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 Post subject: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:23 am 
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This is a thread to tell you story of how you got involved with Xterras. Here is my story.

I never had a SUV. In 2002, my Saab got totaled, and I had a Suzuki Grand Vitara as a rental for a couple of weeks. I found that I liked having a SUV, and after some quick research I bought a 2002 Xterra SE with all the farkels (including grill guard, tailight guards, glass sunroof, etc. etc.).

About a day or so after I bought the truck, I found the New Jersey Area Xterras (NJAX). Turned out one of the guys lived in my town, and they were going out to Paragon Park the next weekend. They invited me to go along -- so I went in a brand new truck without any armor and which didn't even have its first oil change yet. I was expecting fire trails, and what a surprise when I got there. The initial trails were easy greens and everything was fine --- until we went to the hillclimb by the old spring (a short, almost vertical blue section at the time). With a little encouragement, I did the hillclimb and was hooked on wheeling. Later that day, when exiting the park, we came back on Valley road/trail. It was supposed to be a green suitable for 2WD --- NOT. There was this one spot, with two rocks spaced just wrong for an Xterra on each side of the trail , and the only to get down without sliders was to "walk" the Xterra from rock to rock, a few inches at a time. I quickly learned to trust a good spotter -- I had no other choice.

About two weeks later, I brought the truck back to the dealer for the first, free oil change. I was hanging out by the door to the shop, when I hear the mechanic call the service manager over and say "hey, this truck has been off-road already." The service manager's reply was "What do you expect - that's what these are for.' My kind of service manager.

Shortly thereafter, I got bit by the modification bug. Before it got totaled, the truck was pretty well built -- full armor, Shrockworks bumper, and front locker.

Over the years, I have been active in a number of off-road clubs, including this one.

k_enn


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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:13 pm 
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My name is Tom, and this is my story.

In 2003 I was driving an extended cab F150 with 250k miles on it. My daughter was 3 and getting her and the car seat in and out was a major PITA! So my now ex wife and I decided to get a SUV. My sister is a master tech for Ford so we were looking at Escapes. They didn't offer a V6 with a manual trans so we looked for other options. We found a new 2003 harvest gold 4x4 5 speed V6. WIN!! I had a company truck for work so the wife drove it all the time and no mods were done to it.

Then in 2005 along comes the 2nd gen X. In March of '05 the '03 had 68k miles so we decided to look at the new ones. We found a Red Brawn 4x4 with the 6 speed, took it for a test drive and signed the papers.

Then in July of 05 the wife says she is leaving and taking the X with her. Truly a sad day, no more Xterra to drive. :( I told her she had to make the payments if she took it and a couple months later she gave it back. :woohoo:

Didn't do any major mods but new tires. Taught my daughter how to drive it, put a new clutch in it at 165k miles and then it got totaled. A week later I got my current X. I'm hooked on Xterras and cant see myself without one any time soon.

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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:44 pm 
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TomsRedX wrote:
My name is Tom, and this is my story.

HI TOM.....



This sounds like the start to an XA (Xterras Annonymous) meeting lol!


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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:03 am 
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Location: Brooklyn, NY
so long story short i was driving 2004 2.7biturbo audi and i fell a sleep on belt parkway in brooklyn totaled it and started to look at X at that time my wife was pregnant,and back then we could not afford one and got subaru then 8month later our big guy started to get bigger and we had to let the subaru go and got the X!I always wanted to b involved in some club and get together with people and half some fun,then i found www.NEXTERRA.ORG but for some stupid reason i could not become a member!?!?!?
then short time after that i was driving down 4ave in BK and seen PITA'S truck (BklynX)in the garage so i stoped and went to the garage to chat with TOM.when i came in isad to Tom<u dont know me but i know u (from pics. on the board <Tom with broken CV in his hand) he was surprised, invited me for 2010 back to school run and walked me true regestration on the board and that is my little story of how i joined bunch of fox with the cool trucks and became a member of xterra community
:cheers:

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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:14 am 
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Location: Clifton, N.J.
got tired of dealing with problems with my previous DD ('92 dodge stealth) and needed something more reliable for commuting into newark for school...always liked the xterra, and the "extreme sports / outdoors " image that came with it fit the bill nicely...saved some cash for a down payment, found her on autotrader, picked her up around christmas in 2007

then came xterrafirma and it all went to shit

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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:07 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 10:14 am
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Location: Endwell, NY
While I no longer have my Xterra, I would love to share my story...

Back in the spring of 2005, I was looking to move from my car to an SUV of some type. I was not really a big fan of Xterra's initially, but took one for a test drive and liked it. I then researched Xterra's online that night and found the Xterra Owners Club site and discovered that there was this huge community of owners out there that all seemed to love these vehicles and were having a lot of fun with them. So I went back the next day and bought a 2001.

Did my first run at Rausch Creek with Bklyn.X, Dave C and I think maybe K_enn. I was a nervous wreck that whole day..every time I heard those rocks scrapping across my frame! But I made it though. However, on the way home, my truck broke down on the side of I-81, but luckily, Tom & Dave were behind me and stopped to help. They stayed with me until a tow truck arrived and Dave let me use his AAA card, which got me towed from Hazelton to Binghamton for free. This was when I first relaized what a great group of people these Xterra guys were.

I went to my first ECXC that summer and meet a ton of other great people, including Scott (dagger). After learning that Scott as from Oneonta (just up the road from me) I went home after ECXC and built the Upstate NY Xterra Club (UNYX) website. Scott and I organized what we thought would be a small run that he would host at his house. That was the first ever Back to School Run and at least 20 trucks showed up for the event. Our new club was born and we held several other great events in the following years and developed a great friendship with the crew from Nexterra. The rest is history...

I met so many great people in the short time I owned my Xterra (sold it in winter of 2007) and that is one of the reasons it has been so hard to break away from this website and club. :D

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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:12 am 
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I'm liking this thread!!! I gotta agree with Punkrockdrummer though. This does sound a bit like a XA meeting. lol

My story....
Got my license years ago on a '87 Dodge Ram Prospector SUV that my parents had just bought. I drove that and took it in all the trails around me. I got in so much trouble because I never washed it before going home. My father used to throw a fit!! I bought my first car, a POS Datsun. It did ok in the trails believe it or not but not like driving a truck. I ended up staying in various cars over the years due to cost mostly. Finally, after growing up (sort of) I was able to buy a SUV. My wife and I decided to get an olds Bravada. More like an overgrown car. I was finally able to see traffic again, just not the same as a truck. A year or two went by and we were able to get a second car!!! She inherited the Bravada, I got a '98 Chevy Blazer. Not a full size truck but I was getting there. This one I could take off road anyway. I liked it, no mods to it, but it felt like driving a truck.

Fast forward to October 2010....The wife and I decide to get a new car. The daughter has a license now. I get the Bravada back, the daughter gets the Blazer and the wife gets a new car. Not sure how I got shafted on that one. I hated the Bravada (it had a nice Bose system though). We settled on a Nissan Murano. Nice car. you feel like your driving a starship with all the gadgets in it!. Except, we had to trade the Blazer in for it. This is where I first see the Green X. What A truck!!!! wasnt to sure on the color though. I still get stiuck with the Bravada. Two weeks after geting the Murano, my lovely daughter totals the Bravada. No injuries, just the car. So, back to the dealership. Being repeat customers....within a few weeks, I got a great deal on the ugly Green Pro 4X that no one else wanted!!!!!!
This is my first Xterra, and my first real truck!!! This truck does not feel like, drive like, or look like the typical grocery getter, soccer mom SUV, This thing feels like driving a truck. I love it. Which is how I ended up getting onto these forums. That's my short story, long!!!


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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:29 am 
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Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:50 pm
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Location: PA
Back in 1999 I was looking for a new work truck. Was just about ready to buy a Grand Cherokee when I saw a commercial for the X. The one with Lenny Kravitz singing "I Want To Get Away". It was billed as "Everything you need, nothing you don't"

Went to the dealer, test drove it and loved it. I got on a waiting list for a Super Black SE and picked ip September 1999.

Still have it and will never get rid of it.

I have made a lot of real good freinds because of the X.

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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 3:39 pm 
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My first vehicle was a ā€™78 Jeep CJ so I guess Iā€™ve always liked the off-road, never stuck aspect for my personal transportation.

Image

The Jeep handled like crap but was fun. She had a standard tranny, an inline six and saw one winter but was stolen before she saw any dirt or sand.
I saw a Nissan Pathfinder at the ā€™88 NYC Auto Show and bought one new in ā€™89.
This was a great truck that I added a front push bar, AR ā€œOutlawā€ aluminum wheels, BFG ATā€™s, a CB and had welded on what were at the time called ā€œNerf Barsā€ (sliders). I took it ā€œoff-roadā€ near my in-laws house in PA. Fire and access roads that I thought were ā€œhardcoreā€.

Image

In 2000 I was driving on a previously unexplored dirt road and dropped it off of a six foot ledge. The truck survived the hit on the front end but rolled being yanked off the ledge. I had it repaired but it never felt the same.

When I saw one of the ā€œStevie Ray Vaughanā€ Xterra commercials and my wife said ā€œyou should look at one of those".
By month's end I sold the Pathy to my brother-in-law and bought one.

While looking online for ways to ā€œfix upā€ my new truck I found out about what others had done to their Xterras and that these folks got together to wheel at Paragon and Rausch. I bought a front bumper, sliders and skid plates and headed to my first Off-road event, ECXC, I think it was ā€˜04.
When I got to Rausch there was a ton of guys with moded Xterras to check out. A couple of guys who were setting up groups saw that I was armored, must have thought I knew what I was doing and put me in a group of maniacs from New Jersey, the crew from the New Jersey Area Xterra club, NJAX (no longer in existence). This was akin to throwing a kid who canā€™t swim into the deep end of the pool. I was like WTF, these people are crazy. There were a few trails I did not run but watched and learned. These guys held my hand and were very cool and welcoming. And did they know how to party! A fun bunch, I think all but Ken and TJ are out of the game now.
I was hooked and joined a few boards, NJAX, XOC, and XF in my effort to learn more about my truck and set up wheeling trips. This was great but most of these folks ether did not get out much, were too far away or were into the ā€œsocialā€ aspect of the board rather that wheeling.
Back in my early Xterra days I found that some guys from Danā€™s Northeast Import Off Road Association, NIORA (no longer in existence) went out the most so I hung with them. Between NIORA, NJAX, XF, LINXC and ECXC I was wheeling almost once a month and moding my truck adding stuff I found I needed to keep running tougher trails.
During a few of these runs I met Scott and Micah and we became friends. When they started the Upstate New York Xterra club (UNYX) I joined even though they pointed out I was not located in Upstate New York.
In ā€™07 I joined New England Xterra club, NEXTerra (despite the similar objection) since most of the stuff UNYX did was with NEXTerra. The clubs merged in ā€™08.
Although I have made many friends wheeling I have never been good with the ā€œsocial networkā€ deal, I find the whole ā€œMeet & Greetā€ thing and the non truck related banter a bit creepy. I try to be a good person to be with on the trail but on the boards I want to set up wheeling trips, find out about my truck or maybe help with someoneā€™s truck. Thatā€™s it. Otherwise I just complain or break balls; troll and act like a jerk, then apologize. It has always been so.
You folks here at NEXTerra get out to wheel more often than any other club/board and seem to put up with my BS better than mostā€¦
ā€¦and here we are.

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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:30 pm 
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Always had SUV's. First vahicle I bought was a 1988 bronco II xlt. 500 bucks but I was battling with chevy over the rig and its CONSTANT repairs I started looking into new SUV's. I always love 4runners but they were all so high in price. I was familiar with the 1st gen xterras b/c we used them @ work for bopping around (Nissan had some deal with Killlington - extreme sports and all). Wasnt a huge fan of the 1st gens and I had 2 dogs at the time and was concerned about transporting them from VT to NY b/c we visited family a lot. Then I read that they had just redesigned the xterra and made it bigger, looked at the new styling and was hooked. Had it driven to us from maine, signed the papers on my kitchen table after a test drive up a logging road. Dealer drove my Blazer away and I had the X. Ive had A LOT of repair work done to her but I just cant part with her. Shes had a new engine, driveshafts, radiator, and a whole host of other parts but shes mine. The very first vehicle I ever owned that I thought was cool and still love hopping in it and turning her over to this day. Xterra owner for a long as they make em!

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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:51 pm 
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My 04 Xterra is my first SUV. I had a 01 Dodge Stratus R/T before I bought my Xterra. That car was a blast to drive, had it lowered and set up for autocross days. Tons of fun, even got a chance to run it at Lime Rock park here in CT after I went to the Skip Barber high performance driving class. I have always loved the looks of the Xterra and knew that if I ever got a SUV that would be the one for me. Once I had the chance to look seriously at one I hopped right on it. I didn't waste any time looking into what I could do to it before I even signed all the paperwork and took delivery!! I first found ClubXterra and hung out on that forum for a bit until I saw a post for the NEXterra Northern Exposure 2011 run. I thought how cool it would be to go off roading with others who shared the same interest as me?!! I signed up on this forum and went to a small run up at GG last Dec. I have meet a lot of good people who are willing to help out with any problem no matter how big or small. I love my Xterra and am really liking the 2nd gens more and more. I know my next vehicle I purchase will be another Xterra.

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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:27 pm 
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Like the rest of you, I bought one.

Not long after college (2010), my '03 Mountaineer failed its inspection and since everything on it was on its last legs (Found On Road Dead, et cetera) I started looking for a new vehicle. I didn't have any preferences; my dad advised me to look at other Fords because he thought they were reliable (which is true...they consistently die after six or seven years).

I vaguely thought about an Escape. I also looked at Jeeps; I test drove an '11 Patriot (and now I ask, what was I thinking? which was crapola and uncomfortable (I'd had to have to bought the higher trim to adjust the seat to where I needed it) and an '11 Grand Cherokee (too rich for my blood, too smooth a drive - I was used to my Mountaineer's truck ride). Then in a stroke of brilliance I thought of the Xterra - a friend of mine in high school had one (a '00), I'd ridden in an '03 once in college, and a professor I had drove an '06 (coincidentally, all three were yellow). Also, my favorite vehicle of all time was a Nissan ('03 Fronty, any trim, crew cab, short bed, roof rack, Electric Blue). So I looked up the nearest dealership with an X on the lot and test drove it; it was the only X on the lot, a silver '10 SE with just thirteen miles on it. My only other option within a reasonable distance was a Night Armor S on the other side of Boston.

