The V8 is in,,,,,,,,,,,,

Hmmmm...........
Same colour as mine....
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Wanna swap????

Yeah - red. The only colour I could get in a 1999 GU ST Patrol fer $9,000.00!

And the only colour I didn't want, but a beggar can't be a chooser eh?

And,,,,,,,,,er, No, I don't wanna swap unless it's with my "missing" GXL Landcruiser ;)

Bilbo

Oh well, no harm in askin'... (blush;-)))

And um, sorry, can't help ya with the 'cruiser:-((

On a more serious note...

Bilbo, re the 'Cruiser.. I'd guess the more time that passes before it's found, the less likely that it will be found (in one piece)...
Has the insurance co. closed the books on that one yet, or.... what's the go there??
How long d'ya have to wait before they declare it a lost cause?

Just curious...

Regards, Ed. c.

Ed,

The insurance company has to settle 21 working days after the claim is lodged. For me, that's 10/4/06.

Yer right, the more time passes, the less chance there is of finding it. Someone told me the other day that these things get crated up and shipped to countries such as Indonesia or Vietnam.

I've just about given up looking. I'm scaring the bejeezus out of myself damn near drving up the back of other cars 'cos I'm looking at passing 'Cruisers! 4 times it's happened now - time to stop I reckon. It's costing me a fortune in petrol driving my son's Accord going to see parts that are advertised for sale to see if they're mine. That and driving back and to for parts for the Nissan -I'm knackered!

Bilbo

No Darren, it's normally aspirated. I've driven a turbo one with 3.7 diffs in it and it flies - a bit too much. This one has a 3.9 diffs in it and it still flies but is a bit more progressive with the power band. However, the motor is a "turbo-spec" motor so if I fancy a turbo later, it can be fitted with little change to the guts of the engine. Although there'd be little change in yer pocket at $4,000.00 for a turbo and new exhaust!

After talking with Greg Jones at Brunswicks, he reckons that they can run a bit hot when pulling caravans in 40C up north. And ya have to watch the temp gauge even with the biggest rad that'll fit in a Patrol (and the rad in this one is HUGE - 3 rows, brass and copper and heavy!). The turbos are OK when not towing big vans at high speed or on thier ownsome. So after driving 3 other Nissan/Chevs without turbos, I reckoned there was enough grunt without the turbo. Definitely as much if not more than a GXL Turbo Diesel Landcruiser up to 2000 rpm. Why add a potential problem?

Bilbo

Bilbo i used to work at a turbo repair shop in the 90's and was told about this guy that rocked up with a turbocharged engine like yours ( before i started there) and he took the foreman for a spin in it and he nearly came back with brown undies hahahaha

had some serious poke for a big rig from all reports or maybe Bob was more worried about the pulling up bit

Darren

SH&T Yeah !!!

Makes me wonder whether it's "easier" to fit an Endless Air" compressor to the Chev than it seems to be to Japanese motors?

Any thoughts on that Bilbo??

Looking VERY VERY VERY bloody nice so far mate.........I'm absolutely GREEEEEEN with envy!!!

Cheers

Roachie

Roachie,

I reckoned $4,000.00 was a bit steep!! But remember that these Chev engines are very basic. There's no engine management system or electronic whizzbang gear hanging off it -just pure unsophisticated grunt. So it's quite easy to bolt a "hairdryer" on to 'em.

Basically, what my GXL Turbo diesel 'Cruiser did with 4.2 litres and electronics - this beast does the same thing but with "pure cubes" ;)

I could have had a BRAND NEW turbo motor for $26,000.00. The one that's in mine is N/A recon at $20,000.00 for the engine, diffs and gearbox (including fittings). I reckoned the turbo was a bit over the top and they do run hot when towing in 40C.

Bilbo

Trekkie,

The opportunity arose to buy the Patrol at the right price. I'd just spent 6 months hard slog getting the 'Cruiser right when it was stolen. It was finished about 10 days before it disappeared - supsicious in itself when ya consider what was on it. We were all packed up ready to go bush about now. I haven't got the time or the inclination to hang around waiting for the insurance company to find the "Cruiser - 'cos I reckon it's gone fer good, too many bad vibes about the whole thing I'm afraid. There's only 10 days to go before it's either found or the insurance pays out. Either way, I'm a winner. If it does turn up then I'll sell it. If it doesn't then I'll have a tougher truck for what I want to do with it at half the price of new 'Cruiser.

Thus far, the Nissan is only insured as a standard 1999 GU ST Patrol - without a Chev motor in it. As from next week I'll be upping the cover to include the new motor and extra bits. That's when the schitfight will start I reckon. I've heard a few stories about insurance companies and Chev V8s - some good, some bad. I'll keep ya posted.

