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Considering 1st Gen Frontier

721 views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  Bosgarage57 
#1 ·
Hello everyone! I currently drive an 01 Ram 1500 extended cab, but recently sold my 21' boat. I'm looking for a smaller crew cab truck now since I don't need such a big truck, and hopefully for better MPG.

I'll still need to be able to haul jet ski's and a rzr 800 with trailer, im thinking a 1st gen frontier would be able to haul it just fine. Got an appointment to look at one this afternoon, but it is a manual and the dealer is asking $8k for it. depending on mileage and accessories we will see.

Anything in particular I should be looking out for in the 1st gen trucks?
 
#2 ·
IFF 3.3 V6, then timing belt change schedule is every 105k miles.
 
#6 ·
1st generation are great trucks. Depends on your part of the country, but rust is most important thing to check.
 
#8 · (Edited)
For reference, i'm not sure where your located at but I picked up a 04 XE CC long bed with 180k for $3k at a dealer just last week in NJ. It needed a complete tuneup including timing belt and all the fluids changed. It needed a new muffler new rear bumper, and shocks all around. It also has some surface rust on the frame, but the bed is solid. I think i'm about $800 in for maintenance and cosmetics including eastwood rust encapsulator which I plan on using for the frame.

As for recommendations I would check under the bed if it has a liner. Most of the high mileage trucks I found in my area had the beds rotted completely out and the owners not even knowing because the liner was hiding the damage. I also found the timing belt to be much easier to do than doing the valve cover gaskets. Taking that intake manifold off really sucks.
 
#9 ·
Thank you for your input. I did read up about your adventure as well :) . I am in East TN so rust shouldn't be a huge issue, but I will check everything. We don't have a lot of rust issues down south like you guys do up north. I have a mechanic that should be able to work on it, doing the belt and other maintenance. Have you hauled anything with it yet? I would be hauling a RZR 800 on an 8x6 trailer. Probably not more than 2500 pounds so im thinking the frontier will be fine.
 
#10 ·
I have not tried yet, Today was the first day I got it back on the road after driving it home. I wanted to get all the maintenance done before I drove it because the timing belt was a big wildcard. In terms of hauling I'm sure it will do just fine on flat land. I'm coming from a 04 Titan so its quite a bit of difference, but I really only need my truck for the occasional homedepot/dump run, and a few jobsite visits in the city here and there so the lack of power should be fine for me. I do plan on installing a hitch one day as I occasionally dream about some project car deals that I would like to be able to tow home one day, but its a good chance my wife will never let that happen lol.
 
#11 ·
Gottcha, same here, coming from a Ram 1500, but I hate the 10mpg. Hoping the frontier would be better. I only tow it maybe twice a year, and there are pretty big hills around here, just have to not use OD and take my time. The truck im looking at already has the trailer hitch which is a plus.
 
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