MK buying advice

[AndyExy]

Good mornings smileys.

I've just been offered an MK patrol. The owner is no longer with us, and his wife wants to be rid of it.

Don't know how much for yet. Don't know if it's worth taking yet. No, I don't know a lot yet. Only had a brief external inspection so far.

I know it's a 1985 model. I know its silver I know it's got a SD33 variant engine.

Is there a way to determine from the engine serial number whether it's turbo or normally aspirated?
I found a post to answer this. Thanks Tim! (Finly) According to your model facts, if its a 1985 model as the rego sticker claims, there it can only be a turbo SD33 as its a wagon.

Yes I know. I'm spending more time going through previous posts before making more questions. Except what I'm doing is starting on page 5 of threads then moving my way forward.

Ta muchlies
Andy

[AndyExy]

Good mornings Oh Wise One's.

I suspect I'll have 101 questions on this topic by the time I've finished. But stop me here please if this has all been done before. I haven't found where yet, but it's always possible.

External Inspection.

I was only able to spend a couple of minutes inspecting the vehicle on the outside. Didn't get a chance to look on the inside. I took a photo of the rego sticker hence I have some of the serial numbers.

I noticed that its been hit a couple of times on the barn doors. The paint work has cracked open and there may also be some rust bubbling on the doors.

Q: Are things like barn doors easy to find for replacements?

Q: Where else are MQ/MK prone to corrode? ie. Where should I be particularly be checking?

Q: Are there any particular regions that if corroded pretty much doom the vehicle to the 'lost cause' department?

thx
andyp

[Aiden]

hey mate
I'm not sure about the serial number, I'd suggest the engine should say if its turbo.

But about finding barn door. Most wreckers have at least 1 MQ or MK, you'd just have to have a look in your area.

Almost all Nissan Patrols, especially the older ones, are prone to rust in the roof gutters!! door sils, and in the bottom of the doors if water has got inside.

[AndyExy]

hey mate
I'm not sure about the serial number, I'd suggest the engine should say if its turbo.

But about finding barn door. Most wreckers have at least 1 MQ or MK, you'd just have to have a look in your area.

Almost all Nissan Patrols, especially the older ones, are prone to rust in the roof gutters!! door sils, and in the bottom of the doors if water has got inside.

Thanks Aiden. I think I'll have to get back down to Wangaratta in the next endweek or two and start crawling around with a bright light to see what the evil oxidation monster has been up to. Hopefully it isn't too bad.

I'm guessing there's some areas of rust that are easy to repair, some expensive but possible to repair, and others that just write the vehicle off. What areas would fall into that latter category?

[GQ TANK]

Haeook at the chassis / body points as this is the most loction for sevre rust.

Turbo - if you look at the exhaust is there a a round potato looking unit - this would be your turbo.

Im pretty shore not all vehilces had the turbo

What shape are the head lights - round= MQ retangle = MK

Also the MQ sd222 where 24 volts / mk where 12 volts

[MQ MAD]

A wagon with barn doors is called a van, cause of the barn doors, bit like a commercial type version if you like....
Barn doors are hard to obtain and not worth alot
It could be a non turbo SD33, depends on maybe its options, being a base end version well who knows
Look at the engine the turbo engine will have "Turbo" on the rocker cover and look down the exhaust side of the engine and youll see either a turbo or just an exhaust manifold

Is it worth getting ???
Well depending on the asking price , that alone will determine very quickly an answer
To dear, walk away , cheap and within what you want to pay , investigate some more

Rust areas,
Roof gutters, front floor pans, radiator support panel, under the battery tray (eats into the inner guard)bottom of doors, (cheap for replacements), rear lower 1/4 panels ,(many remove for a 1/4 panel chop),more clearance off road
Repairs and there cost will determine what parts you can find for bolt on replacement parts,like doors, guards ect, how handy you are with a welder,and how nifty you are at body repairs and paint work

Chuck up the Qs and im sure may can help you....
They are well over 30 years old, dont expect a rolls royce for minimal bucks
They will have some issues of sorts

[AndyExy]

Haeook at the chassis / body points as this is the most loction for sevre rust.

Turbo - if you look at the exhaust is there a a round potato looking unit - this would be your turbo.

Im pretty shore not all vehilces had the turbo

What shape are the head lights - round= MQ retangle = MK

Also the MQ sd222 where 24 volts / mk where 12 volts

G'day tank. Definitely square peep holes at the front. The rego sticker claims it's an '85 model which makes it squarely MK

[AndyExy]

A wagon with barn doors is called a van, cause of the barn doors, bit like a commercial type version if you like....
Barn doors are hard to obtain and not worth alot
It could be a non turbo SD33, depends on maybe its options, being a base end version well who knows
Look at the engine the turbo engine will have "Turbo" on the rocker cover and look down the exhaust side of the engine and youll see either a turbo or just an exhaust manifold

Is it worth getting ???
Well depending on the asking price , that alone will determine very quickly an answer
To dear, walk away , cheap and within what you want to pay , investigate some more

Rust areas,
Roof gutters, front floor pans, radiator support panel, under the battery tray (eats into the inner guard)bottom of doors, (cheap for replacements), rear lower 1/4 panels ,(many remove for a 1/4 panel chop),more clearance off road
Repairs and there cost will determine what parts you can find for bolt on replacement parts,like doors, guards ect, how handy you are with a welder,and how nifty you are at body repairs and paint work

Chuck up the Qs and im sure may can help you....
They are well over 30 years old, dont expect a rolls royce for minimal bucks
They will have some issues of sorts

Hey Mad, where would I find out more information about the "van" models?
The rego sticker calls it a '85 S wagon. Which I guess is the generic term. Finly's post on '85 models mentions nothing about "vans".
There were no external markings on the rear to tell me what it was. So could be good to get an idea of what it could be before I make another trip up to Wang to investigation further. Will make sure keys are available too next time.
Oooo... I feel more questions coming on...

I'd better write all this info down on what to inspect.

[Silver]

Check that the plenum chamber - the area under the grille near the windscreen wipers, has not rusted through.

This will allow a leak onto the floor, which in turn will rust out the floor, including the body mounts, which are lower than the rest of the floor and hence trap water.

Mine had barn doors - but was a 1982 MQ L28 petrol wagon. It also had rust in the panel at the very back outside of the load space, across the bottom of the opening to the load space - well, very little rust because a lot of it was bog courtesy of a previous owner.

It also developed rust at the top of the rear wheel arch.

I liked my MQ, but I love the coil springs in my GQ in comparison. Not to mention an aircon that actually cools the cabin :-)

Make sure you can crack the drain and fill plugs on the diffs, gear box and transfer case.

If you go ahead with the deal, and don't already have one, buy a quality grease gun - unlike my Mav, the MQ had lots more grease nipples - even taking into account the Q had leaf springs with greasable shackles.

[Finly Owner]

Andy, My ComradMQ Mad didmention to check for turbo, because some clever di.ks put the trbo rocker cover on non-turbo SD33.

It looked cool saying it had aturbo, but sounded stock!


Tim