I gotta 02 6 speed with 160k on the clock. I'm not rich and I'm looking for a full time job right now, my mechanic advises me to sell and look for a used SC300 for around 4 to 5 grand cash. He said it last "forever" with very few engine issues.

I have to change 5 outta 6 sensors and I will need a clutch kit soon.

 

One of your problems is you drive too much. I am not sure if you are exposed to winter driving conditions where you live, but if so you would have been better off with a winter beater.

I'm not sure what an SC300 is. Please elaborate. What year and what mileage would you expect to get for $4 to $5 k. What can you expect for your car?

Any $4 to $5 k car will have issues. You would just be buying someone else's problem.

How much are the repairs going to cost in your 02?

Sometimes the devil you do know is better than the devil you don't know!

 

I say change oil and any problem sensors, do a seafoam treatment and make sure your your putting the highest gas and keep your car, there's nothing else better out there and he's right any 4-5 grand car will have problems, lexus aint perfect, they have engine problems like any other car...I'm pissed off i'm at 92K...lol

 

Unless you have bad luck or the car was severely abused you shouldn't have too many issues. Extreme oil burning is the only reason you'd want to get a different car (if you're adverse to swapping the motor). Other than that you just replace what goes bad.

5 sensors....that sounds like a made up story (by the mechanic). If two of them are the rear 02s you just sim those. MAF is expected.

Buying an older car when you need to save money doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

I bought my '03 with a 154k mi. I'm now over 167k... It looks like the CV boots were replaced b/c the car was lowered, but everything else looks stock. I switched the MAF with a less used one I had laying around. Should I go buy a SC300? LOL

I'm worried about how bad the paint and rims look, not if it's going to fail. There's a reason this is my 3rd VQ car (all maxis unfortunately).

 

Why do need to replace so many sensors? Also, what sensors must you replace?

Regarding engine reliability, I doubt the SC300 is appreciably different than your VQ35.

 

what u mean by this?

 

Sometimes 4-5 grand can't buy peace of mind. How old/what kind of miles are you gonna find for 4-5 g? Then, how much will you need to put into it after purchase? Lexus does make a damned good car, but a used car is just that.....used. It will still need something.

 

do you mean 5 out of 6 coils?

 

In what I've experienced, Maxima's require you to have money so you can repair them especially if you drive a lot. I commuted 60 miles one way for 5 months, babied the car and it still always had a new problem. I was always traveling. Im just saying though, thats why my max is sitting in the garage and will never come out again, because as soon as I start it, another sensor goes bad and Nissan parts arent cheap. Ill stick with my Lincoln and Rsx.

 

Then part it out. We'll gladly take pieces of one of the most reliable cars ever made (00-01). If it's a lemon, then it's a lemon. Nothing can be done about that after warranty.

 

I say keep the Maxima. Who knows what the history of the SC will be like. Better to stick with current car and honestly, since when are VQ's not reliable?

 

If you are looking for a full time job right now, then you need to be saving money, not spending it. And replacing the clutch, and sensors will be cheaper than buying another car AND fixing whatever is wrong with it, or may go wrong within the next few months after purchase. Keep the Max, and as far as reliability goes, this is one of the best engines you can have.

 

my max got 197k on it i drive 1000 miles a week round trip to work and my maxima has been more reliable than any toyota made product out there...i have no engine problem or mechanical at all rather aside from my converter....i need a new muffler and shocks and struts aside from that my maxima is the most reliable car i have owned and i am FARRRRRRR from light on the gas pedal at all.

 

I wouldn't give up an 02 Maxima for an SC300. You'd be buying a slower car with less interior room. I know when cars have problems it's a natural thought to get rid of it, but in the long run you'll save money if you just keep it and fix the problems.

 

The old SC was a gorgeous car, with timeless design. I always put it's design quality in the ballpark as the Porsche 928. Simply awesome. And the SC400 was particularly awesome. Had a friend once with a SC400 in pearl white and beige leather.

To your question: I think it's a fine ambition, and a relatively sideways move from the 5th gen Maxima in terms of value... you could argue the points either way. But you probably know the smart answer is to wait for a little financial stability before you go messing with your daily driver.

Unless you have 2 cars, in which case, go for it!

 

PM me if you're wanting to part it out, I want the coilovers, shoot me an offer...

 

The first thing that SC300 or 400 will probably need is a timing belt. They aren't cheap too do on those cars. The cost on a Maxima? $0 as it has a chain. I would keep your car rather than buy an older SC series Lexus that will have problems of it's own.

