The Nissan Patrol holds the distinction of being the first vehicle to successfully cross Australia’s brutal Simpson Desert. Similarly, buying today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe ’69 might just cross your mind, that is of course if its price doesn’t make you go d’oh!
So it seems yesterday’s V8-packing ’97 Suzuki X90 was a return visitor to these hallowed grounds. Luckily for me it was offered at a different price, and unluckily for its current seller that price fell in a 60% Crack Pipe loss, the car’s second in a row here.
They say three strikes and you’re out, so expect to see that red ski boot pop up again a couple of years down the road as apparently my memory isn’t what it used to be. At least I don’t think it is.
One vehicle that I’m pretty sure hasn’t ever rolled the NPOCP dice is today’s 1969 Nissan Patrol. As a matter of fact, if you’re a resident of the U.S. of A. you may not have ever even seen a Patrol before as, unlike Toyota’s competing Land Cruiser, Nissan’s burly 4x4 never had much of an impact over here.
Despite that, the Patrol remains one of Nissan’s most long-lived brands, the name having been appended to the 4W60 4x4 around 1955. The second generation - and first to fully embrace its Patrol-ness - was introduced in 1959. That model’s styling aped that of Great Britain’s Land Rover, and its initial advertising spokesperson was the popular American singing cowboy, Roy Rogers. It is a small world after all.
The 60-series Patrol managed an amazing 21 year lifespan, finally being replaced in 1980 by the far more modern 160 model. This ’69 however, is about as rustic as it gets. The engine is a 3,956-cc OHV inline six, and that’s backed up by a 4-speed manual gearbox and 2-speed transfer case. That all sends power though a part time system to all four wheels. Live axles support both ends, and those are attached to the frame by semi-elliptic leaf springs.
Sporting both the short wheelbase two-door body and steel multi-piece roof, this white over green ditch dueler looks like the world’s most bad-ass postal Jeep. It’s bigger than a DJ of course, and the steering wheel’s on the right side - I mean the left side, er, correct side. Oh piss, you know what I mean.
It's that driver's side that my cause you to pause as it looks to be suffering from a good bit of raggedy ass on the door bottom. How far that road rot reaches is a mystery, but could be accounted as a potential reason for the seller's description of the truck as needing some TLC.
Now, I love TLC just as much as the next guy, and in fact Waterfalls is one of my favorite slow-dance songs. But I don't know what the remaining members (R.I.P. Left Eye) would be able to do with regard to the rust on this Patrol's bucket list.
The ad also notes that this Patrol needs to go to a good home, so you might want to straighten up before making a offer. With a claimed 40K on the clock, it's said to be both running and driving, both positive attributes in my book.
Should you want to bring it home, you'll need to come up with $2,500 as that's the seller's asking price. What do you think about that, does $2,500 seem a reasonable deal for a classic Nissan? Or, is this one Patrol for which you would not want to take point?
You decide!
Denver Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Bigblockbear for the hookup!
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For $2,500, Go On Patrol