1st Gen "Taco" on the "Frontier"!

[vintageracer]

I believe we can all agree that that the later 1st Generation Toyota Tacoma's are a great platform to build a smaller and compact Expedition vehicle as there are LOT'S of suppliers of aftermarket, off-road and expedition equipment for these trucks.

Having said all that "I" rarely see anyone building the 1st Generation Nissan Frontier trucks into expedition off-road trucks.

I have my own guess's as to why however I would like to hear the real reasons from some seasoned pro's.

So my question is WHY are there so few late 1st Generation Nissan Frontier truck builds????

 

[Nd4SpdSe]

Maybe because of the limit on aftermarket? Could also be Toyota's reputation for being extremely reliable, so if you're going out away from civilisation, you want one of the most reliable rigs you can get. The Frontier is a great truck and the D22 is a solid platform that's an evolution from the old Hardbody trucks (and Pathfinder). Maybe it's just the mentality of the buyers of the market. If you're not in a Toyota, you're not with the cool kids.

 

[Dmski]

I find it odd as well because in the rest of the world, the D22 Navara is widely popular. But the Tacoma has the lions share of the market and user base which is why there is more aftermarket, parts, and trucks in general across the world. I'm a Nissan fanboy, but it was more out of price than anything because to get into a similar Toyota vehicle I feel you pay way more for what is essentially a similar truck.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

I can shed some light on this I think, as a former D22 owner. The first gen Frontier we get here has a few pitfalls that the Toyota does not have.

First among which is the aftermarket support, as mentioned. Calling it "limited" is being extremely generous. It's more or less nonexistent. Beyond that, a lot of the parts we can get are of lesser quality and less refined than the Toyota options. There's very few options for mods, whereas the Taco has a huge, almost unlimited aftermarket. So, from an overlander's perspective, that makes it difficult to work with.

Second is the very reliable, but very slow and very thirsty VG33E. Yep, it's nearly impossible to break and will likely go 500,000 miles with only regular timing belt changes, but they're slow and incredibly inefficient. You'd rarely see above 17 or 18 highway mpg in the stock configuration, versus the Toyota 3.4 trucks getting better fuel efficiency. It's a good engine, but it's thirsty. Couple that with the smaller tank, and you run into range issues when you start adding weight, bigger tires, or roof racks.

Another possibility is the interior. I was always annoyed that there were no storage spaces in mine. It was like it was tailor-made to drive you nuts. Tiny glovebox, minuscule center console, ridiculous door pockets. That was always annoying. I never felt like I had anywhere to put anything.

That's my theory. They're really good little trucks, especially for a daily beater or runabout truck. But for long range travel, they have a few limitations. That all being said, I love them to death and I think they're great. The price over a comparable Tacoma alone is worth the look. My friend just bought one, and it's the best little truck. 1998, 4cyl, 5 speed, 4x4. Gets amazing mileage, and is the perfect little truck for doing little truck things. Plus apparently we bought it fresh out of a time capsule, because it had 63,500 miles on it. Yep, you read right. Only $5k for essentially new truck.

 

[kootenay]

Toyota's have a certain cult following. When buying new, they are crazy expensive. This does lead to higher resale values and perceived quality. People naturally want to think they got something better because they paid more.
Toyota's are awesome vehicles, however they are not without their pitfalls. Keep in mind that the Tacoma is not a Hilux. Look into the massive frame rot issues they have if you are looking at anything 2005-2010. The first gens are a good option as they do not rust away as badly. http://autoweek.com/article/recalls/toyota-will-settle-truck-frame-rust-suit-suit-34-billion As Wreckdiver said the D22 is great platform as well, they had some issues of their own like the nock sensors and cracking manifolds. And the fuel economy is not be ignored. To me, you could pick up a good 1st gen Frontier and refresh a lot of parts for the price of 1st gen tacoma with twice the miles.
On a recent trip I went on, I was the only non Toyota in the group. Talking with the guys around the campfire each night, the aftermarket for the Toyota's is staggering. Where with the Nissan we do not have that luxury. But if you can build a few things yourself or do your research you should be able to build a capable rig for Overlanding out of either. Ultimately I would look at and test drive both. When I bought my Frontier I was pretty set on a Tacoma and before that the GMC Canyon, neither of which ended up doing anything for me. Now every day I see my truck in the drive way I smile, and most days I giggle or jump with excitement. This Frontier just does something for me.
3-10 - Ascent by David Wakely, on Flickr
A picture of me in the line of Toyotas. If you look close you can see a few generations of Tacoma in the pic.
A quick look on the Nashville auto trader does show that you can pick a Frontier for around $5k less then a comparable Tacoma. That and some of the early D40 or 2005+ Frontiers could be had for the same price

 

[E.J.]

