HIT FOR SIX

JOE ORDON HAS BUILT WHAT’LL PROBABLY BE THE QUICKEST STREET-DRIVEN NISSAN PATROL IN THE WORLD, AND IT’S HEADING STRAIGHT FOR STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE

- KIAN HEAGNEY 

A NISSAN Patrol is an unusual model choice for your first street-car build, and that’s not the only thing that sets Joe Ordon’s creation apart.Joe’s Patrol makes an eye-watering 2400rwhp, but it doesn’t use a turbo LS, Barra or even RB mill to do so. The six-pot TB48 in this GQ’s engine bay comes straight from the Patrol family tree, and it will outdo just about any engine-swapped street car out there.

Joe comes from a dirt racing background, but around seven years ago he decided he wanted a change. “I used to do winch challenge and all those types of races, but I got sick of repainting cars and cleaning the mud off after every race,” he laughs. “So I thought I’d build a street car.”

He found himself this tidy 1992 GQ short-wheelbase wagon and quickly tore it apart to start the build. “The only reason I chose a short-wheelbase one is because they look cool,” Joe says.

The initial plan was to slot in the 800rwhp TB48 that Joe had left over from his cut-down GQ offroad racing ute. But then good mate and Quickbitz founder Michael Kalaitzakis (aka Stix) got involved with the project. “Michael actually built the engine for me, and I consulted with him on so much with this build,” says Joe.

Stix, for his part, reckons all the credit belongs to Joe. “We’ve all guided him, but Joe’s done all this himself,” he says. “He puts everything together himself, so he’s done a wicked job – from a dirt racer to building this. It’s better than 99 per cent of the drag racers out there!”