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first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:48 pm
by downy
hello all, amazing forums here, learning alot.
im keen on the old saffys swb around 89 - 90s, looking for something around 6k or under BUT have few questions:
1) how can you tell if its a silver or black top td42?
2) is this year a silver top ya reckon?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/nissan/safari/auction-697561874.htmand this one here:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/nissan/safari/auction-700982095.htmfyi ive been googling the shit out of these years but i cant find out exactly how to tell
thanks muchly

Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 10:59 pm
by Crash bandicoot
Don't worry about it too much. the difference in HP between the two is minimal. like 7 or 8 kw from memory.
And if your aiming at early 90's they'll be silver top.
Stay away from that red one, there's 5 grands worth of rust work to be done on it.
Mate dave recently sold his to a member on here and it's in show room condition compared to those.
here it is.... All ill say it would have been in your budget
http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=39127
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 9:04 am
by downy
righto thanks, the red ones out. Early 90s are silver tops thanks for confirming that.
Yep so if anyone's got a safari for sale im keen to look. Also if i cant find a pre modded safari ill need someone around south canterbury area whos got the experience enough to turn a stock saf into something safe for fishing trips please gimi a bell. 0221398951 ill be adding suspension, tires, bulbar, lights, winch, snorkel. dont really wanna pay shop rates but will if needs be, long as the works sound, cheers
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 9:21 am
by coxsy
My 1989 is silver top engine, nice bus but starting to show their. Age now
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 9:31 am
by downy
coxsy wrote:My 1989 is silver top engine, nice bus but starting to show their. Age now
would you take a few resent pictures, tell me some details of it & gimmie a price please.
downingpc@gmail.com
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 12:52 pm
by coxsy
No, not selling it, just informing you,

Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 1:13 pm
by downy
oh, silly me.

BUT might be time to trade her on & get yaself something newer!!?

getting on abit ya know...

yea, a truck thats already been modded out would suite me just fine
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 2:27 pm
by coxsy
the mod 's are still conitueing
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 4:39 pm
by downy
nice.
question for you experienced safari owners, if you were looking for a saf again what would you avoid buying?
i know rust is big issue with some, getting a silver top td40s a good idea, lowest ks and fair price of course BUT are there any other niggly bits to watch out for?
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 4:44 pm
by lax2wlg
downy wrote: getting a silver top td40s a good idea,
Theres a ton of discussions on the Patrol forums that kind of debunk the silver top vs black top thing. Same deal with the TD27.
Plenty of people with blacktops have dropped the bottom end to take photos of the oil squirters, just to prove a point.
Don't know 100% unless you actually look, but I can see why you'd get a silver top just to rule it out.
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 5:31 pm
by downy
this will be my first 4x4. from what i gather silver top 89 to 92 are the go, which fits the budget so looks good. now just to find one

Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 5:58 pm
by Crash bandicoot
For clarrification .... it had nothing to do with the colour of the rocker cover.
It is to do with the oil gallery to cool the piston crown.
contrary to popular belief the part numbers for all the internals from 89 to 93 are the same be it black or silver
in 93 the TD42 ceased to have the oil feed's to the crown of the piston.
however some patrols and safari's still came with this gallery up until 95 when the stock's of surplus engines were used up in later models.
Where these patrols and safari's were assembled depended on what production run the engine came from. for example the patrol with a older spec TD42 engine was still been assembled in australia and africa untill they ran out of imported stock.
for example...If you ordered a factory turbo engine in 94 you got the later block, if you ordered a non turbo you got the earlier block. even though the two trucks were made one behind the other on the assembly line.
then you have to remember It depended on sale's and exchange rates as to where the engines were imported exported from to get the best value for nissan motor co...after all they are in the business of making money, how they make money is by making vehicles. you have to realize that to understand why some newer patrols got old TD42 blocks and some older patrols/safari's got the later.
This is also where the black/silver top debate get's confusing as the military spec surplus patrols although assembled or sold off as new at a later date still had the aforementioned oil feed due to all been assembled by UD not nissan motor co. the black top was built directly for the civilian market.
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:50 pm
by downy
thanks for the info, sorted
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:52 pm
by coxsy
yes its the colour of the rocker cover
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2014 5:05 am
by downy
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2014 1:34 pm
by timmay556
my understanding is if the vac pump is on the back of the alt = silvertop
Re: first 4x4 buyer needs advice
Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:58 pm
by downy
thanks for the tip, ill look for it