i wrecked my max about 2 weeks ago ,i been so mad that i havent told you guys,but it happend when i was going to work, and i went over a bridge a musthave hit a patch of black ice cause my car started to slide to the left and when i tried to straighten my car back to the right i didnt do what i was supposed to do ,to let off the gas ,and i slammed into the gaurdrail at about 65 mph and did a 360 after hitting the rail. now my max is parked in my backyard ,it still drives and starts right up but dont want to drive it the way it looks, the whole front right is pushed in need a new hood,r.fender front bumper and headlight.
so my question is i saw a 1990 max for sale for 650 should i just buy it and use the parts ,or is the junkyard cheaper. i never thought i would crash my maxima after 5 years this is bull#@#t.
thanks

 

I am happy to hear you are okay and that all the Maxima suffered is some bodily harm! The front bumper support, which bolts into the frame rail, may have suffered some damage as well, and that would have to be replaced because any new bumper and the reinforcement wouldn't fit right. The large radiator/headlight support (mounted to both sides of the car when looking at the front) may also need to be replaced as it extends to the far right side, where it seems the damage is focused. Pics would clear up this worry.....

Depending on the condition of the 90, it may be incredibly worth it, and you could potentially save a lot of money too! A couple of questions come to mind:
1. Does it run?
-if so, you can part out the engine, tranny, and the components for cash back
2. Do the colors match up?
3. Do you have the ability to fix it?

There may be other concerns, but I would go with a donor car, b/c you can part it out if need be and potentially get your money back or atleast subdue some of the cost to fix it. Put some pics up and we can definitely give you a much better answer. It's nice that your okay and your MAx is still alive, alot worse could have happened at 65 mph!

 

noooooo!!!! 3rd gens are becoming more and more rare (the well kept up ones at least). get her back up and running as soon as possible!

 

i say its worth.. if it the 90 max runs you could definitely come out on top..i say go for the one for 6 and part it out..

 

ditto, get the '90, sell the engine and tranny, take the body parts you need then part out on the rest of the body parts

 

the car has a blown tranny but everything else is good .
it has leather seats that i might be able to use too,but its a different color.

 

i dont know how to fix it myself so im going to let a shop do it. how much do you guys think the labor is going to be to swap all the parts .

 

always remember this saying when it comes to gettin any kind of work done...especially to a car..."You Get What You Pay For" in lamens terms...the cheap route isnt always the best route lol

 

It depends on the parts to be swapped, can you take pictures of the wrecked car? We might be able to give you a better idea and perhaps give you simple instructions on how to replace the body components, as it is very simple; it only requires that you have some simple hand tools. You would definetly save a chunk of change by doing this labor yourself, then go get a $300 paint job, and call it complete.

 

see if anyone here can do it, lots of people here are willing to help for a case of beer and a couple hundred bucks. otherwise if you cant find anyone on here, best to find a private person

but honestly replacing the body parts is nearly bolt off bolt on, take a few pics and we could all help. would be good to get another set of hands to help you lift off/lift on the hood etc but really its easy

 

Wow....sorry to hear about your Max! It always sucks when something you cherish gets messed up.
Like today, I came out of a hobby store to find my 3rd gen's front bumper all marred up with the license plate holder dangling. Turns out some jackass in a big truck decided to race across the parking lot, he slid a bit and his knobby tires rubbed all across my front bumper. No ripped plastic, just a little scratching and paint rubbed off. So now I gotta spend tommorow sanding, bondoing and spraying my bumper. Grrrrrr!

 

I definatly agree..people say "hey now thats a classic..I had a flattop cut when I had a car like that" its all about how you keep them 3rd gens! swap them parts, and keep it movin!

 

Well now that I'm done swapping new engine and gearbox into my 02se I'm about to start swapping over my 92se into a 90se...this is complicated work and is only worth it if you do it yourself (cost I presume). There is a write up on the VG to VE conversion but I can tell you that it is only a summary of the truth.

 

VG's are everywhere it's the VE that is the rare one...and having owned them all the VE is my favorite arenaline car, while the 02 is my mack daddy car.

 

switch parts, or switch cars, we end up with one less maxima. The question ends with which is more economical?
shortymust23, do you have a VE, or VG?
also, I am a stickler for carnage; pics?