Get your hands dirty: BUILD YOUR OWN RHINO BUGGY!
To give you an idea of the process check out our build journal:
The Rhino Buggies Build Journal has been updated as of 18th May 2010. Check it out here.
Your Rhino Buggy is
only as far away as this:
1.Find a Donor
Vehicle
The Nissan Patrol is a
durable and unstoppable 4WD. So there is no
better vehicle for you to use as a base donor
vehicle for your Rhino Buggy. But it is essential
that you purchase the correct model. So please
read these guidelines carefully.
Nissan Patrol Suitable
Models
It is recommended that
the Hammer replacement body is fitted to a 1988-1998
Long or Short Wheel Base GQ Model Nissan Patrol.
The MQ model can also be used as a donor vehicle.
However, this is a leaf sprung model where the
GQ is coil sprung giving a better ride. We strongly
suggest that you do not consider any GU Nissan
Patrol. These models have been fitted with airbags
which complicates or makes it almost impossible
to register your completed vehicle.
Before purchasing your Donor Vehicle please
check which model Rhino Buggy gets your heart
pumping. The most popular Hammers are based
on the long wheel GQ Patrol.
What you need to look
for in a Donor Vehicle
Sourcing a currently registered
Nissan Patrol will make your registration process
easier. We recommend that your avoid sourcing
a written-off donor vehicle at all costs. After
all the work you have put into building your
Rhino Buggy, believe us, you don’t want
any hassles when it’s time to get it registered.
One of the first jobs in the build process is
to remove the body from the chassis, so don’t
worry too much about how the body looks. Take
interest in condition of the chassis, engine,
suspension etc. If you source a great condition
donor vehicle you may not need to do too much
to any of the running gear. Or you may choose
to rebuild the engine and upgrade the suspension,
amongst other things. But factor this into your
costings especially if you are buying a donor
vehicle that needs some work.
Sell your Body Baby
Most of the bits and pieces
from your donor vehicle will be used in your
Rhino Buggy build. The old Nissan Patrol Body
is worth some cash to you though, so treat it
with tender loving care. Once it has been removed
from the chassis, contact your local wreckers
and see how much they will pay for your body.
Check your state registration regulations
It may seem strange to
consider registration before you have sourced
your donor vehicle, but a little thought before
you get your donor vehicle can save you registration
heartache when you have finished. Hammers are
successfully being registered in every state
in Australia (South Australia to be confirmed).
We insist you check with your local authority
engineers to discuss your Rhino Buggies conversion
before commencing as Rhino Buggies accepts no
responsibility for changes to registration rules
and regulations. Rhino Buggies can supply a
detailed engineers report to assist in the registration
process. As the Hammer body is of steel construction,
registration of the conversion should be fairly
straight forward and will fall under the ‘re-bodied
chassis’ or ‘individually constructed
vehicle’ category. But please take our
advice and only use a currently registered,
non-written off GQ Nissan Patrol as the base
vehicle. You will thank us in the long run.
2.Buy your Body
Kit
Here is our selection of body kits that you can but directly from us for use in your own build.
All prices are
quoted in Australian Dollars (AUD) and include
Australian GST. Freight will be extra and prices
do not include freight. Please call or email
to receive a quotation for freight to your location
within Australia and worldwide.
TO
ORDER PLEASE CONTACT US |
Hammer
$18,990
Hammer Long
Wheel Base 6 Door Wagon $20,990
Hammer Short
Wheel Base 2 Door Ute
$14,495
Blizzard Short Wheel Base
$18,990
Blizzard Long Wheel Base
$20,990
|
3.Get your Extras
The items you will need
to complete your conversion
|
Evaporator unit, tap and cable
$399
Steering spline
$78
|
For OPTIONAL extras and accessories cl;ick this link
4.Build your
Beast
Get to it!
Simply throw away your
Nissan Patrol body (or sell it for cash). Line
up the pre-drilled holes and bolt on the Hammer
replacement body to your chassis. All the mechanicals
from your Nissan Patrol including the steering
column, pedals, speedometer pod, sun visors,
seats and wiring loom will be used when you
build your Hammer. Your Hammer comes complete
with a build manual, or you can purchase one
if you want a thrilling read before you get
started (go to accessories to order a manual).
Check our build journal (at the bottom of this page) for inspiration.
5.Registering your Completed
Rhino Buggy
Hammers are
successfully being registered in every state
in Australia (South Australia to be confirmed).
We insist you check with your local authority
engineers to discuss your Rhino Buggies conversion
before commencing as Rhino Buggies accepts no
responsibility for changes to registration rules
and regulations. Rhino Buggies can supply a
detailed engineers report with body kits to assist in the registration
process. As the Hammer body is of steel construction,
registration of the conversion should be fairly
straight forward and will fall under the ‘re-bodied
chassis’ or ‘individually constructed
vehicle’ category. But please take our
advice and only use a currently registered,
non-written off GQ Nissan Patrol as the base
vehicle. You will thank us in the long run.
6. ....Cruisin’
Yea Baby!
Still not 100% sure if you can do it?
Rhino Buggies can recommend approved mechanics,
that we can put you in touch with, who can build
your machine for you, just the way you want
it, but we reckon you can do it!.
Click here to request
information about having your Rhino Buggy built
by an approved and experienced mechanic.
The
Rhino Buggies Build Journal
Take a ride with us through
the adventure of a Hammer build. We are documenting
the build and posting it with regular updates
on this site.
Updated 18th May 2010
