1997 Nissan 2.8lt
Submitted by Shane O on Thu, 2018-02-22 16:11
Hey fishos
lokking at one of these for my son, he is currently away and wants me to get it for him. Had a look and looks ok, was going to get a pre purchase inspection done.
$6200 with 280000 kms on clock, turbo diesel. Does anyone have one of these or recommend something different, he has about 10k to spend.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17868
Date Joined: 11/03/08
looks a bit high in price.
looks a bit high in price. have a look around . you can get the later models with less km and same price. double check on the turbo . i thaught the turbo wasnt fitted to that motor , only the 3ltr td
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
quadfisher
Posts: 1146
Date Joined: 28/09/10
Bigger is better ladies?
Yeah its the older 6 cyclinder in line 6 , 2.8 turbo diesel , 1997 in a gq.but early gu,s had them as well ( its really too small a donk for that car)
They are ok , but do suffer from head failure and a couple of other probs , the td42 six didnt.
They also have a weaker gearbox, I would only prob take a chance on it if it had a head change and excellent service record.
just a few years back the old td42 was expense , but good , and with time and the fact the bodies are breaking down , most td42 are becoming resonable.
If he,s really set on a gq , look for the bigger six , even one with 400,000k wil still have engine life left in it as long as its been serviced.
quadfisher
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
4.2lt
might look at a 4.2 lt instead want something with a bit of balls that can tow
quadfisher
Posts: 1146
Date Joined: 28/09/10
Rot with the lot!
gday Shane o , yep the td42 even non turbo tows well as long as you dont own a 7m glasscraft or something.
More like 5-6 m is there thing, the best advise is too find something with a good body , as the boxs, engines diffs etc really are pretty well
bullet proof , and theres lots for wrecking now so dont worry if you have to replace a seat or something.
I have a 1995 td42 with a turboglide turbo , and reg tow 2 large 4x4 quads on a 6m custom steel trailer on sand tracks and firmer
beachs etc with no troubles at all.( I do have a 4 terrian hd clutch fitted the standard one be out of its comfort zone)
Look for rust just above the roof gutter esp at the rear, any diesel leaks at all or evidence of old ones around the diesel pump, and for rust on
chassis and cracking around coil susp mounts.
They do have ok cooling systems but must be very well maintained , and unless its already been done recently I would put money aside for a new
copper rad and a cooling fan hub , so prob 600 or 700 hundred.
Mine has nearly 500k on it , and I would drive it darwin tommorrow, so in general they are robust , but lastly they do require 5000k sevices using
2 oil filters and 10 litres of oil, something some people wouldnt like or would cheat on , to the detrament of the vehicle.
quadfisher
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
TD 4.2
Had a look one today, 370000km. Some rust in the roof rails and a little bit on the body, heaps of receipts for work done on the car. New radiator and fan belt. Duel batteries and heaps of extras, $9600.
Shimka
Posts: 465
Date Joined: 06/02/14
Pass. What ever rust you see
Pass. What ever rust you see around the roof is worse than it looks as that rust will be right down inside the pillars. Any rust repairs have to be done properly or it will be back quickly but this goes triple for a GQ roof. Most bolt on extras don't really add much to the purchase price of the vehicle so don't go paying a heap extra because of some bar work, drawers, lift & a few lights. Those kinds of things add minimal value to the sale price despite what some owners like to think. The value is in the body & the driveline so it's really only a good turbo, that has been set up properly that adds a bit of value.
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
Passed
just told the guy thanks but no thanks will keep looking and might expand our price to about 13k
Shimka
Posts: 465
Date Joined: 06/02/14
I'd be telling the young
I'd be telling the young bloke to hold out for a TD42. You will get one in a GQ for that price pretty easily. Look for all the things Quadfisher mentioned, especially the roof rust. Also check for rust under the fan motor which is mounted in the engine bay at the top of the firewall in line with the steering wheel. My GQ tows 2 x 450 dirtbikes, a 125 quad & a full load of camping gear in an 8x5 with a cage easily & it's only a NA TD42 with 490k on the dial. Like Quadfisher, I'd have no hesitation driving it across the country tomorrow. Yes the oil changes add up but what you spend on oil & filters you will save on the extra repairs the 2.8 & especially 3.0 need. Avoid the unleaded & lpg motors. Too many hassles & cost a fortune to run.
