Alright boys, forgive me, for I have a rant

[MJ is dead]

So the past month has been...aggravating to say the least. My MJ can't seem to make an hour long road trip without failing me.

First it was the CPS, 6 miles from home

Then A fried Starter relay (still about 6 miles from home)

Then bad battery cables (50 miles from home)

4th of July weekend it was Death Wobble (80 miles from home)

Now....Pretty sure my Trans is on its way out.

 

I got to looking at my "fix-it List" and honestly, I'm ready to give up

 

-pretty much every seal needs replaced from rear diff to front diff. Everything leaks except the radiator

-Still need to swap out the valve cover to get rid of the blowby in my flilter

-Pretty sure i have Axle wrap or something funky with my driveshaft

-as mentioned, AW4 is acting really crappy.

-BOTH sets if tires the PO gave me are bald

-Wiper Motor (or bushings) are going out

-Cruise doesnt work, cuz the PO cut the wires

-AC is shot

 

thats just the mechanical junk

 

Needs floors

Needs new bedsides, and no one seems to make the nifty fiberglass ones for a LWB

needs rockers

needs bumpers

needs windshield trim

needs a grille

 

I dunno fellas, I know I'm in the right place for solving all these issues, but I need something I can count on. right now, this is more reliable to get me to work and back, let alone any trips outside of town.

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I was raised "buy american" but then i broke the rules once, and was instantly an Import guy. Sure they had their problems, but they were mostly reliable. I know I know, its 23 years old, expect this crap. but hey, I had a 1980 Datsun pickup that i never even changed the oil on, and it made the trip to Sturgis From Fort Collins with no problem. :P

 

I Found a Pathfinder thats really similar to the one I DD'd, Wheeled, and pretty much lived in when I was younger. Its only $1500. Maybe its time to back to Japan.

:fs2:

 

In the Nissan realm of the world, they'd shoot me if they knew I was now driving a "J-word" :rotfl2:

[Sir Sam]

you mean a pathfinder like this:

 

 

 

You could do a 300zx Twin turbo swap into it.

 

Just think, a pathfinder with 300 RWHP...........................

[MJ is dead]

Yes a Pathfinder like that. The 300zx swap is on a lot of peoples wish list, but IIRC there is WAY too many clearance issues to make it work. They are essentially the same block, but exhaust manifolds/intake/turbos just don't work so hot.

 

Mine wasn't SAS'ed, although THAT is a relatively easy swap, with suprisingly little fab work.

 

here's a crappy pic of my old one, minor lift sitting on 31's with 8x15 steelies, Handmade safari rack, light bars, and grillguard. as well as a pretty nice stereo, Trans cooler, Bigger air filter, and 360 degree lights. It was my baby

[Incommando]

If you are looking to assauge your quilt or justify your switch, you are the only one to be in a position to do that.

 

You are upset about things like bald tires when I fail to see how you could not notice them when you got them. :no: Is that rust brand new or did you buy it that way? See? Why whine now? :dunno: Buyers remorse for a decision you made without considering the true condition of the vehicle YOU bought?

 

Many vehicles have inherent deficiences, and Nissan has never had the rep, earned or hype, that Toy or Honda do.. If you think that imports do not have inherent issues, you are mistaken, and I predict that you will soon be on a 4runner forum posting "my 3.0 sucks oil like gas and has zero power.... P/O stuck me with bad birfields.."

 

I'd suggest mucho research on both the vehcile in general and the specific vehicle you are looking at before any purchase. You will be happier in the long run. Although I do appreciate your validation that import supporters are the true haters in my experience...

[WBKrazy]

sorry to hear about the mj woes.... if you do decide to go back to the dark side :rotf: , the old school pathfinders are pretty decent save for the ever present frame rot.. the vq30 is a really stout motor.. theyre cheap to lift to if you're on a budget.. crank the torsion bars and put dodge ram air shocks out back

[MJ is dead]

I have done my research on the pathfinder. I owned one for 5 years. There's very little about them I don't know. Before I joined CC, where do you think I was? A Pathfinder site just like this one.

