Ettienne de Kock

Please tell us about yourself :-)
EttiennedK
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: 23 Aug 2020 18:16
Full Name: Ettienne de Kock
Nickname: EttiennedK
Home Town: Tesselaarsdal
Current 4x4: 1998 Patrol GRX 4500
Home Language: Afrikaans
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 3 times

Ettienne de Kock

Post by EttiennedK »

Morning all :imnewhere:

Please don't immediately ban me for starting my 1st post with "my Defender", but....
At the end of July "My Defender" committed suicide by catching fire by itself, at 04:00, parked in front of my house - and burnt to a puddle of aluminum and a twisted chassis...

Being a life-long petrolkop with an aversion to platkarre, a hatred of anything smaller than an old Valiant due to claustrophobia and a love of the sound of a straight 6, I decided I'd had enough of an oil-burner and I need something with a row of spark plugs.

As (irrespective of whether I wanted it or not) I was due to turn 60, I decided to get myself something for me, from me. So I bought a 98' Patrol 4500 GRX. (Those on the SA 4x4 Community Forum might know it as Petri's "Olive")

I flew up to Jo'burg last week and took possesion of it om Tuesday - a day before my biffday.....and did a quick Joh'burg, Durban, Bloem, home roadtrip! For 3 days I drove it like I stole it, I drove it like an old toppie with a hat on his head and a pipe in his mouth (which I am) and I drove it with a silly grin on my face!

The only thing I didn't like was the leather seats - seat covers is a definite must! The 1st of many questions I will probably post is therefore: Which make would other users suggest, or is there someone that custom makes them?

Regards to all.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Name: Full Name (Nickname/Registered Name) Ettienne de Kock

2. Birthday and Age: 26 August 60

3. Town and Country of residence: Tesselaarsdal (Cape Province)

4. Home Language: Afrikaans

5. Occupation/Business: Semi-retired farmer

6. Family status: Married with teenage daughter still in the house

7. Membership - Other 4X4 Clubs and Forums: SA 4x4 Community Forum

8. Current 4x4: 1 Patrol 4500 GRX (and 4 old Landies)

9. Current Mods: OME suspension, snorkel, dual battery system, drawer system.

10. Mods on wish list: Does a Patrol need front diff-lock?

11. Vehicle on wish list: Got it

12. Previous 4x4's: Ford F250, Hilux SFA, Colt 3.0, Range Rover Classic, LR S2 88", LR FC, LR Lightweight, 3 x Disco's, 3 x Defenders

13. Last 3 offroad or overland destinations: The Bundu

14. Your favourite destination: The Bundu

15. Other hobbies: Restoring old 4x4's

16. GPSr and Map Data used: Garmin, T4A

17. Rate your 4X4 and overlanding experience: Personal rating: Average. Wife's rating: Hooligan.
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hugejp
Patrolman 1000+
Patrolman 1000+
Posts: 2052
Joined: 21 Oct 2014 21:01
Full Name: JP Viviers
Nickname: Oupoot
Home Town: JHB
Current 4x4: THE PATROL COLLECTION
2004 4.8 GRX TURBO "Tinkerbell"
2003 TD42T GRX "The Coal Roller"
Home Language: Half & Half
Has thanked: 211 times
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Re: Got a Patrol.....

Post by hugejp »

:welcomewave:

I hope you have many miles of smiles with your Patrol!

To be very honnest a Patrol doesn't really need a front difflock, but it is very nice to have.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

You CAN with a NISSAN!

Jy KAN met 'n DATSUN!
Francois Theron
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 97
Joined: 02 May 2009 21:31
Full Name: Francois Theron
Nickname: Francois
Home Town: Robertson
Current 4x4: 2006 Patrol 4.8 GL
Home Language: Afrikaans
Has thanked: 12 times
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Re: Got a Patrol.....

Post by Francois Theron »

Welkom Etienne. Ja soos ek jou vertel het, ek is nogal verras met my Patrol,

Wat seat covers betref kon ek uiteindelik net Melville and Moon kry. Waarskynlik die duurste maar baie goeie diens en gehalte. Voorste diff lock het jy gesien wat hy doen.
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Peter Connan
Moderator
Posts: 6011
Joined: 10 Sep 2010 07:21
Full Name: Peter Connan
Nickname: Piet
Home Town: Kempton Park
Current 4x4: 1996 Patrol 4.5SGL
Home Language: Afrikaans
Location: Kempton Park
Has thanked: 1067 times
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Re: Got a Patrol.....

Post by Peter Connan »

Welkom Ettienne

Krisis, het jy enige idee hoekom die landy vlamgevat het? Dis nie 'n lekker ondervinding daai nie.

Voorste diff lock help verseker. Maar of hy dit nodig het, hang af van wat jy probeer doen. Ek sou se ry hom vir 'n rukkie en besluit dan, tensy jy besonder lus is om die geld te spandeer.

