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This 1995 single cab 2WD Toyota Hilux was a paddock find. Photos: Supplied
Forget barn finds; try paddock finds, thanks to a $1000 1995 single-cab Toyota Hilux ute that is now a social media star thanks to its new owners.
As Hilux celebrates 50 years on Kiwi roads, tracks, paddocks, and worksites, Georgia Winnie and Harry Browne-Sainty's LN85 proves Hilux stories never get old.
The Hilux, found in a paddock, was supposed to be a quick flip. Instead, they’ve created a social media star with almost 90,000 TikTok followers.
Georgia Winnie now has nearly 90,000 TikToker followers watching the restoration.
The two-wheel-drive ute was bought from a friend who had used it as a farm truck. It had spent its retirement living in a paddock and looked like it, with part of the tray liner melted and rust creeping through the body.
With close to 300,000 kilometres on the clock, it was still running its original engine and gearbox, both in mint condition. The body was another story.
When Georgia started posting about the ute around October last year, she had about 3800 followers on TikTok.
The restoration quickly became the star of her account, and today around 89,000 people are watching Georgia to see what happens next.
Harry Browne-Saintyls job now is to film trips in the Hilux.
So far, fans have watched two weeks straight sanding the frame on the driveway, to close to a year chipping away at the rest. They painted it themselves, on that same driveway.
“I’m the perfectionist,” Georgia said. “But we both worked on it. We sanded it together, and we’ve both put a lot of time into it.”
They had help from Sean Lewis, a mechanical engineer with an engine-swapped Hilux of his own, and one of the people who got Harry into cars.
The project has also taught them that Hilux people are everywhere, and they’re not shy about sharing their knowledge.
The pair bought the Hilux for $1000 and spend around $7000 spent on it.
“People love this,” Georgia said. “There are so many car enthusiasts, and everyone knows everything about Hilux. If something’s not quite right, someone will tell you that you should be doing it this way.”
It’s all said with love, and sometimes it’s been a lifesaver. When the rusty original seatbelts had to go, help came via a DM from Fiji, from someone who just happened to have the exact seatbelts they needed.
“People are so encouraging and so interested,” Georgia said.
The $1000 ute has now had around $7000 spent on it, with the plan to sell it now forgotten.
That’s not the only change for Harry and Georgia. Due to the Hilux’s TikTok following, Harry has quit his job as a drainlayer and plumber to instead film their road trips in the Hilux.
