So I looked up a bunch of threads and I have determined I do not have the tools or the skills to fix my lower rad support myself. I do need to have a auto-body shop do it. I found out when I went to a local custom exhaust shop to have my muffler put on. when I saw what I saw I literally stared at it with my mouth wide open. I am considering getting it fixed but I need to know what a good price for it to be done would be. I guess I just need to know if it would be worth doing or if I should just drive it until the car is no longer driveable. I love my max, and I am getting the rear valve cover done on it soon and inspect and register it next month. also I am going into college soon as well so I don't know how much money I will have. I am 20 yrs old income is not the greatest as I work in a deli. I called a bunch of local shops (I live in NH) to get price quotes but they are all closed at 5. This is literally eating away at my mind so could someone please tell me how much it would be? I looked up the lower rad support on courtsey parts. It's not that bad of a price on the part but how much for the install? How much is too much to pay?

 

Lets just say when I did the white nightmare, $420 was cheap, but I also needed a new subframe too (rusted subframe).

Subframe + Rad support = $420 in labor, and $80 in parts

As for rad support, cost of labor depends if you're just having a section welded on (like myself, the cheaper, less safe way) or the whole new thing done (not so cheap, but the best possible way to go about this)

 

ok, well I would prefer to do it the "right way" but if cost is going to be to much I might just have something cheaper put in and run it until it won't go anymore.

Did Anybody get it done the "right way?" if so how much did you spend?

 

Everything should come out from 800-1k.

 

what do you mean by just having a section welded on? are you talking about having just the lower rad support welded on compared to the whole assembly?

 

Thanks, is that including parts+labor do you think?

 

that's what "everything" means

 

Yes sir. At least that's what my guy told me, then dropped the price to 650 when I laughed and told him I was too broke he said that its no laughing matter and that at anytime the cross member could fail (cross member is supported by the rad support I think? Correct me if I'm wrong please) and that he wouldn't wanna see me die. Apparently it's a huge safety hazard so get it fixed as soon as possible.

 

Hey, give me a break! I'm having issues today

 

it's all good bro

 

Well, I definitely want to be safe. That's why I want to do it the proper way, even if it means draining all my money. My cross member is just hanging there and now I am a little scared to drive the car. but I have no other transportation So I gotta do what I gotta do, and get this replaced ASAP!

 

I would consider just selling the max, but I know I won't get much for it as it is right now and with the money I get off it I am just going to buy something that would need at least a grand of work to be a good running car anyway. so I'm stuck fixing the max! I love my Maxima anyway. Maxima FTW

 

Yeah just don't go overboard on the highway or freeways stay the speed limit and you'll be good, that's what I've been doing. And yes I can't leave my max either although its rainy days like these that I wish I had a RWD so I could counter steer and drift past cars and watch their reactions

 

That's the thing, though. I drove with my girlfriend to Maine (about an hr and 45 min) to go visit some people and go to the beach last week. The whole time it was straight highway and I was doing around 80 the whole time there and back. I didn't even know about my rad support. So i'm thankful nothing happened and unfortunately I gotta take it easy now haha. A rear wheel drive car would be great, especially fun to drive in these New England winters haha. Although the Max did surprisingly good for the first time I drove it in the winter this year.

 

Don't waste your time rigging it. An OEM lower radiator support is less than $150. Don't buy an aftermarket part either, even if it was free!

Can you can do some of the work yourself?

 

Used OEM ones work fine too..... AS long as they're from the south.

 

I honestly Don't know if I could I don't think so, I have only welded like twice and it didn't go so good. But yes I do know OEM or nothing, I'm prob going to buy the part off courtesy parts

 

yea honestly I rather buy a new one $150 isn't to big of a deal to do it right. I want to try to make the car last, and I don't have the time to keep waiting on a good used one to come my way you know?

Thank's for the suggestion though!

 

UPDATE: I took it to my mechanic to see what he thought and He asked me if I went to any body shop yet and I said no. Then he said don't because he can probably do it a lot cheaper so I just dropped it with him and he's looking it over to see if it's out of his area of expertise. I'm praying for good news..

 

Aside from the welding there is quite a bit of work most could tackle. Paying someone to remove/reinstall your front bumper cover, metal bumper, headlights, grille, splash shields, etc. is where most of the cost will be from. If you do the wrenching you could save a good chuck of change.

When I did mine, the actual welding was short and sweet. Its just spot welds. I'm no pro and I got it done. Cutting off the old one was the hardest part. A drill along with a hammer and chisel is all you really need.

 

ORM or bust on parts or BUST. Don't cheap out on parts or you will be doing it all again a week later

Look at the road. Support link in my sig for details of cheap supports

 

Ok, I will take that into consideration thank you. Is there a write up on how to remove your front bumper, headlights ect? that way I could probably do it and then go to the body shop saving labor charges

 

Yes I have been looking at that thread thank you! I will definitely not cheap out.

