Hey everybody, just joined Expedition Portal. Thought I would share my rare old Nissan truck.
I am the lucky owner of a 1985 Nissan Bushmaster 4x4. This truck has been in my family since before I was born. My parents bought it in 1986, and I rode home from the hospital when I was born in 1988. It was my first vehicle when I was 16. We had it when we lived in Alaska, and it crossed the Alaska Highway and traveled through the Yukon Territory several times.
For those of you that don't know what a Bushmaster is, it was a dealer optional conversion for Nissan 720 4x4 King Cabs. I'm not sure how many years it was made, or how many were made, but I have only ever seen 1 besides mine. Basically the trucks were converted by a company called Matrix3 in California (I believe). They basically welded the body to the cab and put a shell on and took out the back of the cab, so it's a 2 door SUV almost exactly like a OG Toyota 4Runner, but bigger. It has a rear fold down bench seat mounted right about where the pickup bed would have started. It's pretty cool. Powered by the Nissan Z24 engine (2.4L, dual spark plug carb motor).
Anyway, my dad gave me the truck a few years ago, and I've kept it as a second vehicle for camping/exploring. I also drive a modded 04 Subie WRX Wagon, and my wife has a 2016 Forester, so the Nissan mostly sits except for camping and exploring trips. I've been slowly making little upgrades here and there to it, and fixing things as they come up. All in all, for how old it is, it is a surprisingly reliable vehicle, I am confident to take it on multi-day camping trips all throughout Utah.
Future Plans:
New tires (probably Big O Big Foot A/T's in 235/75/R15, although I was thinking about Duratrecs)
Better roof rack (currently I just have a Yakima setup over the front cab - hooks into the rain gutters. I want to extend this with a couple additional cross bars in the back for carrying my canoe and kayaks more easily)
New rear bumper (stock bumper is beat up, I plan on welding and fabbing a simple bumper myself this spring, with an integrated receiver for a bike rack)
More rust prevention (trying to deal with body rust when it crops up)
Gear organizer for the back (thinking of a double level storage system with sliding trays for camping gear. I am a die hard tent camper, so I rarely sleep in the truck, although with the rear seat folded it is pretty comfortable)
Anyway, on to some pictures
Yesterday doing some photography out on Stansbury Island, GSL - Rack is off currently for winter.
Last fall in the House Range, UT:
Random Photos:
Interior/Engine - these are old, everything is cleaner and fixed up now:
I am the lucky owner of a 1985 Nissan Bushmaster 4x4. This truck has been in my family since before I was born. My parents bought it in 1986, and I rode home from the hospital when I was born in 1988. It was my first vehicle when I was 16. We had it when we lived in Alaska, and it crossed the Alaska Highway and traveled through the Yukon Territory several times.
For those of you that don't know what a Bushmaster is, it was a dealer optional conversion for Nissan 720 4x4 King Cabs. I'm not sure how many years it was made, or how many were made, but I have only ever seen 1 besides mine. Basically the trucks were converted by a company called Matrix3 in California (I believe). They basically welded the body to the cab and put a shell on and took out the back of the cab, so it's a 2 door SUV almost exactly like a OG Toyota 4Runner, but bigger. It has a rear fold down bench seat mounted right about where the pickup bed would have started. It's pretty cool. Powered by the Nissan Z24 engine (2.4L, dual spark plug carb motor).
Anyway, my dad gave me the truck a few years ago, and I've kept it as a second vehicle for camping/exploring. I also drive a modded 04 Subie WRX Wagon, and my wife has a 2016 Forester, so the Nissan mostly sits except for camping and exploring trips. I've been slowly making little upgrades here and there to it, and fixing things as they come up. All in all, for how old it is, it is a surprisingly reliable vehicle, I am confident to take it on multi-day camping trips all throughout Utah.
Future Plans:
New tires (probably Big O Big Foot A/T's in 235/75/R15, although I was thinking about Duratrecs)
Better roof rack (currently I just have a Yakima setup over the front cab - hooks into the rain gutters. I want to extend this with a couple additional cross bars in the back for carrying my canoe and kayaks more easily)
New rear bumper (stock bumper is beat up, I plan on welding and fabbing a simple bumper myself this spring, with an integrated receiver for a bike rack)
More rust prevention (trying to deal with body rust when it crops up)
Gear organizer for the back (thinking of a double level storage system with sliding trays for camping gear. I am a die hard tent camper, so I rarely sleep in the truck, although with the rear seat folded it is pretty comfortable)
Anyway, on to some pictures
Yesterday doing some photography out on Stansbury Island, GSL - Rack is off currently for winter.
Last fall in the House Range, UT:
Random Photos:
Interior/Engine - these are old, everything is cleaner and fixed up now: