Upper Middle Petrol Head:

It's not often that four-wheel-drives feature in a Classics by the Beach post.  That's not to say that off-roaders don't qualify as classic cars, though, as this extremely tough Nissan Patrol clearly proves.   Other than some minor cosmetic and electrical work that was sorted by the new owner, it's an unmolested, as-original example of the model, featuring a three-speed floor shift transmission and a big six-cylinder petrol engine.  It hails from the North-West coast of Tasmania, where it was one of two Patrols belonging to a bloke who used one as his work-horse while the other - today's example - lived a more cosseted life.   The Patrol's main mods - a set of big  Sunraysia -style wheels - are soon to be replaced with a set of split-rims, while a new period-style roof rack is planned to accommodate the owner's surf boards.  This is clearly a classic with a cause, still doing the practical things that it was designed to do! Its upholstery deserves special me