 

So my mechanic came back to me and said it is out of his area of expertise and will need to be done by a body shop. or he could weld in a piece of steal and kind of ghetto fab it in there. He said he would do that for 400. This offer is really tempting can somebody please slap me for even considering it?

it is just so hard to spend that much money on this car I feel like I am dumping money into it left and right. I will start calling body shops first thing in the morning when I wake up, also I will take into consideration trying to pull off everything like the bumper, lights, ect. to save money on labor.

this sucks

 

Is the car costing you more money than a car payment would cost? Are there any more major/expensive issues with the car after the Radiator Support? Can you buy another car for the $400 you would spend on the radiator support?

If the answer to these questions is "NO", then financially, you are probably better off dumping $400 into it. If you have already done a lot of work/maintenance on the car then you know what you have as opposed to buying someone elses junk.

For instance, I just dropped $900 on a bunch of oil leaks. now that those are fixed, i have no issues with the car. I knew I could not find another car for $900 that didn't need work and since I have already replaced a lot of maintenance items on my Max, it was a no brainer for me to drop the $900 and pray nothing else goes wrong. Make sense? Just my .02 financial info.

 

imho find a forum member to fix it who has done it before, it's not worth paying a body shop. Over the phone they told me $700, then when they saw it, suddenly the number popped up to $1600, and even the guy said he would not pay $1600 if it were his car, just drive it until the motor falls out (now that wasn't good advice either, the former was). It's just not worth a grand for a car this old....plus with a body shop you have no way of knowing an OEM even went in so a year from now you're in the same boat....

 

Seriously, find a forum member who will do it, $400 is a lot of money especially for someone who has not done it before....my .02.

 

This..... Im assuming your from the NE since you mentioned maine. There is a good amount of members in that area. Quite of few of them have done this job.

Im in the middle of doing mine, and ill wind up stripping off the old one,prep it ect ect and have a buddy or someone with a welder just weld it in for a case of beer or some smoke. In the end all ill pay for is the support, bolts, some tools and mood altering chemicals maybe 200 bucks and that is pushing it.

 

Do you happen to know anybody you could refer me to by any chance I am will to travel to Maine or what have you. I was on craigslist a couple months ago and I saw this post in Maine that this guy has been in the maxima business for over 10 years and if you need parts for your maxima or work done to it then email him. I emailed him with a couple questions but he never got back to me I'm going to try to find his post on craigslist again!

EDIT: I found the guys post in maine who said he specializes in maxima I emailed him and I am hoping he will reply.

 

Thanks everybody I guess I just needed an maxima enthusiast pep talk! I went to a diner last night with 3 of my friends and I had to go on the highway. everybody in the car couldn't stop talking about how smooth the car rides and how it's so much better than their Subaru, or Honda ect. so that made me feel good. they said it was definitely worth getting the job done and they were jealous at the fact that my 14 yr old car drove better than their 10 year old cars

so I think I know what I gotta do

 

Good man.

 

Thank you, lol

 

Japanese cars are the next big thing in collectibles ..mines is 16 check my pics,saved her from the junkyard 3 years and about 5 grand later no regrets

 

my body guy welded a big piece of quarter inch thick plate right onto the rad support and i since took a grinder and repainted it with barbeque grill paint, like 5 coats. looks good and is still solid.

 

I personally dont know anyone in that area. But i know there are quite of few guys up in that area. Maybe go though the regional threads, make a thread ect ect. Although its a bit dated some of these guys may still be on here. I dont come on the .org to often these days so yeah....

http://forums.maxima.org/northeaster...nstallers.html

To add to that im sure you can find some guys off of nycmaximas.org as well. Just gotta do some leg work to find the peeps.

 

I can have the guy I know weld in a piece of steal but he said it would cost 400 to do that. So I rather try and get a person around here do it with oem parts. I emailed some guy in Maine and if I cannot get OEM on it for a good price I will prob have him weld in a piece, witch I rather not, lol

 

that guys rippin you off, should be half that. i paid 650.00 for front bumper repaint and the rad support fix like 3 years ago.

 

I Know its not the best deal, but Everywhere around here that I call wants to charge more..so I'm kind of stick right now, I'll figure something out. hopefully a few people get back to me

 

That core support will not pass inspection next month, you only have two choices. Get it fixed, or get another car with another set of issues.

 

you might have to go out of your way to get this done. you'll get like 30 days i think to get that fixed. i don't know where you live, but here in pa i'd get at least that. talk to the inspection place and see what they're willing to do and explain the situation, they gotta help you out or let you know what you can do. good luck