Junkyard Patrol aka Poster Child aka Dream Garage Patrol!

[RiverPatrol]

Found this orphan a while back and went to visit recently. It is not destined for the crusher fortunately. It is a '65 but it was not an original soft top; someone added the frame and canvas later on. It has had some love at one time, but needs more now. It would make a great run around vehicle. It looks like it wouldn't take much to get it running. There are currently some issues in regards to obtaining the title, so it remains an orphan for now.

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[RiverPatrol]

OMF***GG!!!


Okay, I've just had a really big "AHA" moment. Let me show you what I have discovered...

Okay, orphan Patrol at the junkyard:

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A picture from an album from the NPCA site, with caption:

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And finally, a recent acquisition by member zed:


Here is another version of the poster, a little larger and more detailed:

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Does anyone else notice the striking similarities? This is the Dream Garage Patrol! It even still has the CB antenna!

I'm shitting myself right now...

[50car]

Looking at the front bumper with the 4 holes drilled into it ( two by each frame end) would make it appear as it is indeed the same vehicle....

[bosque]

I think the biggest surprise for me is that it is a 62 with a black grill, grill chrome bar is black and black trim around headlights. Is the poster an old original or a poster of a rebuilt 62? This is all new to me....I thought the 1960's grills were always painted with the body color, always chrome headlight trim and always 1- chrome trim bar (except the wagon that had three chrome trim bars).
Nice observation Jeff...those look like good witness marks.
This is really a nice connection River. Next is finding RR's Patrol.....that will be quite a day when that happens.

[50car]

I'm quite certain that the grill had been pulled and repainted black.... along with the chrome strip...and headlight chrome... Someone thought it looked cool... I myself prefer the stock chrome look...

[bosque]

I guess the poster to be of a rebuild then.
I would like to like to be back to stock body and grill color too. I thought it would be cool to have the black trim thing but have since realized that's a jeep thing.

[RiverPatrol]

The Patrol was far from original when it was used in the Dram Garage campaign. This is something I have noticed since the first time I saw the Patrol in the poster. I really irked me that Nissan would use such a poor example of the vehicle. But, I have since learned some background and it was what the organizer's friend had available.

50car points out the holes drilled in the front bumper that match. There is also a dimple in the center of the bumper that matches. Also, notice that the tops of the doors have been removed and there is a piece of wood on top of the door - that wood is still there. Windshield wipers are missing in the poster and the orphan Patrol. The CB antenna is still there. The wheels and tires are the same. I just don't understand why it's not blue anymore. I know how I can find out though; I know the guy that organized the vehicle for the commercial.

Interestingly enough, I met the owner of this Patrol a few years ago at a car show. I had Togo at the show and he came over and started talking to me. He said he had several other Datsuns, mostly Z's as I recall. He told me that he had the Patrol from the Dream Garage campaign. So I do know that it was kept locally. I remember him complaining about the Patrol needing wheel cylinders. I gave him my contact info but never heard from him.

So we shall see what become of it. Perhaps a mascot?

[bosque]

Yeah River ....make it an even dozen Patrols.

[RiverPatrol]

Here is the commercial that was released in 1996 for the Dream Garage campaign:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRSiO_98pMU[/youtube]

[miksum56]

Good info Leslie. I got 1 of those posters back in the day when I almost aquired Sakura and Togo!