Here’s something you may never have seen before (I don’t ever recall seeing one). A Nissan Patrol is an SUV similar to the earlier Toyota Land Cruiser. While still manufactured in some form today, it was only imported into the U.S. from 1962 to 1969. Sold at Datsun dealers, it was the only Nissan-branded product they offered until years later. Located in Ravenna, Michigan, this 1967 example is said to run great and wear a nice coat of patina. This rarity is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $16,000. Thanks for this fantastic tip, T.J.!
If you’re looking for a vintage vehicle that no one else in your circle has, this Nissan could be it. The Patrol was a larger 4WD vehicle built in Japan and sold worldwide. However, minimally in the U.S. It was pretty popular in Australia and Africa with all those wide-open spaces and wilderness. The short wheelbase version with three doors (like the seller’s) reminds me of a Land Cruiser my crazy neighbor had back in the 1970s. They were powered by 4.0-liter inline-6 engines typically paired with a 4-speed manual transmission.
We don’t know the history of this Patrol. We’re told it starts and runs great and has been treated to new suspension pieces and brakes, five new wheels, and off-road tires. The engine compartment is said to “look amazing,” and yet no photos of it are provided. The SUV originated in California, which may have helped it stay rust-free all these years. The red paint is faded but looks to need no immediate attention.
The seller is in the market for a mini-excavator and will trade the Nissan up, down, or “sideways” to get the right one at a fair value. So, if you happen to have one of those items, please contact the seller, and you might make a deal. Whether acquired by trade or cash, this Patrol ought to be an attention-getter at Cars & Coffee as people ask, “What is it?”
Always wondered why Nissan didn’t import these to compete with the Landcruiser.
With most of my family living on the west coast I remember seeing these in the late ’60s and early ’70s in Oregon. It was just different enough from the Land Cruiser to get your attention when you saw one. Still a nice looking unit.
Me like a lot!!!
For the guy who has three friends who all own first-generation Broncos.
looks like newer bucket seats
living in SoCal in the 60’s a friend of mine had one of these that he used to take people by the Nissan headquarters the around the intersection of the harbor and San Deigo Freeways with a huge Nissan logo just to prove it was Datsun related.
I actually have seen one of these. About 30 years ago, in Mississippi, of all places. I worked installing air conditioners and this white Patrol sat outside a local auto mechanic’s shop. One day I mentioned it to my coworker (the owner of the AC company’s son) as we drove by it in the service truck, not knowing what it was. He said it had actually belonged to him. He had restored it back a few years ago, had the engine rebuilt, etc. Then he lost the wing nut that held on the breather. He started the engine, then found out where the wing nut had gone. He’d dropped it down the bore of the carburetor and it had found it’s way into the engine. He got frustrated and lost interest, or maybe couldn’t find parts to repair it. Anyway, I wonder what happened to that thing. That was the only one I’d ever seen.
They look like a Land Cruiser and Land Rover mated lol
Used to see these in the late 70’s in Arizona but not frequently
Definitely new front seats in this one pretty cool find
In this remote, mountainous community in the California Coast Range back in the 1970s we had just about every kind of 4wd vehicle ever made, even a Uni-Mog not that far away. There was one Nissan Patrol, owned by the real estate and insurance guy who was also the constable and a rancher. This vehicle made it into the present century until is was sold to somebody who just trashed it . It is now parked, wrecked, not that far away. Still a few Willys pickups out and about, but nothing like the old days when there would be five or six at the same time in town. It’s all Toyota Tacomas and F-250 Fords now.
Here in Aztec, nm, is a shop ( Duesenbury Auto, that was a Studabaker dealership in the 30s, then Nissan, now ATV and trailers. They have a great collection of Studebacker cars and trucks. and a Nissan Patrol. They use stude trucks to clean out the car wash pits. . They use the patrol for hunting trips.
Not that rare in Western North Carolina.
The Nissan Patrol (I’ma thinkin) were the forerunner of the Nissan Trooper Line. We owned a 1986 4wd Trooper II for 15 years. The Patrols seemed to be better quality IMO, (my uncle owed one) the Troopers had that tinny sound when closing the doors and a bit top heavy. We had the two door version but the four four models, I thought, cool like the Land Rover Defenders and the Landcruisers but way more affordable.
I thought the trooper II was an Izuzu ?
Yeppers, ah ur right we bought our Trooper at a Nissan Izuzu Datsun Dealership
I have had both an 87 Trooper II and a later 93 Trooper.
now own a 96 Landcruiser, I do remember a guy on the Ih8mud forum who had a Landcruiser over here and a Patrol over in Australia. He was an engineer or something, put together small printed circuit led’s for the dome/door etc lights of our Landcruisers, I’m still running the original led’s he sold me
They did sell them here and most were 3 speeds. They sell semi-regularly on BaT. I have always like them, and to the best of my knowledge, they were the only Datsuns sold here that were called Nissans.
I once owned a Renault Lecar.
I put a 12 inch lift kit in it and rock climbed.
3 speed trans. Non synchro first gear.
I’ve owned at least 5 of them over the years.
Actually, I have seen one. A local storage unit facility, that doubles as a junkyard, has one, no top, baking in the Colorado sun. With the eclectic folks that populate our state, yours truly no exception, it’s no surprise what can be found. This seems to be an Asian knockoff, of an Asian knockoff, of an American knockoff. Dubja, dubja 2, der, pretty much dictated to the world, how important 4 wheel drive was. I read, Russia had one of the 1st 4x4s, the GAZ 61, and Mitsubishi had prewar units, but it was after the war, Jeep was the target. It took them 25 years, but today, Asian 4x4s dominate the market, from these humble beginnings. I doubt anyone would question its origin and probably won’t ever see another, if that’s for you.
The engine was based on, or was, a Graham-Paige, an American car company Datsun bought in the 50s?
Most all fasteners were SAE.
The only metric fasteners were on the distributor, starter and generator.
Made by Hitachi.