Possible buy: '99 Patrol 4,2D P/U

[Draadkar]

I'm after a good 2nd-hand "value-for-money" 1 tonner+ oil burner (for use on a game farm); bumped into a '99 Patrol 4,2D P/U with 169k kms on the clock and in relatively good nick. Sporting 'n plaashek BB, heavy-duty steel cattle rails (in anticipation of a canvas canopy) and a set of 285s. Not sure whether it has accident-history; taking it in for a technical inspection tomorrow. No owner's manual and no FSH
I'm not familiar with Nissan Patrol P/Us, drove and enjoyed a few Nissan sedans in my earlier days
Early observations are that the Nissan 4x4 P/Us are much more affordable than same vintage LCs?!
No idea what trade or re-sale vaue could be; any advice appreciated
Thank you
PS. Fuel consumption similar to the LCs 4,2D?

[Tinus lotz]

im no diesel expert but bogey man has 2 4.2 GU pu and he is very happy with them
we drove from centorion to thaba cruising at 130km all the way not a race car but what a lorrie !!!!
he says that he gets 7km per liter but never drives nice

[Herrie]

Ek dink hierdie een is miskien 'n GQ bakkkie!

[Russ Kellermann]

Yes, this sounds like it would be a GQ (coil front leaf rear) or MQ/MK/Safari (Leaf front and rear) model , TD42 patrol pickup. (4200 Diesel normally Aspirated)

They came out with either a Silver Top or Black Top (Referring to the Tappet Cover on the motor). Some say that the Silver top is actually stronger than the Blacktop, but there is no real proof of this and considering that blacktop models can reach well over 500 000km , some even more than 1 Million, its really not a debate worth entering into.

What i've noticed is that the springs are often in need of a replacement on these vehicles older models, and then they good to go again and look nice and square again.

Also, the rear "bak" often seems to have alot of surface rust or worse. However, i dont consider that a problem as the bak can easily be replaced or done away with in leu of a new one or another design, particularly if its used for farm use.

This model will most likely have the Large H260 rear diff and full floating axles, but it not always the case.

As for tyres, i run 285x75x16 on my TD42 with no worries, but original tyre sizes issued were 235x85x16 , which is a really good tyre for farm use. Rims should either be 16" x 7j or 8j.

169 000km on the clock is very very low for that age of vehicle. Check carefully that it looks genuine ( So have a look at seat wear and steering wheel and gear lever wear as this is normally a sign of weather if its genuine or not.) If it looks and sounds and drives as though it is, then you may have a very good vehicle there that will serve you for ever and a day.

Fuel consumption on my 4.2D pickup is better than the cruiser on most days.

[Draadkar]

Thank you all for the valuable information and comments - indications are that it is a late '90s Y60 series 4,2d (NON-TURBO) Patrol (well-prior to '99?); it has leaf springs at the rear and up-front. Herrie also pointed out that the VIN non reflects that it is a Y60 series
I paid the local Nissan dealer a visit and it became very clear that (good) 2nd-hand Patrol P/Us were about as scarce as hen's teeth! The "boekie" trade and re-sale values are well below the owner's asking price but I have a feeling that it could be a good "value-for-money" proposition
It appears as though the trokkie had a slight "ding" or 2 along the way but it seems fine otherwise
I haven't had access to the Registration Certificate yet but would like to determine the exact date of manufacture; can it also be gleaned from the seat belt tags?
Help me out regarding the GU and GQ - what does that indicate?
Thank you once again

[Herrie]

Y60 is a GQ and the Y61 is the GU.

Will let jou know when I can get hold of the history.

[Russ Kellermann]

Interesting.

Well, I was under the impression that all GQ (Y60) would have coil springs front. And that MK/Safari would have leaf front and rear.

Regardless of all this, a Safari with a good leaf spring setup can outperform its driver in most situations.
I assume it has a LSD in the rear, i dont think they ever came out with a difflock.

Just a word of caution regarding one of your statement:

Please be aware that Nissan dealerships (local or otherwise) are completely clueless in terms of general knowledge of the Patrol/Safari or otherwise, and parts listings when it comes to their own product, so dont ever, ever , ever, ever ever take what they say as fact. They are useless.

With that out of the way, lets carry on.

Keep us updated with this acquisition, im interested. And good luck.

Russ

[Draadkar]

Thank you Herrie & Russ!
I can't wait to get back to the game-farm to take a (new) look at the Safari we have there - its a 1987 I think; the VIN no is AAPVO290020257050. I would love to have the unserviceable Chev 350 engine removed and the original engine put back - whatever it was?
I hope to have the Patrol back tomorrow and with it a clean bill of health
Russ, "LSD in the rear" - help me out on this plse as I have no idea of what you're talking about
Also thank you for the advice on the "stealers" - I had some experience of that in the past and again recently, that's why I 1st joined the Forum
Where would I be able to source the owner's manual or even better, a technical/maintenance manual?

[Draadkar]

My "learning curve" seems to be a bit low/slow - if the VIN no is linked to the engine (and not the chassis?) the Safarai's VIN no wouldn't tell much because of the Chevvy engine

[Peter Connan]

Draadkar, VIN number is the chassis number, not the engine number. It is found on a plate on the engine bulkhead, somewhere below the rear edge of the bonnet.

An LSD is a limited-slip diff. When there are different levels of traction on the two rear wheels, a limited slip diff will transfer some extra traction to the wheel with the most traction, but there must be some traction for it to work. They are great in sand and mud, but of limited use in rocky terrain or on axle-twisters. However, they need a specialized diff oil, and if a previous person has used the wrong oil, it will be rendered inoperative (although they can be revived by cleaning and then replacing the correct oil). They are also subject to wear and tear. To find out if it works, try pushing the car on a flat floor, straight and then around a corner, it should be noticeably harder to push around a corner.

GQ is the Australian import code for the Y60 range, and GU is the Auzzy import code for the Y61range.

Y60 pickups are pretty scarce here, but would normally have leaf springs front and rear. Interestingly, their chassis differ substantially from the Y60 wagon models with coil front axles, while the basic Y60 coil-spring chassis is used on the Y61 wagon and pickup models, with some modifications depending on model/engine.

As for a maintenance manual, if it is a Y60, there is a link on this forum to download the complete Nissan factory workshop manual, which includes the pickup. Herrie also has manuals on CD.