The Patrol sports a full rollcage...
The Patrol sports a full rollcage from front to back, and Jeff completed all the tube work himself. The rig is a great adventure vehicle that will seat four people comfortably and still have room behind the rear seats to stow enough trail and camping gear for a few days in the mountains.
In the grand scheme of project builds, we'd all like them to go as smoothly and as quickly as possible. However, sometimes the rigors of daily life take their toll on quality garage time that's spent wrenching on our beloved rigs. Jeff Yeager of Grand Junction, Colorado, has spent the last 10 years cutting, welding, and gathering parts for his '69 Nissan Patrol. A decade is a long time to stare at an idle project without actually 'wheeling it. After all that time Jeff built himself an extremely capable and super-flexy go-anywhere machine that was well worth the wait.
Living in the Rocky Mountains has its advantages for four-wheelers. There are literally thousands of miles of trails through spectacular country. Jeff wanted a trail rig that was able to conquer the toughest trails when he's out 'wheeling with his buddies, and a dependable vehicle for family camping and backcountry expeditions.
The old Patrol was built on somewhat of a tight budget, but some dream parts couldn't be skimped on, like the double-ended hydraulic ram steering system and the Ford 302ci V-8. The day Jeff finally turned the key and fired the engine is the day he realized his new trail rig surpassed his family's expectations for an awesome adventure rig.
Jeff Yeager fitted the front...
Jeff Yeager fitted the front of his Patrol with a Dana 60 axle scavenged from a Chevy. For traction he did what any enterprising builder on a budget would do: He Lincoln-locked the spider gears. Splurging a little, he purchased the "hey, that's cool" fully hydraulic double-ended ram from Performance Off-Road Systems.
Jeff's minimalist approach...
Jeff's minimalist approach to the Patrol's interior is just how we like it and the way to go for an all-around trail and adventure rig. There's really nothing to break, lose, or fix. The few important components here are the heater for wheeling in the snow and a couple of dummy lights on the dash to keep tabs on the engine.
The Ford 302 V-8 was found...
The Ford 302 V-8 was found in a wrecked '94 Ford Bronco. After a few firewall modifications, it was fitted into the Patrol. It offers dependable fuel-injected power. The engine is mated to a Ford T-18 transmission and a Toyota transfer case fitted with a 4:1 Marlin Crawler for low-gear crawling.
Tech Specs
1969 Nissan Patrol
Drivetrain
Engine: Ford 302ci V-8
Transmission: Ford T-18
Transfer case: Toyota with Marlin Crawler
Front Axle: Dana 60, Lincoln locker, 4.56 gears
Rear Axle: GM 14-bolt, Lincoln locker, 4.56 gears
Suspension
Springs & Such: Custom Alcan leaf springs with Orbit-Eye joints, Fox remote reservoir shocks
Tires & Wheels: 40x13.5/17 Goodyear Wrangler MT/Rs, 17x8.5 aluminum wheels
Steering: Performance Off-Road Systems double-ended hydraulic ram
Other Stuff: Tom Woods driveshafts, Ford Super Duty hydroboost, T-Max 10,000-pound winch, frame stretched 14 inches