As a more unusual alternative to Toyota’s FJ-series of 4x4s, this 1969 Nissan Patrol would be fun to own. If nothing else, it would be a much cooler way to load up on organic garbanzo beans from the co-op without having to buy a new SUV. The seller has this example listed here on craigslist in the Eugene, Oregon area and they have an asking price of $4,500 listed. Thanks to Andria Antonakos for sending in this tip!

The Nissan Patrol of this era would be my personal choice between similarly-sized and similarly-capable 4x4s, such as the Toyota FJ40, Ford Bronco, Jeep CJ5, or even the Land Rover Series IIA, although that’d be my next choice. The second-generation Nissan Patrol has been available since 1951 in other countries but the early-1960s was when we saw them here in the US and Canada. They’re still being made today but 1969 was the last year when they were available for the US market. Well, in this form.

The Nissan Patrol was incredibly popular in other countries and it’s hard to argue with a vehicle that has been around for 70 years. At the time, they were the only Nissan badged vehicle for sale at Datsun dealerships so the thought is that may have played a role in the slow sales in the US.

There are no heated and cooled cupholders here, this is a rugged 4×4 meant to get the job done. I have a friend who restored a Toyota FJ40 and recently sold it for $35,000 and I have to wonder what a perfectly-restored Nissan Patrol would sell for. I have seen nice original ones go for around $10,000 and it sure looks like this one could be restored by someone in their garage and could keep things under control, cost-wise.

The engine is Nissan’s overhead-valve 4.0L inline-six which would have had around 145 hp. The trouble is, this engine has zero horsepower because the seller says that it’s not running. Or, NOT RUNNING. They don’t give us a clue what the problem might be but hopefully it can be fixed. Is this one worth taking a chance on seeing how nice the body is and then hope that you can get it running?