Truck Thursday – Cruisin’ n Patrollin’
Rough and ready.
Today’s ever-so-slightly grainy and sodium-coloured contribution is a duel between some definitely dependable machinery. These suckers have weathered the elements for over 25 long years on this salty, slushy corner of the earth, where it gets dark at 4PM in early November.
Your choice – which one would you take the long way home?
Land Cruiser 60-series
In the first corner is a well-used 1980-1990 Toyota Land Cruiser 60-series diesel. Some of its body panels are orange, some are not. Some are rustier than others. It also sports something that can only be described as the best part of a dock welded on its front. Seriously, you could hook up a medium-sized fishing boat on that.
Nissan Patrol, 3rd gen. Nice lighting – and probably needed.
The other, decidedly less maritimely equipped contender is a brown, third-generation Nissan Patrol. These were made for the same time period as the ‘Cruiser, but look less menacing due to being slightly more slab-sided than the bulging Toyotas.
Nonetheless, the Patrol also looks a great deal more civilised due to having a lot less rust and very little home-made improvements. It still bears the period ’80s vinyl stripes on its sides, which bring up the looks nicely; the Toyota has to do with a TransCon Medi-Vac style color scheme.
Leave Room For The Weather, says the sticker. The guy doesn’t want anybody sliding into his rear bumper in icy conditions.
Both of these cars are registered as commercial trucks/vans, which both lightens the burden of the yearly diesel tax and rids them of a useable/comfortable rear seat. They do have to deal with a 80km/h speed limit, but come wintertime the highway speed limits are lowered to 80 anyway, so that is not a major hindrance.
So, which one of these clattery classics ticks all your boxes?
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Call me a contrarian, but I prefer the Patrol. If I ever give up on the Delica, the Granroad would be high on the list of replacements
<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2057/2174880571_537eed3613.jpg" width=500>
LIke you, I vote for the Patrol.
The front reminds me of a first-gen Ford Ranger.
Plus, Land Cruisers are still relatively common.
It reminds me of a toy truck I
used toplay with. Simple body geometry, single-piece plastic grille and all.I like the Toyota… but I'll take the Patrol since is seems to be in a slightly better condition… and was never sold in U.S.
Some of the 1960s versions of the Patrol were sold in the US. Roy Rogers was the spokesman.
Not this Roy Rogers i presume?
[youtube iCdEjLupuAo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCdEjLupuAo youtube]
No, this one.[youtube hgw_yprN_-w&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgw_yprN_-w&feature=related youtube]
A tough question because the answer in my heart is neither. I think I would have to go with the Land Cruiser though out of these two, and dream of an FSJ.
The Landcruiser, for beating VW to the Harlequin paint scheme.
Nissan Patrol, because I love vinyl stickers. I would have to buy vinyl stickers for the Land Cruiser.
Nothing says "I'm a very conservative laestadian and I have 18 kids" like a Nissan Patrol. At least back in my neck of the woods. I'll take the sinful Land Cruiser.
Around here, that's symbolised by a white Ford pickup.
The Land Bruiser's front bumper could have a Yaris inserted as a combo winch/alternate vehicle.
Still, the slab-sided, single color Patrol gets my vote.
Plus, I don't recall ever seeing on in the steel.
However, it does need a bull-bar/cow-catcher for proper PIAA & Lightforce lighting.
I choose Patrol. I like the boxy styling and the wheels.
Patrol. You don't see them much in the states and those graphics are a bit more interesting than mismatched panels and rust, though the case can be made for either scheme. The rally lights and wagon wheels put it over the top.
Bruiser. It's the more classic design, and the relative rarity of the Patrol here still doesn't make it call to me.
The Cruiser. I'd install a gnarly Warn winch in that bumper, load it up with steaks and beer, and disappear into the desert for a week. It needs a big roof rack and jerry can mounts for extra diesel fuel, but that's no big deal. I like the Patrol, too, but good luck finding parts for it in the US.
That one is my favourite generation of Land Cruiser. And I like orange.
That generation of Patrol looks like a Chinese knock-off XJ Cherokee, doesn't it?
What happens if either of these is caught violating the 80km/h limit? Is it just a normal speeding ticket, or do they have to re-register as a highly-taxed 'commercial truck in a hurry'?
Afaik it's just a normal speeding ticket. But you get a ton of sh*t if you re-install the original rear bench in place of the thinner, more spartan bench that van conversions usually require.
I think that's what I like about it. It looks like a skinny guy in a fat man's suit.