Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Hi Guys,

My sister is not using her Patrol (see heading) much anymore, and asked me if I would like to buy it. Now I know they are good and solid, but apart from the liberal use of fuel (trying to be politically correct WRT fuel consumption), what are the pit-falls with this vehicle?

Are spares readily available, or is it always an uphill battle to find what you need?

The car has the following accessories...

1. Additional fuel tank (40L I think)
2. Roof rack
3. Front & rear after market bumpers
4. Roof-Top tent (Eezi awn I think)
5. It's got mags on, but the original rims will also come with the deal


What will the vehicle be worth? Mileage from what I can remember is around the 200k mark.

The vehicle is in Grahams-town and I haven't seen it in about two years, thus not 100% on what accessories there are.

I remember reading on 4x4community somewhere that some of the Patrols have diff-lock issues, is this the case with this model, if so what are the implications to get this fixed, and also what would be the steps to follow if I want to install a front locker? Must I upgrade the diff, of can it be done with a standard diff.

I'll be doing most of the maintenance myself, so would also like to get my hands on a workshop manual, do you guys perhaps know if Haynes makes one for this model, does anyone maybe have it in PDF format?

I've always had a soft spot for the Patrols. Any advice will be much appreciated.

I think what I'd like to do if I take her, is chuck out the two fuel tanks, and just have one big tank, will that be possible?

Thanks.

Ho there
Sounds like your sister has a GQ patrol
Great cars same as the newer model spares are avalible from all over but we get from Dawid in warmbaths most of the time .....not that you need it that often ....diflock its normally a solinoid problem .
How much does she want for it?
How about a pic or two????
Regards

Chris
Normal maintenance spares are generally freely available, except for the air filter. So far my local Auto zone has always managed to get it for me within a day, but the don't always have one in stock. So nowadays I just phone them and order all the stuff I need, and it actually saves me time.

Fan belts and hoses are more problematic, but the quality of such pirate spares nowadays is questionable, so go to the agents for these.
Most of the other stuff can be sourced, but it's certainly more difficult than buying spares for a HiAce. And less difficult than for a '69 Lotus Europa.

I guess price should be somewhere around R50-60k?

This car could have diff-lock issues, but these are usually just a sticky solenoid, and easy enough to sort out. a 10-minute job for an aircraft maintenance Engineer

I have been dreaming about a front locker ever since I got mine, but the truth is these cars are so flipping capable you will probably scare yourself half to death before you really need one. There are a couple of options for lockers, with both auto-lockers and the ARB air-locker being available.

I have a Nissan workshop manual in .pdf. If you ever come near ORT you could bring a memory stick?

As for double tanks vs. a single large one, I would say don't put all your eggs in one basket.
My car has a main tank of around 140l, but such a large tank always suffers from breathing and filling issues. It takes me around 20 minutes to fill, and depending on the exact slope of the garage the amount I can get in varies by 20-30 litres.

Ditto on what Peter said.

With the collective knowledge and spares base gathered on this forum , you will be able to sort just about anything.

Patrols dont have a difflock problems. Because of the cars great wheel travel you hardly ever need it. And if something doesnt get used. It gets stuck.
Like the other guys said. Most of the time its just the solinoid that gets stuck.