BUYING A GQ PATROL (FIRST TIME 4X4) WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Hi,
Rust in the rear doors and roof gutters.
Rear door rattles.
They are prone to cracking under the front firewall around the body mounts.
Some rear wheel bearings can be a problem and may need to be replaced every couple of years.
If it has a carby , make sure you switch over to petrol before you turn it off if not using it for a while, this will stop the seals and plunger drying out. ($700 for a new carby)

However they are fairly cheap to purchase and are generally reliable and certainly capable off road, dare I suggest more capable than you are. (overall nearly as good as a cruiser...LOL)
Cheers
Dave

Hi Chris,
I have a 1992 RB30 powered GQ with 375000 on it and it is sweet. I have not been in the habit of giving this vehicle any special attention and it has not suffered as a result. They are tough and the only rust issues I have noticed on mine were around the rear sliding windows as mentioned and this was repaired before the issue became a disaster. Once done I have been a bit careful to make sure no leaves get trapped but otherwise it's ignorance being bliss.

I also have had no rattles or undue noises. I had a mate who had a GQ (and mostly the reason I bought one) that spent most of it's time being support for rallies and it had a terrible time of being thrashed. It only recently was pastured due to aminor issue that was reasonably easily fixed but signalled time was due. It had well over 500000 on it and it ran a big V8 and was always going flat out no matter the terrain and fully loaded to boot.

Unless you are unlucky, your GQ should be a long time vehicle if you want it to be. Resale value isn't as good as it was but they are 17 years old now so should have bottomed out I would think.

I don't know which engine yours has, but my RB30 is a bit short on power, but it isn't very thirsty and that makes up for it. It's not a great tow vehicle if your patience is short though. If you are looking at the 4.2 then you should be fine all round.

Cheers Cam

Generally they are a strong reliable truck.

The heads on the 4.2 petrol were a common problem while on gas. Worth getting checked by a mechanic.

And expect 20L/100km, more if you are towing, more again while on gas. Not much can be done to improve it much either.
(just a general figure, can use less if driven very gently)

hi, just had an update it's a 4.2 motor, thanks for the info so far chris.

Hi Chris,

As NickB above has mentioned, heads can be a real problem with these on gas. While some enjoy years of trouble free running, others do not. I had one myself (89 carby model) which cracked the head 4 times before I finally gave up and traded her in. Others in our 4WD club have also had similar problems and removed the gas altogether.

Also, as mentioned earlier, not the most economical truck either. I used to get between 26 (petrol) to 30 l/100 on gas while towing.

Other than that, a fantastic vehicle which is virtually indestructible.

It would be worth trying to get some history if possible. If it's through a dealer, ring the previous owner.

Have you considered a diesel GQ? Not as much power, but a really good and reasonably economical motor.

Cheers and happy 4WDing...
Gerry

Criss you cant realy go wrong......unless its way overpriced. mine spent two years.....running all over aus as my work vehicle .and still got us muddy and in the bush on weekends.......granted i replaced the motor with a new rb30.....but that was just all the miles done.....easy to work on .to many bolt ons you can get...it will make your head spin.......and way more reliable than a cruiser...( ducks for cover)........................there a great thing ..u will injoy ...
Bundy