 

The Toyota straight six is a gas hog. It's not unusual that they can go thru headgaskets. And like the previous guy said, it'll need a timing belt someday.
Besides, buying a car that used to cost $30K-$40K new in the early 90's and is only a few grand now is a risky move. NO WAY can you guarantee your gamble will allow you to find a good one.
Anytime you switch cars for the sake of switching, you lose money. ALL cars need money to stay on the road. The cheapest thing to do is to keep your current car and fix it no matter what may come. If your current car isn't rotting away or has some previous bad body damage, I can't see the rationale in getting rid of it.

And why the heck do people say these cars are not reliable? It needs sensors all the time?? What happened to your car that it is NOT reliable anymore?
I freakin' put 202K miles on my VQ30DE, only the CKPS sensor failed, EVER, on that car. Oh and it had a dead battery once. 3 years, 60K miles ago I swapped in a VQ35DE drivetrain, full swap with 8900 miles on it. I spliced almost a hundred wires to marry the two different wire harnesses. This car has not let me down once, ever. It'll spank the SC300 by a mile and it'll spank the SC400 by a good bit too, and it gets 30MPG. All with 260K on the body. I mean, I don't even like the car and I can't even see a good reason to ever get rid of it. Gonna drive it way past 300K (hopefully).

Gettin' off my soapbox, though seriously it is more expensive to get a different car. The ONLY way you'll make out is if you buy a 3 year old Hyundai Accent with LOW miles for dirt cheap. THEN you may save some money.

Oh yeah, gotta add that I only use OEM parts on my car. Wanna see a car go from decent to unreliable real quick? Maintain it with aftermarket parts. I think this is why some older used cars get such a bad rep. People maintain with cheap aftermarket parts and then can't figure out why the car has suddenly become such a pile of junk! In the long run, OEM (or used OEM) will cost less in the long run!

 

Thank you for that speech, hearing everyone complain about our cars was getting depressing for a bit. I just bought my 02 6spd and I love it. It definitely had problems from the previous owners but I've been fixing them slowly and the car has been turning out great.

Quick question on your aftermarket parts thing, are you referring to buying stuff like cv axles at autozone as compared to from Nissan or using a Cold air intake as compared to a stock airbox?

 

I can't believe what Im reading.....keep your Max

 

I am talking about things that affect the vehicle's near-term reliability. Yes, CV Axles from AZ would be one. I actually did pony up the $$$ for my Nissan axles, but haven't had a problem with them since replacing them 100K miles ago. My buddy had a Civic he kept swapping AZ axles on, turns out the axles are "Made In China". No thanks!
Alternators, calipers, axles, compressors, master cylinders, etc etc. They may come with a "Lifetime Warranty", but all that really guarantees is that you WILL be replacing them for a lifetime! I'd rather pay up front for OEM and only replace the part once.

As for aftermarket performance stuff, I have no problem with that. Most aftermarket stuff really does not affect these vehicles much. Besides, if something aftermarket causes a problem, most people realize that. However, many people think Nissan designed a lemon when their aftermarket-maintained car is constantly "broken" when in reality they forgot that Nissan didn't build their replacement parts, some guy in Mexico sandblasted them or some factory in China stamped it out FOR THE LOWEST COST POSSIBLE.

 

As plan Z, you can lease a Hyundai for $169 and month for 24 months with warranty to get you through the rough patch with the job and everything. Then dump that thing and get something newer than a early 90s SC once you're back on your feet.

 

Really? This is news to me, I was hoping you wouldn't say that about autozone as I really enjoy going to them for replacement parts. So I have to buy an axle soon, you think I should just get it through Nissan instead?

 

I thought everyone is using raxles?

 

If you enjoy AZ, by all means get the axles from them. I know, the price difference for OEM is big, I usually don't preach to my friends that THEY should do like I do. Oh, and BTW, I try to get my OEM at cost.

 

Actually I recall reading a lot of good things about raxles, so I just sent them an email inquiring about purchasing a passenger side for my Maxima. Anyway, I do think it is a good idea to buy OEM parts, but things like rotors and brake pads I think are better off at autozone since they are wearable parts. Anywho, I'll stop thread hijacking now, just wanted to comment on a few things

 

Guess keeping the Max is the best move.

Basically I bought the car from a former member of the org, I borrowed 6k and I owe 3200 left, I pay $180 a month. I bought the car with 119k mileage for 6000 firm.

Basically he never did any maintenance to the car, the car still has most the stock parts, all the sensor are still stock and so forth.


Thanks for all the advice.