To WD21 or not to WD21?

[TheCrow]

I am considering to buy a used low budget vehicle ( withing 5000 usd ) to be used each time I visit home instead of shipping one of our cars every vacation .

 

The vehicle is most probably going to idle for long periods and be used only during our vacation back home or partially by family members .

 

I am considering a 4 doors WD21 automatic since it will be used by my wife as well .

 

My questions are :

 

1. Is it a good daily driver ?

2. Driven on mountain roads ( hills ) do I have to drive on the slow lane ? is difficult to overtake with the WD21 ?

3. Is it noisy inside the cabin when driving on high way ?

4. Are there any specific points I should be focusing on when inspecting the car apart from the usual ones , anything specific to the WD21 ?

5. Are there any known or common problems related to the WD21 I should be taking into consideration ?

 

Thanks

 

Shebl

Edited June 28, 2010 by TheCrow

[Precise1]

Well, I'm not sure what you are used to, but yes, many of us drive WD21s daily.

 

1) Not the best for gas mileage but hard to best for over all reliability and ability.

2) Revving it should work fine, but you won't be passing car at 75 mph at will.

3) Some wind noise but not bad. Street tires and sock/quiet exhaust will be the biggest noise factors.

4) http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=20670

5) http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=19042

 

Just buy one and get a taste of how it all started...

 

B

[nunya]

Hunting around here it would seem the main killers of wd21s would be (in no particular order):

1. frame rot (which welder access can fix)

$. transmission(autos, helped by external cooler)

j. timing belt failure/lack of maintnance

backwards r. antique the pigeon

7. accident/toatled

 

check for regular rot, get some maintnance records, and do a little preventive maintnance and realize just why there are still so many wd21s around here!

[GrimGreg]

As for it sitting, just throw some fuel stabilizer in the tank and it should stay OK.

[OldSlowReliable]

I love my wd21 and I wouldn't get rid of it for anything.

 

BUT..

 

as the years go on its increasingly difficult to find a worry-free truck..they are DD able, but that depends on what you're doing while DD....they serve as a combo of trail rig/DD much better..

 

 

Personally, I'd find a cheaper r50 w/the larger engine, especially if you're looking to do alot of highway with the family...

 

it really depends on what your definition of DD is

[tmoore4512]

1. Is it a good daily driver ?

2. Driven on mountain roads ( hills ) do I have to drive on the slow lane ? is difficult to overtake with the WD21 ?

3. Is it noisy inside the cabin when driving on high way ?

4. Are there any specific points I should be focusing on when inspecting the car apart from the usual ones , anything specific to the WD21 ?

5. Are there any known or common problems related to the WD21 I should be taking into consideration ?

 

1. Mine is a daily driver...and is awesome. I love it, and would buy again if I needed to.

2. Yea, you will be in the slow lane. Not unless you dump some serious money into the engine to make it cool like OSR, My1path and Precise. LOL

3. It is VERY noisy inside my truck. Window and door seals are wore out, and Nissan wants my left leg and right kidney to replace them. Yes they can be had aftermarket, I just have not had the unction to take care of it...But With the combo of the seals being replaced and insulating with dynamat or some roofing material...I hear it quietens down a lot!

4. RUST. Frame rot. Oil leaks. Look, taste, smell the transmission fluid. Ask about maint records.

5. The only problem I know of with mine is me. I cannot stop messing around with it. So, if you find a good used one, and dont plan on jacking around with it (too much), you should be golden!

 

(The answers here apply to my WD21, so take it with a grain of...insert whatever spice you prefer.)

 

Good luck!

[silverton]

5,000 is definitely not low budget in my book! Shoot, I bought my truck for $725, and paid $1500 to get the transmission swapped.

 

1. Is it a good daily driver ? I like mine, but would like better gas mileage of course, I get 14-18mpg

2. Driven on mountain roads ( hills ) do I have to drive on the slow lane ? Nope is difficult to overtake with the WD21 ? I overtake with my rig all the time, it doesn't have a problem going fast. Which I find odd, because the most common complaint I hear is about their trucks being slow

3. Is it noisy inside the cabin when driving on high way ? I bought mine with torn shifter boots, once I got those replaced it's almost quieter inside the truck than my mothers '01 hyundai santafe

4. Are there any specific points I should be focusing on when inspecting the car apart from the usual ones , anything specific to the WD21 ? B already has you covered there, paying in upwards of 5k for a wd21 you should find one that's fully functional and rust free, depending on what part of the country your family lives in. Being an automatic, replace the built in cooler ASAP!

5. Are there any known or common problems related to the WD21 I should be taking into consideration ? B also covered you here with a link

[adamzan]

Well I don't think he will have to worry about rust judging where he is from. As for reliability these things are amazing I hop in mine and drive it on 5 hour+ trips all the time without even thinking about it.

[nismothunder]

Get a 94-95 model...you'll like it,newer style dash and stuff,t-belt have 105k change interviles.There dependable,I drove mine 60-80 miles a day for 30k and never had a problem from the engine/tranny(other then maintance)

[ANDY]

1. Is it a good daily driver ?

2. Driven on mountain roads ( hills ) do I have to drive on the slow lane ? is difficult to overtake with the WD21 ?

3. Is it noisy inside the cabin when driving on high way ?

4. Are there any specific points I should be focusing on when inspecting the car apart from the usual ones , anything specific to the WD21 ?

