dududuckling

Hey guys... I have a 2000 Nissan Pathfinder and I live in Toronto, ON. I have never been offroading and I want to try it for the first time in this coming summer. I have mud tires already installed, and am thinking of installing skid plates and rock sliders prior to the 2" suspension lift (since cost is a factor). And my question is... Is AC the only manufacturer that still actively produces skid plates for pathfinder? I have checked the rocky road website, but it seems that they only make sliders. Since I live in Canada, do you guys know if there are Canadian companies that manufacture skid plates and rock sliders for pathfinder? Sometime ago, I read about this guy who custom made skid plates (he goes by the name of Marcel and is a Canadian - please correct me if I am wrong). Is he still active in the manufacturing business? I am asking these questions not because there is something wrong with importing goods from the states. But I am trying to save cost on the shipping and possibly, taxes. Thanks for reading this post. Any of your input is much appreciated. Andrew

Guys, this is just some random question that got on my mind... I have a 2000 Pathfinder SE with 3.3L V6... Is engine swap with 4.0L V6 (2005 and up) or 3.5 L V6 (2001-2004) possible? If yes, is it worth the time and money... or should I get a used 2005 Pathy instead? And what about installing a turbo or supercharger? I think this will drastically empty my fuel tank within seconds... I asked this because I like the way my Pathfinder behaves on the street and its reliability... but I feel the 3.3L V6 engine is seriously underpowered... and as compared with the later Pathfinders, the later engines offer more horsepower for approximately the same gas mileage. Thanks...

Do you happen to know the make and model of that struts? Thanks... I really want to lift my pathfinder, but the topping out issue scares me the most right now...

Guys, When you do 2" lift, does "topping out" always happen regardless of the shocks and struts combination? If I am not mistaken, you place the struts in the front and shocks in the rear... and topping out has to do with the struts not being able to elongate any further and consequently, when you go over bumps or pot holes, your struts cannot be stretched any further and the front wheels just drop... am I right? If this is the case, do all the struts have the same elongation and compression distance? For instance, does KYB GR2 have longer elongation and compression distance as compared to Rancho struts, etc? Thanks...