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Date Posted: 22:40:12 05/08/10 Sat
Author: -S.
Subject: Durasteel ® again (This cracks me up.)

OK, so here's the story....

I had just gotten back into the biz when the Cash for Clunkers program came out. I had an old van that wasn't worth anything except maybe for scrap which I could trade in and get $4,500 for. (Thank you, Mr. Obama. You rock.) *IF* I bought a new car and not a used one.

I have always been able to buy used cars for wholesale, but anyone can buy a new car for what an employee can- so there is no advantage to buying new if you are an employee or have a similar "in".

So I needed to buy a brand new car. I think I would have been an idiot to let the chance slip by. So at first I thought the thing to do was buy the cheapest new Nissan there is, which would be a stripped down Versa. I like the Versa, but to get the version I would like would have been too much, it would have defeated the purpose. (Use my van to get a new car for half price, then sell the new car.) After realizing there is one thing about the new Xterra I really don't like, (the door is much smaller now. A tall person like may has trouble getting in and out. I hate that), I bought a....


new Altima, with Convenience+ Plus Package. (Alloy wheels, power roof, etc, etc) I figured it was the least expensive new car that I might be happy with for a long time, should I decide to keep it.
I have to say I just love it. I have never owned a new car before, for the reason stated above. But I have driven literally thousands and thousands of new cars, and I've had personal use of prolly hundreds over the years. And I love my new Altima. But....

I have this hankerin'. I love to have a beater I don't have to worry about when I go hiking or park in Boston or whatever. I have always had two cars for that reason. So now I need another. And I have a hankerin'. (I get this constantly, part of why I always have two cars.) And right now I have this hankerin' for....

A two wheel drive Frontier King Cab, 1998 and up vintage. I think they are fantastic used cars, and what you pay for one is, IMHO, a lot less than what you actually get. A lot of truck for the money, in other words.

For some reason this has made me think about the discussion we had about Durasteel. Tell ya the truth- I had forgotten about it until Schlud reminded me. And I have to agree- it's a big plus. That stuff was awesome. After doing some research, I realize there is very little out there about it. It would seem that as a cost cutting measure, Nissan quietly did away with it. I don't blame them- nobody came into me and said, "Steve, because of Nissan's Durasteel, I want to buy a new car from you. Got any forms I can fill out? Can I give you a large deposit?"

People don't give a shit about stuff like that when they buy a new car. They want features, looks, and "what's the price?"

But to me, it's important, and it's one of the reasons I want that vintage truck.

Here's the funny part. I was Googling about Durasteel, looking to see if I could find more info other than what Schlud and Brent had said. I saw what looked like posts on another message board from people who knew their shit, from what showed in the excerpts. Here's what I found......


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Old 04-20-2007, 10:41 AM #1
MEMBO
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Is this normal
I have an 02 Xterra and there seems to be alot of rust underneath the vehicle. Its only got 55K miles, its never been off-road (it was the wife's),
its basically a 3rd car now and I'm looking to sell it.

I was checking out things when I crawled under a saw the rust. Is this something I should have someone take a look at before I try to sell it? Or is this common for Xterras?
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Old 04-23-2007, 01:27 AM #2
Schludwiller
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Re: Is this normal
It depends on where it is. The frame will get some rust, but it's thick steel and usually it's only cosmetic. If the body panels have rust, then that's reason for concern. The 00-01 had Durasteel. I think it was discontinued around the next body style (round eyes). I've got a couple of body panels that have been hit by rocks removing the paint in my '00 and no rust has developed in over 4-5 years.
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Old 04-26-2007, 09:01 PM #3
OffroadX
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Re: Is this normal
They quit painting/coating several items for 02, including the driveshaft, steering box, and some other odds and ends.
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Priceless stuff. It's the same two guys who got me thinking about it in the firstplace.

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OK. So I am sold. I am a Durasteel fan. :-)

So what year did they "decontent" it? (That car biz euphemism cracks me up. "We didn't cut corners and take something out- the unit was decontented.")

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