peace

After 3 weeks of looking for a car for my daughter I finally settled on a 122k mile 2000 Maxima SE Auto today. Spent a little more than what I wanted ($5500) but overall I think it was a fair deal (and she's paying me back).

Positives
- Two owners, current owner has had it since 17k miles and for the past 6 years
- Runs strong and transmission shifts smoothly with no strange noises. Drove it up to 80 and other than a little tire noise (see below), it drove straight and true, handled and braked fine
- Interior is real clean, seats look new & have nice lambs wool covers
- Never smoked in
- Everything inside works
- Brakes look good with fronts about 50% worn
- Exterior including paint looks good, it was garage kept
- No rust (unlike the last ’97 from the north I looked at)
- 3 good tires
- New VA state inspection (negotiated he get that done before delivery)
- Owner has lots of service records
- It’s an SE!

Negatives
- It’s been wrecked. Front was hit though I couldn’t tell (I looked REAL close). The owner disclosed this and showed me that the bumper wasn’t prepped very well so every stone hit has a chip. Not too concerned. The right rear ¼ panel has been hit also but looks perfect, no damage to the trunk, in or out.
- One tire has severe wear on the inside and outside. Owner couldn’t explain this one but I’ll have to get it replaced soon and I’ll get it aligned.
- All the 17” aluminum wheels have some sort of curb rash
- Ash tray is missing. Didn’t ask & don’t really care.
- Sunglass holder won’t stay closed
- One headlight is cloudy, kinda like he tried to polish it out but didn’t do a good job. I’ve fixed a few and I feel confident I can make it perfect
- Just like the last Maxima I looked at the rear main seal on the transmission has a small leak. I check the trans fluid and it smelled fine and looked fairly clean. Is this common on high mileage Maximas?
- Looks like he ran over something as the transmission pan is scraped and has a small dent in it. Doesn’t look too bad but after I pick up the car I’m flushing the trans, replacing the filter and I’ll replace the pan also. If anyone has a good source for one let me know.
- Slight oil leak around the intake on top of the engine. I’m not sure if I’m correct on the description since I’m new to these motors. I’ll post a picture later. I’m thinking it’s probably a valve cover gasket.
- Few little dimples in the roof, near sunroof. Noticed these on the way out.


Overall, it seemed like a decent ride as long as nothing else sneaks up on me in the coming months. Buying a used car with this many miles is always a crap shoot no matter what the previous owner tells you. I know the Nissan V6s are strong motors and with the timing chain the motor’s the least of my worries. My main concern is the transmission. Hopefully with another flush and me keeping tabs on it, it should be fine. Anyone add an oil cooler to theirs? I have a B&M 70264 new in box I can install.

Looks like I’ve found another forum to spend my time in (I live on VWvortex since I own 2 VWs). This is my first Nissan and since college I’ve always had a love for 300Zs & Maximas.

Peace!

sooner02r1

iTrader: (6)

Looks like a really clean 2000 model, but those seat covers gotta go!

peace

I was thinking the same thing but since my daughter is not as **** as I am about keeping the car clean, I may insist they stay.

kbjy11

T_T

wow maximas depreciate so quickly....

i bought mine up 2 yrs ago and still.. it hurts...

Auto tranny pan can be picked up at your local dealership (of all places) for cheap... try dave b.. he works at a nissan dealership and ships out nissan parts for cheap....very knowlegable and supplies probably half the org with their nissan parts look around for his number in the stickies...

hopefully an allignment will fix the wear on the tire...

122k shouldn't be a problem... the VQ is a rock... the tranny if abused might give you problems... but if it's shifting ok now, you should be ok..

things to watch out for... maf, coils, and o2 sensors... all likely to go out on you in the near future.. but they are all relatively cheap and easy fixes..

anyways enjoy the max!

97SE_TN

Perhaps they replaced one of the headlights when they did the body work from the wreck? That would explain why they don't match in clarity.

peace

It looks like I'm not picking it up until Thursday due to my and the owner's schedule. If the weekend is nice this is the maintenance I have planned:

- plugs
- air filter
- oil & filter change (M1)
- trans filter & fluid exchange
- dump a bottle of Chevron FI cleaner in the tank w/ a full tank of Shell 93oct.
- serious detailing

Anything else you guys recommend?

BLUEMAX01SE

Check the belts and maybe test the voltage on the battery and alternator! Doesn't hurt to check em! good luck, pretty darn clean for a 2k.