 

As to your post about 4runners. The yota 3.0 disaster is NOT the Nissan 3.0. A nissan 3.0 is actually a really great engine.

 

You're right, I bought into these problems, because I needed a vehicle at the time. You're also right that these are partially my fault for either overlooking them or not worrying about them.

 

I won't say MJs as a whole are bad rigs. I've loved them from the first one I saw as a teenager. I'd say I just bought into a dump of an MJ, that I clearly overpaid for. But that's life.

 

We'll see what happens

 

Yes, the vq30 is a great motor. I do know about the cheapo lift, cuz well, I did it. Except using ZJ springs is more common, also replacing your UCAs is recommended. The frame rot is a common issue, but its fairly easy to access and check the common spots before signing the paperwork. Also the floor below the seats in the 90-95 likes to rot out, but nothing major. Easy fix after you drop the tank

 

See? I do know a thing or two. :thumbsup:

[1990 Pioneer 4x4]

Recently I’ve felt like giving up on my MJ a few times. But after owning it for 20 years and knowing all the trouble free miles it has provided me, I realized it’s now time to reinvest.

 

Let’s face it, those Japanese make a good, reliable product and if that’s what you’re looking for, ya can’t go wrong there either!

[87Warrior]

Hey, your truck sounds like mine. So I am tearing it down to the shell and rebuilding (see my build thread).

 

Most of the issues you posted are an easy fix that are fairly cheap to correct. These things can nickel and dime you if the PO(s) did not maintain it.

 

I won't try to steer you either way, but I love my Jeep(s).

[kyleag89]

Hey! You really need to buy a chain for your bike before you ride it anywhere.. :thumbsup:

[xjrev10]

Hey! You really need to buy a chain for your bike before you ride it anywhere.. :thumbsup:

must be downhill both ways to work

[jpdocdave]

sounds like your mj needs some serious work, but that doesn't mean an import is better. you have an mj in bad shape, that you don't feel is reliable. i'm on my 3rd xj, and drive my 90 mj more than my 96 xj. i've continued to buy these vehicles because they are extremely reliable. the only reason i ever sold an xj, was to buy another one, and the xj's i sold, were sold in good running condition with between 150 to 190k. (90, 91, and currently 96) in 10 yrs or so as a mechanic, i've never had a jeep come in on a hook. this doesn't mean they don't, it just means its more rare than other vehicles. my xj's, mj's, and yj's have never failed me.

 

imo, a well maintained mj/xj is one of the most reliable vehicles around.

[Automan2164]

imo, a well maintained mj/xj is one of the most reliable vehicles around.

 

:yes:

 

YES!!! I keep telling this to a certain "Younger member" who was looking for something reliable but ended up buying a 1990 DSM... :shake:

 

He knows now though.

Rob L. :D

[MJ is dead]

Oh don't worry, it has a chain now, that pic was just taken immediately after paint and assembly.

 

I know the 4.0 is a great platform, I'm just not so sure MY MJ is a great platform to start with, maybe it needs to join the other MJs in jeep heaven, or Pete's various parking spots lol

 

I'm just trying to weigh out the costs and benefits of fixing this, or buying a better basis for my DD project mobile. Not bashing MJs at all, just mine :P

[jpdocdave]

well, how much do you have into it? you should be able to sell a running pick up on CL for 700 bones. it does sound like you bought one that was just neglected for a decade or so. and most vehicles wouldn't even still be going after what thats been through.

[MJ is dead]

Well I bought the MJ for $1000. Around here anything 4wd, especially Jeeps, will generally go for that or much more, so i though i had a decent deal.

we'll figure about $200 in parts by now

 

Plus a ton more moolah to tackle my fixit list. I'm checking out that pathfinder in a few hours

[kro10000]

Taking a Pathfinder over an MJ :(

[freakjeep93]

are you gunna keep the mj. becasue if you get the pathfinder then you can still make yourself a nice mj

[kastein]

Hey, your truck sounds like mine. So I am tearing it down to the shell and rebuilding (see my build thread).

