I've been thinking about my plan to do an engine / axle swap on my Patrol and really examining my feelings about it and I'm realizing that I don't want to do that with this vehicle. When I bought it I had the idea of fixing it up, doing a lift and keeping it like that for awhile, at least. After I blew the engine I guess I said "screw it - I'll just build a beast!". I think I was in denial to some extent.

The whole reason I set out to find a Patrol and then went out and bought one, was that they are such a cool, rare old vehicle. I love well-made old things - especially unusual ones and this is one of my very favorite old offroad vehicles. Regardless of the engine, my Patrol is still a very good, mostly complete example. I mean, how many '69 Patrols in this condition are out there anyway?

All along I've been aware of the conflict between the conservative side of me that wants to keep the Patrol completely stock and restore it, and the more wild side that wants a beast to drive.
For weeks now it's been dawning on me that seeing the Patrol has been making me feel bummed and I've realized it's because I think I'd be doing a disservice to myself and posterity to bastardize this particular vehicle. I think looking at some of the other Patrols lately had brought that to the forefront of my consciousness.

So. I'm going to rebuild or replace the engine and basically restore it with some mods. I'm going to go over the frame and body as planned and take the engine, tranny, etc apart to assess the sitch. I want to lift it somewhat (probably the Ironman spring lift and whatever additional lift I can reasonably manage), add some armor (sliders, rollcage system) and fit the largest tires I can reasonably tuck in there.

There is a '67 softtop I was looking into that is already hacked up and I may try to get that for the engine and top and use the rest later to build a monster.

I really want to build a more rock-crawler oriented vehicle and using a Patrol would be awesome for me but this just isn't the right candidate. I'm dissapointed in that sense but feel I'm doing the right thing for me. I could see doing it to one that's already been messed up, so maybe this other one will work out for that.

Anyway, some folks on this board have been very supportive and have offered a lot of advice and information around this and I appreciate it. I thought I should offer an explanation - besides, now I'm going to be asking a whole new set of questions!

-Greg

Wheeling Rocks!
NorthEast Trailrides List ~ Let's Go Wheeling!

Fudd got to ya, didn't he?

Sounds like a good plan. Straying from the topic a bit, I'm not sure if anyone else is like me, but I hate watching movies where pristine old musclecars, etc. get crashed for that same reason. It's hard to want to chop up such a rare beast.


1998 Frontier 4x4 seriously built
2002 Xterra 4x4 still stock
Please help STOP urban sprawl!

I'm kinda glad to see you've changed your mind. Keeping it all somewhat stock is much more appealing to me personally. I mean heck, look what I drive...

Mr. Will "is ready to go"

|1992 SE-V6 4x4, 2001 LE 3.5|
http://www.netsnapshot.com/pcw/pickalbum?W92PathSE

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Fudd got to ya, didn't he?

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No, no, nothing of the sort!
Quick! He's looking away - he's actually holding an impact hammer to my head. Help... Please... Someone...

Heh....glad to have shared my views and rigs with ya'

I don't know where you got the nick dogwater or what it refers to but I have some life long friends who had a punk rock band named DogWater back in high school....they were pretty good considering, all still play music!

A 69 Patrol is rare, very rare...but out of all the Patrol years 69 is the most comman. 62 is the rarest of rare. There are also a few others that are the extreme of rare but most folks are happy with just plain very rare The 69 has a few things though that in orginal form are pretty cool, the paint scheme on the interior and the shifter boots come to mind first...these are specific to the 69 Patrol. Also in 68 came a new option, the deluxe seats, I have only seen one Patrol ever that had these! 2616 total units of the Patrol were sold and out of these 975 were the soft tops. The softies have not survied nearly as well and are the hardest to find, especially clean...so if you can get your hands on one do it, cut up or otherwise a softie is very cool. I just got a 64 ragtop that is rough, it came from New Mexico so it is fairly rust free considering. I plan to rebuild the whole thing from the ground and have a bunch of the parts I need, finally got all the clean body parts just last week! The 60 series Patrol came in a lot of diffrent models, we in the USA only saw the KL60 & L60 but there was a truck (62ZG60H), wagon (WG60), MWB (G60) and all could be gotten as heavy duty models. Also late in the production was a deluxe hardtop that was very very cool. There were even sub-models like the firetruck, movie van, police specific unit, military and two wheel drive. The truck and HD models carry the tag "H" for heavy duty. They have a diffrent rear end, driveline and suspension. I have heard rumors they also have a HD clutch but haven't confirmed this yet. This HD set up is rated at 1.5 tons and is very buff from what I hear...I also have heard rumors of being able to get a detroit locker in the HD rear end. My 64 blue Patrol does not have the stock engine so it will be the trail ride, being a Patrol freak I can't swap out anything to non Nissan gear, except suspension. So it will get the HD rear end and driveline if I can get one. The 64 ragtop I hope to get a HD rear end and the HD suspension on it. I have some pictures of the HD model from New Zealand and man it is damn near lifted with the stock HD leafs...these HD leafs have 2 more leafs than the Ironman lift! The rear end was also used in a dually large forward cab Nissan truck called The Junior...Since the HD equiptment came on the truck and since there are a lot of Patrol trucks in Australia I am confident I can get several rear ends. In Australia they call the truck the Ute. The HD leafs I have already found in aftermarket form in Australia, not Nissan but if I have to I will settle for them. Anyways there is a bunch of rambling about Patrols

