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Tell this newb why Pathfinder and not 4runner!


mingo
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Hi all.

 

I just bought a 1992 XE for $800 with 205k miles, a bit of body damage up front and some interior plastic missing. To be honest, a Pathfinder was my second choice to finding a 1st gen. 4runner. When I couldn't find one in reasonable shape for a reasonable price I jumped on this XE 'caused it seemed like a good deal. Engine is strong yet with exhaust leak. Everything else works on it including the A/C. No other fluid leaks and some BF Goodrich AT tires that are fairly new.

 

So, why should I keep this thing and fix it up nice instead of jumping into a 4runner that might need an overhaul?

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Probably the first reason is, it already runs. :D Apart from that, they're pretty good trucks once you put some time into them. There are a few standard things they need fixed (check under the rear seats, and the frame behind the rear axle). Also check the transmission (check out the WD21 section, the auto trans sometimes has issues). If the running gear is reasonably solid, you can build it up pretty well.

 

The exhaust leak is normal, they just do that. Just make sure it's not blasting the floor pan, or you could get a nice carpet fire. Also, that's half what my dad paid for my 95 SE, so, yes, good deal. :)

 

If your heart's set on a 4runner, well, fix up the Pathy so it looks nice, and trade it in when you find a 4runner in decent shape.

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You're certainly not the first person here who started out looking for a 4runner, and ended up with a pathfinder. They're easier to find, and more affordable to buy. Why keep it? Well, you have it... you may find it grows on you. We have a large base of members here that know these trucks, so they can help you find the usual troubles (as Slartibartfast mentioned some), and help you trouble shoot anything else that comes up.

 

Welcome & good luck!

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welcome! and WHy a Pathy over the Yota? like pezzy said, you already have it, and PATHYS RULE! they are cheaper to buy, cheaper to fix, and twice as much fun! you take care of them, they will go forever.

Pathy's have a way of worming their way into your heart, you can't help but love their quirky personalities. They run sick, broke & plain tired, are great off road stock, and... well... you'll see :aok: you'll forget you were ever looking for a 4 runner. ;)

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Why keep it? Well, you have it...

perfect starting point :aok:

 

as said you are far from the 1st person that found up on the hunt for a Toyota (funny thing, when I was looking for a 2nd wd21 for my wife, I ended up with a 2nd gen 4runner :lol: ). Drive the wd21 around some, play with it, and go through the forums here for some of the cheap and necessary mods/maintenance and you will be pleasantly surprised what your lowly little #2 can do and how much you will enjoy it!

 

 

 

and be happy you didnt end up with a 3.0 yota... I think in a strait up race, my Pathfinder would smoke my 4runner, though watching THAT race would be like watching the special olympics :chairfall:

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Told my wife when I went into town that I was coming back with a 4runner only to come back with the Pathy (second gen R50). I'll tell you this, if anything happens to mine I will search for a cheap WD21 as my second driver. :my2cents:

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when I got my first pathfinder, I was looking at getting a toyota pickup or 4runner, and like all the others that have done the same, got a pathfinder because they are far more affordable, and just as reliable.

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welcome ! i think everyone wanted a yota first i already had/have my yota pu but wanted the 1st gen runner sfa to have a pair of sfa yotas but found the pathy for cheaper and more power no one has pathys in my neck of the woods so i wanted to be different and im looking for a nother nissan. show some pics too

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Howdy and welcome!! I'm not going to bother answering the same as everyone else, rather tI will focus on the headers. That is a fairly significant upgrade, and as long as the rest of the system is upgraded, it makes a noticable difference in power. You might want to look into an intake upgrade to compliment it. ;)

 

B

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Howdy and welcome!! I'm not going to bother answering the same as everyone else, rather tI will focus on the headers. That is a fairly significant upgrade, and as long as the rest of the system is upgraded, it makes a noticable difference in power. You might want to look into an intake upgrade to compliment it. ;)

 

B

 

What intake should I get?