 

Most of the issues you posted are an easy fix that are fairly cheap to correct. These things can nickel and dime you if the PO(s) did not maintain it.

 

I won't try to steer you either way, but I love my Jeep(s).

X2.

 

My MJ is the "whipped till it died, patched till it limped then whipped again" sort, the PO was not big on maintenance. It's actually fairly reliable now, and was when I got it, just had to remember to start braking a few hundred feet early... I've been fixing everything that breaks and eventually I'm going to run out of things to fix.

 

Funny quote from my last encounter with johnny law, explaining my lack of an up to date inspection sticker - "so basically, you're building a car?" "yeah, you could say that..."

 

(this after rattling off a list of fairly major, expensive-if-you-pay-someone-else-to-do-it repairs, including the trans cooler lines, gas tank, all brake lines, all brake cylinders/calipers, front axle, balljoints, wheel bearings, brake booster and master cylinder...)

[Justin_k]

Here's the way I see it. Your truck is around 20 years old, stuff is going to start goinjg wrong. What's gonna stop a pathfinder from having the same problems? I bought a cherokee that had the $#!& beat outta it, then it was lifted, and then beat on again. I basically rebuilt it (other then powertrain you name it it's been fixed) Was it costly? Yes, but I now have a vehicle that will do me for another 20+ years, so in the long run it is a good investment.

[ComancheKrazy]

My MJ is the "whipped till it died, patched till it limped then whipped again" sort, the PO was not big on maintenance. It's actually fairly reliable now, and was when I got it, just had to remember to start braking a few hundred feet early... I've been fixing everything that breaks and eventually I'm going to run out of things to fix.

 

I've driven a few jeeps and it seems that their brakes aren't a quick to fully stop as other cars. They aren't horrible by any means, I've grown comfortable with my MJ's breaking habit. They bad thing is when I'm driving another vehicle. :rotf: Whenever I go to apply the brake, out of habit I break the same as I do in my jeep...lets just say I've about beat my brain silly by my forehead almost playing my steering wheel like a drumset. :doh: Not only that but people must think I'm crazy cuz I start to apply the break WAY before the stop sign. I love my jeep. :drool:

[kastein]

My MJ is the "whipped till it died, patched till it limped then whipped again" sort, the PO was not big on maintenance. It's actually fairly reliable now, and was when I got it, just had to remember to start braking a few hundred feet early... I've been fixing everything that breaks and eventually I'm going to run out of things to fix.

 

I've driven a few jeeps and it seems that their brakes aren't a quick to fully stop as other cars. They aren't horrible by any means, I've grown comfortable with my MJ's breaking habit. They bad thing is when I'm driving another vehicle. :rotf: Whenever I go to apply the brake, out of habit I break the same as I do in my jeep...lets just say I've about beat my brain silly by my forehead almost playing my steering wheel like a drumset. :doh: Not only that but people must think I'm crazy cuz I start to apply the break WAY before the stop sign. I love my jeep. :drool:

Yeah - the brakes in my 98 are actually pretty awesome. The 96's brakes were good till recently, not sure what happened, I might have to replace some more lines because it feels like they're full of air and that means a leak somewhere. The MJ had good brakes right after I finished replacing everything, but I hadn't learned about the special MJ bleeding procedure yet so I didn't do it, the good brakes lasted till the first time I bounced it around a dirt road and every time I do it, they get worse. So I think I just need to remember to re-bleed them at some point and they'll be back to usual.

 

First few times I stopped in the 98 I nearly did the same thing as you... it'd been sitting for 4 months when I bought it, so the drums and rotors were pretty rusty :rotf: nearly got whiplash, had to ride the brakes for a few minutes to scrape all the rust off.