Looking for a new ride - xterra or Frontier maybe

[01R50]

Since the pathy is now gone, I need a new ride.

Been looking online for the last 2 weeks since the pathy went to the dealership, looking to see what there was available. Naturally all the normal places like auto-trader, kijijij and Used Ottawa. But I haven't found much in my price range.

Was looking at a Nissan Frontier, or even going to the evil camp and getting a Toyota Tacoma. But found that the prices are pretty damn high. People want $10K+ for an 8-10 year old truck with 200k. No way am I paying that price.

I would like to get a mid-sized pickup, but I decided to look outside of pickup trucks as well. So now I am looking at going back to an SUV style truck and it sends shivers down my spine to say it....but probably an xterra. I know the xterra guys are probably happy to hear that

So I have been looking at the xterras. Ones in the 2002-2004 range. Now since I have always been a pathy guy I am not sure what to look for. Read a few threads on xterra's but I thought I would ask anyways.

Now here are a few I have found in my price range. And no I don't care if someone else see's one of them and is also interesting in buying the truck

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z316404271" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z318005719" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad ... a_14790032" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z304505155" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z316321871" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Other than the usual frame/suspension rust, what should I be poking?

[the x kid]

Yes you can check those out but,just saw an o5 at Orangeville Nissan,with all the toys.Just google the website.Lots of clicks,but could be cheap enough for a project.There is a first gen. there also. Someday,throw another engine in there.

[Simon]

Personally, I'd stay away from a Supercharged model, with higher mileage. You probably won't know the history, and the forced induction motor could have a few more issues if not properly maintained. Not to mention the need for premium fuel, as well as much more difficult spark plug changes (have to remove the supercharger). It's not really worth it. I considered it as well when I wasn't sure what was going to happen with my truck after the accident, but thought better of it when I got past the allure of higher horsepower.

[Jayman]

Personally, I'd stay away from a Supercharged model, with higher mileage. You probably won't know the history, and the forced induction motor could have a few more issues if not properly maintained. Not to mention the need for premium fuel, as well as much more difficult spark plug changes (have to remove the supercharger). It's not really worth it. I considered it as well when I wasn't sure what was going to happen with my truck after the accident, but thought better of it when I got past the allure of higher horsepower.

You don't have to remove the supercharger to change the sparks, but you do need to unbolt the upper intake manifold. The supercharger isn't in the way of the plugs, it just makes things more interesting.

There is a SAS'd Frontier for sale on Nissan4wheelers.com if you're interested in something like that?

You'll have to register to see it or reply, so I'll cross post it for you.

Originally posted by Chainsaw on N4W:

The time has come to sell my rig, the housing market is just too damn good right now to sit around and watch and I need to get my self through some school. So with a heavy heart Im putting my truck up for sale. Ill edit this later to give the full run down but here is a start.

00 Nissan Frontier Salsa is the factory color name, think maroon with mother of pearl in it. Its the base model so hand crank windows, no cruise. A/c still blows cold. 3.3 V6 all stock- always ran royal purple, timing belt done at 100k. Auto tranny.

SASed in 09. Dana 44 out of a wagoneer. Chromo shafts. Truetrac. 5:13s. All new bearings and brake parts. Stainless lines. Chevy master cylinder. Warn hubs. Cross over/hydro assist (PSC cylinder, pump shimmed and bored) steering with one ton TREs, .250 wall dom tube for links, passenger side knuckle flat topped with sky manufacturing high steer arm, I have a drivers knuckle with the matching arm that goes with but I removed it inlue of cross over. NEW team wagoneer front springs hung on clamweenie d21 SAS kit front hanger and bell shackles. Trail ready shock hoops. Frame doubled and welded by a certified welder (me) Tom woods front drive shaft with metric adapter. Fox 12" emulsion shocks.

H233B. ARB air locker. 5:13s. 60" chevy springs. Mounts moved out. Bilstein shocks in the inverted V.

Jeep wagoneer wagon wheels - 8x15. 36x12.5x15 Super swamper SXs balanced with .43 gram airsoft pellets, it does 85 with out a shimmy.

Custom front and rear bumpers, tube sliders/fender flares. Warn XD9000 winch with 5/16 Sampson rope + winch accesory kit. 1/4 skid plates are frame rail to frame rail, they cover front the front axle to the far rear of the transfer case. Bed bobbed 8", fairly clean job. Delta single lid tool box sitting on blocks so the spare fits under it. Hella 500 driving lights.

Plenty of dings and dents from wheeling but still a good looking truck. No this truck has not been "thrashed" I take care of my poop in case any one is wondering, that being said its not a show truck and has been on its side once, gently

Asking 10Gs

http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu19 ... 03_239.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu19 ... 010089.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu19 ... 010109.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Snafu]

Exhaust manifolds are prone to crack. Listen for exhaust leaks and have it fixed before buying or drop the price accordingly to get replacement headers and stuff.

I thought some superchargers were prone to cracking at the flange where it is bolted (but this could be due to improper torquing).

Other than than it is the usual stuff to look for.

