It finally came!

Kind of. The Armada we ordered back in early March never did show up, but I intercepted this one in the oddest of ways. I found myself behind the Nissan shipping truck on the freeway, saw the white Armada, followed the white Armada, and when the white Armada got to its dealership I climbed up and "voila!", it's almost identical to what we ordered! (sans the satellite radio).

I informed this particular dealership that I had a invoice price deal in place elsewhere, but I would be happy to pay them the invoice price (and not a penny more) for the truck. They said "Sure!". Then came the onslaught of "uh, well my manager says someone else just offered us a $1000 more...."

This for a truck that is wrapped in plastic on a trailer.

Sure. I called my original dealer, he called this dealership's fleet guy while I was still goofing with their 1970's era sales approach, and while I'm sitting in this sales office listening to BS, my original dealer stole the truck right out from under them with a phone call.

She's mine! She's mine!

Well, now she's my wife's. But for a day I was king.

Very nice! What kind of rims are those? And is that a black 300c I spy? Post some more of that too (we're in the market for a car)

Welcome to clubarmada!

The rims are Helo "Dragsters". I was looking at some Foose wheels, but these were $1000 less, looked similar, and I've been buying Helos for a looong time (their chrome holds up better than most of the upper end wheel makers I've found).

I would post pics of my beloved 300C, but she got rear ended Sunday and is currently recovering in the auto hospital. It's over a year old and has been the funnest vehicle I've ever owned. I miss her already.

Nice ride!!!!!, I like the custom "Landshark" badging. Where did you get the woodgrain kit??????

The dashkit is from edashkit.com, just over $500 for all three kits (main kit, sunroof console, and ceiling console). Unfortunately the sunroof console kit had the faceplate piece flat out cut wrong, which I have on my "things to resolve" list for this week. I suspect the button layout changed from 2004 to 2005.

I only royally screwed up one piece on the install (a new record!), and it took about two hours to complete.

If you ever get a dashkit, e-mail me and I can hand out some tips I've learned the hard way after installing them in three vehicles.

Nice dash kit!!!

The dashkit is from edashkit.com, just over $500 for all three kits (main kit, sunroof console, and ceiling console). Unfortunately the sunroof console kit had the faceplate piece flat out cut wrong, which I have on my "things to resolve" list for this week. I suspect the button layout changed from 2004 to 2005.

I only royally screwed up one piece on the install (a new record!), and it took about two hours to complete.

If you ever get a dashkit, e-mail me and I can hand out some tips I've learned the hard way after installing them in three vehicles.

Is that the Black Cherry wood style? Why don't youpost your tips on installation.

The color is "titanium burl". The tan interior on the ARMADA is actually half tan, half grey as Nissan got kind of cheap and only makes one color headliner and dash. The titanium burl, being grey, kind of marries the two contrasting colors. If I had gone with the steel interior, edashkit has a really beautiful "platinum burl", sort of a light blonde wood, that would really look striking.

Dashkit installs are not to be taken lightly. I noticed a ton of flaws in this install when I looked at the digital pictures. Luckily the naked eye doesn't see as well as a digitial camera.

I live in Arizona, so I learned firsthand that you NEVER install a dashkit when the temps are above 80 degrees. If, while installing, the temps creep above 80, quit what you're doing and come back another day. Trust me, I have one vehicle that is a constant hassle with pieces falling off because the day I installed it the temps flew from 70 to 98 during the install.

They supply you with adhesive accelerator, but very little of it. The pieces themselves have an EXTREMELY ADHESIVE backing. Use the accelarator compound only on rough surfaces, it is not needed for smooth surfaces. In fact, I didn't use it at all on the Armada.

I cannot stress enough how adhesive the 3M backing on the pieces is. You get ONE shot to get the piece on right. So, before peeling off the paper backing, practice, practice, and practice again just how you are going to place the particular piece you are about to attach. Make sure your body is in a position to do it accurately (easy in an Armada, not so easy in small cars), and find a starting point, match it up, then peel and go.

If the pieces will be going onto a non-flat surface, then you will need to heat them up to make them flexible. I have found that fifteen minutes in 75 degree sun makes the pieces very rubbery. My BIG mistake on this install was on the steering wheel. On each side two pieces 'wrap' around the steering wheel. I left the pieces in the sun, let them get flexible, then brought them in to install. The first one went on perfect, wrapped around, voila! But, since it took a couple minutes to line up and then do, the second piece started to harden up...and I didn't realize it. I installed it, and noticed at the time it didn't have much give. The next day it popped right off the wheel on one side. I now have to heat it up on the wheel and use epoxy to fix it.

