Slartibartfast

IIRC one of the two-door guys (Morningwould?) cut the top from the back half of his Pathy. It actually looked pretty legit. Or... pure dune buggy... put the mechanicals under a Bug body. Can't hunt the undead without a permit.

Wicked cool. Thanks Silverton.

My occasional fantasy with mine (for if the body somehow gets totalled, and I somehow have the skills, tools, and money to do this before my dad makes me buy something sensible) is to pick up a 30s or 40s lead sled Studebaker or Cadillac or something, then put the Pathfinder running gear under it, with truck tires, and either leave the faded stock paint or do it up in Hammerite. Maybe SAS it while it's torn apart. Bolt up some nice MTs on black steelies. Then cram a turboed VG33 or something under the long hood and replace the chrome bumpers with steel plate, welded up to mimic the shape of the chrome. Maybe add a few louvers to the hood for an intercooler or whatever, give it a few Road Warrior touches, and put a zombie hunting permit on the dashboard. Shotgun rack is optional, but encouraged. ... I've clearly put too much thought into this.

To go back a few posts... you said the light goes out after you've been driving a while. I assume that this driving is highway, and at speed... suggests to me that the problem either occurs during acceleration (but not when holding speed) or before the car has fully warmed up. Of course, I have no idea what that would point to. Also, is the engine acting up when the CEL's on? My understanding is that when the MAF goes out, the engine sputters and coughs black smoke and generally lets you know that something is horribly awry. If the only symptom is the light coming on, maybe something else is acting up and posting your various codes. And while I'm pretending I know what the hell I'm talking about... any chance you've got a bad seal on the gas cap? My friend freaked out and thought her Pontiac was breaking down because the CEL came on, turned out she just hadn't screwed the cap in. Having somehow never forgotten my cap, I don't know if Nissans do the same thing.

Adapters would push the trans back... or push the engine forward. Assuming the adaptor's not a mile thick, you'd just have the motor mounts to mod (probably a fair amount of work, but at least you wouldn't be doing it while lying underneath). You have to pull the engine either way, right? I'm sure the engine bay has a spare half inch up front.

Is the computer setup any different, or just plug it into what's there? If my auto goes out I know what I'm putting in.

It's tough to make a patched frame as strong as original, especially if you don't know the extent of the rust. I won't be able to tow with mine even after we weld up the sides of the frame, because the back half (above the tail pipe) is iffy too. (When I get a welder of my own, I'll tear further into it, but for now I'm depending on my dad's money and my uncle's welding, and they're both tired of working on this thing.) Mine looked a little flakey too, until I started beating it with a hammer. Then the flakes fell off and revealed holes and sixteen years worth of dirt... I had to pull the wheel off to find the bad stuff. Definitely check it out before you buy. The outside looks pretty clean, though.

Rascal vs. Pathfinder. BEGIN.

Just stumbled across this. http://www.instructables.com/id/Find-an-exhaust-leak-without-burning-your-hands/ Worth a shot.

My WD's front pump went out a while back. Turned out that the bushing at the top had seized up. A few minutes with pliers and steel wool, and a little oil, and it's worked since. Didn't cost squat, and I got to prove my dad wrong (he said I needed a new pump). Sounds like yours is a lot tougher to get to than mine, though. Be careful siphoning out the fluid. It tastes horrible.

Gotta love those quality OEM fasteners. The bumper bolts on my 95 are the same way, bust 'em off and put new stuff in. But yeah, your rad support... has seen better days.

You can get a sort of ghetto exhaust repair putty, my dad tried it on mine before having it done properly. Put it around wherever you think it's leaking. If that stops the leak... temporarily... then you've found where it's leaking.

Yeah, the VG30 is the stock Pathy motor (three liter six cylinder). I didn't know jack about Nissans either, until I found this site.

Mine always smells like gas... I figured they just did that!

Close, you linked to the album. If you mouse over the picture, four boxes appear below it. Mouse over the lowest one, click it, and it'll say 'copied.' Then just post the code. Like this: IMG http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n498/briandrum1/98%20PATHFINDER/Pathyrustbumpr3.jpg /IMG ^^ It looks like this, but with brackets around the IMGs.

I picked up a can of rubberized undercoat, it's basically just spray-on rubber. It should work pretty well so long as what's under it is dry and clean, otherwise it won't adhere well or it'll trap moisture. Maybe hit it with pressure sprayer, then let it sit for a few good hot days before laying the rubber. (I haven't looked into oil treatments, IIRC some of the guys here use them.) Good to hear it's not rusted out. Every time my dad finds me working on mine, he says, if you found more rust, I don't want to hear about it.

Looks like a very clean install, too.

I'd definitely do the T-belt, just in case it's interference. MIght be good to figure out just what it is, as well, and find out what common problems etc are with it. If you can trade it for a low-milage VG-series, you'll have a much easier install on your hands.

If you're looking for a place to bring the cable out of the car, there's a little rubber bung (a couple, actually) in the rear quarter panel that could work. One is on the inside (you'll see it from underneath) and is fairly large. The other is covered by the bumper corner, and is rather smaller. I think I'd use the smaller one, just cut a hole in it, force the cable through and stick it back in, maybe with a little caulk to keep it sealed. The plastic trim inside the back comes out on snaps, so just pull out the little access hatch thingy (I think it's for changing tail light bulbs), grab the panel, and give it a good yank. You should be able to route the cable into the empty space in there through the end (IIRC there are a couple wires already in that area, and a nearby carpet seam to route the wire under).

For pics I use photobucket. It's free to sign up. Upload your picture to PB, copy the IMG code (click where it says img code under "share this photo"), then paste into your post, and it'll show up.

What did the whole setup cost you?

Mine had two plugged up cats in it (didn't know why until now though!) and I think it started its life in Idaho. The exhaust guy who repiped it shrugged, cut them out, and put one generic cat in, and the truck felt like it reclaimed a lot of lost power. We don't emissions test around here though, so I'm no help.

I'm pretty much useless for most of what you're asking but the wiper motor... maybe I can help there. Because it's been sitting I would suspect the bushing where the wiper arm goes through the panel has gotten a little stiff (elements and disuse and whatnot). It, or the linkage in the door, may just need a little grease. There's also the chance that the rebuilt motor is still bad. (Poor lubrication, bad bushing from the seizing, cooked coils from trying to push a creaky linkage.) Worst case, pull one from the junkyard, see if that solves the problem, but I've found that a can of white lithium will get a lot of things going again. And before you write off the rust as nothing, give it a couple good smacks with a hammer just to be sure. It should ring, not thud or deform. My dad and I thought that my WD's frame was only mildly rusty, until I found the holes. If there's body rust to the point of replacing panels, I'd give the chassis a very close look. Also, this thread needs pics.

I'm pretty sure Cuong Nguyen did that on his. I'm not sure if he SAS'd it or did up the IFS like a stock 4x4, but it was 2WD, now it's 4.

Yeah, pretty sure the transfer case goes between 1:1 (H) and whatever you have in it for low gear. So you're stuck either doing the diffs... or adding more power.