Looking at getting a Nissan Patrol,

Thanks for the reply, spoke to a friend regards what to look at. The second one has had alot of bits done to it, would this ring alarm bells, or is it an enthusiast making the car as good as possible?

I made a boo boo, not realizing one was a 2.8td, not a bad donk, but not bullet proof truck motors like the 4.2. I all ways go for pristine ones that have done little off road. I once brought a little suziki with mods, hads lots of fun, but theirs was all ways something going wrong with it.
Bog standard GQs will go further then you will be prepared to take them, and its not a huge amount to give them them a 50mm lift with new long travel springs, most of the orinigals will be sagged anyway.
cheers Pete

In terms of fuel type, is the economy of a diesel out done by the cost of spares ie diesel pump is over a grand whereas a petrol pump is less than 200 dollars?

I am very wary of the newer common rail diesels as fuel pumps are $5000 and injectors are $1000, but in theses older simpler trucks the diesels are hard to beat, and the fuel economy of 4.2 petrols is shocking, although one to watch out for is a 3l petrol. This motor is called and RB30, one of the best motors ever built, they are dirt cheap to buy and last forever. They used these motors in vl Commodores and also skylines. Still expect to use 16 to 18l/100 around town.
Cheers Pete

Over the years I have found a diesel to use approx. 30% less fuel than an equivalent sized petrol this relates to older vehicles

Bulletproof but gutless! ;) Michael

Helps in the bulletproofness I spose!

Thankfully I'm not having to suffer the gutlessness anymore with the aftermarket turbo. Transformed the car without sacrificing economy and I now don't use all it's got.

2000 with 399,000 k's

Im not complaining, the only thing that has failed is the alternator, it still has the original clutch and been lots of places. My original 99 has 450,000ks on it and its original except for the clutch, My ex wife still has it!! Michael

Yes they are cheaper to service because the 4.2 has 2 oil filters and take about 4 lts more oil but it's a bigger motor. Just wondering how much better on fuel the 2.8 turbo is compared to the 4.2 mine has done 430,000 km been turboed converted to an extended twin cab I have 285/75/16 tyres it weighs over 2.5 t empty I was averaging 11.8 lph combined city and hwy sitting on the speed limit. Now with an aluminium canopy I average 12.5 lph which is pretty good for it's size.

Hi Snow typical gumtree, arranged to look Friday but when I rang to arrange on the night didn't answer texts or calls, mate rang to be told it had gone. After another weekend of searching I think ive narrowed it down the the 4.2 diesel GQ so will be checking GT often to get the latest posted.