first car. After a bit of research I thought this was a great option as I could teach him some mechanical things along the way.
A clean looking SWB
Typical Lockie style.
With that the hunt was on. I was set on a coily but a 93 SWB Leafy came up in our price range and that started the Suzuki journey.
The SWB became Lockies and I rode shot gun for a while as looked for the elusive LWB.
I picked up the LWB in August 2010.
So I have only owned 2, somewhat less than a lot of other nominees.
The LWB as a blank canvas
Classic Flex
How long did it take you to build your zook to what it is today?It will be 6 years come August 2016
SWB ready for its first Coffs Trip.
Hey Dad can I borrow your LWB!! Lockie taking the LWB up Ho Chi Min.
Any changes in store for your Suzuki?Does the list ever stop. Things in the pipline.
Fabricate some new metal flares.
Raising the transfer and putting in a belly plate.
Power steering
Rear track bar
Lockie’s talking RUF but I’m not sure.
Its also looking pretty tired, so its probably due for some body work and re spray.
What has been your best modification?Gears. Hands down, as it just allows you to go so much slower minimising the chance of breakages and allowing so much more control.
What has been your worst modification?Fibreglass Flares. They looked fantastic when they first went on. It didn’t take long until they were a mashed up mess.
Those Flares.
If you could have anybody else's zook, who's would it be and why?I’ve always had a soft spot for Sully it just had character both vehicle and the nut behind the wheel. My LWB is looking a lot like it!
What has been your best 4wding trip?WOW this is a hard one as I’ve had many great trips. I’d have to say when Lockie was still on his “L”’s we packed up the SWB and did a 7 day trip keeping on as much dirt as we could. This took us to where they hold the Gympie Music Muster. At the time what you would call a ghost campsite. Heaps of tents up but no people.
Then up through Kroombits top National Park where we were looking for a Bomber wreck.
We then came back home via Kinkuna Beach which was an awesome little spot.
Great father, son get away and clocked up 40 hours for Lockie’s learners.
If you could go to any place in the world to wheel, where would that be?This is a tough one. The 2 extremes being either Moab or Malaysian Rainforest.
Who are you closest to in the auszooker's community?Easy one my son “LTM21”. Lockie being responsible for getting me into the seat of a Zuke.
Lockie and I have always taken the Road less travelled.
Tell us what the wheeling is like in your area?We are spoilt for choice in SE Queensland with quite a few good 4wd drive parks within a couple of hours from home, but Glasshouse Mountains is closest. The variety within in this area is astounding. It has muddy bog holes, deep rutted climbs, all of them varying from easy to the ridiculous. The terrain is mostly shale, and clay. This place can bite hard and I have learnt never take it for granted.
What other toys/hobbies do you put a lot of time into?I’m a keen cyclist. You could even call me a MAMIL. I ride about 200km a week both on road and Mountain bike. I even raced BMX into my 40’s. So I’m pretty comfortable on 2 wheels. This takes a fare chunk of time other than that I potter around the house breaking stuff.
I wouldn’t mind giving Wild Cat or Dingy racing a go, it just looks nuts.
Current LWB Bulid
What is it about the auszookers that brings you back for more?Auszookers has changed considerably since joining. There wasn’t a weekend when somebody was going wheeling.
Now I mostly check build threads as they are a great source of ideas.
What about the auszookers forum would you like to see changed?It still works well; I’m not a Face Book person so Auszookers still keeps me informed of what’s going on around the ridges.
Sad old SWB
Now for the million dollar question, who do you select to be the next Z.O.O.M. & why?I nominate ozzycouch
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