Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Hi people, need a bit of advice.

I am looking at a 1996 SGL 4.2. The colour is black and a mate of mine who works for Nissan SA is confident they never imported black Patrol's.

So it is either grey, or re-painted, or he is an idiot.

Please advise.

Picture:

http://pictures.autotrader.co.za/servle ... ge-big.jpg

Probably repainted.

I've never seen a black one yet that was still the original colour.

remove a corner of the roof lining ... what color you see there??? That shoeld be the car's original color [or under the bonnet in the cracks & folds - that should show.]
Hmmm - it should look good in black???

Arries had a black one with a silver roof!

Fatboy, open the bonnet and look at the chassis id plate. It is on the bulkhead, on the driver's side close to the top. This often says where the car was made.

However when it comes to the Y60 (like that one), Nissan seems to beleive they were all grey imports. I know at least foru people on this forum (myself included) who have 1996 4.2SGL's with serial numbers very close together (ADNC35000Y21XXX), on all of them the plate says "Made in South Africa" but when we go to Nissan for spares we are told they are grey imports. This is one of my biggest beefs with Nissan, but we still usually get the right spares despite this.

I don't want to get personal here, but are you sure you want a black car though? They show dust and scratches quickly and are hellishly hot inside?

Having said all of the above though, I still feel that these are amazing cars, and well worth it. This one looks like it could be a bit of a bargain, but check the service history and have a good look underneath for rust, check suspension bushes and look for accidents and abuse. Also make sure that everything is working. This includes 4wd in high and low ranges and especially the diff lock. On this car the diff lock can be engaged in 2wd, and the light will only come on when the diff lock is actually engaged. Take it onto some grass, switch the diff lock on (in 2H) and drive in a circle, you should easily feel the rear axle fighting. Then switch the diff lock off, straighten out and turn a little bit in the other direction, and the diff lock should switch off. also check all the electrics including the mirrors and aerial (the aerial's button is close to the diff lock switch).

hokaaaaaaiiii with this myth that black cars are hotter inside tha light coloured ones .. - 5th Gear did the mythbuster test on Nat Geographic [program was p/cast coupple of days ago] where two of the team sat in two M/Benzes - a BLACK one and a WHITE one in California at some tiny airfield -
After many hours, and when they were about to pass out from the heat, the recordings inside the vehicles showed that the white car actually got one degree C hotter than the black car
These were identical cars - all windows closed, no air-con, vents closed, all things being equal - That test was an eye opener for me --- want ek het nog ALTYD gese swart karre issi vir Afrika se whities nie [ons is te saf] maar nou??? Hmmm, c'mon black auto .. come to Paapa.

Fatboy,

In the engine compartment there should be a date and place of manufacture. If it is a grey/imported model, it should indicate it was manufactured in Japan. My troll was manufactured in Japan, and hence has a 13 number vin instead of the SA 14 number.


Also agree with Oom Mac, black cars are not hotter in side. I have a metallic dark green and after I had the windows tinted it improved even more. Lat Wiel did a test with two BMW's in Springbok , and the conclusion was that both the black, and white cars got very similar temps in side. As for the dark colour, all of have to wash our trolls regulary as the spend most of there time off the tare road.


I would suspect that it is a import and not necessarily a grey import. My Patrol was purchased from IC Nissan in Boksburg who imported it from Australia, because Nissan SA did not want to bring in the diesels.

Check for any oil leaks. Many are prone to leaking at the oil cooler and this is quite an intensive leak to fix. It is behind the oil filters.

Fatboy,

Not sure if you had the oppertunity to have a look [or speak to the owner] at the Patrol or just seen it on Autotrader to make sure what the colour is. I had a looked at the add it seems like a good buy if all mentioned above is looked at. I have a charcoal grey Patrol with tinted windows, as Grant says the temp. it is not bad at all..... Also make sure the A/C works

Cheers
Rudolph

Vin nommer ADNC260000Y210035?

Fatboy I think this is a UN spec Patrol, with builtin coolerbox it should be in the back on the side, this lorrie also have a/c front and back and have a jerrycan holder on small backdoor, sometimes colour can be misleading looks black but if looked from another angle they are dark blue. I actually think this should be an excellent buy if you have a look at the vehicle as what Peter Connan have indicated and then offer the owner R10K less

Good luck with your decision, I am sure if there is a forum member near the seller he would have a look with you at the lorrie.

Shalom
Jules