97maximaman

Ok heres the deal, i dont ask financial advice from mostly strangers but this is an unusual case that requires some outside viewpoints.

My 97 max needs some serious money put in to be kept as a daily. With some fun mods im figuring about 6k. Thats axles, paint, clutch, suspension, wheels....you guys know the drill.
So the dilema is this, is 6k too much money to pour into a 10-11 year old car. I mean its still only worth 3-4k when i go to sell it 3-4 years down the road. And apparently my dad thinks that if the car gets totalled after all that work my insurance would only pay book value for it, but i thought if you show reciepts they will cover all mods.

So in short its this or a heavily modded stang/camaro. Basically i wont sell the max for anything less than 400hp. So im not sure which way to go.

vqmaxman

I would keep the car,because now I

huyqvu

iTrader: (10)

keep it for a beater. thats what im doing with mine. trying to find a nice body q45 or g35 to play with.

vqmaxman

I would keep the car,because now I am sure the car does not hold the value It did 5 years ago. I would keep It and avoid monthly payments.
The original VQ will be hard to be replaced meaning It will be hard to find something that's good in quality and so on know a days with out some problems with some new cars. Last but not least the Insurance. If your car gets in a wreck the mods you have you get it back at that price but who will want to buy something that's higher than It's orignal value. Good luck.

SVI30

400hp car seems fun until you have to go to the pump way too often. People think the Lexus ISF is a great car. But no one talks about the fact that this car has a 15 gal tank. It will have to go to the pump every 200 miles or so.

4G A32 is great because it gets around 20mpg and performance is decent.

andrei3333

Your dad is right, unless you register the mods with your insurance company, in which case it is considered a show car because its performance modified (ypipe) and you cannot drive it daily (legally) and you pay more insurance because you bring up the value of the car

This is what i would do, just spend the minimum required to maintain the car in working order, and keep saving for a nice, newer car...

97maximaman

I see, so just having reciepts aint enough. What im referring to just to clarify is if some you know what whacks me not if its my fault. So if its the other guys fault it still wont matter they're only covering book value? If that is the case i might just do the maintenance work and not bother with paint, body kit, all those goodies. Ahh, the more i grow up the more i learn how much life sucks.

i30krab

iTrader: (1)

You might visualize this conundrum with going to a house of ill repute.

You go in all excited and you leave with no money.

The moral is: you spent all your dough on an ugly *****, you're broke and you have nothing to show for it but a case of the clap. Save your money for a nice girl I mean car and you can ride all day with no trouble.

Snypa

iTrader: (35)

how mcuh gallons does a maxima hold sir....a 99 to be specific?

Snypa

iTrader: (35)

keep the car....how many miles?

eclypsecl

iTrader: (2)

keeping mine, no payments, in college, low insurance, some maintanance...just needs to last 1-2 more years.

Keep yours and use the money for something else. I only did a suspension change, car is is 10 years old and just not worth the mods. Beater mobile.

SVI30

A32 has 18.5 gal tank but I don't think I've ever put 17 gal in my car. It will get to L.A. from the Bay Area on one tank.

My Suburban has a 44 gal tank and I normally put no more than 35 gal in it. Now many stations has $75 limits so I would go to the pump between 1/4 to 1/2 full if I needed to go somewhere far.

My IS has 17 gal tank and I've never gone to 15 gal. This IS250 can get 22-24MPG in town depending on the driving. IS350 is worst than that. That ISF would be going to the pump all the time. This IS is two years old. Even then, in comparison, the 2.5L engine seemed a better choice than the 3.5L in the G35, better on gas and enough power.

With gas potentially hitting $5 within a few years, these gas guzzling cars are dinosaurs. As it is, my Suburban sits in the driveway most of the time.

BLACKonBLACK98

iTrader: (42)

mod the max, or don't if you just don't like it. worrying about what could happen is pointless. you could total a newer car and lose money too. i'm guessing a heavily modded mustang/camaro that costs 6k isn't worth much more than a max. also, none of the mods you mentioned really throw it into the illegal category (i've never heard of this personally). and if you happen to do something that does, just don't claim that mod.

97maximaman

Maybe i should up to a 2k3/2k4 and start the modding there. Atleast that way the car will be a bit quicker.

dgeesaman

iTrader: (10)

Your dad is probably correct. You need to check your policy.

Insurance aside, nearly every dollar spent on mods is a dollar thrown away. If you don't feel that mod is worth every single dollar to you in the time you'll own the car, it's wasted. (IMHO, modding a maxima is a waste in and of itself, but I'm an old fogey sometimes)

97maximaman

I dont like just driving a car. To me a car is an expression of yourself, so to spend 6-10k modding a car is worth every penny if it truly expressy who you are. Moneys not the real issue, i have that. Its a matter of spending it on a newer stock car or driving an older custom car. Honestly i take the custom car any day. Just look at VIP's car, his car would turn heads any day of the week and its a 9 year old vehicle vs most new car that wont get people talking.

SVI30

I will do some bolt on mods such as bilstein, KYB shocks, tires etc. but mostly I like to keep my cars stock. I will not hesitate to add something electrical. Even cutting a wire, I would put in male/female connectors in order to return it to stock some day.

ROCKART

iTrader: (23)

ok
you dont need paint. that saves 1-2k right there.

and your insurance only covers it if they offer aftermarket coverage, and you will have to pay for it in your premium.

i dont know whether to fix up your max or not. all ill say is that these cars are known for long lasting engines. if you baby it from this point you will easily get to 200k.

do not buy a camaro.....

Double E

Investing in a depreciating asset is a certain way to never get ahead.

If you REALLY want to go fast, get into a purpose-built 1/4 mile car or road course car and keep the "performance sedan" or Camaro from posing as your real racer.

rouellette

If it's strictly financial advice that you want then do not mod the car. The automobile is one of the WORST places you can put money. It almost ALWAYS goes down in value meaning you loose money. (exception is rare collectors cars, of course) It is a consumable like food. You buy it to use it up. Putting 6k into this car is essentially saying bye-bye to that money. After you put the money into it only 3 different scenarios will happen.

1. You keep the car til is dies. - ending value $0 ($50 if a scrap guy can take it off your hands)
2. accident - whatever the Ins company determines is the car's 'book' value after age, wear & tear, etc. plus a PERCENTAGE of your mods. The longer hte mods are in there the less they're worth. The Ins co's not in the business of giving away money, you know they're going to try to 'stick' it to you.
3. You try to sell it - The only people who 'MAY' be interested in buying a modified max for more than book value is a max fanatic. You know alot of those in NY?

If it's advice on what to do with your free time and extra money then only you can answer that. Everyone needs to have a hobby. If this one is the one that brings you satisfaction and you can afford it, then by all means.

97maximaman

I did some looking last night and it looks like i might get like 1500-2k for the car privately with the mods taken out(still have factory light and all that stuff). So if i can get that much i'll go for a 2k-2k2 Trans Am. There just so sexy. Actually my bro in law had a Camaro at the same time as my sis had a Firebird Formula, then they both sold them at the same time when they got married, but of the two i think the Trans Am has better lines. I guess if im going to spend the money modding a car it better be a true beast of a car. At 20 years old theres really no other time in my life when i'll have the time to do it.

al river

i will keep the car or exchange with a 5th generation + $$$ difference
or i will keep the 6k for a down payment for the 2009 Maxima

97maximaman

Na cant buy new, i make good money but not that kinda money plus insurance at 20 years old aint cheap, even with no accidents or tickets.