1986 Nissan Hardbody Pickup Reviews - Page 5 of 9

I bought the truck in 2000 for 2 grand. On the test drive, the clutch went out. That was a sign saying don't buy me! After the owner replaced the clutch, we bought it.

Drove it for 40,000 miles. One day decided to go on a hunting trip, and was traveling up this hill, and the truck lost all of its performance. 30 miles from home; decided to drive it all the way there. The truck hardly idled, ran really rough. When we got home, 3 days worth of pulling the intake off and the exhaust manifold, and then the head to check if it was a head gasket. Came to see it was the number 3 piston; half of it was missing; I was running on three cylinders.

After that I decided to put a motor in for $2,300. 2,000 miles later the tranny went; there's another $2000.

OK, so after that is all said and done, electrical problems!! Went through 3 alternators in 4 months. Took it to a shop, and one of the wires on the plug that plugs into the back of the alternator was snipped. Had that soldered back together.

A couple days after everything was squared away, I had just got done adjusting the brakes, and was going to a party, and the driveway was steep down hill and gravel. My brakes locked up, and I slid right into a big tree, imprinting my license number on it. 300 dollars in body damage, and I was on my way again.

Now I'm trying to sell it. It's been through a lot, but I think it's time for someone else to take over the throne.

The muffler rusted off at 96K miles.

The fuel/air sensor broke off at 97,800 because the motor mount broke.

The clutch went a 97,800 (last two things happened on the same day).

The truck is very good on gas mileage and acceleration.

Has a lot of torque for a four cylinder.

Has a few problems, but a good vehicle overall.

Water Pump/Thermostat - Both the water pump and the thermostat needed to be replaced twice between 130000 and 160000 miles.

The radiator needed to be rebuilt at 185000 miles.

The clutch needed to be replaced at 185,000 and 220,000 miles.

The fan on the air conditioner/heater needed to be fixed at 160,000.

The engine started excessively (although not horrible) using oil around 180,000 miles.

The rotors needed to be replaced at 225,000.

The Wheel Shield (shield fitting over the wheel to protect it, when it cracked it caused that side of the car to slump down immediately on top of the wheel) cracked at 165,000 and 220,000 miles. One time it cracked when driving over an unseen pothole in an alley, the second time while going over a speed bump at about 35 mph.

The interior upholstery appeared worn at 165,000 miles, the seats began feeling less comfortable at 200,000 miles.

The top of the dashboard got a slight crack (probably from sun/heat) at 200,000 miles. The steering wheel became worn at about 165,000 miles.

I inherited this car from a family member at approximately 115,000 miles. That was 10 years ago and 110,000 miles ago.

The king cab, for its time, is phenomenal. Although it does not compare to the newer trucks with their 3rd door entry and full size seats, the pull down seats have been great, have been more than sufficient, and are reasonably comfortable. On more than one occasion the truck has been used to travel two adults and two full-size teenagers more than 500 miles - without any problems. The pull down seats easily accommodate an infant car seat.

The trucks engine has been great. Its V-6, although not as powerful as the newer V-6 engines, is quick and powerful enough to get you were you need to go as quickly as you want to get there.

The turning radius has never been great.

It definitely feels like a truck, not a comfortable SUV. But, then again, when I was younger, I loved the fact that it felt like a truck, and not a preppy comfortable SUV.

All of my friends love it and love that I still have it. My truck has personally moved more than 10 people from one residence to another.

The 4X4 has never let me down - in all my years of taking trips to the mountains for camping and/or skiing, I have never been required to put on chains - NEVER!!!. And, this includes trips to Lake Tahoe, Mammoth, Taos and many other places in between. I have driven through two near blizzards with the only problem being visibility - not the truck.