Competitor Profile - Norm Needham (Edit)

By Steven Rowlandson
Published 07-Jan-07 02:01 PM

	Norm Needham has come a long way since age 12, when learning to drive in a Land Rover in the bush.
	He has competed at both club and national level, where he has won the Nissan Trials, Borneo Safari Willowglen Challenge and the All-Terrain Challenge. He is also a familiar face at the Outback Challenge and the Ateco Warn Winch Challenge.
	While planning to defend last year's Nissan Trials win, Norm is more active on the organisational level now with both club and national competitions.

Norm says the four-wheel drive competition circuit has introduced him to a lot of good friends who are very supportive of his passion. It has also allowed him to keep up-to-date with the latest technology developments for four-wheel drives.

The downsides of competing, he says, are the lack of consistency in event rules and a lack of common class rules for different events, something he hopes will be changed soon.

When not competing or organising competitions, Norm thinks about his dream car: a four-wheel drive model Lamborghini Diablo, which he says performs like a fast motorcycle. The possibilities?

Norm's Truck

A tough competitor can't do it alone, they need a tough truck to be able to pull of the list of competition acheivements such as those listed below.

Norm's truck certainly stands out from the crowd, being dubbed 'Yellow Peril', the faithful Yellow 75 Series Landcruiser ute is a highly Modified and capable machine

Competition Results

1st: Nissan Trials
Willowglen Challenge
Borneo Safari
All Terrain Challenge
All Wheel Drive Club Trophy
Wins and places: Various club and inter-club events
2nd: National class 7 offroad

Name	Norm Needham
Name of Car	Yellow Peril
State you Live	NSW
Favorite Track	All of them
Primary Use	Competitions
Make	Toyota
Model	1988 HJ75
Engine	407 cid small block Chev
Capacity	5750 cc
Type	V8
Engine Modifications	Fuel injected; roller rockers; 10;1 comp; plenty of good bits; approx 400 hp
Suspension	Modified OME
Body Lift	2" chassis lift
Diff Locks	ARB Air Lockers
Driveline Mods	TH400 Hydramatic; vacuum actuated 60 series transfer; 4.11 diffs
Chassis Mods	cut off behind rear springs; 2" lift under spring hangers
Wheels	15x10 steel
Tyres	36x12.5 swampers
2nd Set Tyres (if Applicable)	33x12.5 BFG MT on armorlite alloy
Front Bar	Modified ARB
Rear Bar	Custom
Side Rails	Custom
Winch	24 volt Hi Mount Warn
Snorkel	Safari
Body Mods	Custom GRP and alloy step side ute; widened front guards
Dual Batteries	redundent 24 volt system for winch
Lighting	cibie inserts; IPF 900 spots
Radios	GME TX400 UHF
Seating	Recaro
Towbar	Custom pintle hook
Long Range Fuel Tank	Custom 130 litre
Other Mods	Heaps of little things
Futher Mods Planned	None
Other Comments	Built in 1989; only change since then is 24 volt system, 3" bigger tyres, back to 4.11 diffs from 3.7. oldie but a goodie. In winning team at inaugural Nissan Trials (1989). In winning team Nissan Trials 2001. In winning team at inaugural Willowglen Challenge (2001). In winning team at inaugural All Terrain Club Challenge (Milbrodale 1998). Competed at club level and at national level in Outback Challenge etc.

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