78 series cab/s tur/d versus patrol cab/s tur/d @ ExplorOz

AnswerID: 57057 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 19:36

John replied:

Perhaps parts and expertise will be more readily avaliable in the outback areas for the Toyota due to higher use by farmers and stations.

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FollowupID: 318813 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 19:42

Member - Pesty (SA) posted:

Patrol for cabin space and Cruiser if you want it to last longer

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FollowupID: 318825 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 21:37

Member - Roachie (SA) posted:

Com'on Pesty,
What about all those Nissan work horses we saw up north of Pt Augusta 2 weeks ago. Station vehicles up there are all 4.2 diesel Patrols. I guess they don't get the radio station reception that plays John Laws' advertorials all day long which brainwash poor suckers into believing the Tojo is "unbreakable".
A Patrol will hold it's own or better against a cruiser....the drive train is superior all round.
I acknowledge the fit and finish of the Patrol is not up to the cruiser standard, but I don't worry about that sort of thing.

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AnswerID: 57059 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 19:47

fat bastard replied:

thanks for the follow up. Nice to see your taking your grandson camping/4wd

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AnswerID: 57061 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 19:50

Brad replied:

My wife and I are both quite tall.
We find the Toyota far more comfortable and 'roomy'.
Friends have the Nissan and we feel quite squashed in it (can't move the seats back far enough).
Regards,
Brad.

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FollowupID: 318841 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 23:13

fat bastard posted:

appreciate the follow up

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AnswerID: 57063 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 20:05

Truckster (Vic) replied:

What sorta price difference?

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FollowupID: 318842 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 23:13

fat bastard posted:

thanks heaps

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AnswerID: 57076 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 20:58

Crackles replied:

Saw a Nissan tray in an engineering workshop the other day getting the chassis welded up just behind the cab after it nearly broke in two. Apparently not the first one. Any one else heard of the problem? & just when I was starting to like the Patrol.....................Craig.

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FollowupID: 318819 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 21:08

Truckster (Vic) posted:

I know 4 GU Utes racing in serious comps, very well setups with 8inch lifts etc, lockers, blah blah blah, Swamper/Boggers etc.. one has been rolled 2ice, none have cracked...

Theres about 4 with heavy ass campers on the back on this board none with issues..

YMMV

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FollowupID: 318844 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 23:14

fat bastard posted:

thanks for the follow up

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FollowupID: 318851 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 23:55

Member - Pesty (SA) posted:

Crackles you dont say what sort but a mate is rebuilding a GQ from a replacement chassis up and even though the GU chassis is exactly the same the GQ has twice as much metal in it, the GU chassis and gearbox have been down graded so if you want a strong nissan find a good GQ, take note MOST of the offroad racing use GQs. The ute the mate is rebuilding came out of the mines at 4 years old and you could poke a screwdriver through the chassis but the replacement GUs are only lasting 2 years, you dont have to be einstien to work that out.

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FollowupID: 318937 Submitted: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 at 17:54

Crackles posted:

Pesty I believe the tray was a GU. Had Storage lockers on it & was used as a work bus but certainly not overloaded. The workshop seemed to think the chassis on that model has a weak spot. My work has several older Nissan trays that have been bullet proof, but as we're due to get a couple of new replacments this possible weakness has us interested, hence my question is it common? Your comment that later models have less steel wouldn't necessarily mean it's any weaker as an improved design or better quality steel may make up for that. Certainly in the mines thickness is everything when it comes to rust. Cheers Craig.............

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AnswerID: 57077 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 20:59

Nav_man replied:

G'day,
I think both 4by's mentioned are good vehicles they both have there good and bad points, I am a Nissan man myself and have found Nissan to be very comfortable and have been extremly reliable for me and are cheaper to buy!!
Go the Nissan and spend the extra money on some accesories for it.

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FollowupID: 318845 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 23:14

fat bastard posted:

thanks a lot

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AnswerID: 57080 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 21:04

Bob Y. - Qld replied:

Fats,

Have a Tojo turbo for work, best toyota have ever driven. More grunt than Paul's Piggery, but good to drive in the rough stuff, as well as bitumen. More economical than n/a tojo.

Wasn't rapt in a drive in Nissan, with 3 up, a real squeeze. Felt like being in a bath when I was 4 year old. Probably cheaper than tojo?

Did a front diff in tojo, at about 25K clicks, still like it, fixed under w'ty.

Hooroo...

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FollowupID: 318826 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 21:41

Member - Roachie (SA) posted:

Bob,
I agree with everything you say....as I said above, the Nissan drive train, including the diffs, are simply tougher build quality/size than the tojo; plain fact.
I'm glad you're happy with yours....that's the main thing.
Hope you have many more thousands of trouble-free klicks...
Cheers,

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FollowupID: 318846 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 23:16

fat bastard posted:

thanks Roachie, you seem to help alot people with your experiences, all the best.

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AnswerID: 57102 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 22:12

ross replied:

Look around on the freeway and do a quick poll.
They cant all be in the John Laws cult!

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FollowupID: 318847 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 23:17

fat bastard posted:

Thanks for looking at all angles

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FollowupID: 318849 Submitted: Monday, May 03, 2004 at 23:36

Member - Roachie (SA) posted:

Ross, you are, of course, quite right.....I only joke about Lawsy....he could ice to the eskimos.LOL
The real reason IMHO for toyota's success is their wide-spread dealer network.
I live in a country town with no Toyota dealership. There is a Ford/Nissan place, a Holden place and a Mitsi place. Guess what?? Hardly ever see any new Toyotas around here. It's only natural. Lotsa Nissans etc.
I also agree that Toyota parts are more likely to be readily available in Birdsville and other slightly out-of the way places too.

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AnswerID: 57148 Submitted: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 at 11:28

Davoe replied:

lotta crap gets written about what has the strongest drivetrain I have driven over 30 cruisers for work often hard work and never had a drivetrain failure so i can assure you the drivetrain is tough enough most common failures in tojos I drive has been related to the 24/7 coverage of hypersaline mud underneath and a combination of overloading and v rough terrain eg broken springs and corroded brakes. someone wrote about a utes chasis cracking while I havent seen this it doesnt surprise me as may utes get maximum abuse and without knowing its history it isnt worth mentioning i havnt driven a nissan but if it is for camping etc i would be looking at the coil cab as it looks like a good starting point for an off road tourer. The tojo would be a better motor but the 4.2 nissan is very reliable drive em all and have fun! you wont waste your money whatever you choose

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FollowupID: 319077 Submitted: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 at 18:48

fat bastard posted:

Davoe would you say the toyo is a $7000 to $9000 better vehicle. As the aircon is 2700 extra in the toyo.

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FollowupID: 319410 Submitted: Friday, May 07, 2004 at 16:18

Davoe posted:

dunno - never driven a nissan that is a fair bit of moola, whilst i havnt driven either of the turbo wagons either i would imagine the tojo would be a significantly better motor being a newer and a revised desighn you still couldnt argue the nissan 4.2 is not worth buying coz even though nissan wont even give it the turbo and intercooler it deserves i dought it will ever let you down. as for price difference toyota has comanded a premium price for their products for mass produced vehicles due to the fact they make very well put together vehicles right from 1980 corollas to camrys and whatever including l/c that is my opinion but whether that makes them a 7-9 k better vehicle is up to the buyer i certainly dunno but look forward to the day when i have the cash to decide

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AnswerID: 57312 Submitted: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 at 13:58

Dunedigger replied:

The Toyota TD Engine has lots more power than the Nissan and is more economical.

The ride is rougher than a NissanCC But the Nissan CC sags too much with a 500 kg load. Toyota drivers seat is much better than the Nissan.

LS diff is not as good in the Toyota, bit lose.

Another problem is you buy a nice shiney 79 CC BUT no one knows it's new ! They all look the same for the last 20 Years. ( Yes I know, they have made big changes over the years but not many people know the differences.

Re broken Nissen Chassis: They do break where the Toyotas don't. Both vehicles are used for broad acre spray rigs, overloaded and driving very fast over broken ground. The Nissons break sooner than the Toyotas. The way they drive them sugests they don't own them !

DuneDigger

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FollowupID: 319076 Submitted: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 at 18:45

fat bastard posted:

Is the toyo a $7000 better car in your opinion, Dunedigger.

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AnswerID: 57353 Submitted: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 at 20:02

Dunedigger replied:

Ohha . . that's a hard question . . . For me I had no choice. I tow a 4 horse float and only the Toyota and F250 are rated to tow 3500 KG.

The Patrol is MUCH more nicely appointed and unless you can get a 79 for a similar price i would go for the patrol, BUT if POWER (and 3,500 Kg towing ) is the main consideration, go the Toyota.

The Patrol motor is the only weak spot ( low on power ) , wait a while and the Patrol will have a great alternative to the Toyota and the Patrol will be ahead. Wait for common rail, electronically controled valve timing, turbo intercooled and Nissan will be in front. The Nissan 3L TD IC engine is a good engine (now) just add another 2 cylinders and Toyota will be blown away again.

The $7,000 question . .. I had a Turbo Nissan and loved it . .If you just want to bugger off into the bush, go the Patrol and save $7,000.

Dune Digger

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