Our Nissan Patrol
By AndrewThe TRAKTA
Used for Outback Touring, Family Holidays, Club Trips, etc.
Dark Green Factory Winchbar Towbar Cargo Barrier ARB Roofrack ARB Dual Batteries Hella 4000s ARB Compressor Engel 39L Bridgestone ATs 285/75/16 OME Suspension Garmin eMap GME TX3400
December 24th 1999 we traded our TD42 powered GQ Ti Patrol in for a (then) newly released 4.2 litre turbodiesel GU Patrol ST. Jade Green in colour. After 8 years and 230,000 troublefree kms getting another Patrol was an easy decision.
From the dealer it had a Nissan steel winch bullbar, Milford cargo barrier, ARB roofrack, towbar and weathershields. Drove it out of the dealers yard with about 60km on the odo and on Boxing Day we headed down to Robe SA for some sand dune running in.
Trade in day. GQ infront of the GU
3 days old – running in on the beach!
About 3 months old!
Leading 27 vehicles on a trip to Robe ~ 2003
Air compressor installed
Flexing the OME with 285/75/16s
35″ Claws
Not the first time, wont be the last.
Robe 2006
Flood damaged roads – back of nowhere
Tregalana Station
Within the first 12 months we added: ARB Dual Batteries, Hella 4000 lights, ARB Compressor, Engel 39L fridge, OME Suspension, Bridgestone ATs 285/75/16, Garmin eMap GPS and a GME TX3400 UHF radio.
Flinders Ranges
Vic High Country
Snorkel, UHF & phone antenna
Through the years it has also picked up a 9500lb electric winch and a 3″ exhaust system and performance pump tune.
Causeway at Innamincka
Edge of Lake Eyre
Somewhere on the Cooper Creek
In 2008 we decided that as it only had about 130,000kms on it we would keep it for a few more years. Having made that decision we also knew that a few upgrades would be nice. These included: Pioneer ipod compatible head unit and speakers 4″ lift with Fox shocks and adjustable everything
Front and rear airlockers New ARB air compressor Slotted DBA rotors and HD pads 4.375:1 Nissan diff gears (replacing the factory 3.9:1) 315/75/16 MTZs to compliment the new ratios (or vice-versa)
So this is how it looks in its 10th year
Only actual repair money spent, other than servicing and upgrades, has been a new set of belts and hoses at 100,000km. Awesome!
2010 – When heading home from holidays in Queensland we had the right rear tyre peel its tread (delaminate) on a highway. Fortunately the tyre didnt go down as we had the 2tonne caravan hooked on the back. The tyre made a mess of the paint on the side of the car and trashed the wheelarch flare, side step and the plastic rear bumper. As the Patrol is now 11 years old we decided that if insurance was paying to repaint one side then we would pay for the other (plus the bonnet). Instead of putting a new plastic bumper on we paid extra and got a steel dual wheel carrier from Powerful4x4 and instead of a new alloy sidestep we went with a pair of steel chassis mounted steps from TJM (not quite a slider but much stronger than the factory ones plus they have a nice bling bling stainless steel top).
So after a month in the shop it has emerged looking pretty damn good. Bullbar looks ordinary though so might need to get that repainted nice and glossy to match! 
TJM Outback sidestep 
Rear bar 
Shiny! 
Next few days I need to fit or refit: two wheels carriers to rear bar mud flaps on the rear roofrack headlight protectors bonnet protector change the 33s back to 35″ MTZs
315/75R16s are back on. Washed the wheels and gave the tyres a coat of tyre black to make them pretty too. 
One wheel carrier is fitted. Still needs the number plate bracket and light added. Will fit the other one tonight. Havent fully adjusted all of the anti-rattle bits yet – will get a few miles on it around town first. Need to make a new bracket for that worklight too, now that it doesnt need to be a spacer for the spare wheel anymore. 
35″ tyre seems to follow the body line OK 
Air tank installed and plumbed under passenger side. Uses the bolt holes from the original side steps. Gave it a nice coat of paint while it was out. More bling! 
Now need to make up some brackets to hold mudflaps and fill this gap between bodywork and bumper. 
Pic added for filling the gap between body and bar.
Finish with a few newer pics
2014 – In front of the house with the new one
2015 – new shoes
Hi Andrew,
What sort of winch have you fitted mate? I have the same bar as yours & it looks real tidy the way you have it set up.
Thanks.
Its a 9500lb Ironman winch with Amsteel Blue rope and aluminium hawse.
Thanks Andrew. Did it bolt straight in?
Sure did. Just need to rotate the gearbox housing.
Hi Andrew,
Ive got the same car and rear bar… im lost now as to how the mudflaps would go on the rear, and that gap between the body and bar.
What solution did you find?
Cheers,
ROB
Rob
I fitted a narrow mudflap from Supercheap auto to fill the gap between body and bar.
Had to make a bracket that bolted to the existing holes in the bar to hang the mudflaps.
Photo added