The problem with a TD42 engine is that it will NEVER blow up! I owned one fer 11 years and caned the daylights out of - couldn't make a dent in it. But after driving a GXL turbo diesel I just had to have more grunt than a TD42 could deliver. I couldn't go back to it I'm afraid. Hence the Chev V8.

Bilbo

Bilbo don't stuff around with too many insurance companies, give Shannons a call mate, they are comparible in price from what my mates tell me anyway and they won't care whats in it as long as its legal because they started out offering insurance for performance cars

Darren

Hi Bilbo, when Greg fitted the chevy in my Troopie some years ago I went into the RAC & got it insured without any problems along with all the extras I put on mine. Cheers.

Thanks Topcat, thanks Darren,

After considering all the circumstances surrounding its disappreance, I'm convinced this was a professional hit. I won't go in to detail, but it all adds up.

Re your insurance. the RAC have insured your modded truck, but at what extra cost? This is the bit that concerns me. How much extra was the premuim? Did you go "Agreed Value" or "Market Value"??

Thanks,

Bilbo

Hi Bilbo, because I am a long standing member (over 25 years), I managed to get an agreed value with specific items included (comms gear, roof modification, winch, alarm & immobiliser system, fridge (provided it was a permanent fixture- it is bolted to the floor) etc. The premium was worked out on the Market Value plus the extras.
The extras cost me around the $250.00 (full no claim) for a value of $15,000 & that was 12 years ago. Since then it has depreciated in value which is understandable & the premiium has been adjusted accordlingly. Cheers.

Trevor,

Forget it mate!!!!!!!!!!! You can't have one unless I get one too!!!!!!!

Hopefully Bilbo will answer you question, but I think I read somwhere that the turbo motor is only about 5kg heavier (stands to reason as the turbo would weigh about that much ;-)) I think I read about that sort of stuff on the Linquip site.....

They actually have (had) a decent looking 100 series (if that's not an oximoron I don't know what is!!!!) with Chev donk for $43K. www.linquip.com.au/sales.htm

Cheers

Roachie

Trev,

It was basically a case of striking while the iron was hot. The blown Nissan at a price of $15,000.00 (which I finally got down to $9,000.00 BTW) was staring mew in the face.

Extra BHP with a turbo? I can't remember to be honest. The torque at the lower RPM was what I was after and that was about the same as an N/A motor. After all, max power arrives up near max RPM and who of us drives at Max RPM all day?? The damn thing would be doing about 180kmh!! Torque is what ya should be chasing, Trev. Torque between tickover and around 2100 rpm or whatever yer cruising speed works out at. That's where torque is desirable.

I seem to remember that with the 3.7 diffs in a turbo Patrol, the tacho was reading around 2050 rpm. With the 4.1s in an N/A the tacho was about 2200 rpm.

With 3.9 diffs in mine it should fall about right for towing with some economy.

Bilbo

Roachie,

The 100 series 'Cruiser IS a beautiful car mate. Mine was without doubt the best car I've ever driven - ever. It was smooth, quiet, fast, pulled like bullock team, comfortable and stable. I really enjoyed owing one. One day, if I find enough gold I may buy another - unless Nissan come out with a donk that can even come close to that Toyota turbo diesel motor. What they're putting in Nissans now is just not cutting it fer me, mate. And I've loved Nissans over Toyotas since 1982 until I drove that 'Cruiser.

BUT - the GXL 'Cruiser was never gonna do what I wanted it do without devaluing it something awful. By the same token I just couldn't part with it to get a "tough bush truck".

Hmmm,,,,,maybe those P****KS did me a favour eh!!

Bilbo

Roachie,

I'd nearly swap mine for that 100 series at linquip but I reckon with 260k on my clock now they would still have to give me too much for their liking.
Good to hear from you again mate.

Regards Trevor.

PS all the questions purely homework at this stage. :-(((

Andrew,

It's impressive mate - but I'm afraid that mine's bigger ;)

It truly is a monster of a radiator - and that's coming from an ex-truck mechanic!

Bilbo

Yeah it may be wider than mine but your 3 row brass/copper one doesn't add up the thickness of my 2 row aluminium one (same as supercar cores) and the alloy ones have a better heat transfer too. ;-)
Strangely though, Nissan went away from the wide crossflow radiator on the early GU's to a narrower but taller radiator on the newer 4.8 and turbo 4.2. They hang down much lower and some very extensive strengthening needed to be done down low to protect them.
Regards Andrew.