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1998 Nissan Pathfinder SE, Red, +/-190k miles - Stock. Owned (since new) by my dad who passed away in 2006. For years, I've wanted to completely restore and then further modify this Pathfinder. Yet sadly, it has just sat in my driveway. My dream has always been to turn it into the most beautiful, bad***, head-turning Pathfinder on or off the road. Now... I am all of the sudden able to make this dream a reality, and I need NPORA's help. (I turned here first, so I'm hoping to guys and gals come through for me!) Phase 1: Since it has sat for 5 years completely unused, I had it hauled to a mechanic to get it running. Soon, I'm taking it back to have some further mechanical restoration done. That leads me to my first question. - What should I tell the mechanic to do? Other than a new battery, radiator flush, change of all fluids and a tune-up (which has been done), I'm thinking I should have all belts and hoses replaced. Maybe have the timing belt and water pump done? Check on and replace valve cover gasket (and other gaskets)? - What else do you guys recommend? My mechanic is more of a "budget-oriented", "fix things cheap" kind of mechanic, so me taking it to him without more specific instructions hasn't worked well for me so far. What do I tell him to do to my Pathfinder to make is reliable enough to drive across the country? Money is no object, so I'd rather be thorough instead of quick. What do the experts here at NPORA have to say about this phase? Phase 2: Exterior / Interior renovation. This is is pretty straight forward. I'm just going to have a body shop replace any trim that's bad, get out a dent or two, restore the paint, de-fog all lights, etc etc. Phase 3 (aka "The Fun Part"): I don't know where to start with what mods I'd like. I'm not going to be taking it off-road much or at all (sorry guys) - at least not anytime soon. I still want it to looks and perform like a beast though. This is where I have the most questions. Lift it? - what do you think? (I'm leaning towards yes, but a small lift. Your thoughts?) I will only be driving it randomly and not on long trips. It'll be a sporadic weekend vehicle. I don't want it to handle poorly, but perhaps a lift doesn't affect the handling that much. (I'm VERY ignorant on this topic.) Wheels and Tires? - I suppose it depends on if I have it lifted. Let's assume I lift it a little. What size wheels/tires look the best? Is there a web site that I can reference? What have you guys found that look and perform the best? Lights / Bars / Grills? - I definitely want to do 'something' to add flare. What are some good resources to consult? Are there any DO's and DONT's that I need to be aware of? Performance enhancements? - I'd love to add some things that boost engine / transmission performance, as well as change the tone of the truck to something beefy. What have you guys found that meets those needs? I'm excited to start this project right here first. I'll post updates and further questions so you guys can see the progress of your suggestions.

Use a real transmission jack

I guess I can speak to two different examples. I’ve had AC springs for about 5 months, daily driving and off-road driving. They’re stiff, I can assure you of that. Other first hand accounts that I’ve read overstate how loud and annoying top-out is, at least compared to what I experience. Usually I’ll hear a thud if I’m offroad and drive too fast over a large rock or pothole. For low speed off-roading, and on street driving I’ve had no top out. You’ll notice the stiffness driving over lower quality roads, and having ridden in an OME equipped vehicle (@02_pathy), the ride of a broken in OME setup is preferable to AC. Last time I talked to @02_Pathy I think his coils were somewhere around 1-1.25” of lift. I know @micahfelker swapped from OME to AC in order to help carry his front bumper, and doesn’t regret it one bit. @mjotrainbrain also noticed some pretty decent sag on his OME coils when paired with a front bumper and winch. here’s a thorough discussion from the last time this topic came up. I think they’re both good options, with slightly different characteristics. I ultimately picked AC springs, but plenty of people have an equally great time getting out and having fun in their OME rigs.

I have had no topping out issues with the AC lift. Had it for about 3-4 months now. I have noticed it is still settling in. I tucked 33s and it seems each week I trim, the suspension will settle again and I need to trim more. With that being said you wont have the same issues with 32's. I am very pleased with the NRC 9449 coils in the rear as is everyone that tried them.

Hanging with@TowndawgR50

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