Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Since I seem to have wholes drilled in my fuel caps, I need to order new ones that does not let fuel go through them when driving a trail.
(The Rust de Winter warriors may recall)

First I call Mcarthey Nissan Randburg.
Five phone calls later, I eventually get someone from Parts to pick up the phone, she then lets me wait while goign off to call someone.
I wait, and wait and wait, about three minutes.
Eventually I gave up and put the phone down on my side. They just seemed to have forgotten about the poor guy on the opther side of the phone.

Next I phone Mark White.
A marked difference in quality of the phone answering service.
Got through to the Parts manager on my first attempt.
Whoo! - This star goes to the general quality of MWN - in relative terms at least.

Now for the shocker

So how much does a Patrol fuel cap cost?
Any guesses?


Wait for it....







It is R449 each.
I calmly and cordiallly (really) reminded the parts manager that I was not interested in the car, just the fuel cap.
And then said my goodbye's.
As a matter of principle you cannot pay that much for a fuel cap.
It is insane.

Any ideas, anyone?
Graham Cummings suggested I must go for the original Nissan ones. Don't pirates exist?
I have not managed to get hold of Jean Volschenk in Swaziland for a while.
He may be able to help...

Guys,

Hold on to your fuels caps, it is just like gold!
I guess that goes for any small Nissan particle on your car - for which there is no pirate part

Just to pre-empt the question on the drilled wholes.
I did manage to cover up the drilled wholes on the fuel caps with praetly steel, but something inside seems to have been buggered, as I can still suck and blow through the cap from the inside.
The wholes presumably having been drilled in order to prevent a vacuum inside the tank, and presumably there is not breather valve in place / or this does not work.
I still need to investigate all this - (and Graham will sort that out for me), but it does not solve my fuel cap problem.

alex take a steel valve for a rim make it fit on the cap it will let air in and not spill out

'Lexi -- daabil tjek daai OVERFLOW n BREATHER pypies van jou Troll - fout kan ook daar lê
Hat scrapyard nie vir jou n HEEL fuel cap nie? [ek kan die sleutel barrel weer oorsit van jpu eie na die 'nuwe' een toe

Weet niew hukkô jou Tyota so vol poe issi -- LOBO loop met n Midas cheepie cap en hy pla nie :-)