Our ‘64 Patrol, “Operation Needle in the Haystack”
Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 10:42 am
As these things go we inherited a Nissan Patrol from my ex-step-father-in-law (because life and love are messy, he got the divorce not me, anyway) and he’d inherited it from his father who got it from a wealthy gentleman who bought it only to drive from the bottom of his estate’s driveway to the top when the weather was bad. He gave it away because the “engine was seized” but it turns out it really only needed a battery. This seems to be a vehicle that bring a little luck to the new owners hands, as we are currently experiencing. It’s like her whole life she wanted to be here, funny how these cars have a mind and agenda of their own!
The spunky lil gal only has 32k miles on it and we theorize that a lot of those miles were towed because it has a tow bar welded onto the front bumper. We intend to remove it. The ex-step-dad told us it didn’t run at all, and that if we could get it out from where it was parked we could have it. It had a tree growing through it even. In an afternoon with some sweat and a come-along we managed to get it onto a car trailer and back to our home just a few hours away. Cole found out it wouldn’t run because the fuel pump was wired in backwards so he remedied that and she started right up! A few issues to tackle before she can drive, we have a New carb and brake cylinder on the way and she should be just about road worthy! Short of some rubber bits and maybe some upholstery. One of the doors had been missing because it had been stolen when the E.s.D had gotten it stuck when he was out four wheelin and long story short he just left it on the trail overnight and someone made off with the door. Luck would have it we found a guy a few hours away with a Patrol from the early 70s that he was willing to part out, and so we snagged both the doors and the roof piece so we’re very pleased with that find and this project is well on it’s way!
Optimistically she’ll be on the road before the summer is over. I’m hoping to repaint it eventually, something fun to match our willy’s maybe blue?
Anyway! Exciting to see all the other patrols out there its a rad and special little car.
Talk soon!
Xoxo
-Cas
The spunky lil gal only has 32k miles on it and we theorize that a lot of those miles were towed because it has a tow bar welded onto the front bumper. We intend to remove it. The ex-step-dad told us it didn’t run at all, and that if we could get it out from where it was parked we could have it. It had a tree growing through it even. In an afternoon with some sweat and a come-along we managed to get it onto a car trailer and back to our home just a few hours away. Cole found out it wouldn’t run because the fuel pump was wired in backwards so he remedied that and she started right up! A few issues to tackle before she can drive, we have a New carb and brake cylinder on the way and she should be just about road worthy! Short of some rubber bits and maybe some upholstery. One of the doors had been missing because it had been stolen when the E.s.D had gotten it stuck when he was out four wheelin and long story short he just left it on the trail overnight and someone made off with the door. Luck would have it we found a guy a few hours away with a Patrol from the early 70s that he was willing to part out, and so we snagged both the doors and the roof piece so we’re very pleased with that find and this project is well on it’s way!
Optimistically she’ll be on the road before the summer is over. I’m hoping to repaint it eventually, something fun to match our willy’s maybe blue?
Anyway! Exciting to see all the other patrols out there its a rad and special little car.
Talk soon!
Xoxo
-Cas
