good ol' desert runner

project4 · Aug 9th, 2003, 11:39 AM

whats up nissan truckers. im new to the forum and am thinking about getting this truck i found. right now i have a sentra but i need a truck to get me to the slopes this winter. the truck is a 88 desert runner. anyone ever heard of it?

jadcock · Aug 9th, 2003, 03:31 PM

Check to be sure it's 4x4. The current Desert Runners (and Toyota has a similar "Prerunner") are jacked up like a 4x4, but are only 2wd. Totally lame if you ask me (that's obviously just my opinion) and completely useless if you want to drive in the snow to the ski resort.

Anyway, check to be sure it's a 4x4 model. I don't think they had the current style Desert Runner back in the '80s, but they may have. It might be a real 4x4, but someone applied graphics to it or it may have been a local dealer thing (maybe the truck is originally from Arizona or something like that) and they created a regional graphics package to help sell the trucks.

Other than that, the trucks are tough as a boot! I wouldn't expect any problems from it if you decide to buy.

project4 · Aug 9th, 2003, 03:54 PM

it is 4x4 and its pretty dope looking. it has all the little goodies like under gaurds, roll bar, tube bumpers. i never heard of them before. the guy said there were only 100 of them made in 88 and then in 89 they got rid of all the goodies and just left them with the roll bar and graphics. the graphics are straight from the 80's though

jadcock · Aug 9th, 2003, 07:47 PM

Cool. It doesn't sound like it was a factory package, though. I bet it's originally from the desert southwest and a group of dealers (or even Nissan) put together this package to sell the trucks. It might have even been a dealer-installed "accessory package" in that region. You order the "desert runner" package for 800 bucks and you get a roll bar, tube bumpers, and stickers.

It could also be a one-off by some local dude who wants to jack the price of his 14 year old truck by 1000 dollars.

I wouldn't look at the truck as a "desert runner", but rather an '88 Nissan Hardbody.

How's the engine...what engine is it? Does he have any maintenance records? If it's a V-6 engine, it may or may not need a timing belt change...he should be able to produce receipts for work done...especially if it's such a "rare truck". Ha!!

project4 · Aug 9th, 2003, 10:55 PM

well now you got me thinkin a little harder about it. i think i'm going to dig a lil deeper, talk to some dealers and stuff.

Aug 11th, 2003, 07:58 PM

Here in AZ, there are a lot of "DesertRunners" packages on the '80's to Frontiers that I've seen. From what I've seen, usually there are other goodies like an oil cooler and darker tinted windows added on. Sounds like a good buy...

desertrunner · Oct 28th, 2005, 07:53 PM

The 1988 Desertrunner was a one year only option. Aprox 200 made. They were all v6's some auto and some manual tranmissions. They came with other options Front tube bumper, rear tube bumper, skid plates and SE instruments. Mine is an automatic with manual locks/windows and came with tube bumpers and side rails. Also some had a baja style rear roll bar and others had a cool light bar. They also had spare tires mounted in the bed like baja trucks. This truck was a street replica of the nissan baja truck back in the late 80's. I think they are cool trucks. ANd they are very rare. They are nothing like the later desertrunners which are 2wds on 4wd chassis.. If you have any other questions about is email me..... fst440@cox.net (i am a nissan senior specialist tech)
also they came from everywhere in the us. I am in okahoma... A dealer I used to work for sold alot of them and their accessories....