This vid got uploaded yesterday, funny timing. I have to admit that I like the form factor of the D22 but I'm glad I have a D40. Too bad we didn't get 2.5TD D22's here in the states though.

 

[paulforeman]

So my question is WHY are there so few late 1st Generation Nissan Frontier truck builds????

Somehow just stumbled about this post, and I realize it's quite an old thread. BUT, if anyone is still curious...

I bought my 2000 Frontier in 2016. Dealer maintained, 160k miles, 5 speed, V6, 4x4, 4-door, short bed, 2 owner (basically 1 owner), for $5000 I think.

I bought the truck partially for a reliable, fun vehicle, and partially as a work truck at the time (the company I worked for at the time only supplied us with 2wd trucks. And I live in Colorado... Yeah, winters were bad and I wanted a 4x4 anways).

I have a few theories - I saw these trucks beat to pieces on job sites all the time. Rarely saw beat up Toyotas though. Why? The msrp on the Frontier vs Tacoma was actually pretty comparable. But by year, Nissan continued to sell only about 1/4 as many Frontiers as Toyota sold Tacomas. So from the beginning, there were a lot less of them being used for 4x4 and adventure, simply because there were so few of them to begin with. Simple supply and demand problem. Small market, small demand. So not many companies made parts because not many people wanted them. (Again, this is my conjecture based on stats).

Since the Tacoma was more popular, it's resale is and was more popular too, making them too expensive to end up in the hands of people who wanted a work truck to beat on (I was one of those people who couldn't afford a Tacoma - but I also take care of my stuff). Frontiers went the other way - unpopular to begin with, even less popular with resale, driving price down, meaning a lot of them have been used and abused to the point that they're nearly extinct because the resale on them makes them more prone to being totaled and disposed of. They don't hold their value.

Anyways, I love my 2000 Frontier. No platform is perfect, so I don't mind some of the so-called "pitfalls" - that's part of building any rig. Different hurdles for different rigs.

That said, I think the truck is actually a great platform for what I do. I have 4.36:1 diff gears from the factory. It's also nearly a 9" ring gear in the rear. I see Tacoma guys wreck diffs all the time. I've put mine through a lot and it's still tight and solid. So it's a super sturdy, well geared rear end, something most Tacoma owners are "upgrading" too, since a lot of them were 3.55:1 or something like that. The average owner takes a hit on mpg owning a Frontier with lower diff gears (as mentioned before), but the owners wanting to use them for 4x4 didn't need to upgrade gears. Paired with a solid frame, and very reliable engines (again, not perfect, but a good strong starting place for 4x4 use). The trucks also had some cool goodies like LSD rear diff (mine still kinda works with 280k miles on it) and factory leaf spring mount skids.

Now adays, they're so uncommonly used off-road, it isn't financial feasible for a lot of companies to make parts for them. No customer base (that's a fact, not conjecture). Add in the fact that the average consumer wants bolt on mods, means most people don't want to have to cut/drill/weld everything from scratch with no instructions and nobody who has done it before. Being in the Nissan world still, everyone I've met who still runs 1st gen Frontier or Xterra has done a ton of custom work. I've know guys running, for example, a 2002 Frontier with completely custom SAS, 38" tires, hydro assist steering; 2000 Xterra with lockers, low range transfer case gears, and a custom, turbo setup built from scratch using some 300ZX parts, including ECU harness split/mesh with the factory Xterra harness, water-meth injection, etc; and a 2001 custom SAS'd Xterra running 35's, custom self-built skids/sliders/bumpers. It is definitely an uphill battle for us to be in the offroad game - I guess we enjoy the challenge (none of this meant to bash on, nor assume Toyota/Jeep/etc owners can't do this stuff - seen a lot of awesome custom XJ/Wrangler/Tacoma/4Runner/LC builds as well - it's just not MANDATORY for those those guys like it is for us).

Anyways, there's a few more thoughts on the matter, FWIW. You can check out my build if you want - I'm keeping it going on here.

 

[strongtea]

I owned a 2000 CC 4x4 frontier as well. Lifted on 33’s its an incredibly inexpensive and capable entry in off-roading and overlanding. In my opinion it was the last of the truly compact trucks. I loved the size and form factor of that little guy. It could fit anywhere and carry as much as you wanted.

Unfortunately Nissan’s aftermarket sucks and if you’re not about the custom work and figuring it yourself you will be in for a surprise. The fairly anemic VG33 is what made me look for greener pastures, but that drivetrain would go forever at a gas guzzling snails pace if you let it. Super reliable, easy to work on (except that #6 spark plug) and fun little truck. I would totally buy one for a kid(Or me) to bang around in and experiment with (maybe drop a small crate turbo diesel in it?).

Sold mine for Jeep, regretted it. Bought an Xterra. Long live Nissan.

 

[roving1]

I was looking at Nissans for a bit when looking for my first gen Taco. Besides some of the other reasons mentioned the trucks I went and looked at were all just thrashed.

Half were in Mexico where these are basically commercial vehicles there so I get it but even in the states there were so few clean well cared for examples. Maybe because their value is less there is less of a baby it and take care of it forever scene. I don't know.

 

[beef tits]

I believe we can all agree that that the later 1st Generation Toyota Tacoma's are a great platform to build a smaller and compact Expedition vehicle as there are LOT'S of suppliers of aftermarket, off-road and expedition equipment for these trucks.

Having said all that "I" rarely see anyone building the 1st Generation Nissan Frontier trucks into expedition off-road trucks.

I have my own guess's as to why however I would like to hear the real reasons from some seasoned pro's.

So my question is WHY are there so few late 1st Generation Nissan Frontier truck builds????

Stumbling in here as well, for future readers who want a some real first hand experience.

I would not build another Frontier because they are less reliable and harder to find parts for, technology was old for it's time compared to the Taco (SOHC motor vs Toyota's DOHC, distributor ignition vs Toyota's coil packs). Those old Tacos are slow, and the Frontiers are even slower. MPG is less, as is resale value. TRD Taco could be had with a rear locker, the "off road" Frontier had LSD. I'd say simply based on the locker, stock for stock the Taco is better off road.

I had a 2001 Frontier "off road" 4 door, short bed, 80k miles on it. Manual trans. Only redeeming quality, at the time, was that I could get 4 doors with a manual (not available in a Tacoma). It was also way cheaper than a used Taco at the time. I paid like $8k? At the time a similar mileage Taco was $12-13k

Frankly, this truck was one of the worst vehicles I ever owned. (Only my F250 7.3 was worse) The Nissan had constant problems with the distributor, the truck would start to run like crap, then die on the side of the road like once per month. I must have put 13 or 14 distributors in that thing and always carried a new spare on me along with a timing light. Got fast at it after a while. The part was no longer available new from Nissan so it was aftermarket only. Tried every brand with the same result. My best guess is that dust was getting under the cap and blocking up the cam position sensor, visible dust was present beneath the cap every time I changed it out. When I put electrical tape around the cap "seal" They would last longer. Could I have siliconed it shut? Yes, but that is a janky fix for a bad design. It has been a while since I beat that problem to death, but as I recall the cam sensor was "optical" and built into a distributor cap. This is just a cheap, bad design.

Catalytic converters? Also a bad design. Those should not go out at 80k miles.

Here is mine. Eaton rear locker, 31x10.5s, Calmini front bumper/rock sliders, Warn M8000 winch and some other crap I forget I wasted money on. I sold this truck at a huge loss because it would never go more than a month between breakdowns. I bought the Frontier because it was cheaper than a Taco and ended up losing money in the long run.

To be fair, the tiny 4' bed was also a huge reason I sold. Tacos aren't any better in that regard.

My lesson learned? Just pony up and pay the Toyota Tax.