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Time Capsule Condition: 1983 Nissan Patrol 4×4

This is a rare sight – an original 1983 Nissan Patrol in original and unrestored condition still looking much like it did the first owner took delivery. If you’re an American and you’re wondering what a Nissan Patrol is I don’t blame you, as Nissan haven’t officially imported the vehicle into the USA since 1969.

Though it’s perhaps not well known to American audiences the Patrol is a four-wheel drive icon in places like Australia, South America, and throughout the Middle East.

The Nissan Patrol – A History Speedrun

Nissan first introduced the Patrol model family in 1951, the same year that Toyota unveiled their Land Cruiser. Both vehicles were targeting a similar market to that of the American CJ Jeep and British Land Rover, from where the Japanese manufacturers took a hearty dose of inspiration.

Although it’s perhaps not as famous as the Land Cruiser around the world it is a much sought after vehicle in places like Australia where it’s been on the market for decades.

The Patrol is now on its sixth model generation – the Y62 released in 2010. More recent model iterations have taken the Patrol family in a similar direction to the modern Land Cruiser – they’re large, opulent four-wheel drives that can be ordered with every conceivable luxury.

Earlier versions were typically more spartan creations designed with serious off roading in mind as well as tough rural use.

The first generation of the Nissan Patrol was very similar looking to the American Jeep, the second generation looked a little more like a Series Land Rover, but the thirds generation is where the vehicle really stepped out on its own with an entirely unique design.

Above Image: The interior of this Patrol is in remarkable condition for its age and appears to be overwhelmingly original.

First released in 1980 the third generation of the Nissan Patrol, the vehicle you see pictured here, featured an entirely new look for a new decade. Gone were the curves of the previous models, replaced by far more sharp-edged styling that would help set the model apart.

As with many (if not most) four-wheel drives of the era the Patrol used body-on-chassis design with a front mounted engine, front and rear live axles on leaf springs, and a standard two box body layout.

Nissan offered the model in either long or short wheelbase versions, with a variety of both petrol and diesel motors on offer. When ordering your Patrol new you could choose either a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic gearbox, though later in the production run a 5-speed model was offered.

This version of the Patrol would be assembled in Japan, Iran, South Africa, and Spain. It would be sold in all of these regions as well as in Australia and New Zealand and a slew of Asian countries were you can still see them on the road – albeit in slightly worse for wear condition.

The fourth generation Nissan Patrol would arrive in 1987, helping to further cement the model as a key competitor for the Land Cruiser.

Above Image: The Patrol’s no-nonsense styling has been winning it fans around the world for decades.

The 1983 Nissan Patrol Shown Here

The vehicle you see here is a surprisingly well-preserved 1983 Nissan Patrol finished in a rich copper color with a removable white rear roof section.

This Patrol has been fitted with white steel wheels, a popular aftermarket addition in places like Australia, along with a front bumper mounted antenna.

When the first owner ordered this vehicle they wisely chose the 2.8 litre straight-six petrol engine mated to the famously tough Nissan 4-speed manual gearbox.

This engine is called the Nissan L28, it’s a member of the Nissan L-series engine family that was also used in the Datsun 240Z (and later Z series), the Datsun 510, the Nissan Maxima and a number of other vehicles.

Inside you’ll note that this Patrol is in remarkably good condition, almost time capsule like condition. The car is fitted with air-conditioning and Pioneer speakers, both welcome upgrades, and it’s being offered with the original owner’s manual and tools.

If you’d like to read more about this Patrol or bid on it you can click here to visit the listing on Collecting Cars, it’s currently being auctioned live.

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

The post Time Capsule Condition: 1983 Nissan Patrol 4×4 appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/1983-nissan-patrol/
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For Sale: A Low-Mile, Original TVR Cerbera 4.5

This is a TVR Cerbera, it’s a low-volume British performance car that was built between 1996 and 2006. It was named after Cerberus, a three-headed beast from Greek mythology that guarded the entrance of Hades.

The TVR “Speed Eight” V8 Engine

The Cerbera (pronounced “Sir – Burr – Uh”) was the first vehicle to be powered by TVRs all new “Speed Eight” engine, an in-house developed high-performance V8 capable of over 440 hp. Prior to this TVR had always bought in engines from outside suppliers, like Rover, Ford, and Triumph.

