Jack Moir's Turbo Diesel Nissan Navara & Intense M29

Jack's "Nav." is a 2.3L twin turbo diesel. Jack tells me the design works so that one of the turbos is low pressure and the other high pressure, set in a series, so they give you power all the time. (No turbo lag.)

Aside from some dust – much of which could be from the drive to the shoot location – the engine is fresh looking.

So clean. When I met with Jack in March to shoot his choice of vehicles, the Nav. had done about 19,000kms and he'd had it for close to 12 months.

The ute has heaps of accessories that Jack opted for but each of them serves a purpose that meets his needs.

A nudge-bar up front is a pretty common sight on utes in Australia. Jack's also added a light bar to brighten things up when driving on the beach at night.

A bonnet (or hood for the North Americans) protector keeps the rock chips to a minimum.

The headlights and front end of the Navara are similar to the North American Nissan S.U.Vs but differ from the "trucks" in the northern hemisphere.

18-inch alloy wheels are another accessory add-on from the stock ST-X. Jack opted to stick with regular tires because "they are better for what I do". He says he never goes extreme with the 4WD'ing and that the big mudders dig holes in the sand. He finds these sit better on top of the sand when driving on the beach. His Nav. is fitted with a set of the Toyo Open Country A25 tires.

Jack's tall – over six feet – but side steps were added for shorter folks.

Weather shields over each window are also something that's useful for many. It may not rain as often in Jack's area as in other parts (*cough* Vancouver *cough, cough*) but when it does, it pours. Add humidity that's higher again in the cab after a surf and being able to crack the window without letting in the weather is great.

Fender flares. These had me thinking Jack planned on beefing up the wheels but he's happy with how it drives on the regular Toyo tires.

I don't see too many of the hard, full fibreglass tonneau covers in Aus. as I do in Canada. Jack's Navara is fitted with a soft, vinyl cover from Nissan, specially built to perfectly integrate with the bed of his ute.

The tonneau locks in with this alloy system that includes weather seals to help keep the elements out when it's closed up.

In the bed were a couple of Jack's boards and wetties. He was hoping to get a wave in after we shot but we ran out of time. (Sorry mate!). Under his surf gear is a tub liner to keep the bed shmick.

The accessories move to the roof too. Another partner of Jack's is Yakima and they kitted him out with a set of roof racks and a retractable awning. He also has a rooftop tent for serious adventures.

These awnings are common in Australia and have been for ages. This year I've started to see more of them around in North America as well. It packs away into this tidy unit and when he needs some shade, whether at an Aussie race or down at the beach, he's got one ready to go.

There's also a sun-roof/moon-roof .

Inside the cab is quite clean, though Jack feels he needs to take better care of it. I guess I'm not as clean as I thought…

There aren't any customizations inside, mostly because the car is so new. But I noticed heaps of something else. Do you see it?

A bunch of air fresheners pretty well outline Jack's laid back surfy personality and keep the cab smelling decent.

The stereo is a nice looking number and Jack uses it well with a mix of his favourite beats. It works with Apple Carplay and Android Auto for seamless phone integration.

Jack opted for the automatic but the default features a manual transmission – the automatic cost a few bones more.

It's also available as a 2WD but Jack's is the 4WD. As with most part-time 4x4 vehicles today, it can be switched easily from within the cab via a dial and electronics.

The ST-X model also has the option of locking the rear differential, for those tricky off-road situations.

Jack doesn't always use the back seat and keeps them folded up to keep the upholstery clean. It gives him some extra space right behind the front seats too.

Being supported by Yakima means Jack's got a fresh rack to hold his bikes too. He opted for the HoldUp EVO for shuttling duties.

It's big enough to hold onto his XL Intense M29 DH bike's 1,307mm wheelbase.

Jack helped develop the M29. You could say this is his bike.

Moving from RockShox/SRAM to Fox and TRP in 2019 saw Jack move to the new Fox 49 fork.

The move also meant getting off Maxxis tires and onto Kenda. He was running the Hellkat in a 2.6 front and 2.4 rear combo when we met and was finding the extra width provided more traction at the front wheel.

At the time, Jack preferred the feel of a coil shock on his M29. He prefers the traction it provides off the top but was open to trying the Float X2 after hearing good things about it. He also noted that he runs the coil shock stiffer to better support his off-the-back riding style.

An ODI number board remains at the front of the bike even when he's not racing.

The new team outfit saw Jack grabbing onto Renthal bars for 2019. He opted for the 40mm rise option and ran 10mm of spacers beneath the Integra II direct mount stem.

Jack was running the new TRP DH7 drivetrain. It was the first time I had seen a pretty production ready version of the drivetrain and it was looking good.

The DH7 shifter features an adjustable throw position on the shifter paddle. Jack was running his just shy of the 20-degree forward mark, providing less reach to get the thumb up onto the paddle surface.

The DH7 rear derailleur is a compact looking unit too. It will be interesting to see how these fair in the real world.

TRP's G-Spec DHR brake took care of Jack's braking duties earlier in the season.

With the big wheels, it took a moment to notice the size of these rotors wasn't stock. Jack finds the oversize rotors to be almost a necessity with the 29-inch wheeled race sled.

Although they look ready for consumers, these 223mm rotors were still in their prototype phase. They still aren't available on the TRP website either.

ODI Elite Pro grips provide more cushion from the impacts Jack's hands have to deal with.

Apart from the frame and the e*thirteen chainguide, Jack's bike was completely different for 2019. The guide was joined by e*thirteen's LG1r cranks.

Jack slides about like he's on a set of flat pedals but uses a set of Crankbrothers Mallet DH pedals to lock in. Even Down Under, the flat pedal influence among racers has dwindled from its glory days.

Extra chainslap deadening. Jack's applied a good amount of tape to further quieten his bike on the trail.

2019 wasn't Jack's first year on carbon wheels – he had spent the past season on Enve's wheels but for 2019 was on the e*thirteen LG1r wheels.

Jack doesn't name his bikes but he does stick his on it.