We were living in a caravan for nigh on 10 years and 5 years of that we were on the road full time, travelling and working. Then we bought a cottage in a quiet rural town and settled down for a while. Health issues saw to it that I did not get out too much but I kept on playing with my toys. I had a knee transplant in 2003 and this gave me the incentive to get going again.
My ride in 2003 was the iconic Nissan Patrol G60. This one had a 5speed Marks conversion gearbox in it. And I gave it away to a friend to help him out and he trashed it. But there ya go…..
In 2004 I updated to a Nissan Patrol GQ and in 2005 added a very tough trailer made by Modern Trailers of Adelaide. Over the next ten years I visited many very remote places and spent a fair bit og money repairing the ‘old dear’
In September of 2014 the waterpump gave notice. I was leading a trip through very overgrown country in the Great Sandy Desert and the going was hard. So I decided to leave the vehicle there and return at a later date with the parts, rear it and drive out. This took quite a bit of organising. Time restraints and other hel=p were in short supply and the deserts were having a heatwave and I then decided to come back when it was cooler and in May of 2015 we went out to rescue the Datto. In the mean time, however, government contractors doing aerial surveillance started fires to clear out the scrub and one got out of control and unfortunately the Datto was in its path as it raced through the long spinifex.
We started again with a 1993 Nissan Patrol GQ Ti, the same colour, running on Petrol and LPG
Dattoo…..Well the Dattoo proved to be a headache as it blew a head gasket twice and the head had to be shaved. In our search for a tow vehicle we bought a Toyota Workmate V8 Diesel in haste and this turned out to be another disaster in the making although I managed to drive the Carson River Track in it. It appears that a previous owner had taken it for a swim in the sea. Many parts were seriously rusted including a vacuum toggle on the turbo which on turn made the turbo fail with low boost pressure.
It performed well despite the turbo not working but on our return from holidays we traded it in on a new Isuzu MU-X 3lt Turbo Diesel hoping that this plastic fantastic will see us through for many years to come
In the mean time I kept on looking for a Nissan GQ TD42 diesel and finally found one. This Nissan is a genuine TD42 which has been converted to automatic. While we were away on holiday a friend of mine, Dave Borg, knocked out all the small dents and resprayed the whole car. Back home I fitted the solar panel and roof rack, and a short while later it fot an new set of Westlake Mud Legends. To top it off I bought myself a number-plate DATTO 6
Before restoration
Painted and fitted out again
On 7th March 2020 Snowy the Nissan (DATTO*6) was sold to Tim Froling of Orroroo where it will stay and serve as a camping vehicle. I am now without a 4×4 as the MUX belongs to my wife. All I have now is a Scooter (Gopher ), an electric wheelchair, a manual wheelchair and a Tricycle! Camping will now only eventuate with the aid of a Carer (Judith) and after spending my life driving around it has ceased.
It is winter and it nis cold and with Covid 19 moving around we are sitting still.