If you are going the stock route or the mostly stock route be ready for a challenge. Parts can be a nightmare...but don't get discouraged. Parts can be had if you are motivated and determind. The hardest things to rebuild are the engine and tranny. Simply because you can't find 100% of it easily. In my opinion there is no point to do the job unless you are perpared to replace anything that shows any sign of wear. So it is expensive and hard to do right...yet in the end the Patrol that is done right will be worth alot more, to me who labored to get it done right and to someone who might buy it someday. I hate things that are half arsed especially on Patrols

If you are gonna wheel in it and keep the stock diffs get some spare axels, depending on the amount of wheeling should depend on the number of spare axels. The stock standard axel is the weakest thing in a Patrol. The last bit of advice I have is to get yourself a manual and arts catalog. Use the parts catalog to find what is available in the USA, buy from NAP.com and use the NPCA discount so you get 25% off parts. Don't give up if you can't find or get parts from Nissan right off the bat....you can still get them.

Anyways, I hope some of my rambling has made you feel better about your decision...

Here is a link to the other extreme, coversion of a Patrol. Not as nice as Johns in my opinion but fully custom.

fully converted non-Patrol-Patrol

i think thats badass DW. i was just dreaming about how totally f-ing sweet it would be to have this and all the cool stuff that could be done but mostly i would want it in basicly stock condition. the more patrols i see the more my thoughts of another vehicle shift towards getting one.. Your already more fortunate than most of us DW by even having one in your possesion. i think your totally doing to right thing by trying to keep it pretty tame and just enjoy having it.. good luck..

Fudd, thanks for the info, some of which I was aware of but not all. I didn't know about the HD rear end - grab one of those for me would ya?

Dogwater was a name someone called me behind my back to be insulting because I always gave her dogs water or said they looked thirsty. I thought it was cool and started using it. Apparently that band is still around and has a following, if it's the same one. A google search for dogwater turns up lots of links for them, which is how I recently learned of them.

That's an interesting rig but I agree it doesn't compare to John's.
Oh, and you left your impact hammer here when you rushed out, should I mail it or what?

TJL - I know I'm lucky and that looks like a decent price. I'd consider it for parts if it were closer.

I made one mistake in my rambeling...

The Junior was not a forward cab dually, that was the Nissan Cabal. The Junoir was a heavy duty truck but it does carry the same HD rear end as the H model Patrols.

I was by your site last night DogWater....long read Intresting story though and quite the adventure to get your Patrol home. These things you encountered are the very reasons I trailer all my Patrols home....the New Mexico ragtop I got involved a 50 hour ordeal with only 3 hours of sleep so I know about the effort to get a Patrol home. 2600 miles is alot to cover in two days....yet it is worth it to me cause I now has a sweet 64 ragtop in my stall! If the block is not damaged you can rebuild the engine, possibly you can rebuild it even if the block is damaged. You are also right....the body on the Patrol is CLEAN! Good luck with your recent decision...let me know if I can help.

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the body on the Patrol is CLEAN!

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Yeah, I just need to get rid of the brushed-on housepaint camo job!
Thanks, man - I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions.

Which engine is in the '69 ?
My '82 K160 has the L28, basically the same as in the 280ZX. That might be an option for you to keep it all Nissan if you can't salvage the old engine.

NissanPatrol.de <- my business site
BART's world
'82 Patrol solid/solid on 35x12.5's General MT's


Life starts where the road ends!

Bart, it has the L-60 in it. I'm still trying to set myself up to pull it and survey the damage. All this snow has set me back a little.

Duh. Brainfart. I meant P40

actually it is just plain "P"!

I hear ya on snow....I got plenty and can do much on my rigs because of it so I sit in my house doing like the little guy to old school 80's metal!