flangies
Posts: 2540
Date Joined: 11/05/08
I had this exact car with
I had this exact car with similar k's on the clock. Went really well just suffered from mad death wobbles. Nearly didn't get a second date with my girlfriend. Really easy to service and parts are easy to get, wasn't too great on fuel I think I was getting 8~ km/litre. Glow plugs are a bit complicated on these models as they're like a European import with the afterglow function that gave me a bit of trouble but swapped them to the td42 glowplugs with a rocker switch. I would buy one again if the price was right. Just wasn't a wise investment for a student
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
I am looking at a
looking at a TD42 tomorrow 300000 km on clock, 150lt fuel tank. Heaps of extras $10500
turbo smart boost controller
3 inch straight through exhaust
custom cross over pipe with go air box
uhf radio
800 watt amp
track lander roof rack
arb awning
2 inch auztech lift
led reverse lights
lever for sway bay disconnect
new radiator
new pan hard rod bushes
new steering damper
recently serviced
comes with false floor setup for camping
Shimka
Posts: 465
Date Joined: 06/02/14
Pay attention to the tops of
Pay attention to the tops of the front coil towers. Nissan in their infinite wisdom made the top of the coil tower a bowl with a small drain hole in it & then covered it with a piece of sheet. Awesome design for catching sand & mud causing rust. If the sheet on the top of the towers hasn't been removed, just take out the 10mm bolt at the front edge of the sheet & it will pivot on the other bolt to allow for inspection. Remove the cover/sheet from each side permanently if it hasn't already been done on the vehicle he ends up with. Look for oil leaks at the rear of the engine (rear main seal) & from the handbrake drum located at rear of transfer case (rear transfer case seal). Don't be too concerned by wobbles in the front end unless they are really severe. The death wobbles are a common thing in the old patrols but are generally a pretty cheap fix once you isolate what the issue is. Normally it is wheel bearing tension, kinpins needing shims or panhard bushes. On the subject of suspension bushes, only use RUBBER bushes when any have to be replaced. Poly bushes are too stiff & do not last long if the vehicle is used off road on a regular basis.
Anyfishwilldo (not verified)
Posts: 23
Date Joined: 01/01/70
look around for a td42 only,
look around for a td42 only, other motors not worth it.
Travgrundy91
Posts: 25
Date Joined: 17/12/17
Nothing wrong with the old
Nothing wrong with the old 2.8 gqs, underpowered yes but good old buses. Hardest part with any gq, gu or cruiser is finding one that hasnt been trashed and flogged out.
End of the day any 20plus year old is going to have some dramas no matter what engines in it.
cruzy111
Posts: 274
Date Joined: 08/10/13
For ten grand you should get
For ten grand you should get one with zero rust. I dont know why gqs td42s have suddenly become more expensive. They are 25 years old. Dont dismiss a 96 or 97 model with a blacktop td42. A lot have clear over base paint jobs so they can be a bit faded. Its cheaper to do a respray over a 100 percent rust free than fix roof rot. One or two roof bubbles can mean it is rotten along much of the rail. As well if they have the back sliding windows they can leak and water can get into above the wheel arches and back quarter panels. Have a good look in the light to see if they have been repaired or bogged. Ive seen a few good looking ones that are full of bog, especially wheel arches and roof. If your buying a 93 or older they will have a silvertop motor which could be turboed with no modification. If you hang out and look on gumtree you will find a newer gq td42 unmodified rust free for ten grand. There are still heaps out there and the old boys that own them are slowly dropping off the perch and they are coming up for sale . Just need to be quick.
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
Gumtree
thank you will keep searching gumtree, don’t want a expensive repair bill to fix one that is falling apart
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
Gumtree
have you got any examples of gumtree that are around the 10-12k mark that are in good condition
quadfisher
Posts: 1146
Date Joined: 28/09/10
Have to go inspect , looks ok.
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/armadale/cars-vans-utes/gq-ford-mavrick-one-of-the-cleanest-/1174252817
quadfisher
Shimka
Posts: 465
Date Joined: 06/02/14
A couple of examples from the
A couple of examples from the first page of gumtree results: https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/waikiki/cars-vans-utes/1992-gq-nissan-patrol/1176270716
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/bibra-lake/cars-vans-utes/nissan-patrol/1176229853
They might be crap but they might be good to. Won't really know without looking yourself. Don't be put off by the lower price tag because you are looking for a good body with a decent engine. What he saves at purchase can pay for those bolt on goodies that don't really add much value to the car. If you are on FB it would be worth joining a couple of groups like Perth Patrol Owners or Buy & Sell Everything 4x4 Perth. Lots of people use these groups rather than Gumtree so you could be missing a few good rigs that will never make it to Gumtree. Also watch for Ford Maverick as well. They are really a GQ patrol that was rebadged, given different colour door handles & a different paint scheme. All the parts are stamped Nissan though & if you go to Ford asking about parts, they will send you to Nissan.
