 Up until the turn of the century, the Nissan/Datsun G60 Patrol was still being manufactured in India for their armed forces. Badged the VJF JONGA (Vehicle Factory Jabalpur – Jabalpur Ordinance and Gun-carriage Assembly) the old warrior even sustained a few updates, including a 4.0L Hino diesel engine.
They have been superseded by what are considered high-mobility Mahindra Jeeps and now the Mahindra AXE (similar to a Hummer). Maybe the Indian army should have consulted brothers Chris and Mick Angel about what could have made the JONGAs a little more mobile before retiring the whole fleet!
The Angel brothers’ 1974 G60 was unfortunate enough to be the off-road replacement for Chris’s GU, because he was sick of putting dents in it. Chris reckons the GU – which has a motor built by West End Diesel, a total of 7in of lift, Snake Racing arms, crawler gears, 4.65:1 diffs and 36in Simexes – is mainly set up for touring and towing the G60. Where the hell are you touring, Chris – the Malaysian Rainforest Challenge?
Mick also has a rather well-equipped HiLux with front and rear GQ diffs, 1KZ-TE engine conversion, custom tray and 37in boggers. These guys are no strangers to fairly extreme fourbies, so it’s no surprise that the ol’ 60 has become the monster that it is.
Unsurprisingly, the Patrol is driven mainly in competitions (and used for hanging stuff on in the garage). Over the last few years it has spent about six months of every 12 being worked on or improved, but Chris and Mick are pretty happy with everything at the moment, so we hope to see it being driven a little bit more. Hopefully, with more time behind the wheel (and not under the bonnet – the only G60 part I am sure) they can add to their already impressive list of achievements.
One thing you might be wondering about is how the Patrol got its name. When I spoke to Chris, he was fairly hesitant about telling the story. He did confirm that it already had its name when he bought it, and that it had something to do with how driving the Patrol made the old owner feel.
Not sure what he means by that, but the name seems hard to shake.
Outside
One afternoon, when the neighbours had gone out, Mick and Chris got out a permanent marker and a 9in grinder – and the rest is history. They had actually spent a lot of time planning the chop, but say that the difference between thinking about it and making the first incision is fairly monumental.
The bar work is fairly extensive because Chris was obviously not too keen on denting the G60 either. The eight-point rollcage has 3mm plate welded to the roof, and the floor where it mounts has also been reinforced with 3mm plate. The sill bars copped a beating at Tuff Truck 2008, so the Angel brothers will be working on them before their next serious event. Chris built most of the bar work himself, including the custom tray. Apparently, the 44in tyres rub on it a bit, though, so that also needs some attention.
On the front, an 8000lb high-mount electric Warn winch is ready to pull Chubby 2 out quick smart should it get held up. It is wired to a switch in the cab so that it can be operated without any hassle.
The boys have a fair choice of tyres and wheels to choose from. These include a set of 44x18.5x15in Swampers, 44x19.5x15in Boggers, 37x13x15in Boggers and 36x12.5x16 Simex Centipedes. The 15in tyres are all on custom 15x10in beadlocked steel rims by TJM Engineering.
They used to use PVC piping or VB cans and gaffer tape for the snorkel, and swore by the combination, but the day before the shoot, Chris bit the bullet and fabbed up a twin stainless combination that should last a little longer than the previous fitments.
Inside
There isn’t really much of the G60 interior left after the guys chopped the back off one afternoon. Behind the seats, a storage box has been built to store spare parts and tools. There’s no stereo, instead they are kept entertained by the purring V8. The dash has been replaced by a checkerplate sheet and switches for all the do-dads and a few gauges have been installed there.
The two seats were donated by an MR2 Turbo and are trimmed in leather and suede... Everyone needs a little comfort in their life, hey? The two four-point harnesses are by Schroth and were fitted by Chris.
» Continue to Page 2
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