Our 79 Series project ute has covered serious ground since we fitted a handful of 70 Series Store accessories back in December 2025. Here’s what survived, what impressed, and what still needs work.

It’s been a varied six months. The ute has done highway kays, outback corrugations, dirt and beach sand, running from Melbourne north through the back-country pub route to Tilpa, along the Darling River to Louth, then across country and up to Fraser Island before heading home down the coast.

The 70 Series Store gear we fitted was fairly straightforward: a gear stick extension, billet gear knob, Cup Holder Armrests Pro with integrated cupholders, a dash mat, and weather shields. None of it is dramatic. No lift kit, no locker, no snorkel. Just the quality-of-life gear that makes a 70 Series easier to live with on a long trip. Because anyone who has toured seriously in one knows the factory rig is agricultural as hell.

Installation

Most of the kit went on without drama, and nothing required a workshop or specialised tools.

The gear stick extension (↗) was one of the simplest installs of the lot. It threads in cleanly and lines up without fuss, and the improvement to driving position is immediate the moment you sit back in the seat. It effectively brings the shifter up into a more natural arm position, which is something the factory layout never quite gets right in the 70 Series cabin. The dash mat (↗) was even easier again, essentially a drop-in piece that takes under a minute to lay into position and settle.

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The Cup Holder Armrests Pro (↗) sit in the middle of the effort scale. The fitment itself is straightforward, but getting both sides aligned evenly against the door cards takes patience. Once installed properly, though, they look and feel like they belong there from the factory. The magnet-based mounting system is secure, and the clear protective stickers over the contact points are a thoughtful detail that helps keep everything clean during install.

The weather shields (↗) take the most time. The adhesive is strong and confidence-inspiring, but getting both sides to match perfectly along the window line requires repeated checking and minor adjustments. Once on, they sit tight and integrate cleanly with the window frames.

The gear knob (↗) threaded on cleanly and was relatively easy to install. It tightens down without needing any special tools or modification, and it slots straight into the factory shifter setup with no drama.

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The Centre Console Armrest Lite (↗) is an easy fitment that slots straight into place without modification. It’s a quick way to improve day-to-day comfort in the cabin, immediately adding a proper armrest for longer highway runs and slower off-road driving.

It’s especially effective if you’ve fitted a gear stick extension, with the driving position feeling more natural and truck-like once both are in place. The added storage is a practical bonus, helping tidy up the interior without complicating the setup.

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On the road

The gear stick extension ended up being the most noticeable upgrade from behind the wheel. 

The factory 70 Series shifter position forces your hand low and slightly awkward for long periods, especially on highway stretches where you’re constantly moving between gears and resting your arm at odd angles. Lifting the shifter changes that immediately. It puts the gear lever closer to a natural elbow position, which reduces fatigue and makes long stints on corrugated roads noticeably less tiring.

On the run between Tilpa and Louth, where the road surface is rough and unbroken for long stretches, that ergonomic change becomes obvious quickly. It also helps in sand driving at places like Fraser Island, where quicker, more deliberate shifts are needed.

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The Cup Holder Armrests Pro fill a long-standing gap in the 70 Series interior. The factory door cards offer nothing usable for arm support, which becomes obvious within the first couple of hours on the road. Once fitted, the armrests give a proper resting point that holds up over long days without discomfort. The padding remains supportive on extended drives, and they don’t interfere with shifting or movement in the seat. The integrated cupholders also perform well on rough roads, holding bottles securely on corrugations and beach tracks where standard holders often fail.

The weather shields allow the windows to be cracked slightly in heat or rain while still reducing wind noise and spray. This makes a difference on long highway days and in hot outback conditions where airflow is important when parked or moving slowly through towns.

The dash mat reduces glare off the factory dash on long exposed stretches of road, particularly when the sun is low. It also adds a layer of protection against UV exposure, helping to keep the dash surface from long-term heat damage.

The gear knob integrates cleanly into the cabin and maintains a consistent feel through both highway cruising and off-road use. It matches the rest of the setup visually and functions as a straightforward, reliable interface with the gearbox.

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Durability after six months

This trip cycle covered a wide range of conditions including salt air, river dust, corrugations, sand, and extended highway running, giving a solid spread of real-world exposure.

The Cup Holder Armrests Pro have held their shape and mounting integrity through all of it. Even after Fraser Island’s sand and salt exposure, there’s no sagging, no loosening at the mounts, and no visible wear in the stitching or padding. They remain firm and comfortable in regular use.

The weather shields have stayed firmly attached through heat, rain, dust, and repeated high-speed highway runs. No lifting at the edges, no cracking, and no movement once the adhesive fully settled. The dash mat continues to sit flat and stable with no curling or shifting, even after extended exposure to heat and sunlight.

The gear knob has maintained a consistent fit and finish across the entire trip, holding its position on the shifter and integrating cleanly with regular use across all terrain types.

Verdict

The gear stick extension and Cup Holder Armrests Pro stand out as the most meaningful upgrades in terms of day-to-day driving impact. They change how the cabin feels in a way that becomes obvious very quickly, and they earn their place permanently in a touring setup.

The weather shields and dash mat are quiet, functional additions that do exactly what they’re intended to do without drawing attention. The gear knob fits neatly into that same category of simple, functional upgrades that integrate cleanly into the cabin and complete the setup without complication.

Taken as a whole, the package has held up well across outback NSW, the Darling River corridor, Fraser Island and thousands of kilometres of mixed driving. It’s a set of upgrades that makes the 70 Series easier to live with over long distances, and on that front, it delivers.

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