99BlackMaxMS

iTrader: (85)

How old is your daugher. Make sure she takes good care of it...and doesn't let it be like every other teenagers car with mcdonalds bags and soda bottles filling the back seats.

Other than that nice find. I do not know if I would be so confident in buying a wrecked car but it looks very clean. Like you said I wouldnt of known it was in an accident. You got a good deal at $5500...i bought a fully loaded 99 for that price too.

Also...if you are planning on doing a tune up (sounds like it from above) change the PCV valve and fuel filter. Top off all fluids and you are good.

waltj2k

Peace,

Congrats on the new max. How cool of a dad are you to buy your daughter such a nice ride.

I picked up a 2000 SE w/116k miles last week. You intial maintenance list is much like mine. I picked it last monday and 5 evenings after work getting her detailed. So now she is nice and shiny and smells pretty.

She has a couple of flaws.....Broken strut and an SES light that just went on.

I've owned a 2000 before. Feel confident that once you get the basics fixed she should run strong.

Enjoy your new ride.

Walt

Teufelhunden

iTrader: (8)

sheep skins gotta go, but damn, thats an awesome deal man. oh yea and make sure she keeps it clean, i hate to see dirty maximas. just to let you know maximas will last you forever.

Lyamen

nice find, like others said though the sheep skings gotta go.

peace

Another thing I failed to mention was that the "silver paint" around the HVAC, ashtray and shifter looks like it's worn off. Any cheap/easy solutions to making this look better?

peace

Thanks, but like I said above I'm footing the bill up front and she's paying me back the difference from the insurance check ($1900) and the new car. The deal was when we gave her the Mazda ('93 626 ES we've owned since '96) she was to take car of it and if it was ever totaled, she'd be out of a car unless she could pay for it. I'd like to say she took care of her car but that wasn't the case. Mom and I have laid down the law on this one, so hopefully it'll be different. She understands this is DAD'S car until it's paid off and she needs to treat it as such. Yeah I can be a hard *** but sometimes tough love is the only way.

She does OK though, dad take's care of the maintenance, fees & insurance, she just pays for the gas (and the new car payment to me).

About buying a Maxima. Initially I was looking for a compact (Civic, Sentra, Corolla, Protege, Altima) but from what people want for those with the same age and mileage, I only spent about $1500 more for the Maxima. To me this was a no briainer - it's bigger, safer, and potentially more reliable than the little cars.

mist max2000

iTrader: (16)

sorry to disapoint you,.. but the maxima runs well only on premium fuel,.. so your going to have to tell your daughter to continue dumping full tanks of 93 oct in or else your prob going to get some pretty bad pinging ect.

peace

No disapointment, I'm well aware of that and she's used to running 93 oct in the 626 ES V6 (min 91 required) so no change there. Good thing is the Maxima has as good or better mileage numbers than the lighter 626 and has 55 more hp.

Maxima570

iTrader: (1)

oo nice find, lets get some pictures of the girl, haha JUST kidding welcome to the org

BLUEMAX01SE

Not necessarily, I've been running 87 octane from BP since I bought my 01 AE brand new in 2001, 6 years later no problems or pinging! Once in a while I may fill up with 91 - 93 octane! Car has always passed emissions and using 87 octane is not going to cause a problem for the VQ in my experience. Always used 87octane in my 95 Max, 01 Max, and hell even in my 85 Lincoln Towncar! No pinging or fuel problems ever! I do both city driving and highway driving and always have good gas mileage!

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

hmm....mine is an 00 with 122k miles as well. My front bumper and hoot have WAAAAY more chips in them though. Get used to it if you own a maxima. The paint might as well be watercolors. Nice color though...the green ones are fairly rare.

Hey, if you love 300zs and maximas, you could always upgrade your braking with some z32 calipers

99BlackMaxMS

iTrader: (85)

on the green. I like the dark green on the 5th gens...which they stopped making on 2002 and up.

Gjohnson

iTrader: (1)

Like everyone has already said, Nice find. How about some pics of the VW's? I love cars.......

Maxgig

iTrader: (5)

You got an awesome deal, I just sold my 97 SE with 147k miles for $4300. I just arrived back in KS today after making the 1250k mile drive from Richmond, VA bringing back my 03 SE. Your daughter won't have any problems out of the engine as long as she changes the oil regularly and she doesn't have to baby it either. Good luck.

CoolMax

iTrader: (7)

Lame.

