NismoDrew91SE

Was cruising the classifieds at work today. Saw "93 Maxima SE" caught my attention right away, afterwards i saw 5spd. Pretty much went estatic.

Let me give you info on the car. 141,000 on it. Black, black cloth interior. outside looks immaculate, same with inside. The ac only works in the 4 spot, which isnt a really big problem down here in sunny florida. needs a cd head unit, thats about it. Poped the hook, no ticking. engine bay looks clean and in good order.

I test drove, omg thing screams compared to my 91. Clutch is very tight, and smooth. What i noticed most was that the engine was quiet. it didnt sound like i was going 65-70. all in all very nice, but im not sure what i should do.

my 91 has 146000 on there, good mechanical condition. No real major problems. Just had radiator replaced, and timing belt//water pump done not too long ago. my cars has quite a few miles left. I can sell this, for about 2g , and the other guy is asking 3 for the 93. what do you think. Only thoughts i have is, what happens if the 93 turns into a lemon or something like that. Should i stick with the 91, and just run it down or upgrade a lil bit?

nubiannupe

iTrader: (9)

Dude... you're looking at a 93 SE 5sp! What's "lemon" about THAT?? But in all seriousness, see if you can have the car taken to a competent mechanic to get the "once over". Just to be on the safe side. Also, get a Carfax report on it, too....

NismoDrew91SE

thanks for the quick reply, was what 5mins hehe. thats what im thinking, but you know what i mean about lemon. i've herd stories about vtc's and crap. Im a broke *** college student and don't really have the cash to repair this one if anything happens while i have a reliable car as it is.

on the other hand it is a VE 5spd!!! that looks to be in great condition.

gonna have to talk to the pops about finances.

MrGone

iTrader: (30)

If you can afford it, and feel financially comfortable with it, upgrade.

If your 91 is an Auto, Upgrade but it sounds like your 91 might be a 5spd with how your talking about the clutch.

also if you think the VE is quiet, go drive a 5th gen you can't even really hear the motors at all. (kinda sucks).

Personally I wouldnt worry about it being a "Lemon" (since its past its "lemonhood" anyway). Proper maintence will make them last forever.

NismoDrew91SE

yah its a 5sp. manual is the only way to go, never owned an auto. My dad had a 99 for a lil while after he gave me the 91, the engine was very quite, kinda creepy. Damn though the 93 felt nice, i think im gonna do it. for 3grand or less sounds like a good deal.
speaking of car fax. any one know people that can do the searches?

Cliff Clavin

iTrader: (11)

Uh, I would say (and most people here would agree) that ANY 3rd gen Maxima is a reliable car. I would ask the guy a couple of questions, because there are some things that will cost $$$ and aren't necessarily reliability issues. Since it doesn't tick, he probably maintained it pretty well -- changed the oil every 3K, regular services, etc.

I don't think that VTCs would be a problem on this car for quite a while, since it's not ticking at all.

You should ask the owner:

Has he ever replaced the clutch? (kinda spendy)
Has he replaced the water pump? (also spendy)
Did he have VTCs replaced or rebuilt? (since it doesn't tick, it's possible)

Other than those things, the most likely things to go wrong are common and are just as likely to happen with your current max (window regulators, starter, alternator, antenna).

Remember that a VE has a timing chain, not a belt, so it's not as likely to break and cause a disaster.

Like Nub said, try to get it to a mechanic and do a carfax if you can.

5-spd SEs are considerably more fun to drive (stock vs. stock) and you will kick yourself if you don't buy it.

I say, certainly get it if you can.

DARHAW-MAX

to what Red92MaxSE said. Go for it! Even though my GXE is in better astethic (sp) condition, I usually end up driving the SE into the ground. I love that car.

If you can grab 2k for your VG and end up only paying about 1k or so in difference, then it is well worth the upgrade.

NismoDrew91SE

yah at the moment thats what im thinking hell for a grand why not. though what exactly does a ticking vtc sound like. obviously ticking noise, but what should i look for, how loud that kinda stuff.

DARHAW-MAX

The VTC ticking will sound just like that: ticking from under the hood. The good thing is that it will not cause any engine damage; just damage to your patience when you get tired of hearing them. As for the volume, they are not that loud, but loud enough for you to hear them while you are in the driver's seat.

If it is not ticking now, great. Just make sure you keep the oil changed and clean. Ensure you run a good, lightweight 5W-30 dino or synthetic oil. If you are one who goes a while between oil changes (2K miles or more, then you may be better using synthetic). However, if you are like me and change once to twice a month, then lightweight dino will serve fine.

Another thing you may want to look into is whether or not the KS was changed. If so, you have really found a jewl. If not, well there are workarounds. Either way, the car will be a steal.

Do you have a FSM? If not, it would not be a bad idea to get one. Look on e-bay for a good price.