Mark

Hi Pezzy, Mzxtreme, Precise, Slick and Vsicks. Long time no hear. Fueler, Casey and Redpath, it's a pleasure to e-meet ya. I didn't "acquire" the streetsign (tempting though it was). I'm working as a part-time truck driver and part-time TV/Home-Cinema installer. It's okay but the money sucks compared with what I used to make in the Navy. (The Australian Navy pays really well) but I don't have to put up with any more crap and I'm my own man now, for the first time in years. I'm in the early stages of starting my own business (stay tuned) and also in the early stages of planning the undisputed-mother-of-all 4x4 trips. It wont be for at least 36 months and maybe even 48! As plans solidify a bit, I'll start a thread here. Until then, I'll enjoy my mystery. I'm still 'wheeling every weekend. There are a few country roads around here (gravel roads) that flood for miles every time it rains. You can drive for about ten kilometers in axle-deep or deeper water. And none of the local 'wheelers seem to turn up except for me and the poor people who live on these roads. Last time I went out there after a storm I had to turn back about halfway 'cuz the water in places was getting about 3-feet deep. (These are public roads!) Now, I don't mind wading through 3' for short distances but when it's 3' deep for about 200 yards, I start to worry about my trans electrics (I've made that mistake before). I wish everyone well and I'll be in contact a bit more frequently again now. Cheers, Mark. PS: Should I lose the pic from my tag-line? Is it too dorky? PPS: Is anyone interested in seeing a pic of my handmade air-deflector on my cargo rack? I painted it flat black with silver lettering, using a "Pathfinder" stencil I made. If there's any interest, I'll take a pic and post it. If there's not, I won't take it too hard. PPPS: What the hell ever happened about the NPORA T-shirts? I really want one.

Hi again, Glad you got her back okay. That's the main thing. I carry snow chains (don't laugh) for mud like that. I haven't had to use them yet but friends that have done it reckon that they work a treat.

Hi everyone, Sorry I've been offline for a few months. I quit my job, moved interstate took an 8-week vacation then got a new job. I've kept the pathfinder, though. Here's a pic I took earlier today at my local airport. Check out the street sign. Talk to you all again soon.

A note to NPORA members. Please don't think that Vsicks speaks for everyone in Australia. He's right that the 'real world' comment was kinda dumb. (Australia's almost the same size as the USA, has a much lower crime rate, a higher average standard of living and superior accessibility to affordable public education and healthcare). I'm pretty surprised that he took offense to the 'real world' comment when his sig line insults the heritage and culture of a couple hundred million people. Folks who know me will know that I'm both an Aussie and an American and I love both countries, so I'll never take a side against either one. Bad behaviour, though, from either side of the Pacific, should be kept off this forum. If anybody wants to reply to me, feel free. But try to keep any flaming off the board, just PM me instead. Yours sincerely,

Slick, I share your pain. I've been having problems the last couple months with the auto tranny on my '96 not shifting properly. So the expert reckons it's the Throttle Position Sensor. These things cost 200 bucks. So we plug in a new one and it's still not right. So now he reckons it's one of the solenoids in the valve body. These little darlings cost 300 bucks a set. So he pulls out the sump, ready to replace the solenoids and finds the oil filter all jammed up with debris. The whole dammed tranny has to come out and be rebuilt. It's costing me 2000 bucks. I'm running out of cash...fast.

Hi everyone, Sorry I've been offline for a couple months. I've just quit the Navy and moved from Sydney NSW to Maroochydore QLD. There, now you're all cought up with things on my end, sooooooooooooo, What's up with the NPORA T-shirts we were gonna get made? Just curious Cheers, talk again soon,

Looks awesome. How's it feel to drive now? Betcha it barely fits under that garage door, too. Cheers,

Disturbed1, That is one of the coolest avatars I've seen in awhile. made me laugh. Cheers,

Wow. A Pathfinder pickup. What a rig. Is the owner a member?

This seems like a great quote. I'm in. I agree with Jason about long-sleeved, but I reckon we should go the short-sleeved for the first run. Put me down for one in any color. Cheers,

I see that my work here is done.

Yeah, no worries. Just bolt it onto a 'borrowed' frame. -alcohol-

ROTFLMFAO I just spat my drink onto my keyboard...

Hey 88, Don't s'pose you've got a web address handy for the 6" Japanese lifts?? I'm in Australia and the postage here wouldn't be as bad. Maybe. I know some guys who may be interested. Cheers,

Shoot down the satellites and see if your radio still works?

The VG33 can be had with a Supercharger on the Xterra, but I've heard that for the trouble of converting your engine, it would be the same price and less trouble to buy a new one and swap it out. I think there's a thread on XOC (see my sig) about this...

Pathfinder54, Okay. *Draws deep breath* I think this is what's most popular (standing by for flaming): Back (pale colors): Back (dark colors): Front (enlargement of logo on left breast - colors reversed for dark tee): For the first run, I'd reckon plain (no pocket) tee shirts. About 50. Mix of S, M, L, XL, XXL. For the first run, I'd reckon only black, white and grey tees. With red, green and blue offered in the second run if there is one. BTW: The truck in the pic is Mr. Jim's. As it should be, seeing as it was he who founded NPORA. It'd be great if you could ask for a quote. Someone needs to make the printing happen or all the planning is for squat. I'm sure you don't want me to be getting these printed in Sydney and shipped overseas. It'd double the cost, per shirt. Thanks '54.

Marcel, For Xterras, check out Xterra Owners Club (XOC). It's a big board with links to about every Xterra club in North America. The membership includes folks from all over the world. Cheers, Mark

ROTFLMFAO You win Pezzy. (Nice truck BTW)

:oops: Psych...Fooled you. *grins, evilly* PS: I know that I'm a b@st@rd, but if it makes you feel better, you can remind me....

Yeah, no arguement from anybody there, I think. Silk-screen is better. I was only suggesting iron-on as a fallback in case 50 people wanted 50 different types of shirts...Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be happening.

I drive an R50. We got no manifold stud problems with R50s. With my prob, it was only at certain RPMs 'cuz it was only when I was accellerating a certain amount. Here's why: Y'know how the engine rocks slightly on it's mounts, toward the LHS when you apply the go-pedal? Well this torque-induced rock was bringing my LH Cat into contact with my crossmember. Hence the rattle. It was only at certain RPMs 'cuz when I wasn't accellerating hard enough, the cat wouldn't touch the crossmember and when I was accellerating hard, the cat was hard-up against the crossmember, not just vibrating against it. :o It's also worth trying a higher-octane gasoline and of course broken brackets, loose heat-shields etc are definitely worth checking out, also. -bounce- If all these things fail you, just try looking at your system and imagining what could touch what with some torque applied to the system. Worked for me. Good luck,

Horsepower is God. Tell everyone...

Why not just swap motors? My great frustration is that the VQ35 motor was never released in Oz. We only get the VG33 with auto for R50s. And no QX4. And no Xterra. I have a '96 and when it comes time to rebuild or replace my engine, I'm going to be looking at a VQ35 or a VG33 SC imported from the states. In the meantime, I'm thinking about turbocharging my VG33...

Congrats JRVANAS. Wish you all the best. With the wedding, too.*lol*