Opinions needed: Xterra, or alternatives?

[hansolex]

It took too long, but I finally found something ... and I couldn't be happier.

This has been a super long and frustrating search. I eventually decided that I wasn't going to find something in the condition I wanted for what I was going to spend. Anything decent that did crop up was gone in less than a day. It was maddening!

So I did some math and figured out I could stretch to around $9k if I drained my reserves a bit. I didn't want to finance something. That got me into the range of some 1st gen Tacomas, which was the ideal truck I wanted right from the beginning. I love Frontiers and Xterras, but at heart I'm a Toyota guy. After seeing a few 200k+ mile trucks that needed more than I wanted to put into them, I found this 1998 x-cab with 179k miles a 3.4, manual with a nice Leer cap already installed, brand new OEM-style shocks (think they're KYBs), and new tires – all for $8k!!!! The tires are Falken High Country A/Ts, so they're not great but they should be fine while I get a feel for the truck and figure out what I want to do with it. At least it's not something I have to spend money on right away.



It's a base truck so it's got the split front bench, no rear locker, and manual windows and doors. The bench I can live with until I can't anymore, the locker is something I can add down the road, and the latter is a benefit in my mind. Less to go wrong.

I'll get into build plans after I've shaken it down a bit. Does need a little deferred maintenance that I need to attend to first, namely the timing belt, all the fluids, and figuring out if i have a rear main seal leak or if it's coming from the oil filter area. Might just be leftover from a sloppy oil change. A couple weekends of wrenching and it should be ready for adventure. I can't wait.

 

[C5dad]

I own a 2005 Xterra and find it quite capable for the style of offroading I do at this stage of my life and for daily use as well. [I come from 4 decades of jeep ownership.] If you are interested in an Xterra my advice would be to focus your search on 2005+ model years. The "second generation" is entirely different - better suspension, more powerful engine, etc. There are things to look out for in Xterras (as with everything else). Do your homework before you start shopping. You will find a wealth of knowledge at www.thenewx.org.

Just be sure to get a new radiator and external trans cooler. My Pathy had a failure in the trans cooler. 5k later. Loved my X when I had it but will never own another Nissan again after the pain they were over the issue, the lies and lack of willingness to own up to their failure to honor their warranty over a known manufacturing defect. All for what - a $10 savings when making a radiator by skipping the pressure check? What a bunch of *** wipes!

Nah, not mad. Glad my next truck will be a Toyota, if I ever kill my F250!

 

[hansolex]

The tires are <strike>Falken High Country A/Ts</strike>, so they're not great but they should be fine while I get a feel for the truck and figure out what I want to do with it. At least it's not something I have to spend money on right away.

Whoops. Misread the sidewalls in a photo, wasn't looking right at the truck when I wrote that. They're Les Schwab Back Country SQ-4 A/Ts, which based on what I've read are actually rebranded Deans. Which are themselves a sub-brand of Cooper. I don't know much about them. They seem newer and there's not much info out there on the interwebs. Anyone know anything about these tires?