When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
just thinking about how the 3rd gens are becoming extinct, our 4ths aren't far behind. still plenty of parts and info to keep them running. i want to keep my max as long as it makes sense, just spent another $350.00 on new ud pulley, idler puller, and main belt. rust is still getting worse, she needs some paint and i'd love to overhaul the vq.
In the end, I think the extinction point will happen when parts become difficult or expensive to purchase.
Cars in areas without salt around don't have rust issues. I'm in Portand. It rains a lot here. I have parked outside for at least 10 years.
So there will be Maximas in the western or southern states.
The other issue comes down to maintenance.
Out cars are not worth much anymore, so they might be junked if a major breakdown occurs. Or a series of smaller repairs.
Those of us who maintain and care for our cars should be able to drive for 10 more years, or 150k miles. I know that a lot of our cars have reached 200k. miles. The engine might see 350k.
If we need a 1000 dollar repair, in order to last 5 more years, it still makes sense to spend the money if the body and engine are still sound.
I will say the most upsetting thing is the 3rd gens have gotten rare, if not close to extinct. The other thing here is i have seen and heard lot's of 4th gens 5th gens in the weong hands have gotten impounded or junked. The owners that don't know or know that the cars they have are a rare and one of the kinds that will last with maintenance and care. The parts are getting rare and scarce. I have seen lot's of young owners here with the 4th gen and 5th gen being abandoned and left on the side of the road after the cops finds out they got some weed and dope causing them to get the car junked or impounded.
case in point, i was looking at a 99 emerald green with 155,000 on it and the guy who owned it passed away earlier this year and the body was really nice, but he had done no maintenance at all, just body work and that was a shame. just little things like fluids and brakes and changing out the alternator and such make such a huge difference. people are too lazy and give up and just buy another car cause that's what society deems that they do. car manufacturers don't want you to keep a car more than 3-4 years, much less 20.
I will say the most upsetting thing is the 3rd gens have gotten rare, if not close to extinct. The other thing here is i have seen and heard lot's of 4th gens 5th gens in the weong hands have gotten impounded or junked. The owners that don't know or know that the cars they have are a rare and one of the kinds that will last with maintenance and care. The parts are getting rare and scarce. I have seen lot's of young owners here with the 4th gen and 5th gen being abandoned and left on the side of the road after the cops finds out they got some weed and dope causing them to get the car junked or impounded.
Yes, that's what I mean. Low car value vs expenses.
Many people who own our cars don't realize just how much some tlc and a reasonable sum of repair money can make the car run reliably for years.
I did not realize that parts are getting scarce.
Which ones for example.
Here in a legal weed state, losing a car that way is no longer a concern.
Some other examples of well built cars which were regarded as lasting forever include the 1960s to 80s Mercedes, the Volvo 140 series, and several others. While the cars themselves could have remained functional, parts costs or availability became a big issue.
I suppose that Maximas 20-25 years old reach their event horizon. The point which most of the general public stop driving them. Which is followed by initial lack of demand for replacement parts. So that they are no longer available. Then parts prices increase.
Should be intersting to see how soon SAAB cars reach their event horizon.
I had heard that Mercedes they have past a bill so they can get parts for their cars no matter what year or age the car is in. Those guys are lucky they get the parts for no matter what the car age is. I wish Nissan could do this,besides taking a beat up 96 maxima and Nissan restored that car it was truly awesome. If Nissan can do that with the parts.
I also read that Mercedes can reproduce many parts. But st what price? Sure, someone might pay any price for Gullwing parts, but not so much for the less desirable models.
Our maximas will become less common, but we should be able to source most parts for a whIle longer. 5 years, probably. 10 years, less likely, but not impossible.
Eventually most of us will have other cars, and care less about our Maxima.
They are those that have car collections and would like to keep the maxima in that list. The cars like Toyota Corolla that started off as a Toyota levin and that was a antique and a classic historic cars. I am sure they are those that would like to do the same for the maxima because the camaro and the trans ams are hitting the rare historic list.
They are those that have car collections and would like to keep the maxima in that list. The cars like Toyota Corolla that started off as a Toyota levin and that was a antique and a classic historic cars. I am sure they are those that would like to do the same for the maxima because the camaro and the trans ams are hitting the rare historic list.
I remember seeing and being in a corolla or other early Toyota in 1966. It was a brand new mini car.
It seemed much more refined and modern than the vw beetle.
Back when I was a teenager, the Mustangs, Cameros, and Dodge Chargers of the day were just cheap old cars to have fun with, or beat to death.
It was felt that similar such cars would certainly exist in the future.
Never tought that mass produced cheap Japanese cars of the 1960s and 70s would be considered desirable in the future.
Back then, young people would want a new American car, but all they could afford was a Toyota or Datsun.
Eventually, the cars would outlast the American ones. People noticed.
Last edited by JvG; 10-29-2017 at 12:12 AM.
Reason: Additional comment added.
I also read that Mercedes can reproduce many parts. But st what price? Sure, someone might pay any price for Gullwing parts, but not so much for the less desirable models.
Our maximas will become less common, but we should be able to source most parts for a whIle longer. 5 years, probably. 10 years, less likely, but not impossible.
Eventually most of us will have other cars, and care less about our Maxima.
what you talkin about willis!!! if i had a shop and the money i would rebuild the max to like new status, kind of like what cs-ar does, but all the body work as well. i still get ooo's and ahhhh's after i clean the max, regardless of a few rust bubbles, cause bm-1 blue is so rare and the body style is timeless.
i guess that means no more shore trips and moving to florida?
With all due respect, this is just wrong. Rust is not an issue simply based on a coastal location ... I know, I live in FL and my 18 year old car has been here all of its life.
Wanna see my core support?
Originally Posted by KP11520
Or worse, living in a snow area with salted roads on the coast!
Don't ask me how I know.
THIS is the key and the killer when it comes to rust.
Don't get me wrong, there are other/many factors that can contribute to rust development, but trips to the coast or living in FL are absolutely not among them.
I also read that Mercedes can reproduce many parts. But st what price? Sure, someone might pay any price for Gullwing parts, but not so much for the less desirable models.
Our maximas will become less common, but we should be able to source most parts for a whIle longer. 5 years, probably. 10 years, less likely, but not impossible.
Eventually most of us will have other cars, and care less about our Maxima.
Been using my BMW 3 series as a DD and my Ram 1500 SD Turbo Diesel for maintenance. Max has been collecting dust since August.
Next month will be 20 years I've owned the max but I prefer to drive my higher luxury cars from here on. I'll be passing it on to a nephew sometime next month when he gets his permit. No doubt I'll inform him of this great forum!
Been using my BMW 3 series as a DD and my Ram 1500 SD Turbo Diesel for maintenance. Max has been collecting dust since August.
Next month will be 20 years I've owned the max but I prefer to drive my higher luxury cars from here on. I'll be passing it on to a nephew sometime next month when he gets his permit. No doubt I'll inform him of this great forum!
Yes I can understand that!
My 99 is more than nickling and diming me now. More like $500 to $1K issues and it's not even pretty anymore and the leather is cracking inside, Bose sucks, wheels have flat spots, needs body work and so on.
Hard to throw that kind of money at a car worth maybe $1K.
I'm at the point where I'm looking at 2014 Certified Pre Owned Mercedes C300 4matics with the Sport Package and V6. An unusually high rating of 4.6 of 5 from owners of customer satisfaction. Buy from a Mercedes dealer Certified and they give 5 years/50,000 miles full coverage. Low to mid $20Ks. Use until five years or 50K miles and sell it for $10K. These are $50K new and somebody else eats a huge percentage of the depreciation. So it costs me around $13K every five years, but with no headaches or other expenses. $2.5K a year for the freedom to enjoy life? NO Brainer.
I am so tired of not having the confidence to go far in my 99 cause something's always wrong after way too much money was thrown at it recently. Thousands and it needs quite a bit more.
The other thing here is i have seen and heard lot's of 4th gens 5th gens in the wrong hands have gotten impounded or junked.
In my opinion that 4th Gen Maxima is still top three ever made.
Everytime I see a Maxima rusting away or falling apart it just makes me cringe. Many of the cars have been cleaned with dishwashing soap and the clearcoat is ruined. The motors just keep going but the owners just don't care.
In my opinion that 4th Gen Maxima is still top three ever made.
Everytime I see a Maxima rusting away or falling apart it just makes me cringe. Many of the cars have been cleaned with dishwashing soap and the clearcoat is ruined. The motors just keep going but the owners just don't care.
