Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

In the last few months I was skeptically looking for a Nissan Patrol with the goal of turning it into our overlanding vehicle. I'm a very specific person when it comes to what I want and what I want to achieve and the main features that I enjoy about the Patrol design is the solid front and rear axles and then the space that comes with such a large vehicle. Knowing that the Patrols don't really carry good second hand value, the search began. Out of nowhere a Patrol was advertised on Facebook for a whopping R50 000, yes that price is right! I immediately messaged the seller and then as I wanted to show my wife, the ad was removed. Well, at least the message went through and it turns out, this was a bit of a sad sell. The owner got this vehicle from someone that owes them money and the Patrol was a small payment towards the debt. However, there was a proper backyard mechanic job conversion done with a Lexus 1uz vvti and well, the best I can say is, the motor is unusable in so many ways!

So for now I will be inserting a Lexus 3uz 4.3 V8 as a temporary replacement until I get a proper diesel motor than I am satisfied with. Lets get to what I want to do...

I already have a nice set of 33x12.5R15 set ready to be fitted and a roofrack in need of the Patrol gutter mounts with all the goodies that go on the roofrack.

I made a budget drawer system for our big overlanding trip I did in my Isuzu Mu-X and that will be modified to fit in the Patrol until I get a decent drawer system.

Gullwings will be added soon as that is a nice way to utilize that dead space with a good kitchen unit on the one side and maybe the other one can be used to store recovery equipment and tools.

Rear door table mod is definitely on the cards for a roadside coffee and snack.

I'm still indecisive on the suspension lift of going 2", 3 " or 4" full suspension

I'm considering a regear to 4.625 to get revs a bit higher, just have to see how this lexus performs with 33"

Front bumper with winch, rocksliders and bashplates


I already have most of the normal equipment for overlanding, so my upgrades are mostly going into getting the vehicle ready. Will post pics as she progresses

The collection

So this was how the engine looked. The original sump was blanked off and a new hole was cut into the block to build a sump away from the diff. Apparently bath silicone was on special that day and a vice grip included to sweeten the deal. No wonder the whole undercarriage was soaked in oil!

So when we finally pulled the engine, this was the next horror we found. I refer to it as the engine mount spacer bracket. The easy backyard mechanic way of moving the engine mounts 5cm forward without the need to make new engine mounts. In a way I am very glad I pulled the engine and redoing everything. This whole setup was an accident waiting to happen! This past weekend she went in for her new engine that will be prepped and installed the right way to ensure everything works properly from the start.

Always sad to see the shortcuts some guys take!

I do hope the car treats you well even after the rough start. Two engine swops in a row are going to be pretty expensive, but R50k is just about scrap value so a good start.

What motor are you thinking of installing after the Lexus? Would be good to consider that before you re-gear. For example, 4.6 diffs on a Cummins 6BT won't work very well at all. Even for a TD42 that is a bit low unless you go 35" or 37" on the tires.

Lekke Jaco
Welcome to the patrol family . Not a lot of happy lexus customers out there but as you say its only temporary.
The lexus is a bit flat for patrol engine bay but is doable just makes your maintenance a real problem. Have 4.6 diff centers in stock . 35 are the new 33 and we love putting them on the lorries . Speak to Tijmen on the gullwings they are nearly there . I have 5 sets off rack mounts in my garrage.

The Patrol has finally gone in to Chris Mod 4x4 for the conversion and these brothers take great pride in their work. Braam had made me an adapter on a previous occasion and after the first experience I decided to use them for this project as well knowing that they mainly work on Lexus engines and aren't keen on taking shortcuts. Here are a bit of updates on the build, which is mostly just engine prepping and an excellent example why people should never just trust anyone with their pride and joy!

Dropping her off at Chris Mod 4x4

First step for Braam is to bench start and ensure the engine runs smoothly before stripping and prepping