Half of what convinced me was stumbling upon thenewx.org and reading about all the various mods people had done. My hand-me-down Mountie was untouched except for a dent in the rear bumper. This vehicle would be 100% mine start to finish (though I pray there will never be a finish...unless the 3rd gen kicks more ass of course).

The other half came the instant I turned the ignition and heard the engine roar for the first time; it was love (in my head, it sounded like "Yeeeeeaaaaaaah."). After a go around the block, I had to have it. It was the end of the month and the dealership was due to get some 2011s soon, so I had some bargaining leverage - I got the dealership to shave off $5k and took it home the next week for the starting price of an X-trim.

I named the X for my old Mountie (hence Calliope's Revenge) and the rest is happening right now!

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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:53 pm 
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One of my favorite website back in school was Discoweb.org. No.. it wasn't dancing but a site for Land Rover Discovery owners who went off road. The site had new pics almost every week & I used to envy the guys who could do it.

Didn't have an opportunity to do any of that, until 2004 while working in MN, talked a buddy of mine into taking a week off to visit the Rocky mountains. Headed over to Ouray, CO, rented a Jeep and drove all over the old mining trails in the mountains (even saw an Xterra driving by on Engineer Pass). The trip was awesome & the Civic, that I was driving by then, never felt the same. Went back home to Sri Lanka in 2007 & ended up driving another Honda until I got back to the US in early 2010. Drove a rental for several months until the company stopped paying for it. Started looking for vehicles & knew what I wanted - used, reliable, 4x4, manual tranny & one that could really go off-road. The only real choices were a Jeep or an Xterra - drove both bought an 03'Xterra.

The first thing I did after buying it in Sept'10 was to research places to take it off-road & found Rausch Creek. They were having their Trail Fest in two weeks, drove out with the mud flaps, side steps, street tires & everything else stock. It was an awesome day..... until I got stuck in the mud & had to be yanked out by a Toyota. Once I got back home, started looking to upgrade tires... and that's when I came across NEXterra. With advice from the boards & reading everyone else's posts, bought a set of AT's, did the GG run in Dec'10 & the rest is history. Love the Xterra & I find that wheeling with the NEXterra bunch gives me more confidence to try stuff I wouldn't otherwise (like Diaper Hill at GG... phew, I still can't believe I got up that). Would wheel every weekend if I could!! :-)


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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:57 am 
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Bklyn.X wrote:
<snip> headed to my first Off-road event, ECXC, I think it was ā€˜04.
When I got to Rausch there was a ton of guys with moded Xterras to check out. A couple of guys who were setting up groups saw that I was armored, must have thought I knew what I was doing and put me in a group of maniacs from New Jersey, the crew from the New Jersey Area Xterra club, NJAX (no longer in existence). This was akin to throwing a kid who canā€™t swim into the deep end of the pool. I was like WTF, these people are crazy. There were a few trails I did not run but watched and learned. These guys held my hand and were very cool and welcoming. And did they know how to party! <snip>


Ah, yes. NJAX was one crazy bunch of MF's back in the day. Those NJAX parties at ECXC were legendary (who that was there will ever forget the milk crate - or the vodka drinking competition between Oleg the Russian and Mikka the Finn). A bunch of great old timers, and some pretty well modded and capable trucks.

The Xterra commercial is a blast from the past. "no leather" ? Not anymore -- sadly it is now an option on some trim packages. Still, the truck has kept pretty true to the original concept.

k_enn


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 Post subject: Re: How did you get involved with Xterras?
PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:07 pm 
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Location: pennsylvania
Always drove regular cars on the "flat lands" of Long Island. When we moved to Pennsylvania's mountain area I switched to a Chevy Blazer since we lived 1680 feet up a winding twisting yet paved but dangerous road. It's a few miles down this steep mountain and also on Route 81 during severe snowstorms the Blazer wasn't doing it for me.
I saw my first Xterra a 2003 model, step rails etc...did no mods...drove it for 73,000 happy miles and it got me everywhere I needed to go, including down "the mountain of death" where I would literally pass by cars & SUV's that skidded off the road etc. Well, while having the 2003 serviced I saw the brand new 2009 Off Road X also fully loaded minus the step rails...fell in love with it & traded in the 2003 for it.

Funny thing is, after I traded the 2003 in for the 2009 brand new Off Road X..one of the dealerships younger mechanics bought my 2003! He still has it!

I am Xterra hooked!


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