It's sad.
Totally agree.
The cars are still practical, run well, if maintenance is kept up (not that costly, if diy,.
They could also drive an additional 100k miles in comfort.
But few people know what great cars they can be, and many of their owners don'tcare about them because they are just another plentiful, cheap car.
What a waste. So sad.
Last edited by JvG; 10-29-2017 at 09:41 PM.
Reason: Spell check
IMany of the cars have been cleaned with dishwashing soap and the clearcoat is ruined.
Is this what you mean by "dish washing soap"?:
Is this what you mean by "ruined clear coat"?
In contradiction to this ... straight out of the 1999 Nissan Maxima Owner's Manual?:
WASHING
Thoroughly rinse surface dirt off the
vehicle with a wet sponge and plenty
of clean water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly
using a mild soap such as Nissan Car Wash,
or a general purpose dish washing liquid mixed
with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water.
I've been washing religiously with blue Dawn for 18 years.
i've used williams sonoma on the max and even some of my customers cars and it looks and feels great, it smells awesome too!! here's a link to ebay with different scents... https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...+soap&_sacat=0
reason i like this stuff is that it's got oils in it to treat your skin, so i tried it on the max one day and i haven't regretted it. not all the time as i have regular car wash too, just once in awhile.
Last edited by max ride 41; 10-30-2017 at 05:14 AM.
I have over 263,000 miles on my baby and she is still fun to drive. I can't see myself getting rid of her as she still runs fantastic. I hope to see gen 4 Maxima's running forever.
In contradiction to this ... straight out of the 1999 Nissan Maxima Owner's Manual? WASHING
Thoroughly rinse surface dirt off the
vehicle with a wet sponge and plenty
of clean water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly
using a mild soap such as Nissan Car Wash,
or a general purpose dish washing liquid mixed
with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water.
I've been washing religiously with blue Dawn for 18 years.
Turbobink,
I cannot believe that I am reading this out of my 5.5 Owner's Manual. Mothers and Meguiar's has brainwashed me?
Anyhow maybe I can blame those Maxima abusers for a lack of waxing?
If you google this on the web they say this is a no no but just like you said the owner's manual is saying the opposite. At the end of the day your car looks pristine so maybe I need to switch to Dawn. Nice job representing the 4th Gen Maxima.
I learn something new every day. Time to eat my words.
The thing i have noticed when i have used the different types of car wash soaps. The turtle wax wash vs the dishwashing soap has it's differences. I can wash the car with the turtle wax and i see the car has extreme water beads. The dish wash soap just straight cut clean car wash with no water beads. The maguiars and california ect car wash soaps have the wax and bead effects. The red max in the post above is a good perfect example of a good car wash with good soap and good approach.
So the flip side of this question that I've always wondered about is if a well-maintained 4th generation Maxima might actually increase in value down the line. I don't expect it would ever be considered a classic but then again I always thought our generation was a great looking car that has timeless styling in a lot of ways. Personally, I have always thought the 4th gen was the best looking Maxima but probably not the best performance wise. From what I've seen, to replace a well maintained Maxima in great condition mechanically and body-wise would require at least 25k USD if buying new. They were quality cars in my opinion. Motor Trend ranked the 1995 Maxima the Import Car of the Year. That's not an easy competition.
If you google this on the web they say this is a no no ...
If you got it from the internet, it must be true.
All I can say to this is that if you typically rely of the web for information and advice, there are many many many things related to which you have been misdirected ... that's some parental advice from an old (ish) fart.
All I can say to this is that if you typically rely of the web for information and advice, there are many many many things related to which you have been misdirected ... that's some parental advice from an old (ish) fart.
no, your an old fart... take it from a younger fart
Last edited by max ride 41; 10-31-2017 at 11:42 AM.
All I can say to this is that if you typically rely of the web for information and advice, there are many many many things related to which you have been misdirected ... that's some parental advice from an old (ish) fart.
Eventually most of us will have other cars, and care less about our Maxima.
what you talkin about willis!!! if i had a shop and the money i would rebuild the max to like new status, kind of like what cs-ar does, but all the body work as well. i still get ooo's and ahhhh's after i clean the max, regardless of a few rust bubbles, cause bm-1 blue is so rare and the body style is timeless.
