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1964 Nissan Patrol soft top frame off restoration
I know I know I could post this in the "Nissan" section but why do that when it will get 100 views a year!? I figure it will get more views here, if a mod wants to move this so be it....
*Edit 2-18-14* I no longer have a website where a large majority of the pictures were hosted. However, I do have over 200 detailed pictures on facebook of the restoration. The album is public so anyone can view them and I don't think you need a FB account.
Pictures start back up on page 9, sorry about the lost pictures. At the FB link you can view stuff from earlier in the restoration.
https://www.facebook.com/westmoreland.ian/media_set?set=a.2374659663846.64013.1771228273&type=3
I am copying & pasting most of this from other forums, so be aware some of these posts were made many months ago. I figure what the hell, you people love Toyota's, old 4wd Toyota's and as such should be able to respect a rare old piece of Japanese 4wd history not to mention a rare old 4wd Japanese truck from the 1960's that is being done up in the USA. This all begun in 2003 for me but it received a big jump ahead this last winter....
FYI, in case you didn't know, Nissan Patrols have been around since 1951 and are the main competitor to the Land Cruiser since the 1950's. They both spawn from that same early contract offered by the Japanese government for a military type Jeep. In other words both trucks were conceived to meet a demand and bid for contract. I do believe the Cruiser won that contract, the Patrol did not. Which caused Nissan to quickly work on exporting the vehicles. Argentina I do believe got the first Patrols exported from Japan in about 1953. Patrols got a strong foot hold in a number of countries early on, a few being Colombia, S.A., Iran, Saudi Arabia, Spain and many other countries. As a result you can find them to be very popular in these countries, still 50+years later. They were manufactured mostly in Japan but also in Iran and Spain. India used the 60-series Patrol as their military Jeep from the late 1960's until the 1990's and produced it in house. It is known as the Nissan Jonga. Just like Cruisers there have almost always been JDM spec Patrols, these are known as "Safari's".
I have had my hands on both trucks, of most vintages and I got to say they are so similar in so many ways it can confuse you! Being a fan of both I can say one truck is better than the other here or there but neither truck reigns supreme over the other as being better. Since early on (maybe 1970) I have felt the Cruisers were more defined in interior design and in other areas. Patrols have kind of always held a more utilitarian front, being slightly more rugged and basic when it comes to interior and even exterior designs. Nissan did throw a lot of effort at the mechanical side of things on Patrols and the trucks are well known world wide for being stout robust trucks that are built to last. Since the early years in the 50's Patrols and Cruisers have been in a head to head battle all the way. Cruisers were first to get a 4-speed, disc brakes and power steering. But Nissan beat Toyota to the punch with a live axle coil sprung model in 1988. Just like the 80-series it is radius arm front birfiled axle and a parallel 4-link rear both with panhards. Engines have always been around the same displacements, Toyota offering more options I would say. The introduction of the 5-speed came within years of each other. Toyota had a factory locker first but Nissan made the LSD very common around the same years. Back and forth the trucks have gone for over 60 years!
Here is an interesting bit of info and story, take it for what it is. This came from the man responsible for Nissan/Datsun's in the USA, he is known as Mr.K. A Patrol enthusiast was at a Datsun car show one day and Mr.K was there doing autographs and so forth. Mr.K brought the Roadster, Z-car and many others to the USA in the late 1950s and he was a big racing fan back in the 1960's & 70's. Any ways, the Patrol fan is in line for the autograph and when it is their turn asks Mr.K a question concerning a rumor circulating in Patrol circles for years. The rumor being that Toyota and Nissan struck a deal in N.America, the deal being that Toyota could have and focus on the 4wd and truck market while Nissan could have and focus on the sports car market. No time frame of these deal has ever been stated in the rumors. So the Patrol enthusiast asks Mr.K, "is it true, Toyota and Nissan struck a deal in N.America and this is why the Patrol was canceled in 1969?" Mr.K smiled and said, "why yes, I have always loved the sports cars more than the trucks.". End of story and he would say no more!