Car looks great from the rear...and since it seems like you know what&how to do some maintenance, it should be fine.

peace

Oh boy, you shouldn't have asked!

This is my baby. 2004 Deep Blue Pearl Golf R32. In case your not familiar with them it was a limited edition (5000 made) 240HP 3.2L VR6 Golf with Haldex AWD, 6sp trans, beefy 13.1" twin piston front brakes, 18" wheels w/ Goodyear F1s, special Konig racing seats, etc., etc., etc.






Here is my current list of mods:

Interior
VW cell phone holder (fits in cup holder)
MKIV Sunglass Holder (painted black)
Audi First Aid Kit
3-way flapper mod switch in hidden compartment above stereo
Blitzsafe Aux input adapter for iPod
ProFit iPod holder
R-Line Monster Mats
Euro Light Switch

Exterior
UltraSheild 3M PPF (full kit)
Hummer H2 "shorty" antenna
OEM “short” antenna
Blue Tinted Wide Angle Mirrors
Polo Rear Wiper
Removed front R32 emblem
42DD clear bumper markers
Rear Fog Light Wiring Kit
VW car cover

Engine/Drivetrain
4Grounding Wires (blue)
Energy Suspension "Dog Bone" motor mount bushings
GHL Motorsports Cold Air Intake
Haldex HPP AWD Module
Green Temp Sensor

Suspension/Wheels/Tires
Subaru STI spare 17" wheel w/ Bridgestone 145/70-17 spare tire
Monte Carlo Wheels w/ Michelin MXV4 tires (winter set)
OZ Superleggera 18x8 wheels w/ Kuhmo Ecsta 712 225/40-18 (summer/track set)
Blue VW wheel caps for stock 18” Aristos
Neuspeed 22mm Rear Sway Bar

Equipment to be installed
H&R Euro R32 Springs
Koni Sport Adjustable Shocks
CPP Stainless Steel Rear Control Arms
Anzo Projector Headlights
42DD Red interior LEDs
Tyrolsport Caliper Bushing Kit
Carbotech XP8 front pads (track)

I'm sure all the young guys will chime in and say "4 dat kinda $$$ U coulda had an EVO or STI!!" True but I'm a VW fan and this was the baddest Golf they made. I've had it for 2.5 years (19k miles) and I look for every opportunity to drive it. Seriously, it puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel. I don't think there's a more complete car out there for the $26k I paid for it. Nice thing is, I could get $25k for it right now! They are holding their value... strong.

As far as performance I dynoed in January on a 2WD Dyno Dynamics dyno at got 226HP to the front wheels (265bhp). Not bad for just a CAI. BTW - VW underrates this motor. Same one in the Audi TT and Porsche Cayenne is 250HP stock.

Never been to the drag strip but most with the same mods are pulling around 13.8@100. With a chip & exhaust 13.5@102 is not uncommon. Not a drag racer but I've been to VIR (Virginia International Raceway) for a HPDE and it was a blast. The R was outstanding! Heading to Summit Point in WV in May for a weekend HPDE. Can't wait!

Sorry to bore you Nissan guys but I could go on for days about my "little blue bus!"

miragetkg

iTrader: (4)

q45Owner

You seemed like a rational person until you stated:
"...and potentially more reliable than the little cars..."

You will learn in short order....

Let's hope your daughter listens to loud music while driving and does not have a sensitive behind (JK) - vibrations and noises are 2 most deadly diseases of maximas....as long as she is insensitive to these 2 issues, you be alright....you start chasing it and you will be digging and digging and digging...

Good luck.

q45Owner

Do not forget the PS fluid, Brake fluid, and Coolant flushes/drains (whatever you prefer). Normal ppl never do PS and brake - so most likely these 2 fluids may have never been replaced.....

When I got my maxima 03 63K, my PS smelled and looked like dirty brake fluid - you do not want to be doing a rack replacment....

peace

You must have missed the word "potentially". I was basing that statement on the fact that when I was looking for a compact car over half of the Proteges, Sentras, and Civics with over 100k miles had a rebuilt transmission. Maybe it was just my bad luck or the kids that rag these things out, but I figured the Maxima engine is definitly solid for at least 200k miles and the trans also if maintained properly.

Couple of squeeks and rattles won't bother my daughter but the 2k SE we just bought seemed pretty tight and quiet when I drove it.

peace

If my daughter needs brakes that big I'm taking the car away from her!

