Nissan WD21 Pathfinder body onto MQ rolling chassis

[jakeslouw]

Hi chaps

Nissan South Africa, during the bad days of Apartheid, was restricted from importing any new models for several years between the early 80s and the end of Apartheid in 1994. (Let's leave that alone, it's politics), But therefore for many years Nissan South Africa was forced to do their own thing.

One enterprising privateer bought a D21 Hardbody ute, chopped off the roof and rear of the truck cab, and effectively created a station-wagon using a steel frame and fiber glass.
This vehicle was made by a company called Sani Industries.

Nissan RSA saw this, realised there was potential, and bought up the company.
This is how the Nissan Sani Wagon was borne.

Right, end of history lesson....

The D21 suspension was IFS front and leaf spring in the rear. Just like all other D21s worldwide. And anybody who has owned and wheeled one of these has realised just how useless the Nissan IFS design was at that stage.

But the Sani body was great. Light and modern.

We now have a dilemma: we have a 4x4 with a nice light body, with a modern look, but a useless suspension.

We have two options:

1) Swop the IFS for a solid front axle. This is a complex conversion (go look at Calmini.com and Pirate4x4.com's Tech Garage to see where the yanks went with this), and there is a fair amount of welding and cutting involved. And you're still stuck with chain driven TX10 transfer case. And you end up having to find Dana axles and new rims etc.

2) We rip the Sani body off the D21 chassis, and plonk it down on an MQ rolling chassis and drive-train. We get the T100L divorced TC, leafs and solid axles, no welding required.

So I need to know if anybody out there in Ozzie Patrol Land has ever put another body onto an MQ, because I want to pick your brain.

[Finly Owner]

where's the pics????????? please???????? :-)


Tim

[nowoolies]

yes mate ..................piccies we luv piccies hahahahahaha

[taslucas]

Im sure it will look better than it sounds..........and it sounds very cool!

[Clunk]

I'm sure if someone on hre has done it, they'll let you know soon enough............................... but where's the pics, we've not seen one over here!!!!!!?????

[Gerrit Loubser]

Seems like Jakes is keeping you on a line here, so I thought I'd help. By the way, there is quite a nice write-up on the history of the Sani here:
http://www.4xforum.com/4x4-vehicle-guide/nissan/

First Generation:


Second Generation 2-Door Wagon:


Second Generation Double Cab:


Second Generation 4-Door Wagon:


There was a relatively short-lived Third Generation of the Sani with rather more adventurous styling:


The Sani was named after the famous Sani-pass that links South Africa and Lesotho:


At the end of the Apartheid years when South Africa was emerging from isolation, Nissan South Africa decided to abandon the Sani and to rather import the Terrano, but alas, they never re-captured the market share that they enjoyed with the Sani.

An interesting footnote is that Sani Industries transformed itself into a company called Global Composites after they and Nissan South Africa parted ways. They currently supply cabs for articulated dump trucks to Bell Equipment, the company that I work for:

[Finly Owner]

different aren't they?


Tim