A definite goodbye to my trusty Patrol.

[Bat21]

Originally Posted by Flying Torquewrench

No idea at all Bat.

The day before I had been at work the whole day so hadn’t worked on the car. The garage went up in flames in the early out of the morning. By the time we were aware that something was up, the roof had already collapsed. Luckily the house was spared, that’s all I can say.

Very odd happenings there.

Originally Posted by Flying Torquewrench

Just had some “good” news from our council. As we live in the Greenbelt they need a full planning application for the new garage. So it doesn’t look that much will happen before the end of the year.

Surely if the new garage isn't any different to the old one you can tell them to poke their planning fcukwittery.

[Bat21]

Originally Posted by Flying Torquewrench

.... Unfortunately, I have difficulty trusting people so I will try to get as many photos as I can.

The overwhelming majority of people have seemed to have had some kind of lobotomy in recent years, so I totally get where you are coming from.

[solarman216]

Originally Posted by Bat21

Surely if the new garage isn't any different to the old one you can tell them to poke their planning fcukwittery.

If you are not "Listed" then you can tell the council twats were to go, simply quote you are replacing an existing building, to obtain that just do not demolish ALL of the existing before you start the replacement, if you demolish all then yes it will become a new build, look at one of my new jobs to keep me busy threads re the shed in a field, Rick

[Flying Torquewrench]

We are not “listed” but are in the “greenbelt”. As the garage is forward of the principal elevation of the property it is not covered under permitted development. Hence, the council requires a full planning application.

Under the greenbelt rules any new structure in the greenbelt is deemed inappropriate unless it falls in certain categories. We went through all this with the agricultural building in our field. That issue started in 2017 and only just has come to conclusion.

A replacement building, as long as it is not materially larger, falls under the exemption categories. So the planning application should only be a technicality.
Not risking demolition and then the council turning up. As we will not get a replacement building when the old one is gone.

[Flying Torquewrench]

Anybody got any ideas about Nissan Pathfinder? Seen a 2013 with a good MOT history and £105 on the clock. Not as big as a Navara but still has a 3000kg towing limit. Looking for a manual as I don’t want an automatic.

[Flying Torquewrench]

Went to have a look at a Nissan Pathfinder from 2009 with 54k miles on the clock. Called the dealership at 4pm yesterday. Drove 1:40 hour only to be told that it sold just before closing last night. Bugger.

The above was an automatic, which i am not overly keen on. However, with 54k miles it was worth a shot.

The manuals seem to eat clutches but at least if the gearbox does go wrong, it can be repaired at home. Not sure if I fancy raking an auto apart.

There is a 2013 model near us which doesn’t look too bad. Only downside is that from 2012 the Pathfinders are front wheel drive and they no longer use a ladder chassis.

[Bat21]

Have you considered an old Land Cruiser Colin?

When I lost my Patrol (link) in 2009 I replaced it with a 1992 Land Cruiser 80 series.... I still have it 15 years later.

[Flying Torquewrench]

Bloomin hell Bat! You are very lucky to still be with us. That must have been quite a shock to the system to be pushed off the road like that. It really puts the way I lost my Patrol into perspective.

I am open to any suggestion as long as the car can tow 3000kg minimum. Ideally 3500kg but I will settle for 3000kg. Also, I need something that I can drive straight away and not a car that needs loads of work. I have two screwdrivers left and thats it for the time being. Unable to buy any tools at the moment as we have nowhere to store them.

Any ideas where to look for Land Cruisers for sale? Autotrader only has the newer version. Seen a few older Land Cruisers but £20k for a car with 150k+ miles on the clock is a bit too much. In that case, I may as well buy the Patrol SWB for £20k with 35k miles.Amazing how the price of these older cars has shot up.

Yet, the insurance company would give me around £300 for my Patrol.

[Bat21]

Originally Posted by Flying Torquewrench

Bloomin hell Bat! You are very lucky to still be with us. That must have been quite a shock to the system to be pushed off the road like that. It really puts the way I lost my Patrol into perspective.

It clearly wasn't my time to go.
I still remember it vividly... I can remember trying to 'steer' it while on its side, I remember every roll and I still recall putting it in neutral and putting the handbrake on when it finally came to rest.... it wasn't until I took my seat belt off that I realised something wasn't quite right

Originally Posted by Flying Torquewrench

I am open to any suggestion as long as the car can tow 3000kg minimum. Ideally 3500kg but I will settle for 3000kg. Also, I need something that I can drive straight away and not a car that needs loads of work. I have two screwdrivers left and thats it for the time being. Unable to buy any tools at the moment as we have nowhere to store them.