Despite the relatively small size of TVR as an automaker they succeeded admirably in developing their own engine, an engine that would make the Cerbera one of the fastest production sports cars in the world when it was released.

The engine was designed by engineering legend Al Melling, a man who had designed engines for everything from Norton motorcycles to Formula 1 cars. The engine was developed with some input from both John Ravenscroft and (the then boss of TVR) Peter Wheeler, the project was named AJP8 as a result, taking the first initial of each man’s name.

Since its introduction the Speed Eight engine has been lauded as one of the best naturally aspirated V8s of its time, the highest performance road car version was capable of 97.7 bhp per litre – a figure that bests many full race engines.

The TVR Cerbera

The Speed Eight engine was fitted to the Cerbera’s steel backbone chassis which then had the lightweight fiberglass body fitted over the top. This construction method wasn’t dissimilar to the engineering of Lotus or Bolwell sports cars and it allowed low-volume manufacturing of lightweight sports cars that could best many of the world’s fastest.

Above Image: The passenger compartment of the Cerbera is surprisingly well designed and opulent for a low-volume sports car manufacturer.

TVRs have a well-earned reputation as a true driver’s car – there’s no ABS, traction control, lane keeping assist, or any other electronic driver aids. The cars offer a traditional, analogue driving experience that has won them fans around the world, and ended up with more than a few in ditches when a driver exceeds his or her own abilities.

The Cerbera was offered to buyers with four primary engine options including the TVR Speed Six with 350 hp, the 4.2 litre Speed Eight with 360 hp, the 4.5 litre Speed Eight with 420 hp, and finally the rarer 4.5 Speed Eight “Red Rose” with 440 hp.

The 4.5 litre variants are the most desirable, and depending on final specification the car tips the scales at between 1,060 kgs up to 1,130 kgs, or approximately 2,337 lbs to 2,491 lbs. Thanks in no small part to this relatively low weight, the Cerbera in 4.5 litre trim can do the 0 to 60 mph dash in 4.1 seconds, onto a top speed of 185 mph.

Inside the car you’ll find a 2+2 seating arrangement, that is two primary seats for adults in the back and two smaller seats with limited leg room in the rear. TVR designers ensured that the passenger seat can move further forward that the driver’s seat in order to provide more legroom for a rear passenger, as a result they called the Cerbera a 3+1.

The interior fit out of the Cerbera and all TVRs of the period is surprisingly opulent for a low-volume sports car manufacturer. Particular attention was paid to comfort and ergonomics, and there’s no other car with quite the same feel to it as a TVR from this period in the company’s history.

Above Image: The car’s sleek aerodynamics help it reach a top speed of 193 mph with the “Red Rose” engine option.

It’s believed that 1,490 examples of the TVR Cerbera were built over the production run, and less than 600 remain licensed on British roads today.

The TVR Cerbera 4.5 Shown Here

The car you see here is a 1998 TVR Cerbera with the desirable 4.5 litre Speed Eight engine, it’s finished in “Moonraker Black” paintwork and features a two-tone magnolia and biscuit leather interior.

The original 420 hp output of the engine has been increased somewhat with the fitment of a Whirlwind induction kit with blue inlet hoses, and an aftermarket ECU, as well as a “de-cat” large bore exhaust system.

The car is now showing just 18,597 miles on the odometer and it’s accompanied by the owner’s handbook and stamped service book, as well as documentation of its service history. It’s relatively rare to see 4.5 litre Cerberas in this condition come up for sale so this one will likely attract plenty of attention in the UK and further afield.

The car is currently being auctioned live on Collecting Cars, at the time of writing there are 7 days left to bid and the current bid is £16,250 with 20 bids cast so far. If you’d like to read more about this car or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

Above Video: Jeremy Clarkson pits the TVR Cerbera against some of the fastest production cars in the world (at the time) and shows just how fast it actually is.

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

The post For Sale: A Low-Mile, Original TVR Cerbera 4.5 appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/tvr-cerbera/
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Lorenzo’s Million Mile Porsche 356

This short film centres around Lorenzo and his million mile Porsche 356, Lorenzo is one of those older guys you might meet at a car show who can take a little time to warm up to you, but once they do the stories that come out of them are solid gold.

Sadly we don’t encounter all that many people who keep cars long term now, the average length of new vehicle ownership in the United States stands at ~6 years, though admittedly people who own classics do tend to keep them longer.

