60Patrol

Having the VIN number will help. Getting the VIN from the frame is the most helpful but you said the Patrol is in storage, so if you have the Vin on any documentation that will do for now. Also pictures of the engine compartment and the Patrol would help.

RiverPatrol wrote: ↑Mon Dec 15, 2025 12:48 pm Having the VIN number will help. Getting the VIN from the frame is the most helpful but you said the Patrol is in storage, so if you have the Vin on any documentation that will do for now. Also pictures of the engine compartment and the Patrol would help.

Hi RiverPatrol--

The VIN is L60200016. Here are some photos from the site where the Patrol was listed -- I've since added a choke cable, which I guess wasn't needed in Colombia or in Florida where I bought it from.

This Patrol was marketed as being highly original, but it's more of a Frankencar -- for instance, the rear differential / axle / brakes are from an FJ40 ... which at least makes getting spare parts easier here in the States.

Thanks!
--Eric
.

Very cool, thanks for this great info!

Ok, this does appear to be a very, very early Patrol. We'll call it a '61 since that's what it was sold to you as. It does have an earlier VIN than any recorded in the US Patrol Registry. The engine number coincides with being a very early engine as well. It is very possible that it may have been used by the Japanese Consulate at the time, they would have had access to the earliest vehicles.

Yes, it is a bit of a Franken-Patrol but it seems that many of the mods appear to be 'modernizations' instead of outright mods. It still has the original Hitachi carb which is nice. Yes the clutch has been modified to hydraulic, the brakes have been upgraded to a dual master cylinder, the electrical system has been upgraded to an alternator to name a few spotted in the pics. And of course the mystery starter. Overall though it seems to be in nice condition.

I'll add it to the Registry since it's here in the US. Is it a soft top or a hard top?

RiverPatrol wrote: ↑Tue Dec 16, 2025 2:06 pm Very cool, thanks for this great info!

Ok, this does appear to be a very, very early Patrol. We'll call it a '61 since that's what it was sold to you as. It does have an earlier VIN than any recorded in the US Patrol Registry. The engine number coincides with being a very early engine as well. It is very possible that it may have been used by the Japanese Consulate at the time, they would have had access to the earliest vehicles.

Yes, it is a bit of a Franken-Patrol but it seems that many of the mods appear to be 'modernizations' instead of outright mods. It still has the original Hitachi carb which is nice. Yes the clutch has been modified to hydraulic, the brakes have been upgraded to a dual master cylinder, the electrical system has been upgraded to an alternator to name a few spotted in the pics. And of course the mystery starter. Overall though it seems to be in nice condition.

I'll add it to the Registry since it's here in the US. Is it a soft top or a hard top?

Thanks so much, RiverPatrol! It's a soft top.

Back story: I bought this vehicle less than 2 years ago, intending it as a gift for my wife -- she's from Colombia, and her father used to drive his family of 5 (+ friends + cargo) in a 1970 G60 from Bogota to their farm on weekends, typically a 6 hour drive each way. He had a soft top Patrol, so I shopped for one with a soft top that was as original as I could find. I didn't appreciate back then how challenging it would be to source parts for a early Patrol Model 60.

I never was a car guy before owning this, but I've fallen in love with working on this car, to the extent that I plan to retire from my tech industry job and go back to school to be an auto mechanic. I've worked on the carb, the fuel pump, the brakes, the front axle, etc., and have plans to do more. My lifesaver has been my brother-in-law -- he's an engineer in Bogota who works on 1960s era Mercedes and other vehicles, and with heavy use of WhatsApp he's helped me through every bump in the road so far.

--Eric

Great story Eric!

With your connections in Colombia you'll be able to find many spare parts like water pump, fuel pump, crankshaft bearings, and others. Still difficult but with a bit of patience you'll get the parts.

Esteban wrote: ↑Tue Dec 16, 2025 3:58 pm Great story Eric!

With your connections in Colombia you'll be able to find many spare parts like water pump, fuel pump, crankshaft bearings, and others. Still difficult but with a bit of patience you'll get the parts.

Yes, Esteban! Last year my wife gifted me a trip to Bogota so her brother could take me to the Siete de Agosto neighborhood to shop for parts. I came home with a steering wheel, fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel sender, thermostat, oil filters, and a bunch of other parts that filled most of my suitcase. All that stuff cost me maybe $400. With US tariffs being what they are now, it's almost more cost effective to fly down to Colombia and lug the parts home rather than getting them shipped.

Re. the steering wheel, I was thrilled to bring home a vintage-1961 wheel to replace the late-60s one that my Patrol came with. When I got home I popped off that wheel, only to find that the one I brought home didn't match the spline of the steering column. Chances are I have an FJ40 steering column. The fun never ends.

--Eric

Awesome story. Glad that some missing spaces have gotten filled in. It's always nice to have connections when you own an old Patrol, sounds like you got some good ones. Many of us know how endearing they can be.

Glad to hear all that!

ecigan wrote: ↑Tue Dec 16, 2025 5:35 pm Re. the steering wheel, I was thrilled to bring home a vintage-1961 wheel to replace the late-60s one that my Patrol came with. When I got home I popped off that wheel, only to find that the one I brought home didn't match the spline of the steering column. Chances are I have an FJ40 steering column. The fun never ends.

--Eric

You probably have the complete steering box and wheel of the later models. The steering wheel spline in fact changed from the earlier models (banjo style) to the later more modern.