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

hmm...maybe we need to have a little R32 vs. Maxima showdown at VIR or SP this summer

Probably not since I'm house shopping, but perhaps you'd be up for an autocross? BTW, check out the DC-area forum - it includes all of VA and NC and there are a number of Richmond gearheads in there.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

You can never have brakes that are too big, especially with the undersized brakes the 5th gen comes with.

That brings me to another point: Because of the weight of these cars and the undersized rotor surfaces up front, many people have problems with glazing and uneven pad material buildup/transfer, causing brake judder/vibration and a "warped" feel to the rotors when braking hard. There is only one proven way to avoid this problem: DO NOT use OEM or OEM-replacement pads. Buy Hawk HPS pads (at least for the front brakes) and you will SIGNIFICANTLY reduce (or eliminate) the likelihood of this happening. This has been proven over and over by people on this forum....

The HPS pads are excellent streetable pads and she won't have any problems with fade. they also have very good initial bite, hot or cold. Highly suggested, I have them on my wife's stock Mazda and she likes them too.

peace

Considering you have a tons more track time than I do (only one day HPDE under my belt) I'm sure you'd give me a run for my money!

I know you're saving your pennies for a new house but if you get the chance, the Capital-Area R32 group still has some openings left for SP in May (beginners group is full though). $295 for a whole weekend is hard to beat: http://capital.noreastr32.org/sp_hpde_info.html

I'm looking forward to it, though after running at VIR, SP has some big shoes to fill. VIR is such a beautiful track.



Thanks for the heads up on the brakes. I agree, you can never have TOO MUCH braking, I just hope my daughter doesn't outbrake this car. Like I said if she does, we need to talk.

BTW - great job on the 300Z calipers. Nice find and killer work for $500. If the Max was my daily driver or if I ever have to replace the calipers on the daughter's car, I would look into it.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

you give me too much credit. Pretty much all of my time in this car has been autocross. I did track my 1970 Triumph a couple times years ago, but that's nothing like doing it in a maxima, I'm sure.

tempting, but May is booked up with a couple of weddings and other out-of-town excusions already <sigh>. If I do any open-track stuff this summer, it will be more towards August/September probably...

Another option (considerably easier and cheaper) is to use the rotors and calipers from the 6th generation maxima, which bolt directly up to the 5th gen spindles with no brackets or adaptors, and are a very nice upgrade, especially if you can find the calipers used.....

In any case, a pad upgrade should be just fine for her purposes, I would think.

as to the 300z setup, I can't take credit. Matt Blehm (matt93se) and Jeff92se figured it out and had the brackets and lines made for the conversion. though I might be one of the first to have the setup with 2-pc rotors

q45Owner

I hope you are not buying a home in this market - unless someone is ready to kill you, wait until 2008. The housing market has nowhere but to go down in the near/short term.

n3985

iTrader: (36)

Oh wow, another R32. I know someone in my college town who has the only R32 around and same color as yours. The exhaust note is sooo nice....

peace

Well, I'm heading to pick it up in the next hour. Talked to the owner and his mechanic said it WOULDN'T pass VA state inspection due to the one tire that was worn and a license plate bulb that's out. Not a big deal since I knew about the tire. I just wanted to make sure it didn't need wheel bearings, tie rod ends, etc. The current inspection is good until the end of April so I have a few weeks to buy a tire.

Anyone have a slightly used 225/50-17 tire they want to sell cheap?

opanick

iTrader: (1)

who would like to start the bidding on the lambswool seat covers at $5???????

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

you guys out west probably wouldn't understand the market here. In the DC metro area, there is always demand, and always money - especially for homes close-in to the city like mine. The market here never goes "down," it just goes up "less fast." I think your market must be behind this one though....it started leveling off around here last summer.

btw, I have to sell my current house at the same time, so the market really doesn't matter to me. It will even out one way or the other...

peace

Sorry folks, only one left! The previous owner was begging to have one to put in his new Avalon.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

that does bring up another point of note:

If you value your daughter's life, PLEASE make sure the car does not have the Bridgestone Potenza RE92 tires on it that came on the car. These tires are universally hated and blamed as the cause of many accidents while driving in the rain. They are NOT an all-season tire as they say. They have absolutely no wet traction or hydroplane resistance and I think everyone here on the org who has owned these tires will agree......using the RE92 is asking for an accident.

young1976

Just remember the fuel filter is in the tank and it's not too hard to replace, just be careful with taking apart the whole module and gas fumes. Search for a howto on the site.