5. Are there any known or common problems related to the WD21 I should be taking into consideration ?

 

1. Mine is a daily driver...and is awesome. I love it, and would buy again if I needed to.

2. Yea, you will be in the slow lane. Not unless you dump some serious money into the engine to make it cool like OSR, My1path and Precise. LOL

3. It is VERY noisy inside my truck. Window and door seals are wore out, and Nissan wants my left leg and right kidney to replace them. Yes they can be had aftermarket, I just have not had the unction to take care of it...But With the combo of the seals being replaced and insulating with dynamat or some roofing material...I hear it quietens down a lot!

4. RUST. Frame rot. Oil leaks. Look, taste, smell the transmission fluid. Ask about maint records.

5. The only problem I know of with mine is me. I cannot stop messing around with it. So, if you find a good used one, and dont plan on jacking around with it (too much), you should be golden!

 

(The answers here apply to my WD21, so take it with a grain of...insert whatever spice you prefer.)

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

tell me how atf taste lol but very true

[tmoore4512]

Sorry guys, my post was a bit negative...(just read what I wrote.)

 

These trucks are solid. Dependable, and fast if you like to clean out toenails from the injectors...and stop at every gas station. LOL.

 

And ATF is very oily and man, you CANNOT get it out of your mouth (or so you will think!). I brushed my teeth several times, and used mouth wash...(the knockoff walmart kind)

 

An hour or so later, I still had a faint taste...haha

[nunya]

tell me how atf taste lol but very true

 

not as good as coolant, better than 89 grade gas (I prefer 87, little less burn taste ) bout the same texture as oil-depending on how due it is for a change, gear lube plain sux, DOT3 brake fluid is kinda tasteless..

[OldSlowReliable]

My ATF looks like coke, does that make it taste better?

[silverton]

My ATF looks like coke, does that make it taste better?

 

only if it's bubbly with carbonation!

[DavefromOZ]

not as good as coolant, better than 89 grade gas (I prefer 87, little less burn taste ) bout the same texture as oil-depending on how due it is for a change, gear lube plain sux, DOT3 brake fluid is kinda tasteless..

Somehow I believe you have actually experienced every one of these too.

[JamesRich]

not as good as coolant, better than 89 grade gas (I prefer 87, little less burn taste ) bout the same texture as oil-depending on how due it is for a change, gear lube plain sux, DOT3 brake fluid is kinda tasteless..

And I thought I had tasted too many fluids! Leave it to a wrecker driver, do you guys have blind folded taste contest of name that fluid?

My favorite is diesel, it's the easiest to wash out. I never tasted brake fluid!

James

[tmoore4512]

Man oh man, how this thread went south!!! LOL

[Precise1]

Back to the subject please...

 

 

 

 

 

 

(LOL@Nunya and crew)

 

B

[adamzan]

My ATF looks like coke, does that make it taste better?

Your ATF is burnt then.

[Manifesto]

Your ATF is burnt then.

nah, it's all a matter of opinion

 

I like my steaks medium rare, while my mom likes hers well done

I say her steak is burnt

she says its perfect

 

ATF that looks like used diesel oil is fine if it tastes good to you

personally, I like the stuff that looks like cherry kool-aid

I think your truck would like it better too

 

 

 

 

anyway, BACK ON TOPIC

I once had an R50 (a 2000 Pathfinder SE)

... it died...

my WD21 seems way more solid, even with the rust XD

for $5000 I'm sure you could find a newer style in good condition with more power and more luxuries for the family that's nicer to drive on roads

but if you plan on abusing it off road at all, the older WD21 is the way to go <--- rock solid trucks

[TheCrow]

[TheCrow]

Thank you all for your opinions and comments .

 

I realize there is going to be 10years plus of age difference between my R50 and the intended to be bought WD21 so I am not putting high expectations on it as DD compared to our current vehicles , but my main concern is to have a car to that would take us trips without complains and take me to the mountains that I long for every time I visit home.

 

What I heard from your feedback is well noted thank you for your opinions and feedback

I made notes to check specifically apart from the general check up for the :

Exhaust manifold

Tranny

Timing belt

Rust is not famous in Lebanon on cars but will take it to consideration

 

The intend of use is : On road 60% off road 40%

DD means to me around 100 to 150 km a day a combination of

20 % hilly roads

30% high ways

10 % traffic jam

40 % city driving

 

Offroad means rocks , dirt , ruts , snow and everything else that comes upthere in the mountains

 

I am still encouraged to go for a WD21 specially with the strong support for it on this forum and the mods I have in mind for it

 

I wish I could find it for cheaper but here in this region you cant find a working 4x4 for less than this price that it why I am saying low budget .

At 5000 usd it would still make more commercial sense then renting a car or shipping my own for the vacation , plus the value of 5000$ would not be decreasing in a significant way any longer.

 

So if all goes well I should be a WD21 member as well in 10 days

[Precise1]

Good luck with the shopping. I'm sure you know what you are doing, but don't be afraid to walk away if it doesn't seem like a good deal, or at least sleep on it.

 

B

[TheCrow]

Good luck with the shopping. I'm sure you know what you are doing, but don't be afraid to walk away if it doesn't seem like a good deal, or at least sleep on it.

 

B

 

Exactly

[TheCrow]

I have searched many WD21s during my vacation and none of them came in my 5000 budget , they were all around 6000 to 7000 USD .

 

When my eyes saw a1998 4Runner limited to a price close to the WD21’s I went for the 4runner with the 3.4 liters engine it is a better choice when having to driver on hilly roads and rides more comfortably on the road and have good off-road capability with the factory rear lock though it has a long wheel base

 

Yet I am still impressed by the WD21 though they are overpriced , there is a something about these trucks that attracts me but I have to stop thinking about it for a while or