1997 Nissan Pickup Kingcab Xe - White, 2.4l, 2wd, Auto on 2040-cars

PLEASE READ ENTIRE LISTING BEFORE PLACING A BID 

BIDDERS WITH A LOW FEEDBACK SCORE MUST EMAIL ME THEIR CONTACT PHONE NUMBER PRIOR TO BIDDING OR THEIR BIDS WILL BE CANCELED AND NO FURTHER BIDS MAY BE PLACED.

VEHICLE IS LOCATED IN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

LOW, REASONABLE RESERVE!!! HIGHEST BIDDER WINS!

A GOOD FAITH DEPOSIT OF $100 WILL BE REQUIRED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF AUCTION CLOSE!!

**this deposit may be waived upon diligent efforts by winning bidder to arrange full payment and pickup/shipping within 48 hours of winning bid

I am offering for sale my 1997 Nissan Pickup Kingcab XE.  In looking at the pictures one could never possibly fathom why it is I have been dreading the point in time at which I would write this ad and officially set out to part ways with such a dear friend after spending 6 quality years with one another.  For the remainder of this ad I will be referring to my ole’ pal by his proper name – Fred – so please just follow along knowing that when I say “Fred” it will be in reference to my 1997 Nissan.

First off, at the present moment Fred is not in the best health; His age has begun to show, and he isn’t quite the machine he was in his prime, but others like him have fared well in old age and 400,000+ miles is a common life expectancy for this model.  His engine and transmission function perfectly and he has recently had a new battery installed.  As you’ll be able to see from the pictures he has been parked in the garage since our last move and is just taking up space. 

His Story:

Fred was purchased by my older sibling around 11/2008 and I inherited him upon his passing in 10/2009.  He has been very well taken care of for the past 40,000 miles of his life, always eating synthetic oil and sipping on 93 octane fuel.  His headliner was replaced by my brother and looks GREAT, the seats are in GREAT condition for the truck’s age (have had covers on them since purchase), and the dash and other surface areas are free of any major defects, scratches, discoloration.  Fred’s interior is absolutely beautiful given his age and even the smell of the interior is very pleasant as he has never been smoked in while in our care (and probably even before).  While in my brother’s care, Fred had a nice set of 20 inch chrome rims which he enjoyed showing off, but because of events preceding my brother’s passing, they were taken from him while he was being held hostage by other scumbag members of my family.  I made them a promise that he would eventually be back in my care and he was eventually returned, but lacking the bling that my brother had provided him.  All-in-All it was okay because I once again had in my possession my brother’s faithful friend and that was the beginning of our six year friendship.  Unfortunately with the loss of his bling, he was left with 4 used tires on rims that are not the most pleasant in appearance, but we have made it work and the two front tires are now relatively new. 

The Name:

I was never one to name vehicles because they are basically just objects, but knowing that this truck did indeed have a personality I decided that he needed a name and Fred just seemed fitting.  Let me describe him; Fred is like the old wise friend who although he may not be much of a looker, is always by your side when you need him.  He’s reliable; when in good health you can always count on him to get you from Point A to Point B without any hesitation.  Fred’s method of transport is slow and steady so if you’re looking for something with raw power then he is not what you are looking for; he won’t let you get a speeding ticket because he doesn’t speed (0-60 is about 4 1/2 minutes.. joking), sometimes he likes you to get him going but most of the time he just prefers to cruise (he’ll let you know how he feels). 

Cosmetic Condition:

I’ve already touched on Fred’s condition to some extent, but I want to share with you my observations so you are not surprised when you meet him.  Fred’s exterior looks nice but his structure is very basic (He is a 97); he has a few spots of rust (top of cab), some paint is scraped away on each side of the windshield (Carwash got him), and there are a few small dings with the largest being just above the front right wheel well.  Fred’s interior is as close to perfection you are going to get for his age and most has been described above; headliner is GREAT, Front seats are in fantastic condition, and covered, rear foldout seats are like new, everything is clean, and radio is an average aftermarket product that was installed by my brother.  There is a bed liner in the bed of the truck that is also in great shape and all the doors, windows function flawlessly.  The two front tires have less than 5,000 miles on them and have plenty of life left, the rear tires will need to be replaced, but function fine for now (tires are inexpensive for this truck).  Fred’s rims are just basic rims and could probably look better if they were polished up but I just never had the time to do this and could never get over the disappointment of him getting his bling taken so we just never dealt with that problem.  Structurally, I would say Fred is in above average condition, but may need some parts replaced because of his age.  

Functionality:

