well, my car's at 155k now and I'm worried that my car mite break down in the near future. I am guilty of not being the best caretaker of this car because well, I ran it with problems. So, being that i'm poor, my question is what would you do? Replace whatever breaks and keep running it, even if it's the engine or the tranny? or salvage the car and buy a civic? (I'm serious). Thanks for reading.

 

Get a used on on www.car-part.com, run you like 4-6 hundred

 

well yeah, i heard that the vq motors aren't that expensive but it's not just the cost of the motor i'm worried about. I'm worried about the cost, installation fee, etc. (Same with the tranny too (of course if I did a tranny swap, I'd get a 5-spd)).

 

i am not encouraging buying a civic by any means cuz i would never do that but you are spending a lot of money when your do engine and tranny work. just keep in mind that the car is 9 yrs old and all that labor to fix the car could go to a new car payment

 

my 95 has a ton more miles than you have, plus i average oil changes every 10000-12000 miles. If any car has had poor maintenance mine has and it's still going strong. I wouldnt worry too much about it dying, unless you're already having trouble. I think getting a new engine in with labor etc.. would be about 1500-2500

 

well at the rate i am going, the cost to repair the car would add up to a new car payment but I don't intend to go at this rate anymore. I think doing regular check-ups and maintaining the car would keep me okay (Please correct me if I'm wrong (whoever loves math, calculate please)) And by posting this thread I think i realized that it's time I shape up with the caring of my car. Of course, I wouldn't want to go from a Maxima to a Civic (especially the one I had in mind which is like the older Gens hatchback) but if that's the best way to go financially then I think I should go that way. I was wondering about the people who's done tranny and engine swaps. Is it the same as before as in reliability? If I were to do such a big modification to my car is it similar to the car's first engine, or is there a little difference as in leaks, repairments (more often, less often). What made you decide to do an engine swap instead of getting a new car or maxima? Thanks.

 

well i just replaced one of my coilpacks, my 02 sensors, and the EVAP control volume. And I need to repair my A/C compressor because i was told that the A/C compressor and the alternator share the same belt and if I didn't get the compressor fixed, the belt could snap and my engine would stall. I was quoted 300 on this repairment. I need to change my knock sensor too but I'll just do this myself. And also, I really need a maintenence check up because ever since I got my car which was a little over 3 yrs ago (60k miles ago), I haven't changed anything (except for oil and its filter). Too much money's going into my car and I'm sick of it but I'm not the one to complain because basically this is all my fault. I'm pretty much set on fixing the compressor because I don't wanna stall in the middle of driving, but I'm just afraid of something else breaking down on me. So I'm kinda giving up on this car and maybe getting an alternate will save me some money and stress.

 

Drive it until you can't start the car anymore, and there is a big problem with the engine. then you might want to get another engine and swap it out, if that's going to be cheaper, other wise just get a newer maxima no Civic..
Say no to CIVIC....

 

engine swap engine swap engine swap!
say no to civic as above stated.

 

I feel your pain, but the repair costs won't even add up to a car payment for a few months, much less the down payment.... insurance... taxes etc.

Here is my strategy.

Drive the car to the grave. But get your car something nice every year to maintain some interest. Rear sway bar, new wheels, interior mod. All of these are cheaper than a new car.

The problem with Maximas is that it is very hard to drive them to the grave, they just keep going. I bought an 87 Max wagon 7 years ago for $7500 and sold it this year for $1500. That equals $1000 per year. The car was starting to show its age and have little nickle and dime repairs. And I was jonzin' for a 5 speed.

I've started back in the same cycle and bought my current 98 5speed for $7500 but this time I will put even more into it so I can garner even more enjoyment over the life of the car. I can afford a new Max but I paid cash for this one, I enjoy no debt over the ego stroke of a new car. Besides, we able to put a fat down payment on a big house cuz we have no debt. Now the house has appreciated over 30% in 2 years.... sorry babbling on here, but new cars = $$$$$, maintenance = $

P

 

Thanks for the tips. Made me open my mind on other things. Maybe I'm just overreacting? Cuz some people on here claimed that they're at 300k and if my car were to reach 300k that's like almost having the life of two cars. 200k on a car seems like a LOT tho and at 155k, it's not very far away. This whole thing's been on my mind lately with all the repairs being done. Putting little mods on the car seems like a good plan but it just doesn't seem logical to me to get mods on a car that's soon to break down. altho I really do like it.

 

Labor would run you under $1800.00 I highly doubt you get a nice new car for that price. A down payment. I would charge way less then that to install the engine and do the 5 speed swap. Ill be doing that on a maxima here pretty soon.

Jaime