Once I hit the junkyard, I at all times search for automobiles with spectacular remaining figures exhibiting on their odometers. I discover so many Hondas and Toyotas with higher than 300,000 miles that I do not take into account them particularly noteworthy (the exception being super-low-spec low cost fashions, similar to a Tercel or Civic VX), and it goes with out saying that the bar is kind of excessive for Mercedes-Benzes as nicely. It has been surprisingly troublesome to search out discarded Nissans that made it previous the 300k mark; at present’s Junkyard Gem is simply the fourth I’ve documented.
The best-mile junked Nissan I would discovered previous to at present’s minivan is a 1994 Maxima with 364,238 miles, adopted by a 1987 Maxima with 341,176 miles and a 1986 200SX with 309,222 miles. Take into account that Nissan did not go to six-digit odometers on most of its US-market vehicles till the early Eighties, after which went to tough-to-read-in-the-junkyard digital odometers within the early 2000s; this implies the pool of potential high-mile Nissans is restricted to in regards to the 1983-2000 vary of mannequin years.
Ford has simply as a lot proper to assert credit score to this van’s spectacular mile complete as does Nissan, because the Quest was a collaboration between Ford and Nissan that additionally produced the Mercury Villager; this van was constructed by Ford on the Ohio Meeting plant.
The Quest/Villager platform was derived from the Maxima’s, and the engine is pure Nissan: a 3.0-liter VG30 V6 rated at 151 horsepower. The one transmission obtainable within the first-generation (1993-1999) Quest/Villager was a four-speed computerized.
This one seems to have been offered new at Landrum Nissan in Pueblo.
The rear glass has been painted flat black, probably to maintain prying eyes from seeing beneficial cargo.
The rear seats are lengthy gone, so this van most likely hauled cargo for a lot of its lengthy life.
The entrance inside appears to be in fine condition. Why is that this van right here?
There’s physique injury on the left rear and proper entrance, suggesting a crash which will have bent the suspension previous the worth-fixing threshold. Maybe the crinkled metallic simply made this van too unpleasant, or perhaps some powertrain downside was the offender.
It is time to anticipate extra from a minivan.
It is all enjoyable and video games till the toddler takes the wheel.