The problems with Fred primarily lie in this area and I am not sure the extent of the work that needs to be done, but with the things I do know about him I find it safe to assume that with a very small amount of work he will be operational and with a little extra he will function in a reliable manner for many years to come.  He starts at the turn of the key and the Engine and Transmission have never had any issues and still run strong and shift smoothly.  His primary issues are likely due to sensors as I have had this issue corrected once before (about a year ago) for only around $80 and he ran fine up until a month ago.  I recently put an additional $400 into repairs sometime in June 2014 which included a throttle body gasket and throttle position sensor. I took off Fred’s catalytic converter when he stopped operating properly in searching for a solution to his issues so that has been replaced with a NEW one.  I believe the cause of all of Fred’s problems are due to a couple sensors and possibly some engine maintenance that would be common in a vehicle that has been on the road this long.  I believe that at one point there was a sensor removed to resolve a problem (earlier owner) and was never repaired which is now causing Fred to run rich (smell of gasoline) and causing other issues to recur.  Getting him to function would probably not cost any significant amount of money to someone with mechanical knowledge as the parts I have replaced have thus far been inexpensive. The A/C blows very cold, but when left on at times will freeze up and must be turned off for a few minutes; I was told that he needs a new A/C clutch during the June repairs which is not an expensive repair. It never really caused a problem for me as I oft drove with the windows rolled down because Fred just likes to cruise.  I have also recently replaced Fred’s spark plugs and wires so those will not need attention.  Both of the headlights are also new and we’re replaced in the process of moving him so they’ve barely been turned on since replaced.  Fred comes with a full engine gasket set that I purchased when I planned on tearing down the engine myself.

All-in-All, Fred can be a reliable vehicle for someone who doesn’t need to travel long distances and doesn’t desire any special performance.  With some proper healthcare I am confident Fred can once again be the dependable truck which I relied upon for transportation, but with my schedule I do not have the time to devote to him and I am now expecting my second child towards the end of the year so I could use the extra money for baby gear and already have a vehicle to drive daily.  One might ask, why don’t I just get the repairs done myself as it would probably be inexpensive?! That is because this truck is not very infant friendly and that is a need that is currently imminent.  As much as I hate to let him go, he is just not serving any purpose napping in the garage and he would probably be happier out and about as he once was after he is properly diagnosed and undergoes any operations he needs. 

There is a low reserve for Fred, but it is reasonable as I am not out to make a fortune but know that there is plenty of value remaining in my old friend and due to the memories which have come during our friendship I cannot bring myself to give him away.  The Blue Book value of this vehicle in good condition is $2432  and $2675 in excellent condition which is very good considering the age; this is much due to the fact that these cars do tend to last for such a long time.  I really do not want to let him go but I think the time has come for us to part ways.  I have the Title in hand and someone will be getting a GREAT truck to make their own memories with.

You can email me at celneptune14@gmail.com or contact me by cell at (727) 858-8830 if you have any questions or would like to look him over.

ITEM DESCRIPTION:

VEHICLE STARTS WITHOUT HESITATION!

VEHICLE RUNS AND DRIVES (ADVISABLE NOT TO DRIVE LONG DISTANCES UNTIL MAINTENANCE WORK/REPAIRS ARE DONE)

2.4L 4 CYLINDER AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

A/C BLOWS COLD, BUT WILL NEED NEW A/C CLUTCH - PER REPAIR SHOP RECOMMENDATION

CLOTH INTERIOR IN EXCELLENT/PERFECT CONDITION - HAVE SEAT COVERS ON TO KEEP THEM THAT WAY

CARPET IS IN GOOD CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT 

HEADLINER REPLACED AND LOOKS LIKE NEW

DASH AND ALL OTHER SURFACES ARE CLEAN, LIKE NEW - LITTLE TO NO FADING, NO CRACKS

FRONT TIRES LIKE NEW, REAR WILL NEED REPLACED EVENTUALLY

RIMS SHOW SOME DISCOLORATION - COULD LIKELY BE POLISHED OUT

BED LINER IN GREAT CONDITION

ALL WINDOWS AND DOORS WORK FUNCTION FLAWLESSLY

MANY NEW PARTS - HEADLIGHTS, BATTERY, PLUGS/WIRES, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THROTTLE BODY GASKET, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR

BRAKES FUNCTION NORMALLY

SOME SCRATCHES, MINOR DINGS, SCUFFS, RUST SPOTS, SOME PAINT FADE (SEE PICTURES BELOW), CHIPPING

CLEAR TITLE IN HAND

Vehicle has been looked over at shop recently and gave some recommendations regarding repairs.  Buyers/bidders should understand that the opinions provided by myself or repair facility are purely observational and are not a guarantee of condition. Any opportunity to road test the vehicle has been done so in a limited capacity and not at highway speeds.  Seller has made every effort to provide any and all details that are apparent to me or previously provided recommended to me, however THERE MAY BE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE NOT DETECTED, therefore please bid accordingly.  If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact me before bidding.  

This vehicle is located at my private residence in St. Augustine, Florida 32084.  To schedule an inspection please call 727-858-8830. I will try to be available 7 days a week in an effort to make any inspection possible.

• There is NO BUY IT NOW PRICE

• I reserve the right to end the auction early at anytime for any reason

• I WILL NOT ACCEPT TRADES
  
  
  
• I WILL NOT SELL PARTS from the vehicle!  The vehicle is sold as is and will not be parted out!

I welcome and HIGHLY advise personal inspections prior to bidding.

All sales are final and there will be no refunds once the vehicle IS PICKED UP.

Please do not bid and win an item with the intent of inspecting after auction end.  ANY DEPOSIT REQUIRED AT AUCTION CLOSE WILL BE USED TOWARDS THE AUCTION FEE AND LISTING PREPARATION IN THE EVENT OF NO-SHOW BUYER.

I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO END AUCTION EARLY I BUYER DISCOVERED FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE.

CONCERNING SALES TAX:

Buyers are required to pay the sales tax on the winning bid amount to their respective county and state they reside in. You will also be required to pay the registration transfer fees.

CONCERNING PAYMENT FOR VEHICLE: