You Only Need to Spend a Few Hours to Buy This Manual Nissan Xterra with GM V8 Swap

Do you want a rugged SUV that can be used off-road with a 6.0-liter engine?

The Nissan Xterra was a true off-roader, with its truck roots and rugged body-on frame construction, underbody skid plates and relatively short overhangs. It was not a performance SUV with a displacement of 4 liters and peak output of 265 horsepower (198kilowatts). Is a 6.0-liter V8 capable of fixing that? Definitely.

Although the silver 2005 Xterra shown in this attached gallery may look stock, it is not. It was replaced with a GM-sourced 6.0 liter V8 mated by the standard Nissan six-speed manual gearbox. The powertrain also features a Pontiac G8 camshaft and Lingenfelter-tuned ECM. A custom wiring harness and a Nissan 350Z AC compressor are other modifications.

It is believed that the motor was sourced from a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado with approximately 78,000 miles. The SUV had 144,000 miles before the engine swap. However, the cluster failed due to mechanical problems and now has 224,000 miles. About 4,000 of those miles have been added by current seller.

The photos show that the exterior is in excellent condition. Both the rear quarter panels and liftgate were professionally resprayed by current owners. All dents and rocks chips have been repaired. Although the Carfax report shows a minor accident in January 2019, the seller claims it was caused by the vehicle being pulled out of a snowbank. There is nothing to be concerned about.

More cool engine swaps

The factory wheels are 16-inch alloy and the tires are 32-inch BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A tires. They have 2017 and 2018 date codes. The brake pads and rotors at all four corners have been replaced by the current owner. However, the ABS light in the instrument cluster is still illuminated.

The car is currently listed on Bring A Trailer. There are less than 13 hours before the auction ends at the time this article was written. $5,555 is the highest bid thus far.