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
Second one l
looks like it has some weird skin infection happening on the front of the
hood? But just could be the photo, good idea to join the Facebook pages
Shimka
Posts: 465
Date Joined: 06/02/14
Just a case of gravel rash I
Just a case of gravel rash I suspect. Looks like they started to repair then couldn't be bothered finishing the job. GQ's are well known for it & there are a heap of bonnet gaurds on the market for them for this exact reason. $100 to respray a bonnet as long as it's not full of rust, it's a non-issue. Even if the bonnet was cactus, you could easily get another one for a couple of hundred on FB.
Shimka
Posts: 465
Date Joined: 06/02/14
Don't forget to include Ford
Don't forget to include Ford Maverick in your searches. They are just a rebadged GQ with different colour door handles, a slightly different paint scheme. All the parts still say Nissan & they were still built in the Nissan factory. As a rough guide, I paid 6k 18 months ago for my 2nd GQ. NA TD42 (454 thou but excellent compression & service history so lots of life left), zero rust, safari snorkel, OME 2" lift, 147lt long range tank, red arc dual battery system, rhino racks, awning & LED driving lights. You should be able to find similar for around the 7k mark if you are patient. I've since added an new ARB winchbar, Runva XP11 winch, upgraded the battery system to include rear fuse box, built custom rear storage/bed, single piece rear windows, installed an air con, upgraded to dual piston front brakes, replaced all the suspension, added a 2nd fuel tank & put in the sound system from hell. I've spent around 5k on those extras but I'd still only get 8-9k if I put it on the market today. Don't be fooled by bolt on bullshit. It doesn't really add that much to resale values.
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
This one
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
Petrol engine, could be exxy to run.
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-
cruzy111
Posts: 274
Date Joined: 08/10/13
Thats the sort of one your
Thats the sort of one your after. But 14000 is dreaming. They are the ones going for 10000 - 11000. Its still a 25 year old bus.
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
Got it
went and had a look and this car is immaculate, zero rust really clean inside and out. New back sliding windows. Original owner not a thing to do on it.
thank you for the advice and tips fishos, probably would have ended up with a rust bucket if not.
Shimka
Posts: 465
Date Joined: 06/02/14
Nice. Tell the young bloke to
Nice. Tell the young bloke to do himself a favour & get rid of the sliding windows. Yes I know they are new but they will still leak water down inside the panel, they will rattle like a bastard (corrugations or good bass & they are mega easy to break into. It's only $150 for a pair of solid rear windows & seals to your door. I reckon it's about the best money I've spent on mine.
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
windows
thanks shimka
where about can we get the replacment windows from?
Shimka
Posts: 465
Date Joined: 06/02/14
I got mine from an ebay
I got mine from an ebay seller I can't find the name of in my purchase history (sorry). They were a proper parts supplier though, not just some random person with a few new parts. I'm sure if you search ebay you will find them or someone else that will do the windows & seals for around the $200 mark. RoadRunnerOffroad & Patrolapart definitely both currently have the windows but they want $500 for the pair which is a bit rich I reckon considering you can get a full gull wing kit for under $900. The FB pages are a very good source of parts so could be an option to save a few coins if you have trouble locating them elsewhere. The good news is once he has the windows & seals, it is an easy diy that only requires a length of thin rope. The rear windows out of the MQ Patrols are the same so he can grab those if he comes across them. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
Owner
holy sheets
we are the second owner 1992 model all the original manuals and receipts
Shimka
Posts: 465
Date Joined: 06/02/14
Nice. Make sure he gives it a
Nice. Make sure he gives it a nice diet of oil & filter changes every 5000km, changes fuel filter every 10,000 & check valve adjustment every 20,000 (easy diy, grab repair manual) & it will last him a good many years.
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
Repair
came with original repair manual
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
Fuel
Came with a aftermarket fuel/water separator filter thingy
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17868
Date Joined: 11/03/08
sounds like a score . would
sounds like a score . would have been well looked after
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
Looked
really tidy and clean