[01R50]

I was mainly looking at the SC models as someone told me I would find the 3.3L gutless after driving around with the 3.5L and the SC model would help that a bit. I don't have a heavy foot, but it is nice here and there to burn a ricer car that thinks he is tough poop and can beat you just because you are driving a truck

I would like to stay under $8k for the truck. So I think going into the N50 series xterra is probably a no-go at that price range.

The SAS Frontier is pretty sweet. But I am not keen on dumping $10k on an 11 year old XE truck. But thanks for the link. It really is a nice truck.

I am not looking for a fully loaded truck, but the more the better. Even for the frontier I was just looking for a possible basic king-cab truck, as long as it is clean, km's aren't too high and naturally that it is 4x4.

Exhaust manifolds are prone to crack. Listen for exhaust leaks and have it fixed before buying or drop the price accordingly to get replacement headers and stuff.

I thought some superchargers were prone to cracking at the flange where it is bolted (but this could be due to improper torquing).

Other than than it is the usual stuff to look for.

Thanks. Is what I thought. Was just wondering if there was anything special for the xterra's, but I had a feeling most of it is just the regular stuff.

[Simon]

You don't have to remove the supercharger to change the sparks, but you do need to unbolt the upper intake manifold. The supercharger isn't in the way of the plugs, it just makes things more interesting.

Ahh, I was mistaken. Either way, I knew there was something weird about the spark plug change you had done on yours. A pain in the ass, nonetheless.

[Pezzy]

... it sends shivers down my spine to say it....but probably an xterra.

A little part of me dies every time I hear these words.

[studum]

The SC only adds 30hp and 44lb-ft of tourque. The torque is what you would feel. First gear goes pretty good, then it shifts and you wish it had a 5 speed. Not sure about the difference in daily driving vs the NA, but I do believe that the SC has a bit more get-up and go when towing or loaded. My truck doesn't seem to struggle at all with what I do to it, often hauling 2000-2500 pounds between the truck and trailer + load. You won't be drag racing any hopped up Civics when empty, but it is fun to surprise people when it can keep up with "spirited acceleration" on the street. However be forwarned, you can watch the fuel gauge drop when you do this - almost proportional to the speedo rising.

One thing I never get tired of is hearing the whine with the air-box mod, but the thirst for fuel and cost of premium would probably make me cry if it was the only vehicle I had to drive. I never drove a NA truck, so can't tell you the difference in performance between the two myself, but there is definitely some extra maintenance to deal with the SC.

Based on my experience with the SC check for the following when looking at them:
Listen for growling noise in the S/C while its running - this is bad bearings
"spoon in a blender" sound when cold startup - also bad bearings

Mine was noisy, and had intermittant "spoon in a blender" sound on cold startups and had it replaced with a used unit when I had to get my injectors done @ about 230k. Other than that it's pretty much just one more thing bolted to the top of the engine to complicate maintenance, along with an extra belt and couple of pulleys. As Jayman said for the plugs you have to remove the metal intake plenum from the side of the S/C. Not terrible, especially with the frequency of plug changes, but a PITA none the less.

Sometimes I wish I got an X for the interior weather protected space. I've always loved the X's (what made me look at the Fronties in the first place), but then I forget about it when I throw a bunch of crap in the truck without worrying about making a mess. Truth be told I only got my truck because it was the only crew cab long box I could find locally for a price I could afford, it just happened to have the SC on it. And to be honest the S/C badging on the seats kind of got to me too lol. Oh, and I liked the wheels...

[nige]

The more I check my bookmarks from when I was looking for a d22, the better I feel about buying mine. I haven't seen much show up since then. I was searching kiijiji very often when I found the one I ended up buying, often like 2-3 times a day.

The reasons I chose the pickup were because of the simplicity and fuel efficiency over suv's, the motorcycle, and the possibility I may have to renovate another house in the near future. I have already had a couple occasions that I wanted to be able to seat more than 2 people, but besides that, I love the king cab. The 3.3l isn't bad, it sure pulls well in my truck even though it's got pretty small tires on it, but I wouldn't want it with an automatic, I think I manage the gears better than a computer and a bunch of sensors.

[01R50]

I do prefer a Frontier, as I have a Hardbody already and if the Frontier is half the truck the HB is, I will be very happy with it. Though like I said above, I am finding it hard to find one for a reasonable price. And yes I know a "reasonable price" is very subjective, depending on the person, but for the price some people are asking for a Frontier I might as well buy a brand new one, or go with a full sized pickup.

Interior space for stuff is not hugely important for me. As long as I can fit my fat ass in it, as well as my dog I will be happy. With the pathy I went a bit overboard with crap in the truck. Stuff which I didn't need 99.9% of the time.

Naturally I had seen one for sale locally last week on kijiji for a good price (2002, 4x4, crew cab, black in color for $7k), but it is now sold it seems. Guess I will just have to keep looking until I find something. But I am still looking at the xterra's at the same time.

[01R50]

Found one Frontier for a more reasonable price.

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z317960337" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This one is not bad, but the mileage is a bit high.