What is even a bit funny abut the whole Toyota/Nissan thing is the models and codes for them. Patrols have always been a "60" series in the model, first was the 4W60-4W69-series aka 1950's Patrols. In 1960 came the 60-series, later the G61, 160 and Y60 or Y61 and lastly the Y62. Any ways, the 60-series Patrol ran from 1960-1980. During that 20yr span of 60-series Patrols there were many models. A simple break down though goes like this:
-60-series = SWB 1960-1980 RHD Patrol
-L60 = LHD + SWB Patrol
-KL60 = hardtop LHD Patrol, "K" obviously for factory hardtop
-G60 = MWB RHD Patrol, the "G" denotes MWB
-G60H or LG60H = MWB heavy loading (1ton) Patrol
The Patrol came in three wheelbases. The only LWB's were pickups and anything LWB was built on the pickup chassis. MWB are the most common models, outside N. America. The factory wagon or WG60 is the most elusive or rarest model, it is the only model with a unique body. Other models only available for a few years or even less than a year are just as rare. Such as the long bed pickup only available in 79, or the deluxe hardtop also only available in 79, or the MWB pickup only found in 68-70. One model, the 4W66 only ran for 6 months in late 1959 and early 1960, it is known as one of if not the shortest run of any Nissan vehicle ever! It was a transition year Patrol and a fusion of the old and the new. Nissan did this a few times with the Patrol over the last 60+yrs.
The only LWB Patrols were built off the Ute's chassis with maybe a few rare exceptions. Ute's or pickups have a very strange model designation in terms of the order of things and there was also a model number for "cab & chassis" trucks. Yet, just like 40-series TLC's you could special order just about anything from the factory.
That is the basics of it but as you can imagine with a 20yr run of the model and many versions offered from FirePatrols to movie vans to wagons to pick ups the models numbers vary. All but the pickups (Utes) are pretty straight forward in model numbers. Wagons for example are WG60'd, vans are VG60', Fire trucks are FG60's, ect ect. In the USA all we got were SWB trucks that were L60's and KL60's. These all have the "light duty" rear axle which is a C216 model. Australia and many S. American countries got "H" Patrols or heavy duties which came with a 1-ton H260 rear axle. All front axles were a "birfield" type with early 68-pre axles being a "tracta" joint. All 60-series Patrols came with a "P" engine which is an inline -six rated at about 135hp and approx. 245ftlbs. Trans was always a 3-spd and t-case was always a "twin" stick. Any ways, I am probably boring you with the Patrol history but that is the basics.
Any ways, onward with the build and story!
I sold this truck to a guy at the end of 2011. He then contracted me to do a restoration on the truck. We may not be doing a full frame off resto, rather we are starting with the main components and a lot of the little stuff may be left for the owner to finish on his own.
This is a very rare truck. Nissan only sold 2616 Patrols in the USA from 1962 to 1969 and out of that only about 950 were soft tops, more history I know! Not many soft top Patrols have survived, due to the soft top they tend to die off much sooner than a hard top truck. This restoration is aiming to get the truck as close to stock as possible with very few mods.
*History insert!*
For only 2616 ever being sold here 45-50yrs ago there is still a lot of them kicking around. Mostly hardtops for the obvious reasons but soft tops do turn up once in a while. Search craigslist and there is almost always a Patrol for sale somewhere in the country. Not bad for old Japanese Iron! I have been playing with these trucks since the early 1990's and I must have seen at least 1,000 or more of them myself in pictures and at least a few hundred in person. So while they are rare, they just don't seem to have found their way to the crusher much all these years. A lot I have come across that were beat down people saved and didn't toss out because they knew it was different and I guess you could say valuable to somebody. Roy Rogers was a spokesman (sales/ad guy) for Datsun in the 1960's. He did a number of Patrol ads and was given several Patrols for the effort along with another Datsun or two. A Patrol competed in at least one Baja race in the 1960's. Since they came from Japan distribution was mostly the west, up to 1969 not many dealers further west than say Oklahoma or the Dakotas. One in New Jersey but that was about it out east. Any ways my point is I have found many Patrols not far from cities in the west where dealers were located. In Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Colorado and other sates. That is where the majority of Patrols I have found came from and I think I must have had 20+ of them in the last 20 or so odd years. I have also found many that lived out their lives in a small town in the middle of nowhere Wyoming or Idaho or Oregon or Montana or Colorado. Certain sates got more Patrols than others. Obviously California but also Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Idaho and maybe New Mexico being states with the highest number of Patrols. There was also at least one Datsun dealer up in Alaska in the 1960's and a good handful of Patrols have turned up in Alaska. Patrols were also sold in Canada in the 1960's but I have never found info on number of trucks or if the 2616 includes Canada. There was obviously Datsun dealers in BC, Calgary and other cities in Canada. Patrols have turned up all across Canada but more are concentrated in certain areas. They still seem to be lingering in these areas, states and cities where they have always been, of course there are exceptions but this is what I have noticed as far as numbers of trucks go.
Just a little info on this truck, it is a 1964 L60 or soft top, SWB truck, N. American spec truck meaning heater and seat belts and water protect system on engine/drivetrain being standard equipment. It is one of 950 sold in N. America.
