4wd

[Squidgee_Man]

Im looking at getting a 4WD soon and im seriously thinking Nissan Patrol 4.2lt turbo (2005) seen them from anywhere between $34 - 37 grand, with 60 - 95 thou ks on clock. Are these 4WD's really that great? i have heard all good things. The car will be used to pull my future boat which will be a min 5mt long, maybe fiberglass not sure yet. Like to hear any comments on the Patrol.

[PETER_S]

have a talk to Doug Fisher he has the big diesel patrol from what i understand he is very happy with his

[Bear]

Seriously SM, I'd have a look at the Pajero, especially with the cost of diesel. Sewelly and I have both just purchased one and mine was around the 40 mark with full bar work, winch, snorkel and all the fruit on the inside. Amazing on the fuel, very comfy and great to drive.

My mate has just purchased a newer Patrol and he doesn't get close on mileage. You're more than welcome to come for a run if you're interested.

HTH.

[StuKlose]

Personally i'm a big nissan fan as they are tough and will go anywhere any other 4WD will. The Pajero's have a great warranty. A mate of mine has one and said that the only negative he has is that it sometimes has too much power offroad (not sure how that works).

[cleetus]

4.2 T is VERY thirsty. Have a look at the 3l T. Dont be put off on size as the motor is alot more modern and has a heap of punch esp when lpg is fitted. Best thing about the trolls is that they are the only ones with a solid front diff, which if your gonna 4wd, you will notice when it comes to articulation.
ps the 4.2 is a manual only. no autos if that makes a diff

[Justin Boyle]

If you want the best offroadability (i'm sure that is a word) the patrols can't be beat I don't think. They have live axles front and rear resulting in greater articulation and the front and rear over hangs are smaller than similar cars meaning that approach and departure angles are superior. LSD on a nissan works too. I was talking to a mate and he was saying a lot of people only put one diff lock on their car because they cost so much. Usually it is the rear diff that is replaced in a landcruiser because the LSD is so weak but in a patrol they put the diff lock on the front because they can already trust the rear LSD will get all the power to the ground.

The 4 cylinder engines are good on paper from what I read. They pump out decent power figures and torque figures in comparison to the 4.2. What you don't see when you look at maximum figures like that is the complete lack of an power or torque when the turbo hasn't spooled up. I remember reading overlander years ago and they were saying that you had to be very careful not to catch the 3.0l off the turbo or in the wrong gear.

Justin

[Squidgee_Man]

Cheers guys, a few diff opinions there which is good. Ive always liked the pajero's bear and that would probaly be my 2nd choice, or maybe 1st ! who knows decisions, decisions. Gonna have to get out and do some test drives

[down in busso]

try stay away from the 3L atleast 2 mates have them there all good till around the 15000-20000 mark then it will cost ya big time fuel pumps ETC! in the long run u r much better of with the 4.2 (in my opinion ) the 3L is a under powered - overboosted engine for the size and weight )of the 4X4 ! But as for the nissan patrols off road performance (apart from the much more exspensive toyota landy ) nuthing comes close from my exp !!!!!!!!!

[Noddy]

Yeah I'd suggest to stay away from the 3L as well, especially if doing lots of towing. My old boy had a 3L. I serviced it for him every 5,000ks and just after it got past 100,000kms it blew holes in two of the pistons, it was just out of warranty and he gave Nissan a good blasting. He ended up having to pay for a new short motor (bottom end) but Nissan picked up the labour costs.
Anyway he decided to get rid of it because it was not up to the task of regular towing and he couldn't decide on what to get next, he loved the patrol but not the 3L TD.
I suggested that for reliabilty you can't go past the good old 4.2L TD Patrols, so he'd aggreed and got Nissan to do a deal to swap his front diff lock and rear draws to a new 4.2L and he absolutly loves it. He has had a bigger turbo put on it as well which has helped his fuel economy due to the engine not having to work as hard (sounds like a truck turbo - awesome).
Haven't worked on any of the newer Pajero's as I've been having a break from being a mechanic but I know the older petrol versions of 6-7 years ago were absolutly shocking motors. eg. blowing smoke at 100,000kms and never ending oil leaks etc.

[cleetus]

I remember reading overlander years ago and they were saying that you had to be very careful not to catch the 3.0l off the turbo or in the wrong gear.

When LPG is fitted u kill a few birds with 1 stone. No lag (compared to standard). Cooler exhaust temps( which is the big killer of hard worked 3L's). Better economy and more power. Costs a grand after rebate to fit the LPG which is cheaper and has the same performance gains as an aftermarket chip/ computer with the added bonuses listed. I'll be grabbing 1 soon( but I wouldn't touch series 1)

[Justin Boyle]

Originally Posted by cleetus

When LPG is fitted u kill a few birds with 1 stone. No lag (compared to standard). Cooler exhaust temps( which is the big killer of hard worked 3L's). Better economy and more power. Costs a grand after rebate to fit the LPG which is cheaper and has the same performance gains as an aftermarket chip/ computer with the added bonuses listed. I'll be grabbing 1 soon( but I wouldn't touch series 1)

You better let us know how it goes. I know a person with gas on his td landcruiser. He swears by it. I asked him how the economy is now and he proceeded to tell me he gets an extra 200km off a tank of diesel. He seemed to forget the fact that he has to pay for the gas and didn't count that into the equation so I'm still waiting for some more complete information.


Justin

[cleetus]

The trick is bigger bang = more power = less loud pedal
Diesel is less volatile than petrol and so burns slower, which means the flame front only partially burns in the cylinder and the rest down the exhaust. Add an LPG charge with the air( about 30%- enough to be ignited by the diesel but not enough to flash from compression temp) when accelerating as a combustion aid and now the diesel burns in the cylinder alot more efficiently. Bonuses are a bigger bang (more power and better economy) and cooler exhaust temps. Its NOT an alternative fuel as it is on petrol motors but a combustion aid when its needed (acceleration), so you dont actually use much LPG.
HTH

[Justin Boyle]

SM have you thought about getting a ute. The Hilux d4d can be had for ur prices and the economy of that engine is amazing. I think redbook rate it at about 9l/100km. Just a thought. If you are worried about toughness I think they should be fine. Topgear drove a couple to the north pole albeit with a few mods. Well maybe a lot.

Justin

[StuKlose]

The hilux is tough but in the new series the suspension is very lacking. Would be a great ute with $2k spent on suspension. Its a pity that they don't tune the hilux motor the same as they do the Prado, heaps more grunt in the Prado.

[Justin Boyle]

Heres a picture for those people who haven't seen the episode.






Excellent PR exercise for toyota I think.

The gun should help bringing those big bream in.

Justin