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z314439487" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jayman]

I do prefer a Frontier, as I have a Hardbody already and if the Frontier is half the truck the HB is, I will be very happy with it. Though like I said above, I am finding it hard to find one for a reasonable price. And yes I know a "reasonable price" is very subjective, depending on the person, but for the price some people are asking for a Frontier I might as well buy a brand new one, or go with a full sized pickup.

Interior space for stuff is not hugely important for me. As long as I can fit my fat ass in it, as well as my dog I will be happy. With the pathy I went a bit overboard with crap in the truck. Stuff which I didn't need 99.9% of the time.

Naturally I had seen one for sale locally last week on kijiji for a good price (2002, 4x4, crew cab, black in color for $7k), but it is now sold it seems. Guess I will just have to keep looking until I find something. But I am still looking at the xterra's at the same time.

I battle with the "having too much stuff/not enough stuff in the truck" thing a lot as well. I go from having EVERYTHING in the truck, tools, hi-lift etc etc in there, to not having anything at all in the truck. When all of my tools and what not are in there, I have next to no room for anything else, which becomes a bit of a pain.

However, when I don't have anything in the truck, It's always in the back of my mind that I might need something, but won't have it. And Murphy's law will dictate that when I DO need something, I won't have it with me.

I guess that's the constant battle when you have these kinds of vehicles.

I will say this though: The Xterras, for as much as I love my truck, do not have a ton of room inside. It almost always surprises me how little room there is in the back once I start filling it up with stuff.

[studum]

Found one Frontier for a more reasonable price.

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z317960337" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This one is not bad, but the mileage is a bit high.

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z314439487" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mileage is high on the second one but it says newer (used) motor etc. Maybe see if you can review the receipts or if they will at least send you the details.

The back seats in the crew cab, in my truck anyways, get used as my trunk and space for the dogs. No grown human will be comfortable back there, so don't know if that's an issue for you or not. Great for the dogs though as the windows do go right down.

That second truck is a long bed. I have a soft spot for the long beds, just can't see the short beds being terribly useful. Not the way I use it anyways. Maybe something to consider keeping an eye for... The rear bumper is beat to hell too for being repainted a year ago.

[01R50]

I will say this though: The Xterras, for as much as I love my truck, do not have a ton of room inside. It almost always surprises me how little room there is in the back once I start filling it up with stuff.

Very true. Had the same feeling with the pathy. I always had all the tools, air compressor/tank, jacks, fluids, etc. Back was completely full all the time. When I pulled all my stuff out of the pathy at the dealership I filled the back of the HB. And that wasn't all the stuff I had. I had already taken the tool kits and other big stuff out of the truck before it was towed to the dealership.

I found that with my HB, my mindset changed a bit. I found a tool/storage box that fits in the bed of the truck for cheap on kijiji and bolted it into the truck. I put tools/fluids/spare parts/etc into it until I couldn't fit anymore and that was it. If it didn't fit in the box I didn't put it in the cab of the truck (as I want to keep the cab as clear of stuff as possible).

Sadly you cannot bring everything that you could ever need. If you did, you would need to pull a trailer with you for all the extra stuff. You gotta draw the line at one point. I think I will ration space a bit more with the new truck. You should see all the stuff that came out of the pathy. My apartment was nice and clean before I had to put all the stuff from the pathy into it

Anyone know if there is a reasonable amount of free space under the hood of the Frontiers? (I guess it would be the same for the xterra's as they share the same engine). Was thinking of reinstalling my secondary battery as well as my air compressor under the hood this time. There was zero place to install anything under the hood with the pathy. The 3.5L took up all the room.

The back seats in the crew cab, in my truck anyways, get used as my trunk and space for the dogs. No grown human will be comfortable back there, so don't know if that's an issue for you or not. Great for the dogs though as the windows do go right down.

That second truck is a long bed. I have a soft spot for the long beds, just can't see the short beds being terribly useful. Not the way I use it anyways. Maybe something to consider keeping an eye for... The rear bumper is beat to hell too for being repainted a year ago.

Back seats will mainly be used for the kids (Buddy and Zack). Doubt I would ever put an adult back there. That is why I was also looking at just a standard king-cab. Nice to know that the windows go all the way down. Zack likes to stick his head out of the window, but it sucks when the rear windows don't go down all the way.

I like the long-beds as well. The short beds are pretty much useless and I would be tempted to put a topper on the back if it was a short bed. That way I would at least keep anything in the back from getting wet or filling the bed with snow.

[01R50]

While this is not a Nissan, I have been looking at it for a bit. Would be pretty cool to have a diesel.

http://manitoba.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicl ... Z314728688" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Only problem is that I would have to get it shipped over here and that it needs bodywork.

[nige]

The diesels are awesome, when I was shopping for one, I was advised to stay away from any Toyota diesel with an "L" in the engine code. I'm sure Cruiserromey can elaborate on it for you.

I can go have a look at this one for you too. It's been up for sale since I bought my truck.

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z301901245

[nige]

you might also find this link useful, although I'm not sure how fresh the postings are.

http://cars.trovit.ca/index.php/cod.sea ... 1998-2004/

[Bow_Tied]

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z302862306" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[danxe]

Been tracking this one
http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles ... Z293343973