ChatWithaNinja Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Hello everyone, I'm new to the board, but not new to Pathfinders. I've ALWAYS been a fan of the pathfinders. I got a 199x one way back in 2000. It was a manual 2wd and was the family hauler for a couple of years. Loved that truck, but I had to sell it due to a traumatic occurrence of a mid-life crisis. Pic here of the truck: Then I got into small japanese turbo cars and never got back to a pathy. Last year I picked up a badass full size Jeep truck and realized I had forgotten the love for the pathfinder... Sold the Jeep and just picked up another 1994 pathfinder. It's pretty much the least desirable of the bunch. XE, Auto, 2wd. It needs some serious love, but that is how I roll. I'm a fixer upper. Right now the tenant at my rental property is putting a new timing belt on it. I should be getting it back tonight. We'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChatWithaNinja Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Something I forgot to mention: My plan is to become a pathfinder family. One for my wife (the gold one). One for me when I find the right one. HAS to be a manual, 4wd, dark color. Green, blue, charcoal, black... Hopefully I can find one with all the mods I want already on it. 31" tires, roof rack, brush guards or heavy duty steel bumpers, towing. Then after I get one for myself I'll be looking for a third one. 4wd, auto, black. The third one will become my wifes, and the gold one becomes my 16yr old daughters. But I'm keeping the Honda Magna motorcycle and the 86 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance dammit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 nice intro. Welcome to NPORA. It sounds like you have a nice plan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Welcome Ninja!! Haha, Pathys for everyone in the family would be awesome. Going to keep them all WD21s or are you going to throw a R50 in the mix?? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChatWithaNinja Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 I'm planning for them all to be WD21's. I just love the true truck-i-ness of that model I'm a PAW/WROL* prepper, so having a single platform for all of our vehicles provides for a lot of spare parts for the long term. With the WD21 Pathfinder, I could have a slightly lowered 2wd street cruiser for trips/commuting, a middle of the road 4x4 for camping and the secondary vehicle, and a super off-roader for more extreme outings or possibly a PAW getaway vehicle. Question: Should I forego the manual transmission and instead opt for an automatic? I'm torn between my love of a manual and the ability of an auto to make off-roading easier. How much easier is it to drive an automatic off-road? I should point out here that I am a hell of a good manual driver. I used to drag race a lot and can shift a manual FAST. *PAW:Post Apocalyptic Wasteland *WROL:Without Rule Of Law Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I agree with the Truckie-ness bit but with a R50 in the stable, I can say they have their place also and be quite competent off road with a little bit of updgrading. I'm not worried about parts though, in a SHTF scenario, there are so many pathies around here, parts will be easy. We'll be out of gas long before parts... As a PAW/WROL* prepper, you should have all one tranny type, and the 5speed is arguably more robust and allows compression starting. Still, if you put a filter and an aftermarket cooler on an auto (and change the fluid/drive reasonably) they can last quite a long time as well. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathybuilder Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Question: Should I forego the manual transmission and instead opt for an automatic? I'm torn between my love of a manual and the ability of an auto to make off-roading easier. How much easier is it to drive an automatic off-road? I should point out here that I am a hell of a good manual driver. I used to drag race a lot and can shift a manual FAST. Welcome, Truck looks nice, sounds like you have some big plans. In my opinion, if you're good at driving a manual transmission (which it sounds like you are), it's far superior to an automatic offroad, and isn't that hard either. I feel I have a lot more control driving standard. You'll get a lot of differing opinions here, or on any offroad forum however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChatWithaNinja Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Good point precise1. I didn't even think about the fact that even with 3 pathfinders, I'm splitting into 3 different transmissions... auto 2wd, auto 4wd and manual 4wd... DUH! But you are right about there being pathfinders aplenty. Precisely pathybuilder, I really do prefer the control of a manual over an automatic. The pathfinders automatic isnt as dead feeling as the new minivan we are returning, which seems to shift whenever it gets bored, but it is an automatic and therefore does the shifting for you, which I've never liked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I've learned around an automatic trans, but there are times I'd rather have a manual. Auto is less work, but it does stupid things, like upshift up when the wheels are slipping (not helpful in snow). The torque converter does make parking and easing over things easier (and stalling the engine more difficult), but yeah, in case of zombies, the ability to bump-start might be nice. If you know manual transmissions well, I'd say stick to what you're good at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowser Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I've had both an auto and manual in a Pathfinder. Manuals are for actually Driving. The Auto's don't count as driving. Sort of just like hanging on to the steering wheel and turning now and then. I have an auto now and I'm constantly thinking about finding a good Manual Donor. Although.... keep in mind I haven't driven mine in almost 3 years....... Kids are a Disease that suck the very essence of time out of you, and make you somehow feel good about it. It's a terrible affliction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I like the auto offroad becuase I know I would end up burning the crap out of the clutch if I had a manual. Although on the street I would rather a 5 speed because I get bored easily. Oh well, condition of the vehicle comes before what type of transmission it has IMO. I could have bought a 5 speed pathfinder a couple of years ago but it was rusty and abused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teixeira Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 It'll be good to see 3 Pathfinder's in the same house and funny, Pathy Family. Manual transmition is the best way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmoore4512 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Welcome friend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChatWithaNinja Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 Thanks for the welcomes everyone. I'm finding that the pathfinder I got wasn't worth what I paid for it. That's ok though because I do LOVE driving it. And I happen to be a serious fixer upper, so I'll be ok. Plus this will teach me a LOT and be ready for my next pathfinder purchase. Needs: Front left fender front seats stereo - done timing belt - done carpet (stinks) serious interior cleaning - anyone know the best way to clean a headliner? It looks like someone saw a ghost and tossed their coffee up on the headliner. It also smells like burning oil after driving it. Going to clean the engine and hopefully that will lessen or stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stalker Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 welcome.! hope to see ya around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 It also smells like burning oil after driving it. Going to clean the engine and hopefully that will lessen or stop. Snug up the valve covers, that often does the trick... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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