10 years of owning my Max and I still smile when I get behind the wheel. From 08/16 to 08/17 I only had the Maxima and the GTO. At the end of a year the miles I put on both cars were nearly identical. Now that I also have the G8 GXP I seem to be driving the Maxima even more. I don't drive the Pontiacs in the rain, or to the mall, or the grocery store, or any place where people park too close.
In contradiction to this ... straight out of the 1999 Nissan Maxima Owner's Manual?:
WASHING
Thoroughly rinse surface dirt off the
vehicle with a wet sponge and plenty
of clean water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly
using a mild soap such as Nissan Car Wash,
or a general purpose dish washing liquid mixed
with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water.
I've been washing religiously with blue Dawn for 18 years.
Turbobink,
I cannot believe that I am reading this out of my 5.5 Owner's Manual. Mothers and Meguiar's has brainwashed me?
Anyhow maybe I can blame those Maxima abusers for a lack of waxing?
If you google this on the web they say this is a no no but just like you said the owner's manual is saying the opposite. At the end of the day your car looks pristine so maybe I need to switch to Dawn. Nice job representing the 4th Gen Maxima.
I learn something new every day. Time to eat my words.
Nissan put this information there to cover their *** from peeling clearcoat due to damage resulting from what some people use to wash cars with.
A strong solution of Tide, or TSP, or borax
or kerosene, bug revovers , and the like , might be quite effective at cleaning a car. But those substances don't play well with the clearcoat.
Especially if the stuff is allowed to dry on the paint.before it is rinsed off.
I use to wash cars with Dawn as well.. More recently, 10 years ago, I started using car wash liquid. So I've been washing the Maxima with car wah liquid for most of the time I have owned it.
The clear coat is stating to peel a little bit .
Just fired up the engine again tonight after doing the water pump, rear injectors, clutch, steering bellows, steering linkages and (eventually) the lower control arms. I love driving this car, and I hope that I can get about 70k - 100k more out of it. It was purring like a kitten tonight. Rust is present but not too bad (car lived in VA / MD its whole life). It does seem like it's always breaking down though... some sensor, some rubber part. It's stranded me out of town once and the wife refuses to go long distances in it. I still love it though! Running it through the gears on the 5 speed is just too much fun
Here it's sitting in my buddy's garage about two weeks ago when we started:
Me looking safe in my goggles putting the bellows on. So much easier from the engine bay...
It looks like you've got a great place to work. That makes all the difference.
Sadly, it's my buddy's garage. Even more sadly, I'm moving away in January. It was time to get it all taken care of!
Originally Posted by JvG
You might fin that the car is actually quite safe to take long trips with once all the initial issues are taken care of.
Mine hs 210k on it. I take trips of a few hundred miles sever times a year without worry or anything happening.
I keep hoping that I'll get the car to that point... And then some sensor I didn't even know about breaks and the car doesn't start... Lol. So we'll see! With all the work I just did to it, I hope that it runs reliably for a few years.
This is in the last 20,000 miles - mostly the last 10,000 miles.
New radiator
New power steering pump
New alternator
New main crank pulley
New fuel pump
New water pump
New knock sensor
New front camshaft position sensor
New crankshaft position sensor
New blend door motor
New rear calipers
Replaced rear main oil seal
New clutch / pressure plate / throwout bearing
5/6 ignition coils replaced (aftermarket :P)
New front struts (rears still need to be done)
New lower control arms, ball joints etc (all moog!)
New inner / outer tie rods (moog inner / beck arnley outer)
New steering bellows (beck & arnley)
Remanned A1 Cardone axle half-shafts
Replaced passenger / driver's side transmission seals
New rear fuel injectors (running smooth!)
Repaired brake light sensor (cruise is still busted)
This is why my wife hates this car. I just think that I'm like Sir Edmund Hillary climbing Everest for the first time. Someday I'll get to the top!!
10-28-2017, 04:00 PM
what you talkin about willis!!! if i had a shop and the money i would rebuild the max to like new status, kind of like what cs-ar does, but all the body work as well. i still get ooo's and ahhhh's after i clean the max, regardless of a few rust bubbles, cause bm-1 blue is so rare and the body style is timeless.
take it from a younger fart 
