I am buying a maxima today. Before I give the seller the money for the car, I had it checked out by my mechanic. He just called me and said that the cat-back exhaust is rotted out, the flex pipe is fraying and must be fixed right away, and that the struts and shocks need to be replaced NOW because they are chewing up the tires and in fact the front 2 tires wouldnt even pass an inspection because of it.

The car is a 1996 SE with 123,000 miles. I can understand the exhaust rotting, flex pipe fraying, and that the struts and shocks are shot. But is it normal for the worn struts to RUIN front and rear tires? I already am looking at like 6-700 dollars in work, not even including replacing the cat-back.

I am supposed to pay 4,000 for this car later today. What do you think is a fair price considering the work that needs to be done? And how urgent is the problem with replacing the struts/shocks? Thanks.

 

WTF.........$6-7000??? You're gona get owned if you do that. Tell him you'll give him 3000 for the car because it needs all that work.

But if you pay that much to get that done.... then you shouldnt even buy the car.

New y - pipe, catback ----- $590 from Warpspeed - http://www.warpspeedperformance.com/nissan.htm

New struts ----- $300-400 depending on what brand you get - http://www.customenterprise.com/view.../vts/design004


And yes, if the struts are blown, and nothing is done about it, it will cause uneven tirewear and have a bad ride.

 

Bad struts can cause tires to be "chewed up." It doesnt really chew them up. Basically what can happen is your wheel will have a slight bouncing up and down while traveling down the road. This can cause a very distinct wave pattern of wear on the tire. You will have valleys and peaks. It can also cause the inner structure of the tire to seperate causing blisters which are very bad. When those blisters heat up they can cause a blow out. This dude wants 4g's for a car that needs new suspension, tires, and exhaust. Id pay $2500 to $3000 for it depending on what the rest looks like. If necessary have your mechanic give you a written estimate that you can provide to the seller. Negotiate!!!!

 

he is selling you a nice lemon... i wouldnt buy that car for 500 $

 

i agree, you can buy a better 4th gen for the money.

 

Hold on here, if you are planning on modding the car, these are all things you will replace anyway, so if you can get the guy to come down some $'s to get these things fixed you're a head of the game, because aftermarket exhaust, struts etc are much cheaper than oem. There's no such thing as a "lemon" Maxima! If that's all your mechanic found and the mechanics and body are good I'd say go for it and use the saved money for modding. Soulfly is correct on the shock/springs etc, but I'd like to add there are other options on Y-pipes which will answer your flex pipe fray trouble and give you the best bang for the buck as far as horsepower, you may want to look at the "budget" y-pipe it's cheaper and every bit as good as any other out there. Good Luck hope it works out for you and welcome to a great forum!

 

I wouldn't get it. With all of these things wrong with it, it shows that he didn't take care of it. What else is going to pop up.

 

All of those things are the first things to be changed for the most part if you are going to mod. The stock maxima springs and struts (shocks) should be replaced if you want better handling. The y-pipe which includes flex section is basically a requirement for anyone to get. It makes the maxima a lot faster. I would still try to get him to drop the price some.

 

Thanks for the quick replies. The car is in great condition for its age and miles aside from the problems i mentioned. The interior is mint, paint is shiny b/c it has been garaged its whole life, body has no damage, etc. So I spoke to the guy and we renegotiated the price, and I am still buying this car.

The first thing I will do is replace the suspension. I am going to order the parts probably wednesday, unless I find something on the f/s forum. What parts besides new struts, shocks, and springs do I NEED? I would like to NOT spend money if i dont have to, because if I spend 3500 on a car i dont want to spend double that modding it. I know how carried away I will get if i start, thats what happened with my last car before I totaled it and lost 10,000 bucks in mods that got destroyed.

So are there any really necessary bolts/mounts/hats that I HAVE TO order when I replace the shocks and struts?

The exhaust I feel is not as urgent as the suspension, and will have to wait until I have the money. Worst case is that I bottom out, the flex pipe breaks and the car is real loud until i get a new piece.

 

I'll sell you my 97' for $3700 ) Its pretty nice ... its pearl and its got 18"s and tinted windows.

High miles, but all highway and its super clean, never missed an oil change / tune up. )

 

P.S. The exhaust is good and so are the shocks

 

Get new dust boots and front new strut bearings with the suspension. After the new suspension is installed, you'll also need an alignment.

You might as well do the tuneup yourself. Use NGK copper plugs (only use NGK brand plugs), new PCV valve, new fuel filter, and new air filter. Clean the throttle body while you're at it. Won't cost much to do it yourself. Directions are in the How To thread at the top of the forum.

 

i would tell him that you will buy the car if he subtracts the money it cost to repair it. that sound like a good deal

 

dude, i got both of my 96 auto and 95 5 speed for under 3800 dollars a couple months ago. the car interior are mint, and paint's good with just two dints in the auto. the cars are in great running condition, didn't have to replace anything. first thing i did when i got both cars is a huge tune up. then i convert to synthetic fluids. my deal is way better than yours. that car sounds like it'll cost you much to fix unless you found some cheap deals for the replacements. and i doubt the credibility of the mechanics. bad alignment will eat your tires, not shot struts. and check OBD for any ghost codes, you never know. some of the common mechanical problems at that milage are : alternator, starter, knock sensor, o2 senser, and oil sender ( replacement is a must when you get the car). Hope this helps.

 

Well Said. I concur

 

You sir need help...first lets understand the age of the car, and these are regular maintainence parts...ie parts that wear and tear...it is ok if they need to be changed. It doesn't necessarily constitute abuse, but the buyer should try and talk him down...its all about being a sales man...

 

mine was 3500 and it needed a new clutch and CV boots

 

6-7?
springs=$100-200
shocks=$300-450
tires=$400
y-pipe$160-190
B-pipe=$60-100
Muffler=$100

your looking at around $2000 in repairs alone.

offer him $2500

doesnt include Installations.

 

Im going to teach you the best lesson you will EVER learn in buying a car.

Ready?

Take notes...

Here it comes...

"If it something is fishy, if something is that wrong and hes not really willing to compenesate you, THEN WALK AWAY" Dont look back just walk away because you might find something else serious down the road that will cost you a **** load more money.

Walk away kid.

There are several people on these forums selling their fourth gen max's for a better deal than that and if they sold you a lemon they would be sacrificed to the Shift_gods. :P

Proph

 

well said...