50 years of Nissan Patrol in Australia! *pictures*
Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:09 am
I thought I would share this with you all. A gentleman by the name of Ray has showed up on my website forum (www.rmp-o.com) and he has shared one of the finest restored 4w60 Patrols I have ever seen. Not that I have seen many, they are so damn rare worldwide!
Only 5 or 6 of these ever came to Australia. They were tested by the Aussie Army but Nissan didn't get the contract, LandRover did.
This is the birth child of ALL Nissan Patrols, the great great granddad of the trucks you all love today! These came with a non-syncro 4spd and full floating rear axle. The engine is the NC-series inline-6, yep that is right the great granddad of the P40, TB42, 4.5 and 4.8. It was a big engine for the time and had lot's of horse power....something Nissan still holds true with the Patrol today! I think it is pretty awesome he went through all the trouble to restore the truck and still uses it today!
Anyways, here is the email Ray sent me and pictures of his 50 year old Patrol!
Only 5 or 6 of these ever came to Australia. They were tested by the Aussie Army but Nissan didn't get the contract, LandRover did.
This is the birth child of ALL Nissan Patrols, the great great granddad of the trucks you all love today! These came with a non-syncro 4spd and full floating rear axle. The engine is the NC-series inline-6, yep that is right the great granddad of the P40, TB42, 4.5 and 4.8. It was a big engine for the time and had lot's of horse power....something Nissan still holds true with the Patrol today! I think it is pretty awesome he went through all the trouble to restore the truck and still uses it today!
Anyways, here is the email Ray sent me and pictures of his 50 year old Patrol!
G'day Ian
Hope these pics are better for you to put on the website. Just a brief history on the Nissan. As I said it was rejected by the army and was sold off, we do not know to who or where it went. A friend with an earth moving business found it on a farm at Elmore (Nth Vic) and bought it and I bought it off him in 1997. It was very rusty and only went in front wheel drive. We got it home to Melbourne and stripped it down and had a good look at it. I had to make a complete left hand floor and battery box (now a tool box), Left and right hand sills and a new rear panel across the back where the tail lights mount as well as repair numerous dents and holes. All transmission components were rebuilt which included a new selector shaft for the transfer case and a new RH rear axle, both of which had to be made. The engine has had a head gasket replaced (had to be made) and the carby replaced by a single throat Stromberg which took fuel consumption from 11mpg to 21 mpg on the highway. The hood bows and remnants of the original soft top were in the back and included the original door frames which made it easier for the trimmer to make new canvas for it. On long trips it usually goes on a trailer behind our 1963 Leyland bus (converted into a motorhome) but has been driven on trips up to 1000 km. When we got it the Nissan was painted green but we had a '64' G60 we used to mud race and it was blue, so we used that colour as it is an original Nissan colour. Front blinkers and parkers are G60 also. If you want to see it when we first got it go to www.4wdonline.com If you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask. Regards Ray