I bought it in 2003 in Silver City, New Mexico. It spent most if not all of it's life living on a ranch not far from the Mexico border. The truck was obviously used for ranch work but it appears to me it was also used for hunting. There was a number of holes drilled in the top of the dash where a 30-06 bullet fit perfectly, there was even a few 30-06 bullets still in the glove box when I got the truck. I brought the truck up here to Wyoming and not long after it had a restoration started on it. However, that restoration only got so far. Basically the truck was completely disassembled, the frame was worked on and the two largest body pieces were worked on. Besides this nothing more for the restoration has been performed. For about 8yrs I rounded up and saved all the best Patrol parts I came across. As a result there is a very large stash of very nice parts for the restoration, many are nearly impossible to find.
Here is what we have lined up so far for the restoration...
-Full body restoration, being subcontracted out and handled by a guy I know. The body is being completely restored to original condition. Final color will be a shade of green, a stock color. A new soft top canvas is being made that replicates the stock canvas but it will be tan rather then the stock OD green.
-Full engine rebuild, everything is going to be rebuilt and new. The radiator is also getting a complete rebuild. We will be going with an early original engine paint for this which is a shade of sea foam green. No real upgrades are being done to the engine.
-Full suspension rebuild and upgrade. Springs are being made by Alcan, lift will be about 2.5". The Patrol has some home made junk rear leaf hangers and springs. I will be cutting the leaf hangers off the truck and welding new ones on. Shocks are undetermined by we are leaning towards OME. Everything is going to be new int he suspension.
-Full frame restoration. The inside of the frame will be getting treated with Rust Bullet. The battery box which is under the drivers seat will be rebuilt with new steel. Once all frame work is done it will be getting a fresh coat of Dupont Imron chassis black. The truck will be getting brand new engine and transmission mounts that are NOS.
So far that is all that is for sure. Up in the air at this time is....
-tranny & t-case rebuilds
-axle rebuilds
-steering rebuilds
-interior restoration
-PTO winch rebuilds
-new wiring harness
-various little details (likely the customer will do these on his own).
Right now parts are being rounded up for the engine and suspension rebuilds. In about a week the body will be going to the shop to start the restoration on it, it is looking like the body will take a couple months to complete. I will be starting in on the suspension and frame in the next 30-days or so. As mentioned we are aiming for as close to stock as possible. So original 16" wheels will be used and there will be no mods beyond the small lift.
Cheers!
I know I know I could post this in the "Nissan" section but why do that when it will get 100 views a year!? I figure it will get more views here, if a mod wants to move this so be it....
*Edit 2-18-14* I no longer have a website where a large majority of the pictures were hosted. However, I do have over 200 detailed pictures on facebook of the restoration. The album is public so anyone can view them and I don't think you need a FB account.
Pictures start back up on page 9, sorry about the lost pictures. At the FB link you can view stuff from earlier in the restoration.
https://www.facebook.com/westmoreland.ian/media_set?set=a.2374659663846.64013.1771228273&type=3
I am copying & pasting most of this from other forums, so be aware some of these posts were made many months ago. I figure what the hell, you people love Toyota's, old 4wd Toyota's and as such should be able to respect a rare old piece of Japanese 4wd history not to mention a rare old 4wd Japanese truck from the 1960's that is being done up in the USA. This all begun in 2003 for me but it received a big jump ahead this last winter....
FYI, in case you didn't know, Nissan Patrols have been around since 1951 and are the main competitor to the Land Cruiser since the 1950's. They both spawn from that same early contract offered by the Japanese government for a military type Jeep. In other words both trucks were conceived to meet a demand and bid for contract. I do believe the Cruiser won that contract, the Patrol did not. Which caused Nissan to quickly work on exporting the vehicles. Argentina I do believe got the first Patrols exported from Japan in about 1953. Patrols got a strong foot hold in a number of countries early on, a few being Colombia, S.A., Iran, Saudi Arabia, Spain and many other countries. As a result you can find them to be very popular in these countries, still 50+years later. They were manufactured mostly in Japan but also in Iran and Spain. India used the 60-series Patrol as their military Jeep from the late 1960's until the 1990's and produced it in house. It is known as the Nissan Jonga. Just like Cruisers there have almost always been JDM spec Patrols, these are known as "Safari's".
