Articles by David Morley

David Morley

Contributing Journalist

Morley’s attentions turned to cars and motoring fairly early on in his life. The realisation that the most complex motor vehicle was easier to both understand and control than the simplest human-being, set his career in motion. Growing up in the country gave the young Morley a form of motoring freedom unmatched these days, as well as many trees to dodge. With a background in newspapers, the move to motoring journalism was no less logical than Clive Palmer’s move into politics, and at times, at least as funny.

TD42 engine: Your guide to the Nissan turbo diesel motor

By David Morley · 19 Oct 2020

Nissan’s TD42 engine as seen in the GQ and GU Patrols of the late 1980s and right up to 2007, was kind of the black sheep of the TD engine clan.

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Nissan Patrol GU Y61 used review: 1997-2015

By David Morley · 16 Oct 2020

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G60 Patrol: Your guide to the Nissan 4WD

By David Morley · 16 Oct 2020

Like other Japanese car makers post WW2, Nissan decided to take a Willys Jeep, reverse engineer it and come up with its own take on an off-road 4X4. The 4W series of vehicles from 1951 was the result of that process and, by 1958, Nissan had progressed with the concept to the point of adding Patrol badges to their rugged little puddle-jumper.

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MQ Patrol: Your guide to the Nissan 4WD

By David Morley · 15 Oct 2020

The MQ Patrol was a real watershed model for Nissan (or Datsun as it was still known here). It singlehandedly dragged the Patrol station-wagon concept from a military-styled, tool of the trade into a brave new world where families would increasingly use vehicles like it not just for everyday transport, but also as a bona fide recreational lifestyle accessory.

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Series 4 Patrol: Your guide to the Nissan 4WD

By David Morley · 09 Oct 2020

Nissan’s GU (Y61) Patrol was on sale for an awfully long time even by the lengthy standards of four-wheel-drives which are generally renewed far less frequently than passenger cars. Even so, the GU’s innings from 1997 to 2016 when it was finally pensioned off, saw it live on past even the model that was supposed to supersede it (the Y62).

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SWB Patrol: Your guide to the Nissan 4WD

By David Morley · 09 Oct 2020

Long-wheelbase Nissan Patrols weren't always the dominant species. The was a time when Shorty ruled the jungle.

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How to pick a car transport company in Australia

By David Morley · 23 Sep 2020

Transporting a car remotely is a bit of a boom industry right now. Online shopping for classic and collector cars, and motorbikes, has never been more popular as COVID-19 restrictions make travel (particularly interstate travel) impossible. But that also means that actually getting the purchase to its new owner requires the services of a transport company that can legally operate under those same

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How to pick the best tyres for your car

By David Morley · 14 Sep 2020

Australia is very well served by world standards when to comes to car tyres and light commercial tyres. We not only have a wide choice – among the best in the world – but local pricing is also pretty competitive. Not every country is as lucky as us when it comes to being able to choose tyres on a budget or for a very specific, high-performance application. Or anywhere in between.

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What is the speed limit while towing in Australia?

By David Morley · 02 Sep 2020

Towing a caravan or boat can be a complicated procedure, but luckily most states don't impose a speed limit while driving with a large load.

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A guide to converting your old car to electric

By David Morley · 28 Aug 2020

Converting a conventionally powered car to run on electricity alone is a bit of a hot-button topic right now.

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