Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

This is just a comparrison please advise. Especially current 4.5 owners if I was wrong with the numbers. After seeing that green 4.5 advertised in the marketing section I am reconsidering my Defender. I would love a Patrol 5door we are outgrowing the 3door Landy.

Over the last 5000 km I had an average of 9.4 km/l The recent service cost R1200 for filters and oil. This also included a minor leak on the TC case inspection hatch. The previous service was more expensive. There was a cam service, and a oil seal replaced between the main box and TC. That cost R6500 because of the labour for removing the TC
Two services R7700
Diesel for 15000km on current price (R9.79 BP Naboomspruit) on my avg consumption is R15625
Running cost then for the last 15k km was R23325

I spoke to a colleague at work, he ran a 4.5 for a long time. Conservative driver only once got more than 7km/l on his way back from Nam. Family member of Sias on the forum, conservative driver, had a van der Linde conversion on the intake and SAC looked at the exhaust to make it more economical.
Assuming 6.8km/l looking at current petrol price on the Sasol table 95 octane is R10.23 per litre
R22566
Assuming 6.8km/l looking at the Sasol 93 Octane is R10.07
R22213

Now as much as I like the Patrol and as good a reputation it has for being bullet proof. At some point it will need a cam service, maybe an oil seal here and there, break discs. Plus there are not any independant Patrol specialists. I am not so sure about the 4.5 Please advise if your experience is different

Why not consider a TD42 Patrol? Even in standard from it's got more oomph than a Tdi Defender and get's respectable fuel consumption. between 7.5 and 8.5km/l depending on tyres and load. They're very strong vehicles...mine's just clocked over 365,000km's and is now only needing it's first clutch plate. It's been a pretty low maintenance vehicle up to now....I'm replacing the clutch, rear main seal and engine mounts(since we had the engine and gearbox out anyway) and radiator (stone damage and the core is now a bit tired). You can get an entire clutch system from Nissan for R5500 (assuming you remember to ask for the 10% discount they tend to give if you ask nicely)....not exactly too bad considering the LUK version will set you back R3500 or so!

I change oil and oil filters every 5,000km's (~R480 for 10l Delo 400 and 2 GUD oil filters), but the real interval is 10,000km's (I don't do much mileage though as I'm on two wheels mostly). I have a K&N filter for town driving and that get's cleaned ever second service, a new diesel filter and tappet adjustment every 20,0000km's depending on what kind of driving I've been doing. Other than that these guys need little attention and just keep piling on the km's (assuming they've been serviced and looked after properly).

OB1 the Petrol Patrols all have timing chains rather than belts, thus no expensive maintenance between engine rebuilds (this apparently occurs at about 600k km).

Oil service every 10k km and tappet adjustment every 20k on the 4.5, but this is a 1/2hour job. However the Patrol takes probably about twice as much engine oil as the Landy, and I think your 6.8 is probably optimistic (although there are a few guys acheiving that, the average is considerably lower).

I am afraid that on a purely financial basis the Patrol will probably be a bit more expensive to operate than the Defender, but in my opinion it is considerably more vehicle, although I know there are several guys here that would argue that.

Peter Connan wrote:OB1 the Petrol Patrols all have timing chains rather than belts, thus no expensive maintenance between engine rebuilds (this apparently occurs at about 600k km).

Oil service every 10k km and tappet adjustment every 20k on the 4.5, but this is a 1/2hour job. However the Patrol takes probably about twice as much engine oil as the Landy, and I think your 6.8 is probably optimistic (although there are a few guys acheiving that, the average is considerably lower).

I am afraid that on a purely financial basis the Patrol will probably be a bit more expensive to operate than the Defender, but in my opinion it is considerably more vehicle, although I know there are several guys here that would argue that.

The TD42 also has a timing chain if I'm not mistaken....

Really fast replys thanks.

It is more car it has 5 doors, aircon, waterproofing and power

Can one DIY the maintenance? I can on the Tdi change filters oil, but have never removed tapped covers etc. Willing to learn and I am compitent with a spanner.

Timing chains are also a maintenance item? On the Td5 Land Rover motor they strech and need to be replaced. I understood it is a service item, but then again most of the Land Rover is

SRXy wrote:The TD42 also has a timing chain if I'm not mistaken....

RRXy, I think it is only the 3l which has a timing belt (and even then I am not sure)

But the 3l gives the best gives the best fuel consumption on the road. I think it probably uses a bit more fuel than the 4.2 N/A diesel when conditions get tough though?

OB1 wrote:Really fast replys thanks.

It is more car it has 5 doors, aircon, waterproofing and power

Can one DIY the maintenance? I can on the Tdi change filters oil, but have never removed tapped covers etc. Willing to learn and I am compitent with a spanner.

Timing chains are also a maintenance item? On the Td5 Land Rover motor they strech and need to be replaced. I understood it is a service item, but then again most of the Land Rover is

My mistake....the TD42 has gear driven cams...even less service.

The tappets and oil are all DIY (all you need is the workshop manual, some decent feeler guages/tools and the time ...in fact a lot of the vehicle maintenance is DIY even for someone with a limited toolset.

I am a "hand granade victim" - But still I would opt for the 3.0 diesel [Patrol or Hard Body] because if you compare to other 4-cyl diesel vehicles - they last just as long [or short] - it is only that the "hand granade" is so well publisised that it becomes a " die mense sê"

Year before last - when I still had the VG30 V6 Hard Body - we had a Toyota 2,4 Hi Lux on the Botswana trip & on the Rixhtersveldt trip - the 'Lux owner first comment "how can you go on this trip with that V6 Nissan?"
Why?
"Die mense se hulle is baie swaar op petrol"
At the end of the route, back in Pretoria - the sums showed that he had used mor fuel with his 2,4 'Lux than I did with teh Nissan - AND Brutus was carrying the heavier load...

I see in the "used car" ads - MOST other makes 4-cyl diesels also had engines redone [for whatever reason] by the time they are sold at ±220 000 / 25 000 Km.

SRXy wrote:Why not consider a TD42 Patrol?

I'd sell my left kidney! But WHERE?

When I worked out the PA cost of my diesel Pathy vs 4.8 Patrol the Patrol was almost 15k more that's a lot of money I could spend on repairs / mods? If my calcs were right. Wife would have to be an ex CA!!!

There have been few on gumtree recently actually....you just have to keep an eye out for one.

Like this one for instance...

http://capetown.gumtree.co.za/c-Cars-Ve ... Z285565714

There was another one on recently, but that seems to have gone.