ROCKET CONTINUED...
Phil offers this little tip for new players - one he admits to being caught out by on this occasion. After an engine and injector system is freshly rebuilt, there is a chemical used, which, when left for an extended period of time, goes hard. As Phil had his engine stored for some time before initial ignition, the chemical on the injectors refused to budge to allow a flow of unleaded. So, be aware that you need to get a flow of fuel through the system to avoid the disappointment of a non-starting new engine.
INTERIOR
It’s all business in the cab of this GQ - Autotecnica bucket seats, complete with full harnesses, hold pilot and trembling copilot firmly in position, while a Uniden UHO13 with voice activation allows the pair to talk (or yell, if the situation requires) to each other. A Uniden UHO12 UHF radio provides communications to marshals and other competitors.
A plethora of engine gauges and switches provides the vital stats to ensure problems are recognised early to prevent expensive damage. Alloy chequerplate replaces most of the interior trim, while plenty of padding is wrapped around the internal roll cage.
The pressurised tank (for injecting air into the winch) is fitted behind the passenger’s seat. Five air lines (for the winch, lockers and tyres) are mounted high up on the roll bar.
An Engel fridge fits neatly rearward between the bucket seats, while two in-cab sealed Optima 800CCA batteries back up the single under-bonnet unit. A Magellan FX324 large-screen GPS is mounted smack bang in front of the navvy to ensure Phil gets accurate ‘where to go’ calls.
EXTERIOR
The most eye-catching change to this GQ is the removal of the rear cabin section to reduce weight. Now looking like a factory ute, with the rear window and surrounds being from a 75 Series Toyota tray-back, one of Phil’s staffers performed all the body mods.
Providing frontal protection is a Cheezy Racing tube bar, while the sill bars are by Phil’s shop, the rear CAMS-spec roll bar by Binskins and an underbody plate to protect the transmission pan was also knocked up by the staffers at ARB Tamworth. BBM Motorsport in Sydney supplied heavy-duty steering arms, while the high-mount 8000lb Warn winch came from SG Leslie & Sons in Melbourne. The sealed winch features a 6hp laminated motor running 24V and is air cooled via a compressor.
Mounted on the tube bar is a pair of IPF 808 spotties with HIR globes, a pair of IPF 740 sscs and a pair of IPF 900 Extremes. Rearward night vision is taken care of by a single Hella spread working light. Up front, the GQ runs twin Old Man Emu Nitrocharger shocks on each side combined with 2in-raised Old Man Emu coils. The rear has a similar set-up of twin shocks and 2in-raised coils, though the rear axle has been shifted back 100mm by the fellas at Binskins 4WD Centre to increase the wheelbase.
The trailing arms and diff locating rods have been repositioned to give improved wheel travel, and the whole set-up improves high-speed handling.
Hanging off each corner is a set of steel Pro Comp rims with reinforced internal and external beads. Rims are shod with 35x11.5x15in Simex Centipedes with beadlocks. This tyre and rim combination fits neatly with a set of 2in alloy body blocks.
BRIEFLY
VEHICLE: 1989 GQ Nissan Patrol
ENGINE: 5L EFI V8
GEARBOX: 5-speed automatic
4WD ACTIVATION: Part-time, shift-on-the-fly, manual-locking front hubs
SUSPENSION: Front - rigid axles, 2in coil springs, twin OME dampers. Rear - rigid axles, 2in coil springs, twin OME dampers
BRAKES: Front - GU disc. Rear - GQ disc
WHEELS: Steel Pro Comp 15x8in
TYRES: Simex Centipede 35x11.5x15in
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