No big deal, but it was an avoidable mistake.

For Armada owners I would suggest not purchasing the large overhead console dashkit. It looks amazing, but they cut the button holes for the console lights way too tight. I am having problems with the buttons, which Nissan made awfully loose, not disengaging because they get caught up on the dashkit. I am going to have to break out my Dremmel and do some work to alleviate this issue. Yip....E.

Don't feel obligated to use the entire kit. I left off about nine pieces, we each have our own individual ideas of what amounts to "too much wood!".

If you have the misfortune of a piece not adhering properly, say you just slip and put it on the wrong way. Immediately pull it off, set it aside, you will have to epoxy it in place later. I made the mistake once of pulling off pieces, then re-applying them immediately. Doesn't last, they will fall off eventually. Get it right the first time.

Thanks for the tips. I have been thinking about adding some thing like this.

Where did you by the LANDSHARK lettering? I would love to do this.....but I would use my own handle of course.

If you are inested in a chrome bug shield, hit me up. I have a new one....thought I had a buyer, but he wasn't serious.

I've been away from the site for a while - what is a L A N D S H A R K ???

I like it!!!!

Here's a link to a couple ebay auctions for custom chrome lettering.. kinda pricey at 5.49 a letter, you better go with the abbreviated name!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72211&item=7975514521&rd=1&tc=photo

also

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=72211&item=7974885881&rd=1

The color is "titanium burl". The tan interior on the ARMADA is actually half tan, half grey as Nissan got kind of cheap and only makes one color headliner and dash. The titanium burl, being grey, kind of marries the two contrasting colors. If I had gone with the steel interior, edashkit has a really beautiful "platinum burl", sort of a light blonde wood, that would really look striking.

Dashkit installs are not to be taken lightly. I noticed a ton of flaws in this install when I looked at the digital pictures. Luckily the naked eye doesn't see as well as a digitial camera.

I live in Arizona, so I learned firsthand that you NEVER install a dashkit when the temps are above 80 degrees. If, while installing, the temps creep above 80, quit what you're doing and come back another day. Trust me, I have one vehicle that is a constant hassle with pieces falling off because the day I installed it the temps flew from 70 to 98 during the install.

They supply you with adhesive accelerator, but very little of it. The pieces themselves have an EXTREMELY ADHESIVE backing. Use the accelarator compound only on rough surfaces, it is not needed for smooth surfaces. In fact, I didn't use it at all on the Armada.

I cannot stress enough how adhesive the 3M backing on the pieces is. You get ONE shot to get the piece on right. So, before peeling off the paper backing, practice, practice, and practice again just how you are going to place the particular piece you are about to attach. Make sure your body is in a position to do it accurately (easy in an Armada, not so easy in small cars), and find a starting point, match it up, then peel and go.

If the pieces will be going onto a non-flat surface, then you will need to heat them up to make them flexible. I have found that fifteen minutes in 75 degree sun makes the pieces very rubbery. My BIG mistake on this install was on the steering wheel. On each side two pieces 'wrap' around the steering wheel. I left the pieces in the sun, let them get flexible, then brought them in to install. The first one went on perfect, wrapped around, voila! But, since it took a couple minutes to line up and then do, the second piece started to harden up...and I didn't realize it. I installed it, and noticed at the time it didn't have much give. The next day it popped right off the wheel on one side. I now have to heat it up on the wheel and use epoxy to fix it.

No big deal, but it was an avoidable mistake.

For Armada owners I would suggest not purchasing the large overhead console dashkit. It looks amazing, but they cut the button holes for the console lights way too tight. I am having problems with the buttons, which Nissan made awfully loose, not disengaging because they get caught up on the dashkit. I am going to have to break out my Dremmel and do some work to alleviate this issue. Yip....E.

Don't feel obligated to use the entire kit. I left off about nine pieces, we each have our own individual ideas of what amounts to "too much wood!".

If you have the misfortune of a piece not adhering properly, say you just slip and put it on the wrong way. Immediately pull it off, set it aside, you will have to epoxy it in place later. I made the mistake once of pulling off pieces, then re-applying them immediately. Doesn't last, they will fall off eventually. Get it right the first time.

Thanks this very good to know for future reference.

Here's another site, but the letters are on a plate so you can't space the letters out..

OK, this one looks like your best bet..

http://youremblem.com

only 3.50 a letter..