My Truck: 1985 Nissan Bushmaster 4x4

[ikerex88]

Hey everybody, just joined Expedition Portal. Thought I would share my rare old Nissan truck.

I am the lucky owner of a 1985 Nissan Bushmaster 4x4. This truck has been in my family since before I was born. My parents bought it in 1986, and I rode home from the hospital when I was born in 1988. It was my first vehicle when I was 16. We had it when we lived in Alaska, and it crossed the Alaska Highway and traveled through the Yukon Territory several times.

For those of you that don't know what a Bushmaster is, it was a dealer optional conversion for Nissan 720 4x4 King Cabs. I'm not sure how many years it was made, or how many were made, but I have only ever seen 1 besides mine. Basically the trucks were converted by a company called Matrix3 in California (I believe). They basically welded the body to the cab and put a shell on and took out the back of the cab, so it's a 2 door SUV almost exactly like a OG Toyota 4Runner, but bigger. It has a rear fold down bench seat mounted right about where the pickup bed would have started. It's pretty cool. Powered by the Nissan Z24 engine (2.4L, dual spark plug carb motor).

Anyway, my dad gave me the truck a few years ago, and I've kept it as a second vehicle for camping/exploring. I also drive a modded 04 Subie WRX Wagon, and my wife has a 2016 Forester, so the Nissan mostly sits except for camping and exploring trips. I've been slowly making little upgrades here and there to it, and fixing things as they come up. All in all, for how old it is, it is a surprisingly reliable vehicle, I am confident to take it on multi-day camping trips all throughout Utah.

Future Plans:
New tires (probably Big O Big Foot A/T's in 235/75/R15, although I was thinking about Duratrecs)
Better roof rack (currently I just have a Yakima setup over the front cab - hooks into the rain gutters. I want to extend this with a couple additional cross bars in the back for carrying my canoe and kayaks more easily)
New rear bumper (stock bumper is beat up, I plan on welding and fabbing a simple bumper myself this spring, with an integrated receiver for a bike rack)
More rust prevention (trying to deal with body rust when it crops up)
Gear organizer for the back (thinking of a double level storage system with sliding trays for camping gear. I am a die hard tent camper, so I rarely sleep in the truck, although with the rear seat folded it is pretty comfortable)


Anyway, on to some pictures


Yesterday doing some photography out on Stansbury Island, GSL - Rack is off currently for winter.


Last fall in the House Range, UT:



Random Photos:





Interior/Engine - these are old, everything is cleaner and fixed up now:

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Super cool! Great looking rig you have there, and welcome to ExPo!

I'm a sucker for those old Nissans.

 

[onemanarmy]

super cool. Never knew these existed.

Toyota did something very similar with the Trekker (before the original 4runner was introduced)

So the bed is welded to the cab? Is the rear a lift up window/tailgate combo? Is the top fiberglass or metal?

 

[ikerex88]

Super cool! Great looking rig you have there, and welcome to ExPo!

I'm a sucker for those old Nissans.

Thanks! I love the thing, it has a ton of character. Just looked at your build thread, nice Frontier! I really like that gen of truck, someday when I retire my Bushmaster, i'd definitely look for one of those.
BTW - I see you have Grabber AT2's. Do you like those? I've priced them out for my truck, and considered them, but I'm kinda thinking about the Big O Big Foot A/T's too.

 

[ikerex88]

super cool. Never knew these existed.

Toyota did something very similar with the Trekker (before the original 4runner was introduced)

So the bed is welded to the cab? Is the rear a lift up window/tailgate combo? Is the top fiberglass or metal?

Thanks! Ya it's definitely unique. Ya, the bed is welded to the cab. If you can see in some of those pics I posted, there is a plate that covers up the normal flex point between the bed/cab. Sometimes when offroading, and flexing, there are some kinda strange noises coming out of the middle of the truck due to this. But I don't do that serious of off-road stuff in this truck.
The top is fiberglass with a rear lift up window/tailgate combo.

 

[Airmapper]

Welcome, very cool Nissan. I like to see a story of keeping the family vehicle alive.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Thanks! I love the thing, it has a ton of character. Just looked at your build thread, nice Frontier! I really like that gen of truck, someday when I retire my Bushmaster, i'd definitely look for one of those.
BTW - I see you have Grabber AT2's. Do you like those? I've priced them out for my truck, and considered them, but I'm kinda thinking about the Big O Big Foot A/T's too.

Thanks! She's just about finished now.

I adore the Grabber AT2. Mine have just about been used up with almost 40k on them now, and I will 100% buy another set when these are done. They ride great, they're really tough, have great traction, aren't too heavy, aren't too expensive, and are quiet on the road. For what I do, they are an ideal tire.

 

[Martinjmpr]

super cool. Never knew these existed.

Toyota did something very similar with the Trekker (before the original 4runner was introduced)

So the bed is welded to the cab? Is the rear a lift up window/tailgate combo? Is the top fiberglass or metal?

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Correct in the sense that this was the same concept as the Trekker, i.e. take a 4wd pickup and turn it into a small SUV before the factory came out with one. Note that this is the older body style before the "hard body" was introduced and of course the Pathfinder as well in 1986.
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Pretty sure the top is fiberglass and I don't believe it is removable.
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When I was stationed at Fort Lewis one of the guys who was in my unit had one of these.
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I don't think the bed was actually welded to the frame, though, I think maybe they just put in a "pass through" and sealed up the opening. "Pass through" in a mini-truck was a fairly well known customizing practice in the 1970's and 80's.
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A very rare and interesting rig!

 

[ikerex88]

Picked up some new (used) wheels tires yesterday. They are 15x7 2004 Nissan Frontier Rims with 235/75/R15 Michelin LTX A/T 2 tires with only about 2000 miles on them. The wheels don't have such an offset as my old aftermarket steelies, that pushed the tires way outboard of the body. Truck looks much narrower now, like it did on the old stock steelies. I like this look better for sure! And, I only paid $250 for the wheels/tires! On to pics: