Well its finally happening my much loved manual 4800 Patrol is slowly leaving the premises after 250,000km plus kms in which its carried me on adventures everywhere from 2-200kmh on every track I can think of and apart from a hesitant starter motor all other issues its had have been user induced.
We I got this car, in straight away blew its engine when its timing chain bolts
were not tightened - a changeover motor was air freighted out from a very embarrassed Nissan Japan and all was sweet , however I then resolved to never take this car in for servicing from new to now, 10 years latter and am doing the same with its auto 4800 Patrol replacement.
I have never owned such a capable and reliable car but will this change ?
After much badgering some
young adults (known to us) now own the car, however their way of doing things I find hard to follow - or am I just being to protective ?
The
young adults had a D4D Prado Grande and on trips away with them it keep breaking and more than once the Patrol rescued it had got them thinking.
Within a few minutes of selling the Patrol a piece of green masking tape appeared across the top of the windscreen reading "PartyRol" and I had my first misgivings.
As the new owners were friends (of our kids mainly)
I didn't worry when the car didn't leave our drive for a few days.
It apparently needed modifications but it already had every traction aid I could think and then I saw them ripping out the radio and rear door skin and I understood.
It lacked a dirty big sub woofer ! and 800watt amp - silly me !
All was installed, in a manner which was sacrilege to an electronics engineer like me.
8mm square wiring was installed by running in across the door opening instead of making a hole thru firewall and so on etc.
Ok its all done and its 9pm Saturday evening -
test drive needed of course - so of they head to our bush property while I head off to bed - its now 1 am in the morning and they head into a rain soaked gully loosing control slewing sideways and only coming to a rest where no amount of diff locks will extract one from.
It must be time to learn how to use the winch with darkness and mud everywhere.
They drag out the winch line wrapping the synthetic rope around a tree and hooking the end back over the rope ( I would have cringed ), apparently there was no time to drag out the extension strap and shackles I had insisted go with the car - but to give credit after an hour long battle and 3
winches they were out at 2am.
More mods are needed - another session takes place - out they go for a
test drive.
There are still
places in Melbournes eastern suburbs where you can find a bog hole and guess what dad - we are bogged again , but a quick winch and we are out , next time we might even lock the hubs
2 winch rescues in 5 days , and never even 1 psi let out of the tyres!
So then I find out that the the reason the car is still at our place is that they haven't found the right time to reveal to their parents that they dumped the Prado and brought my Patrol.
The car sits at our place - paid for - but covered in mud and war injuries.
My question is, is this just the youth of today or should I buy a wheel clamp
and clamp the wheels before the car dies ?