Nissan trucks?

Earlsays

Earlsays

Well-Known Member
Okay...I found a 1996 Nissan pickup...it is a 4cyl/5 speed manual. The truck has real nice blue paint, a camper shell, a carpet kit in the bed (think camping) :thmbsp:

They want 1,000 dollers for it...

THE GOOD:
New clutch
New tires all the way around
New brakes, all the way around
New Shocks, All the way around
Runs good
Shifts good
drives nice
looks good, all original, original owner

THE BAD:
Needs a catalytic converter replacement (priced this-100bux max.)
Needs a new windshield (cracks)
Needs corner lights/turn signals (about 30 bucks for both--new)
Needs a front grill (about 40 bucks--new)
Needs some trim pieces that go in the front bumper for the turn signals (5bux each--new)
Needs turn signals in the bumper (15 bucks each-new)
The rear window on the camper shell is busted--replace with plexi? or just ditch the shell & carpet kit, sell both, pay for most of what it already needs

And the truck has about 220,000 miles--they commuted from the east bay area into oakland and back every day for ten years

So? it looks like for about 500 bucks I could fix EVERYTHING that's wrong with it...the cosmetic stuff is no real big deal to me right now, all it needs to be legal & roadworthy is a new cat...think it's worth jumping on? Or would I be better off to run far far away from this thing?
 
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I'd throw $500 at em and have another couple hundred in your pocket if they turn you down.

If the body and mechanical are as good as you say, the rest is cosmetic so I'd jump all over it.
 
My uncle bought a Nissian truck that was beat to hell and he has been doing the same for the last few years. It just dosn't stop even as it rusts away to nothing. I agree with Clarence.
 
we had a 97 nissan for a utility truck at work for the last few years[was recently sold]

overall it had it's little problems from time to time but was pretty reliable and carried a load well enough...good points were pretty decent reliability for a mostly abused truck with multiple drivers,simply awesome heat and A/C,fuel economy was ok i guess,but since i wasn't paying for the gas i never took much serious notice.it drove well enough for a truck but the main bad point was that it was painfully slow and felt underpowered,it never strained with a load,but the automatic tranny just never seemed to let the motor rev any before up shifting...the stock stereo was pretty lame as well,but that could have been fixed easily enough
 
The Nissan's truck from those years were pretty rugged and reliable. I drove an 87' Nissan KingCab for 10 years and it never failed me mechanically. If you're confident in your repair abaility, and there isn't much rust, then I'd say it's well worth $500. If you can fix everything that can and will go wrong, then you're good. Those are pretty simple trucks and easy to work on.
 
In this area a decent looking small truck in that price range wouldn't last a day! How bad are the items that need "replacing"? With all that new stuff on it I doubt they would take $500. Look in kb.com and ebay to get an idea on pricing.
 
kbb lists it's value in "fair" condition at about 2100....like I said, all it needs is a new cat, a new grill, new turn signals, and a new windshield. the paint is in good shape, and there is NO rust.
 
the problem with kbb is that they never, ever cut checks.

take 500 and keep another couple in your pocket... 3?

they have done alot of mechanical work to the vehicle, but 220k!
 
Can't speak for the bay area, but here in the LA area, you would be hard pressed to find ANY pickup for under $1000 let alone a clean running one. Stuff doesn't rust here. The only rusty cars you see are transplants from back east. I would be very surprised if he would take $500 for it.

- Pete
 
1996 was a split year for Nissan trucks. The "Hardbody" was introduced mid year. Is this one the earlier "720" series or the later "D21" series? The earlier ones will be carburetted the later ones will have throttle body fuel injection.

- Pete
 
I drive a 93 nissan truck and have so for 13 years straight. The only time it has not taken me to and from where I needed to be is when I busted a torsion bar and they had to order the parts in. I drive it like I stole it, jumped it, that could be why the T bar went, and floated it down a river. For 1K I would not hesitate a minute. In the next couple of months I will get a newer version of the same truck just for an automatic tranny and a little bit of " when will something break" relief. Up here in the hills that is about half of what it would sell for.
 
LBPete said:
1996 was a split year for Nissan trucks. The "Hardbody" was introduced mid year. Is this one the earlier "720" series or the later "D21" series? The earlier ones will be carburetted the later ones will have throttle body fuel injection.

- Pete
Click to expand...

According to the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Hardbody wikipedia article...1986 was the "split year" where the hardbody replaced the 720 trucks...the one I am looking at--a 1996 is one year away from the replacement to the hardbody line when they rapped up production in 1997. So, for the record, it's from the "D21" series...

And based on everyone's responses...well, sounds good...that's all I will say right now.

thanks. :thmbsp:
 
I've got a 2000 Frontier.. and it's kinda a love hate relation... It's a damn good truck.. runs really great.. but it seems to have little nickle and dime issues... All in all, I haven't had to do a lot, but I just can't seem to really love the thing... I've had two Toyota pickups, and loved both of them.. even though the beds did rust away on them.. you just couldn't kill them...

My biggest complaint is electrical issues. My dash keeps going in and out.. works some times.. doesn't others.. I hear it is a resister of some sort on the back of the instruments, and evidently not something replaceable.. many say you have to replace the cluster.. I need to find out before my next inspection comes along... I just had the service engine soon light come on this weekend.. so one more thing to fix.. I just hope it's a cheap sensor... hopefully nothing expensive...

Other than those kinds of things.. it runs great.. I wished it had more creature features on it... like cruise and intermittent wipers..

For a $1000 for a cheap truck.. I would think it would be worth it for you.. but that windshield probably won't be cheap.. I'd research the cost of that, then try and talk them down that much at least..
 
I had an '85, would not die. It had the original R12 a/c that worked! Finally sold it to a friend when the master cylinder went out at 210,000, didn't want to fool with it. He is still driving it daily. If I would have maintained the brake fluid, that probably wouldn't have happened. In other words, GET IT!
 
I agree that $1000 sounds like a decent deal. It might be worth trying to determine how much oil it uses.

I bought a 1985 Kingcab 4x4 new, drove it for 140,000 miles and sold it to a friend around 2003. I did put a new tranny in it, but other than that it was extremely reliable. It is still going strong, not sure how many miles, but I would guess at least 200,000.

My main gripe was how gutless it was, and I grew up with VW beetles, so its not like I've ever been spoiled by a V8. I think the newer ones are considerably peppier. I hope so, mine was so slow it was almost dangerous.

I own a 1988 4runner now. I think Toyota trucks are better, but probably not as much better as the extra cost might imply, and I think the difference in quality narrowed in later years after Nissan had been making trucks for awhile.

In short, I think Nissans were and continue to be sleepers, great trucks for not much $$.
 
The only thing that worries me is so many miles on a 4 cylinder engine.

If the engine is mechanically sound, as well as the rest of the truck, $1000 doesn't sound too bad.

You should try to haggle with them though, and inspect as much of the truck as you can for hidden issues.
 
I went over there today with 800.00 CASH and waved it in front of him...he wasn't interested at all...it's 1K or no deal...looked the truck over and told him I'm gonna sleep on it--basically for now, I chickened out...so if I get it, it'll be middle of the month. I don't know if I really want this thing at this point. I think I may be better waiting until dec or even january 1 to see how I feel...what I really want is a 96 V8 thunderbird, or a 90-something Lincoln Mark VIII....a merc cougar from the mid 90s would be okay too...so we'll see...
 
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