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I like the first generation 4 runners with the removable top, 89 last year with the V6, lot's of complaints with the Toyota V6 although we never had a problem with the one my wife had in her 88 pickup, could go back to 85 and get a solid axle too. But as previously said a lot of people start looking for 4 runners and than realize they command a higher price than the pathfinders but I'm a Nissan man so I would stick with the pathfinder!! I do like some of the things Toyota did compared to Nissan such as the torsion bars mounted to the upper control arm and their steering seems to stand up better than the Nissan, as I said my wife had a 88 Toyota 4x4 pickup and at the time I had my 87 Hardbody, we would go 4 wheeling together and she would follow me everywhere I would go, difference was when we got back on to pavement her truck was fine and mine would have a bent idler arm or something and we both ran the same sized tires and wheels! But I still would have the Nissan over a Toyota. Back than EVERYONE had a Toyota and I was the only one in our crew with a Nissan.

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yep, i guess i'm like everyone else, i also started out looking for a 4 Runner. but then I came across this turbo diesel Terrano for almost 1/2 the price as a 4 Runner in equal condition/miles, and i jumped on it. so far so good. I havent done enough off roading or owned a toyota to really say much or give a comparison. My Terrano is stock, and it seems very tough, and capable off road.

When it comes time to get a new truck (ie: a long time i hope), i think i will try and get a Nissan Patrol. I always wanted a Land Crusier, but I dont think i will ever be able to justify the cost...

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being a mechanic, the Yota is much more reliable and better built, however, i find they dont go the same offroad! i love my lil WD21. for the money, you cant beat them. Unlike everyone else though, i was never looking for a 4wd. this just turned up. I only got it as a daily driver until i finished my Mazda 808. However, my 808 is now gone, and the Pathfinder is still here getting all the time and money spent on it.

 

I cant give much experience on a V6 pathy, as i have the 4banger Z24 turd (which is now in the bin and getting replaced by a FJ20ET) but i have worked on many many many of the VG series engines, and they arent too bad a motor. Fairly strong, decent power with small modifications, and very very smooth and responsive, unlike a Yota counterpart.

 

Just drive her for a while, fix some of the small issues like the exhaust leak, and see how she grows on you. If your still set on the Yota after a while, get rid of the Pathy and get your runner. Noone can make the decision other than you.

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yep, when i thought i might have a blown head gasket, i couldnt find 1 single thread anywhere on the internet regarding a blown head gasket on a Nissan TD27T engine. didnt look for other Nissan engine head gasket problems, but i didnt come across any hits for a BHG on a Pathfinder either. But I came across lots for Toyota. And my JDM parts dealer says they sell lots of toyota head gaskets, but never a Nissan TD27T head gasket, and they dont even stock them, i would have had to special order it.

when i was shopping for a 4Runner years ago, i could have easily ended up with a dud 2.4L or 3.0L toyota engine without doing the proper research/testing. there was recalls on the yota 2.4L.

I read that overall toyota engines require more maintenance than nissan engines, and so less likely to survive as long if the previous owner didnt maintain it properly.

but i'm no mechanic and i dont have any personal experience with any toyota, so take that for what its worth.

if i would have found a toyota at a similar price to a nissan in equal condition, i would have grabbed it. although right now if i was shopping, i wouldnt look at 4Runners/ Hilux Surfs at all. i'd go straight for the nissan patrol or land crusier. and if i wanted another pathfinder or 4 Runner again, i'd probably go for another Terrano TD27T. since i want a diesel, and they never even made a diesel Pathy. for the price, i seriously doubt the 4Runner is worth the added cost. you could easily put the money saved buying a nissan and put it in to all the after market goodies you want and have something way better than a stock 4 Runner anyways. I could have put 7G of after market components into my Terrano to meet the price of a stock 4Runner with possibly a questionable engine. and you can get a Pathy for even less the Terrano. to me its a no brainer.

