Most of us have wanted things we couldn’t afford, or simply couldn’t find, at some point in our lives. When that happens we either save harder, keep looking, or give up on the dream altogether. But not the creator of this unique Nissan truck.
He clearly had designs on a Nissan Titan, the tough American-built, full-size truck first launched in the U.S. in 2004 with standard V8 power. But perhaps finding one to fit a small budget, or one that hadn’t been worked to death or done an intergalactic mileage proved impossible, because rather than buy a Titan, he built his own from a 2005 Nissan Armada SUV.
There’s some logic buried in that slightly crazy decision because the first-generation Armada, along with the posher Infiniti QX56 SUV, shared a ladder-frame platform with the Titan, all three vehicles being built at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi, plant. The Armada also came with the same 5.6-liter V8 that made 305 hp (309 PS) and 385 lb-ft (522 Nm) of torque.
They even look pretty much the same, at least from the front. All he had to do was contact Pininfarina and get them to perform an elegant pickup conversion on the SUV body. Or just grab a saw and hack 25 percent of it away himself.
Related: Man Damages 2,500-Year-Old Tree By Driving Nissan Armada Through It
The snag (what, just one?) in this plan is that the Armada rides on a relatively compact 123.2-in (3,129 mm) wheelbase, while the Titan’s measures 139.8-in (3,551 mm), with a 159.4 in (4,049 mm) long-wheelbase option coming in 2008.
So our have-a-go hero had to cut through the back doors to create any sort of useable bed. Rear firewall? That appears to be the original SUV hatch moved forward to ‘fit’ the space, while any remaining gaps were sealed with expanding foam, the owner claiming that the job is good enough to keep the cabin watertight.
It’s all very rough and ready, and probably a ton less safe in an accident than either an original Armada or a real Titan. But you have to admire the guy’s can-do attitude, and also the price. He’s asking $3,500 which is a fraction of what you’d pay for a Titan with just 80,000 miles (129,000 km) on the clock. We’ll pass, thanks, but if you’re feeling brave, the truck’s in Everett, WA, and you can find the Facebook ad here.
H/T to Tire Meets Road