I have had my hands on both trucks, of most vintages and I got to say they are so similar in so many ways it can confuse you! Being a fan of both I can say one truck is better than the other here or there but neither truck reigns supreme over the other as being better. Since early on (maybe 1970) I have felt the Cruisers were more defined in interior design and in other areas. Patrols have kind of always held a more utilitarian front, being slightly more rugged and basic when it comes to interior and even exterior designs. Nissan did throw a lot of effort at the mechanical side of things on Patrols and the trucks are well known world wide for being stout robust trucks that are built to last. Since the early years in the 50's Patrols and Cruisers have been in a head to head battle all the way. Cruisers were first to get a 4-speed, disc brakes and power steering. But Nissan beat Toyota to the punch with a live axle coil sprung model in 1988. Just like the 80-series it is radius arm front birfiled axle and a parallel 4-link rear both with panhards. Engines have always been around the same displacements, Toyota offering more options I would say. The introduction of the 5-speed came within years of each other. Toyota had a factory locker first but Nissan made the LSD very common around the same years. Back and forth the trucks have gone for over 60 years!
Here is an interesting bit of info and story, take it for what it is. This came from the man responsible for Nissan/Datsun's in the USA, he is known as Mr.K. A Patrol enthusiast was at a Datsun car show one day and Mr.K was there doing autographs and so forth. Mr.K brought the Roadster, Z-car and many others to the USA in the late 1950s and he was a big racing fan back in the 1960's & 70's. Any ways, the Patrol fan is in line for the autograph and when it is their turn asks Mr.K a question concerning a rumor circulating in Patrol circles for years. The rumor being that Toyota and Nissan struck a deal in N.America, the deal being that Toyota could have and focus on the 4wd and truck market while Nissan could have and focus on the sports car market. No time frame of these deal has ever been stated in the rumors. So the Patrol enthusiast asks Mr.K, "is it true, Toyota and Nissan struck a deal in N.America and this is why the Patrol was canceled in 1969?" Mr.K smiled and said, "why yes, I have always loved the sports cars more than the trucks.". End of story and he would say no more!
What is even a bit funny abut the whole Toyota/Nissan thing is the models and codes for them. Patrols have always been a "60" series in the model, first was the 4W60-4W69-series aka 1950's Patrols. In 1960 came the 60-series, later the G61, 160 and Y60 or Y61 and lastly the Y62. Any ways, the 60-series Patrol ran from 1960-1980. During that 20yr span of 60-series Patrols there were many models. A simple break down though goes like this:
-60-series = SWB 1960-1980 RHD Patrol
-L60 = LHD + SWB Patrol
-KL60 = hardtop LHD Patrol, "K" obviously for factory hardtop
-G60 = MWB RHD Patrol, the "G" denotes MWB
-G60H or LG60H = MWB heavy loading (1ton) Patrol
The Patrol came in three wheelbases. The only LWB's were pickups and anything LWB was built on the pickup chassis. MWB are the most common models, outside N. America. The factory wagon or WG60 is the most elusive or rarest model, it is the only model with a unique body. Other models only available for a few years or even less than a year are just as rare. Such as the long bed pickup only available in 79, or the deluxe hardtop also only available in 79, or the MWB pickup only found in 68-70. One model, the 4W66 only ran for 6 months in late 1959 and early 1960, it is known as one of if not the shortest run of any Nissan vehicle ever! It was a transition year Patrol and a fusion of the old and the new. Nissan did this a few times with the Patrol over the last 60+yrs.
The only LWB Patrols were built off the Ute's chassis with maybe a few rare exceptions. Ute's or pickups have a very strange model designation in terms of the order of things and there was also a model number for "cab & chassis" trucks. Yet, just like 40-series TLC's you could special order just about anything from the factory.
That is the basics of it but as you can imagine with a 20yr run of the model and many versions offered from FirePatrols to movie vans to wagons to pick ups the models numbers vary. All but the pickups (Utes) are pretty straight forward in model numbers. Wagons for example are WG60'd, vans are VG60', Fire trucks are FG60's, ect ect. In the USA all we got were SWB trucks that were L60's and KL60's. These all have the "light duty" rear axle which is a C216 model. Australia and many S. American countries got "H" Patrols or heavy duties which came with a 1-ton H260 rear axle. All front axles were a "birfield" type with early 68-pre axles being a "tracta" joint. All 60-series Patrols came with a "P" engine which is an inline -six rated at about 135hp and approx. 245ftlbs. Trans was always a 3-spd and t-case was always a "twin" stick. Any ways, I am probably boring you with the Patrol history but that is the basics.
Any ways, onward with the build and story!
I sold this truck to a guy at the end of 2011. He then contracted me to do a restoration on the truck. We may not be doing a full frame off resto, rather we are starting with the main components and a lot of the little stuff may be left for the owner to finish on his own.
This is a very rare truck. Nissan only sold 2616 Patrols in the USA from 1962 to 1969 and out of that only about 950 were soft tops, more history I know! Not many soft top Patrols have survived, due to the soft top they tend to die off much sooner than a hard top truck. This restoration is aiming to get the truck as close to stock as possible with very few mods.