Edited by shasdakota
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This is a qood question. I can tell you that I have an unhealthy habit of surfing the web for best "truck" prices, cars too, and I buy them on the side to resale from time to time. When you start to watch a specific price range like 1000-2000 you will see many regulars and most will be exhibiting their indivual trademark flaws. Ford Taurus's notoriously have bad transmissions in them. Chevy trucks are full of rust when they hit 100k miles (often), Toyota's in general have head gasket issues. Pathfinder Automatics are on that list too. I see allot of Pathfinder's with bad Auto transmissions for sale in otherwise perfect condition. Jeeps have bad brakes and electronic issues.

 

One of the hottest trucks I ever saw on the trails here in Washington was a Toyota 4 Runner that had been seriously built up by the mechanic owner. It was a tank. I love their looks too, but Pathfinders in general are a wolf in sheeps clothing. My friend Rob who rode shotgun on the MrJim run was utterly amazed at the strength, gearing, agility, and overall good show that our Pathfinders put on and he owns a Hummer. He was in awe as we drove straight into hellish curvy canyons of roads at steep inclines with no worries.

 

All in all, truthfully, I think you will spend a fortune on a 4-Runner, just to have the engine overheat and blow a head gasket again at some point and the Pathfinders will be cruising right along with little or no issues. I am really embarrassed for Toyota. They once were owning the trails with Jeeps, but they are money pits that don't seem to hold up when really used like a truck. Please don't send me hate me about this. I am just telling you what I have seen personally.

 

Do a craigslist ad for 1000-2000 for Pathfinders and then another for 4Runners. You will see my point afterwards. Pathfinders all say things like "Best truck I ever owned, but having a baby,), while the Toyota ads will say things like perfect rig, just needs a motor, or may need a thermostat. All you have to do is do a comparison.

 

One more thing, if you go to nearly any junk yard, they have an abundance of Toyotas. Many may be stripped, but only a small handfull of Pathfinders every end up in the salvage yards. They are difficult to find in salvage yards most of the time. Because they are still out there kicking butts and taking names. Buy a Pathfinder and in 6 months, it will be you writing this message to someone else to tell them why a Pathfinder is a much better choice.

 

 

MrJim

:yeahthat:

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MrJim you are right on the money with your opinion(in its entirety), as it is EXACTLY what I see from my point of view as well, why buy a toyota for $3000+ instead of a Nissan that will do the same thing.. The craigslist suggestion is 100% true, I search craigslist every day, if you want a reliable truck that will get you where you need to go AND do all the work you throw at it, get a Nissan Pickup or Pathfinder and save yourself that extra couple grand on customizing it to your needs.

 

Regardless, I still love what Toyota does(actually any manufacturer, Im a fan of the engineering that goes into each vehicle, nerdy I know), but Ill never buy one if they are consistently going to be 2x, or 3x the price of another vehicle with less miles and is newer..

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I go to the local junkyards a few times a month down here and I hardly see any Toyota trucks, once in a while a newer 4 runner, but they always have pathfinders and hardbodys. Which is fine with me as I always have a steady supply of parts !! As for the head gasket issue with the Toyota V6, I've heard about it but the 88 we used to own didn't have any problems with the V6. It's a shame that the aftermarket isn't half as good for the Nissan as it is for Toyota, years ago when I worked in a 4x4 shop I was talking to the Trailmaster rep one day and I asked him about the availability of aftermarket parts for Toyota and Nissan and he told me they did studies and found just as many Nissans are sold as Toyotas but the Toyota owners generally have more money!!

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Hmm, in the Pick N Pull's here in Washington state that Ive been too are full of toyo's but hardly any Nissan pickups/Pathys.. when I lived in Jacksonville, FL a friend and I went to a few junkyards there, and it was so hard to find any pathy's or pickup's to pick parts from for my friends pathy.. we actually joked about how much easier this would be if he had a toyo instead..

 

Regardless though, I personally wish the junkyards had a crap ton of Nissan's so I could have a constant picking of fresh/spare parts..

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Hmm, in the Pick N Pull's here in Washington state that Ive been too are full of toyo's but hardly any Nissan pickups/Pathys.. when I lived in Jacksonville, FL a friend and I went to a few junkyards there, and it was so hard to find any pathy's or pickup's to pick parts from for my friends pathy.. we actually joked about how much easier this would be if he had a toyo instead..

