Alligators aren’t anything to mess with. These prehistoric lizards pack a mouthful of teeth ready to crush anything that might look like food or pose a threat. The latter is exactly what one good ole boy found out when he came face… err… bumper to face with a gator in his first-generation Nissan Frontier. 
What proceeds next isn’t really surprising, but the outcome is certainly unpredicted. As the driver approaches the blatantly upset gator, it begins to hiss – a warning sign to anyone with sensibilities. It’s apparent the man though the gator would be intimidated by the truck’s size and slither away. Well, that’s not what happened.
I won’t spoil the fun of the video, but rest assured the man will be looking for new Frontier parts.
He shouldn’t have any trouble finding those parts, as those first-generation trucks were rather popular. Nissan began building the Frontier in 1997 as a replacement for the venerable Hard Body. The initial design lasted through 2003 with a mid-cycle refresh happening in 2001.
Power came by way of two engine options: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a 3.3-liter V-6. Neither option was overly powerful, though Nissan did offered a dealer-installed supercharger option on the V-6. Available with both engines were a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Of course, 4WD was an option as well.
Despite the media’s unloving reports about the truck when it was new, Nissan sold nearly half a million first-gen Frontiers, proving that folks loved its rugged looks, honest capability, and fair price. Perhaps the Frontier would have sold even more had Nissan equipped to truck to be gator proof. Then again, that’s sort of a niche quality.