Time to say goodbye?

[Flying Torquewrench]

Unfortunately, it is becoming financially uneconomical to keep the Patrol going. Due to private circumstances I have driven her very little in the last few years. I had somebody else use it for a bit so that she kept running.

I drove her a couple of weeks ago for the first time in over 2 years as I needed to pick up some mulch for the garden. During the drive I noticed that the clutch slipped badly when pulling away with a loaded trailer.

A clutch is easy to buy but the last time they replaced the clutch they already told me that the flywheel is coming to the end of its life. A new Dual Mass Flywheel can only be purchased from the Nissan dealer for £1407.50 which includes new mounting bolts. A L.O.F. Powerspec clutch is £234 as I want a decent clutch and not a Euro Car Parts special

I have been speaking to local garages to change the clutch + flywheel and the cheapest quote is £750, with a caveat that it will most likely be more as the car is 26 years old. Together this makes it at least £2400 which is difficult to justify on a 26 year old car.

The only other option would be a conversion to a Solid Flywheel which Xtreme outback sell for £909. This is a new flywheel and clutch. However, the stories about converting the flywheel are putting me off. Some love it but a lot of people hate it due to increased vibration and noise. Even this option is still £1700.
Another issue that is starting to come up is that good quality parts for the Patrol are becoming harder to get.

Unfortunately, there is not a lot out there that can replace the Patrol when it comes down to reliability. Land Rover Discovery is more a case of “when” you have an expensive repair instead of “if” you have an expensive repair. Also, too much electrics in them for my liking.

The only viable alternative would be a pickup truck but donÂ’t really want to spend £20k on one either.