I won’t go into too much detail here about Lorzeno’s stories because it’ll just ruin the film, I will mention that when he talks about owning seven Porsche Speedsters at some point in the distant past those cars together would be worth between $700,000 to well over $1,000,000+ USD today depending on their condition.

It’s enough to make you which cars are laying around unwanted now that’ll be worth a king’s ransom in the decades to come.

This film is the work of the talented team over at Negative 25, a production company founded by Ean Sierra and Harrison Doyle. You can click here to subscribe to the Negative 25 YouTube channel and you can click here to visit the website.

The post Lorenzo’s Million Mile Porsche 356 appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/lorenzos-million-mile-porsche-356/
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The Dino 206 SP Reborn

You could easily mistake the car you see pictured here as being one of just 18 original Dino 206 S vehicles that were ever made. Although it’s a staggeringly close approximation it actually started life as a US-delivered 1971 Dino 246 that was subject to a cost-is-no-object build into a Dino 206 SP evocation.

So detailed was this conversion that a new body was fabricated from alloy panels by Giordenengo in Italy to original specifications, and a 206 alloy block engine was sourced and fitted in the correct orientation.

Ferrari had originally intended to build 50 examples of the Dino 206 S in order to homologate it as a production car to compete in the FIA Group 4 Sports Car class. Sadly financial difficulties resulted in just 18 original cars being built, three years later 50% of Ferrari would be acquired by Fiat.

Ferrari describes the 206 SP as “an open-top version of the Dino 166 P with a bigger engine” the 166 P being a very similar looking coupe with a 1.6 litre engine that had first appeared in 1965. Interestingly the first 206 SP wasn’t all that different from the car you see here, it was rebodied with a different engine fitted, though in this case the donor car was a Dino 166 P.

The 206 SP won a slew of European hillclimbs in the mid-1960s in the hands of Ludovico Scarfiotti, he would go on to win the 1965 European Hill Climb Championship. The car also competed in the Targa Florio and a number of other major events throughout the 1960s.

Above Image: The car has a bespoke alloy body built by Giordenengo in Italy to original specifications.

The style and performance of these racing Dinos won them fans around the world, Ferrari capitalized on this by releasing the Dino 206 GT road car in 1967. The styling of the 206 GT was directly influenced by the 206 S and SP, though the ultra-lightweight and raw nature of the race cars was replaced by a far more comfortable and civilian friendly fittings.

Originally Ferrari didn’t call the Dino a Ferrari at all, it was developed as a sub-marque of sorts to compete with the likes of the Porsche 911. Years later the Italian company would change its tune however, and today Ferrari’s historic model register proudly calls the car the Ferrari Dino 206 GT.

The Dino series would stay in production until 1976 under three main model families, the 206, 246, and 308. The sub-marque would be discontinued after this time and the lower-priced (though still not cheap) Ferraris would carry full Ferrari badging.

There was a time not too many years ago when these Dinos were almost affordable, many in the Ferrari community looked down on them, and it was during this time that the car you see here was converted.

The person who undertook the conversion project must have looked on it as a labour of love, the Dino 246 donor car likely wasn’t too expensive but getting a custom alloy body shaped by Italian artisans to exact vintage specifications can tend to be very, very costly indeed.

Above Image: The stylish though Spartan interior is characteristic of Italian sports cars of the era, with the addition of four-point racing harnesses.

As mentioned above, an original Dino 206 alloy block V6 engine was sourced and mounted longitudinally in the chassis, requiring some minor chassis work as the 246 was originally fitted with a transversely mounted engine to maximize space.

Correct wheels were sourced and impressively they even had two windshields made just for this car, once is fitted to it now and the other comes as a spare. The interior of the car comes with all the ribbed red leather you could possibly want as well as four-point racing harnesses and a gated 4-speed shifter.

Surprisingly the estimated value of this car falls in line with a lower-priced standard 264 GT, such is the climb in prices enjoyed by Dinos in recent years that this car would likely be worth more without all the work and money spent on it.

However to the right kind of enthusiast it will represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy an immaculate reborn Dino 206 SP and unlike the real ones, this car can be driven on the road without the fear of wrecking a priceless piece of Ferrari history.

If you’d like to read more about this car or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing on Silverstone Auctions. It’s due to roll across the auction block on the 5th of June with a price guide of £150,000 to £180,000 which works out to approximately $212,000 to $254,000 USD.