So my son has managed to run my 1997 maxima SE into the ground. We are getting him a new car but was wondering what would get us the most money. Motor/trans run great. 2 tires are almost new. 4 aftermarket aluminum wheels excellent condition. Interior leather is in good shape. Bose head unit replaced, still has the Bose speakers though. Both bumper covers are wrecked, driver side door has a dent the size of a base, right fender has a dent the size of a foot. It has 206xxx miles on it. Hardly any rust at all. New drive axels, brake pads, radiator, muffler. Probably get $500 scrap. Can I get more than that to part it out or is it even worth the hassle? Buying new car from family so trading it in is not an option.

 

i would say part it out but scrapping it would get you the quick cash. maybe just parts out some little things and then scrap it? if the car is still running why have u chose not to keep it anymore?

 

Parting out a car can be a lot of work. Interior trim parts are valuable, if you have leather.

But the thing that makes it a lot of work is answering all the questions and then the packing and shipping processes. Physically large and/or heavy items are expensive to ship and make it hard to sell those items.

If there is a lot of demand in your local area, part it out. But before you scrap it, if the car runs ok, see if you can sell it. List it for $1000 and come down. Maybe you can get more for the car that way.

 

Because it would cost $2500 to fix the both bumpers, the door and the fender. The rear main seal is leaking as well , got a quote of $1200 to fix that. The serpentine belt squeaks and the shop says the belt is tight and the belt is new.
This car was in perfect condition when I gave it to my son 2 years ago.

Im buying him a 2002 accord v6 with 58K miles for 3500.

 

Thanks, I might try that.

 

I have a son who also drove vehicles I gave him into the ground. Now I think back, why did I give him the second car to run into the ground as well?

I had to buy my own car as a teen.
I respected the work it takes to earn the money to buy the car with. So I took care of it. I did not want to have to buy another car anytime soon.

My mistake was to encourage my son to run a car into the ground so that I would give him a nicer one.

How old is your son?

 

He is 18, no job due to sports and he is leaving for college this summer so he needs a reliable car.

 

no he doesn't need car. my college has a shuttle from all the local apartments to campus. plus there is zip ride also. Save your money, cause his tuition and incidentals will cost a lot. former Federal reserve chairman ben benanke worked at a Taco hut while going to harvard, he didn't have a car. I'm just saying.

 

Have you ever considered going to a junkyard for the damaged pieces? For example the bumpers, door and fender would run me under 100 dollars and I would get the satisfaction of saving my money and fixing it myself. A couple turns of a wrench are definitely worth saving literally thousands of dollars. As for the seal, it's a bit of work but you can get the part for 20-40 dollars. I wouldn't worry too much about the belt. They squeal when they get wet. Just because your mechanic says it's tight doesn't mean it actually is. I'd consider these options If you had any interest in keeping the car. You'd save yourself a load of money and your son will still have a good and reliable car. My 95 just hit 270,000 and going strong as I keep up with maintenance. That's my input but regardless, good luck with whatever you end up doing.

 

Well its not my money, his grandparents are buying him another car. So whatever I can get for the maxima will just be money in my pocket.

 

If the Maxima is just money in your pocket, you could part it, sell it as is,
or you could just keep it as a reserve car. Kind of handy to have a spare car when the others are in for service.

 

Chumpcar for sale, 1997 Maxima, $500

 

I never really thought the idea to buy a new car, its so much $ into a "Car!" when you could save a bunch of $ using the used car. its always better to buy used and repair them.

 

I second the junkyard idea. Where I get my parts, doors are $50, so are bumper covers. $35 for fenders. I can get most colors, so no paint. I see you don't want to take that route, but someone else might. I would throw it up on craisglist for a few days and see if it sells. All the body parts are easy to replace and the car. I hate to see good drive-able cars go to the junkyard just because they are ugly. Give someone else the chance to fix it up, or if someone really needs a cheap ride. I know I would be all over a deal like that in the $6-700 range.

 

Are you parting this out or scrapping it? Depending on color and condition of door panels I would be interested. I am looking for beige door panels doesnt matter if they are leather or vinyl just need to do something to fix the cracked vinyl on the top of the door panels.

 

If you're parting... I need the assembly on the rear bumper where the license plate goes, including the license plate light fixtures.

Also the cosmetic cover for the front cylinder head with the writing on it.

There would be other parts too...

PM me if interested.

 

I sold it for a 1000. Listed it CL and within 10 minutes had 5 people contact me. Sold within 2 hours of listing it. Shouls have listed it for 2000.. oh well.

 

I would have made him drive the junker. A kid that drives a car into the ground and gets rewarded with a new one will likely grow up with a skewed sense of responsibility.