Any ideas where to look for Land Cruisers for sale? Autotrader only has the newer version. Seen a few older Land Cruisers but £20k for a car with 150k+ miles on the clock is a bit too much. In that case, I may as well buy the Patrol SWB for £20k with 35k miles.Amazing how the price of these older cars has shot up.

Yet, the insurance company would give me around £300 for my Patrol.

The old 80 series are getting good money now, £10k and upwards for a decent one.

There's a nice looking 100 series here currently at £4,100

[Flying Torquewrench]

That is not a bad looking Land Cruiser. Just a shame that it has done 319k miles.

If it wasn’t for where we live I wouldn’t bother replacing the Patrol. Unfortunately I need to be able to tow a trailer as no lorry can make it down to the house. If I hadn’t bought my Volvo 3 months ago then I would have bought a nice pickup to replace the Patrol and my previous Audi. But it always happens after you changed one car. Frustrating really as my Patrol only did about a 1000 miles a year.

Was hoping to stay below £10k, the lower the better. However, there is also no point in buying a pile of cr*p cheaply and then spending lots of money on it to make it roadworthy. As I did when I bought my Patrol. Whilst I loved that car, I should have never bought it.

I have seen a couple of nice pickups but depending on the make they are not classed as cars and the insurance goes through the roof. A Nissan Navara is only about £350 to insure for the year. A Ford Ranger cost me closer to £1500!!!

[Flying Torquewrench]

This is the Pathfinder I am looking at. Asked the seller if he could take some photos of the underside. Whilst it is not too far to travel for me, if it already looks like its been in th sea then I give it a miss.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...=10000&fromsra

There are a few other Pathfinders for sale but the previous MOT history is not brilliant. It seems that corrosion likes the Pathfinder as much as it did the Patrol.

[Bat21]

Originally Posted by Flying Torquewrench

That is not a bad looking Land Cruiser. Just a shame that it has done 319k miles.

Don't let the mileage put you off a Land Cruiser.
A well looked after example will still be running long after the world stops spinning.

[Flying Torquewrench]

I will keep an eye on it to see how the bidding goes.

The more I think about it, the more I am drawn to the SWB GR on ebay/autotrader. It seems to be in immaculate condition and if it has no corrosion will go on for years to come. It is just such a hefty price tag.

[Flying Torquewrench]

Had a look at the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder yesterday. As such not a bad truck but she didn’t seem to be running smooth when at idle. A few cosmetic issues but that is to be expected from an 11 year old truck.

I know that a rough running engine doesn’t always have to be a big problem but at £9000 I wasn’t risking it. A shame really as I quite liked it.

Locally there is a SWB Mitsubishi Shogun for sale which could be a contender. However, it has a rev counter that doesn’t work. Not a big issue as it is an automatic but more work to do.

Also looking at a Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD. It has a good MOT history with a couple of fails on lights but nothing else. Not the ideal offroading vehicle but it only has to pull the trailer into our field. A bit of a slope but some offroad tyres and 4wd should make light work of it.

The extraction of the Patrol has been stopped by the structural engineer. They are planning on demolishing our garage to dpm level and rebuild. He is scared that I damage the walls that remain when dragging it out. It only has about 2” space on either side and no steering or wheels for that matter. I am now waiting for my 9” angle grinder to be delivered. (Hopefully tomorrow, should have been last Wednesday) The Patrol will then come out in pieces as there is absolutely nothing that is salvageable. I keep my fingers crossed that I can keep the axles but time will tell.

[Bat21]

It must be so soul destroying seeing possessions that you have acquired over many years reduced to that

Originally Posted by Flying Torquewrench

.... Also looking at a Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD. It has a good MOT history with a couple of fails on lights but nothing else. Not the ideal offroading vehicle but it only has to pull the trailer into our field. A bit of a slope but some offroad tyres and 4wd should make light work of it.....

If you are considering a Jeep then don't over look the Commander.
Tough vehicles but a bit thirsty and the road tax or whatever it's called is on the high side.... a very nice looking one here:-
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408122818655