At the risk of getting donnered, the lightweight landy you mention in your signature: do you have any idea how many of them there are in the country? Always thought the early one (with the in-board lights) was the best looking landy of them all. I even tried to build a radio-controlled model of one as a boy. Now that was a case of biting off more than I could chew!
Mag ons ons kenniskry met lekkerkry aanhoukry.
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Tinus lotz
Moderator
Posts: 7579
Joined: 29 Aug 2010 13:07
Full Name: Tinus lotz
Nickname: Tinus lotz
Home Town: Centurion
Current 4x4: Nissan patrol 4.8 GRX 2005

Toyota 2.7 legend 35 LWB 4X4
Home Language: Afrikaans
Has thanked: 800 times
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Re: Got a Patrol.....

Post by Tinus lotz »

Welcome here nice patrol you got there a real gem in 4.5 not a lot of them in that condision anymore . Also not the fastest but very reliable engine . When you select low range on those the fun starts . :blonde:
I can hook you up with a set of stone hill covers for very good price they have 5year unlimited warrantee . Busy with 4 sets for guys of the forum as we speak . Pm me your no ....happy patrolling 😉
Reenen
Patrolman
Patrolman
Posts: 556
Joined: 31 Oct 2013 13:37
Full Name: Reenen Kritzinger
Nickname: Reenen
Home Town: Greyton
Current 4x4: SFA Hardbody
4.8 GRX
V9X Navara
Safari Stasiewa
Safari Pickup
Safari stasiewa
88 Isuzu RD28 Nissan
1978 300D Merc RD28 Nissan
Home Language: Afrikaans
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Re: Got a Patrol.....

Post by Reenen »

Tinus lotz wrote:Welcome here nice patrol you got there a real gem in 4.5 not a lot of them in that condision anymore . Also not the fastest but very reliable engine . When you select low range on those the fun starts . :blonde:
I can hook you up with a set of stone hill covers for very good price they have 5year unlimited warrantee . Busy with 4 sets for guys of the forum as we speak . Pm me your no ....happy patrolling Image
Ek het al sy no vir jou gestuur...
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Tinus lotz
Moderator
Posts: 7579
Joined: 29 Aug 2010 13:07
Full Name: Tinus lotz
Nickname: Tinus lotz
Home Town: Centurion
Current 4x4: Nissan patrol 4.8 GRX 2005

Toyota 2.7 legend 35 LWB 4X4
Home Language: Afrikaans
Has thanked: 800 times
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Re: Got a Patrol.....

Post by Tinus lotz »

:salute:
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JohnBoyZA
Site Admin
Posts: 1339
Joined: 02 Apr 2009 14:34
Full Name: John Murray
Nickname: John Boy
Home Town: Bloubergstrand
Current 4x4: Patrol GRX 4.8
Home Language: Afrikaans/English
Location: Big Bay, Cape Town
Has thanked: 1046 times
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Re: Got a Patrol.....

Post by JohnBoyZA »

Hallo Ettienne, baie welkom... en geluk op jou Patrol!
Nissan Patrol, GRX, 4.8 (GU Y61)
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ricster
Patrolman 1000+
Patrolman 1000+
Posts: 5850
Joined: 13 Jan 2010 11:16
Full Name: Cedric Warner
Nickname: Cedric
Home Town: Alberton Gauteng
Current 4x4: '99 Nissan Patrol 4.2 Turbo Diesel
Home Language: English
Location: LA..... No not Los Angles ..... Lower Alberton, Gauteng
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Re: Got a Patrol.....

Post by ricster »

Front difflock is a nice to have, but you will rarely need it if ever. The Patrol has so much articulation in its suspension that you generally always have 3 wheels on the ground.

My personal opinion now, so possibly not the opinion of everyone. I have put my Patrol through some hardcore and heavy obstacles, and can't say that I needed a front difflock. The other concern for me is if you look at the sideshafts of a Patrol vs a Cruiser for example you will see a HUGE size difference. On a cruiser if everything is locked up and something has to break, rather let it be a side shaft. This is a LOT cheaper to replace that a transfer or gearbox. If you lock everything up on a Patrol those side shafts are not going to break. The Patrol gearbox is a tank, and not going to easily break, so I think it would be the transfer box that would get ruined. So far in the years I've been involved with Patrols I have never heard of anyone blowing up a transfer or gearbox, or shearing a sideshaft.

If yo want to do extreme stuff with the Patrol, then rather build a pipe car that you can climb a vertical wall with.....haha :rolling:
Regards
Cedric
Nissan Patrol GL 4.2 Diesel Turbo (Iron Maiden)
Nissan SANI 3.0 V6 4x4 (SOLD)
Isuzu KB 280 DT 2x4 ('ol Smokey) - SOLD
Suzuki TL 1000R "V twin" (Growler) - SOLD
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Alex Roux
Patrolman 1000+
Patrolman 1000+
Posts: 2627
Joined: 11 Jul 2011 10:54
Full Name: Alexander Roux
Nickname: Calculator
Home Town: Johannesburg
Current 4x4: 2004 GU 3TDi (Lexus) - aka "Witblits" (sold)
2005: GU TD42 - aka "Masewa"
1996: GQ TB48 conversion - aka "Skilpad"
1993: GQ SWB TB42 - aka "Shortie"
1985: MQ Patrol (Safari) SD33 - aka "Toro"
Home Language: Afrikaans
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Re: Got a Patrol.....

Post by Alex Roux »

I just don't like the thought of some non-Ninssan thing being double locked and potentially more capable than my beast...
Skilpad, Shortie, Toro & Masewa
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