rebuild or sell?

npca-william · Post by **npca-william** » Wed Oct 11, 2000 3:57 pm

I have a 1963 L60 patrol. The body is in great shape except for a little rust on the top. It runs good also. I'm in the military and am currently getting ready to transfer back to the east coast. I'm not sure if I will have time with my new assignment to work on it. So I am currently trying to sell it. If I don't sell it I want to build it into a real good off-road machine. Maybe someone can help me out with some ideas. What I would like is to put dana 44 axles, V8 engine (or powerful inline six), granny low 4 speed transmission, and 205 transfer case(or equal strength). I want to also go to bigger tires (currently 31.x10.50) but would like power steering to help in turning the wheel. I can find most of the parts I need in Pennsylvania but would like to get some helpful tips so I don't get too many headaches and run into too many problems. Anybody who has done any swaps on their patrol I would like to hear about it. I would also consider just putting the body on some other frame and drivetrain. I want the body because I like people asking me what it is. It gets alot of attention. Thanks in advance.

npca-dave · Post by **npca-dave** » Fri Oct 13, 2000 6:33 pm

Do us a favor, please don't "Frankenstien" your patrol, they are beautiful as they are.

npca-alex · Post by **npca-alex** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 11:25 am

Well, I will admit I am a preservationist, and I took a lot of heat from members when they found out my '69 would never see the trail. It was a hard decision for me too when I looked at doing a major swap, I was going to put in a turbo diesel 6 with t-case and 5sp. tranny out of a 1990's vintage Patrol. I finally decided to leave my baby stock and Derryl bought the set-up to swap into his. I am not always certain I made the right decision, I have told myself I did and that the next Patrol I have that I plan on keeping I would do that swap to. With a vehicle as rare as the Patrol I think it is important that there are stock specimens out there, but a vehicle like a Patrol also screams to be taken off-road, and unfortunately sometimes doing major swaps is the only way to obtain a consistantly reliable vehicle. I almost cried when Splash told me that he was going to that ford conversion, but with the problems he was suffering, I guess.... Well, as long as there are freaks out there like me that preserve Patrols, I guess the people that want to modify the heck out them might as well. This has been a rift causing issue in the Land Rover club I belong to as well. My Rover in the last 2 years has barely been runing so I wanted to be able to take something else on the trail with the club when my Rover was down. The club decided it was Rovers only, yet the president has a 109 that has the suspension and axels out of Toyota 4 Runner, a Chevy V8, and an auto tranny and t-case that are also not Rover. The only thing on his truck that was still Rover was the frame and the aluminum skin. They decided his counted as a Rover which is funny because clubs as close as Chicago have strict guidelines as to the mods that can be done and still be able to call it a Rover, and his would NOT pass down there. It is hard to compare Rovers to Patrols though considering the rarity of Patrols versus the ready availabilty of Rovers. Sometimes I think, gee, everyone calls it a "Jeep", a "Land Rover", a "Land Cruiser", and even once a "Mail Jeep"

! that I felt like it was never going to be a Patrol to the rest of the world anyway so what difference did it make if I kept it stock?! Well, I am glad mine is stock, but I sure do miss normal highway speeds, that's all. I probably didn't help in your decision making, but this preservation vs. utility is an important issue that hasn't been addresses yet, I was glad to see Dave's response, made me feel like I wasn't the only purist out there.

npca-william · Post by **npca-william** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 5:56 pm

I'm sorry if I offended anyone (Dave). I did'nt even know what a nissan patrol was when I first saw mine. I was'nt even going to buy it until I found this club on the internet and figured I would have some help rebuilding it. I'm pretty young (27) and not really a big vintage 4x4 man. I like the looks of the patrol and the idea of having a unique 4x4, unlike the other 4x4's I have owned. Like I said I'm moving back to Pennsylvania soon and from what I have seen, everybody that owns patrols are on the west coast. I probably will have even more trouble finding parts there. I'm currently trying to sell it before I go, but if I keep it I will change out the drivetrain when I get there. I'll keep in touch with the club and hold onto my original parts for anybody that may need them.

npca-derryl · Post by **npca-derryl** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 9:26 pm

Alex, as always, you speak with the voice of Patrol experience. As for my opinion about stock or not stock, I take the American view: do what makes the most sense to you and what will make you pleased. I have a Patrol that is mostly stock right now. I also have the deisel engine and 5 speed tranny waiting to go in it. I may keep this one stock and buy another to put the TDi in, I have yet to decide. Don't worry about the preservation issue if you don't think your Patrol is in good enough shape. Do the conversion and sell the spare parts to us! Let the Rover/Cruiser types be pretentious. We Patrolers don't need to be. Alex can visit me in any of her vehicles and I'd be pleased as punch. I have Rover friends and Cruiser friends that belittle my Patrol. I just turn the other cheek. The thing I like most about my Patrol is this punch of people in this loose-knit club. You can get all the advice you need to keep it stock or convert it. I suggest you keep your Patrol and have fun fixing her up just the way you want.

npca-trigger · Post by **npca-trigger** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 11:11 pm

I'm glad to be past 50! A Patrol in ANY 4X4 setting gets attention. You may not like some of the comments, but that will pass with age. Patrols are unique. The average 4X4 owner wants older rigs to have all the latest gadgets, running gear, and refinements of todays plastic push button rigs. A Patrol, going low and slow, will go almost anywhere a hummer can. The need for speed I used to have, only produced a greater need for money. I sort of laugh along with the kidders, and may even seem self depreciating at times. But justice ALWAYS comes my way. "How much did your rig cost and how much have you got into it,"is a question that always produces respect when I tell them my total costs. The running gear, engine,trans and transfer, axels, etc. are all stock. I plow snow in winter with a '76 GMC K2500 and a modified Meyer plow. It is tough, has an automatic, radio, etc. But when I want to go anywhere in the area we live, we use the Patrol. It is pure bliss for us. I hope you earn the Patrols respect. It will earn yours if you treat it right.

npca-richard · Post by **npca-richard** » Fri Oct 20, 2000 5:13 am

If you can make your patrol a better machine by making modifications..do it. I have fitted a locally manufactured five speed g/box to my '78 G60 and completely transformed the performance. I now have a "lower" low range and can cruise comfortably at 100-110 km/h (60+mph). I would now like to fit Diff locks. This is proving to be a difficult proposition as I can't find a kit to suit the vehicle. I will also have to replace the P40 engine eventually. At this stage it runs perfectly well (a little heavy on fuel). I don't think I will put a V8 in the truck though more than likely a ford 250 "6" or possibly a 265 chrysler hemi. lot's of luck