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I'm going to try to replace my reliable backup car (2.2cl) with a reliable backup truck for 5-7k. I just need a 2wd regular or extended cab with a medium to long bed and minimal towing capabilities for my small trailer.
I can find newer 4.2 ford v6 f-150's all day long, but they are really too big for what I need. Also I have never been a fan of the way the Tacoma drives on or off road. I have found a clean 02 frontier prerunner xe with a 5 speed that I will try to look at later today, but I honestly don't know much about them.
I had one for about a month back in 04 (it was an 02).
Truck was solid...drove nicely. ONLY thing that killed me...I was getting 15 mpg (non supercharged) and that was with me driving it like an old lady. So basically I was getting full size truck gas mileage in a little truck. That and the basic lack of acceleration was enough for me to take a 4K hit to trade it in for an EP civic.
I know you said you aren't looking to go huge, but what about the famed 7.3 Liter F250 Diesel?
The frontier was a great truck, I just wasn't ready for the gas mileage and I still enjoy being low to the ground and stick shift. I wouldn't mind it as a 2nd vehicle.
Truck was solid...drove nicely. ONLY thing that killed me...I was getting 15 mpg (non supercharged) and that was with me driving it like an old lady. So basically I was getting full size truck gas mileage in a little truck. ?
me too. I would short shift and never get more than 15, never.
Mine was a 4wd 4 or 5 speed. On the highway it tached at 3500 rpm at 70 mph, she screamed.
I had a hub replaced under warranty also. I didn't like the black plastic body cladding as it fades and got scratched relatively easy.
The frontier was a great truck, I just wasn't ready for the gas mileage and I still enjoy being low to the ground and stick shift. I wouldn't mind it as a 2nd vehicle.
Hey, She's the one that said; "save miles on your car."
back on topic.
she chose the frontier because of the longevity of the engine.
we've had 109k trouble free miles.
although, this is a 4 cylinder.
This truck was unstoppable until i got it lodged on a 5 ft snowbank back when we had 2 ft of snow in 02 or 03. 4wd can't do much when the tires don't touch the ground.
Well that was quick. It has some rock chips, but that is pretty much the only wear. Interior looks unused and the engine is dry as a bone. 91k miles towed by a little old man.
Just need to remove the tow wiring and sell the camper.
Apparently I bought more truck than I thought. It is the "Desert Runner" Edition. It has the 4x4 suspension, chassis, and bigger brake package despite being 2wd. It also may even have a LSD (need to check).
Here I thought it was a stripper with it's wind down windows and 5 speed, so that is a nice surprise.
It has been sitting for a year or two but it walked right through emissions for me, getting all of the fluids changed tomorrow.
As a 2nd vehicle, I'd DEFINITELY have this on my list of possibles.
Awesome...must be great to make that discovery! Getting all the fluids changed and getting it working perfectly is going to be great.
I think I'll just keep posting here for the heck of it.
I didn't buy it based on looks, but I think it looks pretty good without the camper. I will need to weld the holes left behind on the bed and straighten out the dents made by some cheesy clamping system, but all the more reason to take the plastic bed liner out and put in some Herculiner.
I removed the weird tow brake cable had a loop around the brake pedal and was zip tied to the brake lines on it's way to the front of the truck where it was attached to the plastic bumper. If it were ever used it would have done some damage.
Also removed the towing wiring harness that was spliced into the car in odd places. Now everything is soldiered and heat shrinked up.
The other issue seems to be the Nissan knock sensor and it's ability to fail for no good reason. On the frontier this is a pain because they stuck the sensor up the ass of the engine so far you need to do lung surgery to replace it. Apparently the accepted method to fix it (very few people even care to as it doesn't effect emissions) is to relocate the sensor to the previous maxima/z lacation. Which isn't too hard to do.
What a great truck, it looks absolutely amazing. Glad to know you took the time to get her in good working order and solder and heatshrink everything properly. That truck breathes a sigh of relief!
I didn't have time to do the bed liner, but the bakflip came earlier than expected and I decided to see if it would fit. It seems to need some shims despite their instructions saying otherwise for the frontier.
Also changed the belts, installed the hitch, and found a oem 3rd brake light online. The previous owner removed it to install the camper, still have no idea where he put the wires.
Anyway, after I get the bed sorted it shouldn't need anything till it's next maintenance which is the timing belt near 100k, so 8k miles.
I realized I've had this truck for 3 years this month. So here is my version of a boring slide show.
I really didn't care much one way or the other when I bought it with the camper, but I've grown to like the way this truck looks with it's silly over sized tires (6.8 percent). Now I know that the wheels were taken off a supercharged model (bought a spare to match), and the fenders were probably painted to match the body color. It's a good looking little truck.
It's never really left me stranded, but I can't say that working on the vg33 is my favorite thing in the world. I can't imagine working on this engine in a 300zx. It is already a chore to get to the stupid fittings and the #6 spark plug without it being in a sports car with twin turbos on top.
So far I've done normal maintenance (timing belt, center drive shaft support, cooling system, etc) plus removing the lower intake manifold to fix a sneaky water leak and replacing the cracked exhaust manifold. Both of those things seem to be common problems.
May as well clean the injectors and replace all the gaskets
Clean and replace old rubber
and generally polish things up
So far it's taken me to 6 states (counting sonora) and carried or towed everything I've asked it to. I don't own cattle or backhoes though.
01-18-2012, 12:42 PM
me too. I would short shift and never get more than 15, never.