 

Regardless though, I personally wish the junkyards had a crap ton of Nissan's so I could have a constant picking of fresh/spare parts..

 

 

Yeah, I agree that there are only handfulls of Pathfinders at most salvage yards and one common argument for buying a Toyota, at least in the NW is that parts are literally everywhere. That begs the question, "Why" I have always liked Toyotas too, until I actually started looking at them as a general group for buying when over 100,000 miles and generally all 4Runners were either way over priced because they just spent a mint putting a new engine in it, or they were $1200 because they needed an engine.

 

Examples: on V6 and 4 cyl on Toyotas that are on sale here tonight...

 

http://seattle.craig...2444660317.html

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/2450730363.html

http://seattle.craig...2450342697.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2450140629.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2449220119.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2448109473.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2447559105.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2446973473.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2446554203.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2443338916.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2445363175.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2446169673.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2443303587.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2442473351.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2440475416.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2439139302.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2438655362.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2438391982.html

 

Now the Pathfinders

 

http://seattle.craig...2449776953.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2448752122.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2447157336.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2444936902.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2443125388.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2440688342.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2439267486.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2438833275.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2438830044.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2437050355.html

 

http://seattle.craig...2435854278.html

 

So, I was not making this stuff up. Comparitively, the Pathfinder outlasts the Toyota and sells for less. Toyotas look good and run good when they are running. Its like a Land Rover or a Jaguire. If you can afford to keep dumping money into it just so you can drive it, then cool. Just sayin..

 

.. goodpost.gif

 

*****One more thing, do not take anyone's word for it that an engine has been rebuilt without paperwork from a reputable company that documents that and be sure to verify it before you buy. I have bought and sold hundreds of cars and I have had guys tell me that they just bought this 20k engine and installed it so it was like new, but he didn't have the papers. It did run okay, but still had the same VIN number on the engine block as the frame as I confirmed later. People lie. Make them prove it in writing.

 

 

Sorry, I think Jags are sexy as hell and there is a definite reason that a car that looks that good sell for these prices.

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/2449130093.html

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/2446799439.html

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/2444097363.html

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/2443991554.html

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/cto/2442741367.html

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/cto/2442601063.html

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/2440198008.html

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/2436252271.html

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/2435952816.html

 

I am only telling you what I have seen for past 10 years on a daily basis. I am sure that all Jags, 4Runners, etc. ran good at some point and there are always examples where they are literally babied through live, but the average jag never sales for book value and they are problematic cars from the dealership. I used to have close friends who bought his and hers matching new Jags and for a year, they had loaner cars everytime you saw them, because the Jag was in the shop. I have always thought they have sexy lines and are one of the hottest looking cars around, but they are definitely on the lemon list.

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...So, I was not making this stuff up. Comparitively, the Pathfinder outlasts the Toyota and sells for less. Toyotas look good and run good when they are running. Its like a Land Rover or a Jaguire. If you can afford to keep dumping money into it just so you can drive it, then cool. Just sayin.... goodpost.gif...

 

Whoa! Lets not bring Jaguar into this haha, my dad is a Jag collector, all of which have been the most reliable vehicles Ive ever been around, not to mention the best ride Ive ever been in..

 

Of course Land Rover's have the bad rep though for reliability, and its for a good reason, but Jag's Id say atleast the ones Ive seen personally(and at the meets my dad would bring me too) were all top notch, solid running stock vehicles.. I learned to drive in a 95 Jag XJ.. The parents have an '02 X-type that has over 280k miles that is driven daily in Nebraska(salt does not phase this vehicle either), and nothing outside of regular interval maintenance has been done to it(aside from Amsoil being run in it)..

 

Obviously these are just my experiences, but I stand to believe that Jag's are very reliable(and pretty cheap luxury vehicles, after they depreciate that is).

 

Sorry for my rant haha, but I like to defend what I think/have experienced is a quality product. Anyways, your post of the CL ad's prove exactly what you were saying, I for one do not understand why people can/choose to charge that much for them.. whatever though Ill pay less for my Nissan and be happier.

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