Daughter/ grandson looking at this for his first car. He is 17. Seller is my sisters FIL, but he is the 4th owner, swapped around between friends / family. since the original owner, older lady, went to a nursing home. I have not seen it, just photos.

Extended cab, XE trim, AC, Automatic, 2 wheel drive, 108k miles. $4,000.
Any particular issues with these to look for.

Kid blew his 3k savings on an old lifted chevy that has too many problems for him to fix or drive. His idiot dad let him buy it he probably will have to sell it at a loss... lesson learned I hope. He is a good kid, earned the cash this summer working for a small company installing farm fencing. I may have to make up the difference for him.

Those years had the venerable KA24DE engine, as bullet-proof an engine as they come. IF you maintain it, keep oil in it, etc. Cast iron block.
Takes a turbocharger well, but don't tell your grandson that. ;-)
The fuel injectors Nissan used in the '90s would occasionally go dead, but it's not a very common occurence. It takes 10 minutes to replace them on a KA24DE.
If it's been maintained...go for it.

Bought my daughter a 2004 Frontier with 190000 on it and it has been rock solid. As long as it was cared for I would not stress. She is up to 212000 and has only had a issue with the tail gate latch, that is a 5 min fix when it happens

Positive input. Thanks. It sounds like need to arrange to go see it...

Had a 2004 Frontier XE 4WD in Maui, put a lot of miles on it. Needed timing belt and water pump; otherwise solid.

Sold a 2005 with 252k (mostly highway) on it last year for 3k. Needed camshaft position sensors and is still going.

The only issue I see is asking 4k for a 19 year old vehicle. Might be worth looking uo book value.

The miles aren't scary to me, but for years, anything with less than 150K was all I could afford.

Pretty sure Mars has one with a bunch of miles and I seem to remember him being very complimentary of it.

If I could find one like that I’d damn sure buy it. I think $4000 is reasonable, too.

I had an 86 and a 92 and a 98, like the 99 you are looking at. All went over 300k sometimes going 6k-7k between oil changes. They are very tough trucks but not as well made as the older ones from the 80’s and the Hardbody trucks from the 90’s.

One thing I can tell you about the 98 I owned, I drove it for probably over two years with zero compression in one of the cylinders. The local dealer said no compression in the #4 cylinder at all so I should probably just junk it. I commuted 140 miles round trip every day for years after that! About the only thing that could stop it was those cheap Auto Zone alternators. They usually lasted only 1.5-2 years. Pretty much any decent shop can get one and install it in no time.

That truck should have another 200k miles in it. If it’s got those cheap ass Chinese tires on it, I’d talk the owner down a bit on the price. It will try to spin out with those crappy hard tires on them. Make sure it has a jack with tool bag behind the seat and spare tire. He will go all over the place in that thing if he gets it.

Bought a ‘99 new. It was a great truck. If that is a green color, it is the same as mine was, Timber Frost.

I drive a 2016 Frontier now.

quote:

Originally posted by ffips:

The only issue I see is asking 4k for a 19 year old vehicle. Might be worth looking uo book value.

Yea, looked it up.
KBB, private sale, good condition... he is within the price range...
He gave 4k for it from another family member. Drove it a little while, not sure how long he had it but he has a 2 or 3 year old full size truck he bought new.
Only thing he has done to it is put a new headliner in it. He is just wanting his 4k back they said.

Uggg, grandson says it's not "cool" enough and too small. He sent me info on a 1982 GMC full size 140k miles, 350 Automatic. at $5,000. just up the road form his house. ~Twice as old! Brand new chrome rims and tires and new paint... sounds like he is trying to flip it. I warned him about the rust on those.

Mine has 300k with no real issues.

108k miles is nothing, but that age, replace the belts and hoses.

That is a "can't kill it" truck. I see a fair number of that generation still running, some with 200,000 miles or more. But be sure it isn't rusted underneath. Check the frame and the steel brake lines under the bed. Tennessee isn't a state we normally associate with the "rust belt," but I am pleasantly surprised when a vehicle isn't rusted, or maybe it did come from a "rust belt" state.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

quote:

Originally posted by VictimNoMore:
Those years had the venerable KA24DE engine, as bullet-proof an engine as they come.

Heck, yes!

Just 108k? I'd buy it in a quick second!!

“Not cool enough”?

I’m only a little more than a decade older than the young fellow... anything is cooler than walking.

It’s what is INSIDE the vehicle that matters, if he wants to attract some cute young things.

I’d let the lad buy another “cool” truck with his own money. After two or three disasterous purchases, he may figure out that Gramps knows a little more than he currently gives him credit for.

A $5000 truck with new paint, wheels and tires could be a complete POS mechanically, because the “upgrades” probably cost at least half of what they want for the truck. (Unless the seller painted it with house paint using a broom) And all of the upgrades may well conceal underlying damage or wear to various components (suspension and steering gear wear, brake problems, rust, etc). I’d much rather buy one that hasn’t been gussied up, so I can see what I’m getting.

My nephew had a 1982 SWB 4x4 chevy truck in 1994.

We called it the submarine because he sunk so much money into it and it still was a piece of shit.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I’d let the lad buy another “cool” truck with his own money. After two or three disasterous purchases, he may figure out that Gramps knows a little more than he currently gives him credit for.

Buy the Nissan for yourself, cparktd, and use it as a lesson for the grandson. After he goes through three more POS trucks (on his own money), show him your old Nissan, still chugging happily along.

I had a 2000 crew cab that was rock solid would still be driving it today if I had not wrecked it.

$4K seems good given those miles.

HK Ag

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:

Buy the Nissan for yourself, cparktd,

I may just do that!
Discussed it with the wife, she has been wanting something better on gas and to run around in. She has a '06 GMC Envoy XL now thats using oil at almost 200k. 16 to 18 MPG.

I'm in the process of arranging to go see it.
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I know ya'll don't care but if you are bored or curious....
I, found out the chain of ownership. All in the family!

owner "A". Lady bought new and drove roughly ~6k a year until a ~couple years ago when she had to go to nursing home.

owner "B" Her Nephew. Bought it to keep from putting so many miles on his brand new "big" pickup. He drove it maybe a year and sold it... decided he wanted to buy a boat instead.

owner "c" current owner, is the half brother of owner "A" expired husband. owner "C" is my sister's FIL. He bought it just this year.

Now... he had a New Nissan truck but developed lung cancer so his his wife (wheelchair bound) suggested he sell it to save money on insurance and tags etc, he hardly used it and they had a nice van to drive.

BUT, he was a life long pickup owner and hated driving the big van and having to haul off garbage in it etc... SO he bought the '99 from the nephew. Unfortunately, his cancer treatments didn't go well and he hasn't long to live. He said they might as well go ahead and sell it.