*History insert!*
For only 2616 ever being sold here 45-50yrs ago there is still a lot of them kicking around. Mostly hardtops for the obvious reasons but soft tops do turn up once in a while. Search craigslist and there is almost always a Patrol for sale somewhere in the country. Not bad for old Japanese Iron! I have been playing with these trucks since the early 1990's and I must have seen at least 1,000 or more of them myself in pictures and at least a few hundred in person. So while they are rare, they just don't seem to have found their way to the crusher much all these years. A lot I have come across that were beat down people saved and didn't toss out because they knew it was different and I guess you could say valuable to somebody. Roy Rogers was a spokesman (sales/ad guy) for Datsun in the 1960's. He did a number of Patrol ads and was given several Patrols for the effort along with another Datsun or two. A Patrol competed in at least one Baja race in the 1960's. Since they came from Japan distribution was mostly the west, up to 1969 not many dealers further west than say Oklahoma or the Dakotas. One in New Jersey but that was about it out east. Any ways my point is I have found many Patrols not far from cities in the west where dealers were located. In Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Colorado and other sates. That is where the majority of Patrols I have found came from and I think I must have had 20+ of them in the last 20 or so odd years. I have also found many that lived out their lives in a small town in the middle of nowhere Wyoming or Idaho or Oregon or Montana or Colorado. Certain sates got more Patrols than others. Obviously California but also Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Idaho and maybe New Mexico being states with the highest number of Patrols. There was also at least one Datsun dealer up in Alaska in the 1960's and a good handful of Patrols have turned up in Alaska. Patrols were also sold in Canada in the 1960's but I have never found info on number of trucks or if the 2616 includes Canada. There was obviously Datsun dealers in BC, Calgary and other cities in Canada. Patrols have turned up all across Canada but more are concentrated in certain areas. They still seem to be lingering in these areas, states and cities where they have always been, of course there are exceptions but this is what I have noticed as far as numbers of trucks go.
Just a little info on this truck, it is a 1964 L60 or soft top, SWB truck, N. American spec truck meaning heater and seat belts and water protect system on engine/drivetrain being standard equipment. It is one of 950 sold in N. America.
I bought it in 2003 in Silver City, New Mexico. It spent most if not all of it's life living on a ranch not far from the Mexico border. The truck was obviously used for ranch work but it appears to me it was also used for hunting. There was a number of holes drilled in the top of the dash where a 30-06 bullet fit perfectly, there was even a few 30-06 bullets still in the glove box when I got the truck. I brought the truck up here to Wyoming and not long after it had a restoration started on it. However, that restoration only got so far. Basically the truck was completely disassembled, the frame was worked on and the two largest body pieces were worked on. Besides this nothing more for the restoration has been performed. For about 8yrs I rounded up and saved all the best Patrol parts I came across. As a result there is a very large stash of very nice parts for the restoration, many are nearly impossible to find.
Here is what we have lined up so far for the restoration...
-Full body restoration, being subcontracted out and handled by a guy I know. The body is being completely restored to original condition. Final color will be a shade of green, a stock color. A new soft top canvas is being made that replicates the stock canvas but it will be tan rather then the stock OD green.
-Full engine rebuild, everything is going to be rebuilt and new. The radiator is also getting a complete rebuild. We will be going with an early original engine paint for this which is a shade of sea foam green. No real upgrades are being done to the engine.
-Full suspension rebuild and upgrade. Springs are being made by Alcan, lift will be about 2.5". The Patrol has some home made junk rear leaf hangers and springs. I will be cutting the leaf hangers off the truck and welding new ones on. Shocks are undetermined by we are leaning towards OME. Everything is going to be new int he suspension.
-Full frame restoration. The inside of the frame will be getting treated with Rust Bullet. The battery box which is under the drivers seat will be rebuilt with new steel. Once all frame work is done it will be getting a fresh coat of Dupont Imron chassis black. The truck will be getting brand new engine and transmission mounts that are NOS.
So far that is all that is for sure. Up in the air at this time is....
-tranny & t-case rebuilds
-axle rebuilds
-steering rebuilds
-interior restoration
-PTO winch rebuilds
-new wiring harness
-various little details (likely the customer will do these on his own).
Right now parts are being rounded up for the engine and suspension rebuilds. In about a week the body will be going to the shop to start the restoration on it, it is looking like the body will take a couple months to complete. I will be starting in on the suspension and frame in the next 30-days or so. As mentioned we are aiming for as close to stock as possible. So original 16" wheels will be used and there will be no mods beyond the small lift.
Cheers!
Last edited:
