The Nissan Path

Background story:

I had actually traded my last R51 for an XTerra.
Wanted to get back to a longer wheelbase Nissan SUV that can support fast hiway driving better than the Xterra can while still having a more expeditionary character.

Due to its shorter wheelbase even with good springs and shocks an Xterra cannot keep up with a pathfinder.
But I am also keeping the Xterra since its otherwise awesome.

Since I already own a perfectly good Nissan SUV I could not easily justify buying a 2nd one.
So I figured I want something special.
Decided on a LE V8.
However in a multiweek search I struggled to find any.
When I finally moved back to the US late December the very few I found nearby were in poor condition.
Now I realize most V8s were made as 2008 model years and i realize any I buy will need money put into it to meet our NissanPath standards.
But I wanted one that was a good starting point Also I preferred one in grey (but other colors would have been ok too)
Also the few times one did pop up t seemed every time i called adealer they told me it had just been sold the day prior .. aargh.
So I was on the various car websites every single day.
So when I finally I found one pop up one morning, I contacted the dealer offered his asking price, booked a flight halfway across the country and showed up next day cash in hand and smile on my face.

This is actually a SE not an LE.
But it has all the packages so it has an LE level of equipment and cannot be easily told from an LE.

- Upgraded transfer case with additional auto feature
- Sunroof
- Bose Stereo
- Leather
- And in this case the V8

Drove it from Iowa to Virginia approx 1000 miles.
Over night with few stops from.
Picked up the vehicle at 5 pm.. bought some provisions at Walmart and hit the road at 6 pm.
Arrived in Virginia late the next morning.

The good:
- The exact color combo I wanted, Grey exterior over charcoal interior
- Sunroof works with no binding or slowness. Almost like new.
- Body is in excellent shape I'd say 9 out of 10. Only flaw is rear left bumper pushed in by approx .3-.5 inch
- Interior appears nearly showroom new. Some wear on drivers seat. A very very minor scratch on dash
- Has V8
- Headlight lenses are nice and clear.
- Every single button inside works.
- No check engine lights
- Brakes feel great

The bad
- Tires need replacing.. am even getting a thumb-thumb-thumb from the rea indicative of a tire disintegrating internally. Might as well do all 4
- Rear Springs weak. Will replace. Which Moog Springs part number did we form a consensus on? Do V8s get different factory springs than V6s? The higher listed payload seems to indicate that.. (shrug)
- Windshield washer fluid pump is out. getting it replaced.
-Windshield has a scratch in it. Its not deep + fairly light but it is not small. At least its out of my field of view.. have not yet decided to replace or not.

EDIT: see further down below in thread about the rusted out suspension)

Miscellaneous:

- No SMOD... but its the worst of the radiator part numbers.
getting it replaced on Tuesday (earliest date I could get)

The only non trivial cosmetic flaw:

Congrats on the purchase - she looks sharp!!
I might be partial but that's the best color combo on the R51s

If you go by Rockauto, the Moog 81119 spring was used in the rear of the V6/4x4 and in the V8/4x2. The V8/4x4 uses Moog 81117 and they have them for $124/set.

smj999smj wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 15, 2021 3:40 pm

If you go by Rockauto, the Moog 81119 spring was used in the rear of the V6/4x4 and in the V8/4x2. The V8/4x4 uses Moog 81117 and they have them for $124/set.

Thank you Sir!

Just ordered part # 8117

Still to do:
-New radiator.
It works fine but those who know Pathys know an early R51 with a factory Radiator, it must come out ASAP.
-Belts (no fraying but clearly not new)
-Rear shocks (Bilstein 4600)
-rear Springs (Moog)
-rear Brakes

Your Pathy looks fantastic and looks to be well taken cared of. Your posts are giving me dejavu. Good luck buddy!

So today it got:
new radiator (Griffin)
new belt (gates)
rear shocks did NOT come in in time for the work
New Moog rears
Rear brake pads.

It already drives soooo much better than before.
One of the old springs was actually broken!

Still to do:
Windshieldwasher fluid pump
Rear camera (just went out a few minutes ago!)
rear shocks
possibly new rear rotors from the sounds of it.

Rear camera fixed itself.

Engine runs so smooth even at idle...

KYB Gas-a-just shocks ordered for the rear.
They are on sale at only 39 bucks each at Tire rack.

Update;

Done since I got it:

- Radiator
- Windshield washer reservoir and pump
- 5 new Yoko Geolander AT (5th is the spare), This was the highest cost line item
- New rear brake pads
- New rear swaybar bushings
- Brake system bled
- New rear Springs
- New Hoses
- New serpentine belt.
- New headlight bulbs (Phillips 9007 Xtremevision)
- New Foglight bulbs (Phillips H11 Xtremevision); also foglights adjusted up a bit from the extremely low position they were in.
- New cabin air filter
- Replaced some missing fasteners for cladding under the hood.
- Oil Change (probably unnecessary)

Plugs got checked look "very good".
Brake lines look "good"
Battery was checked as "good" (though I am still suspicious of it.. the engine doesnt seem to start as fast as my VQ40de powered SUVs)
ATF seemed to look ok.

Still to do:

- rear shocks
- Check and if necessary replace, front and rear diff fluid, transfer case too if needed
- likely front shocks. Still trying to decide which ones to order. possibly a derusting of undercarriage (its not terrible but Id feel better if it was nicer)

silverarrow27 wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 19, 2021 6:15 pm

Your Pathy looks fantastic and looks to be well taken cared of. Your posts are giving me dejavu. Good luck buddy!

Thanks!!

Update:

The good:
Looks likely no cracked manifold after all. The culprit of the rasp appears to have been loose clamps.

The good and bad:
Needs new right rear wheel bearing. The good is that was almost certainly the cause of the thump-thump sound and not something possibly more costly (driveshaft, diff?)

Ordered approx $2000 of parts today to include the bearing. (this is with very careful price shopping and picking mid range parts at near wholesale pricing.).
These are almost ever single suspension part (not counting rear shocks which I purchased previously and are not yet in there yet as all the connecting parts were too badly rusted out to accept the shocks w/o issues and/or risk.)

Good news is, the frame seems solid.
When all is put together, should have essentially as-new handling and ride.

You know for the condition of the vehicle this is money well spent.

When I think about costs, I keep telling myself that if I went out and bought a Japanese V8 SUV, I'd be forking a lot of money.

The best thing about these trucks are their longevity The newest generation Frontier went pretty much unchanged, mechanically, so that means replacement parts will exist in the chain for at least the next decade at reasonable costs.

Congrats on the new purchase, the truck looks mint for that year. Well Done!