Its things like this, that when I consider(dream of) other cars, I always wonder about how good forums are for those vehicles. The Org has such a wealth of knowledge on the Maxima its absolutely insane. It is so strong that I would consider getting another Maxima mainly because of it.

Tuner, I still dont understand this you had 2 5th gens what happened? I understand you reasons for moving on hence this thread, but was just curious to what happened to that other one u bought. Too many problems?

 

MyG37.com is junk, so are the vast majority of the other G forums.

G35driver has sections for the G37 also, and it's probably as close to Maxima.org as I've ever seen a forum, great, great group of guys over there. If you haven't registerd over there get on it, I'm going to try and see this car Saturday, so I may be shifting focus over there, you can join me


Yeah it's over the top, but most car's we drool over are. personally I'd have a hard time dumping that much money into it, but why not? Can't think of many better rounded cars to devote mods into. 4 doors, very luxurious, decent looks (modded, looks VERY nice), good suspension, strong engine, large aftermarket backing. More economical than most cars that get heavily modded IMO.

There are quite a few Maximas on here that have thrown a ridiculous amount into there cars, but they're left with a FWD Maxima, doesn't corner, poor steering, terrible turning radius, poorly bolstered seats, etc, etc.

I was speaking to the Viper rear tires more for rental purposes, I want to really test it out once I get a feel for it. Just curious if the have additional fees for tire wear lol.

-*
The G35driver.com forum is really great. I too have hated any other cars that didn't have a forum backing like this. That, and a downloadable FSM are the two biggest things I look for when buying a car.

As for the 5.5 I had, short form is the engine was not great, so I sold it. Somehow the guy who bought it blew it up, drama ensued, but that's over and done with for now. Either way, car is gone.

As for my 5th gen, I still love it, I just think it's time to move up into a higher class of car that better suits my wants. The Maxima is an incredible car, with an incredible backing of knowledgable, querky, fun-loving, familiy oriented guys all around the world. It's no surprise to me that the G35 forum is similar, after all, I think most of the guys, especially in the sedans, graduated from Maximas, it's a very natural progression. I can't imagine anyone on this forum that wouldn't find themselves well suited to a G35 Sedan, as much or more than their Maxima, if not for the price difference when buying initially.

 

Registered for it just now. Thanks for the head's-up.

What's your SN?

 

Same -- But considering my low post count and change of vehicles potentially,I might change it....to what... I have no idea (taking suggestions?)


Anyways, I'm going tomorrow I've set it up, so I'll let you guys know how it goes! It's a salvage title, which I don't care for, but if it looks solid I will swindle the price to make it worthwhile.

Also, I was too curious with the 6th gen BBK sitting in my living room, so I put it on. Had to buy 2 used all seasons for my stock 17" rims (it fits without a spacer BTW)




Solves the crappy brakes, it's NIGHT AND DAY. Anyone running stock brakes? Upgrade, dont think about it just do it.
I'll be selling these obviously unless I sell the car to an enthusiast/fellow Maxima man.

 

How about just "TunerMax", for both forums? Easy to remember and pronounce. It lends itself to direct reference either in full, or just as "Tuner". It maintains your identity here, while obfuscating the derivation of "Max" over there.

Nice move on the 6th gen BBK. Yours seems rightly aligned with the general opinion on that mod.

Years ago, I bought 16" steelies for the winter. Between the steelies (which wouldn't allow for the BBK), and the cost of Blizzaks, as well as the cost of the Eagle F1's that I like to use in the summer... I dug myself a whole where it never seemed cost-effective to ditch all that for the BBK.

 

Good enough call on TunerMax. Simple, not overthought but suiting. Still sounds like I was 18 when I made that SN (I was LOL).

Least of my concerns right now. I just found out the 05/06 REVup had oil consumption issues as well I'm trying to find out the extent of them. Otherwise they seem like a very solid car.

 

Well that guy wasted mydrive. Told me via phone that there was no scratches, dings, etc, I get there and every panel is scratched/dented, skuffed, misalligned. The list I gave him was huge.

In either case, long story short I'm not buying it. Not the one for me. The hunt continues!

 

What car did you go check out?

 

The G35 sounds like a good choice. I hope you find one to your liking, since it sounds like your mind's made up. Personally, I have a hard time warming up to the (what I call "Box Turtle") shape of the 2004 and newer Maximas/Infiniti sedans. Vs. the (IMHO Sportier) shape of prior 00-03 models, just a matter of aesthetic preference.

 

05 G35 sedan. Drove all the way to London to see it based on this guy talking to me over the phone telling me how mint the car was. Total load of crap I've never seen a 2005 in such rough shape (outside). And the interior smelled like urine.

I'm not fully decided but it certainly seems like a decent fit for my wants. I have a lot more research to do before I commit to it.

I think you're mixed up a bit though, Maxima's model changed in 04 to the "altima looking" style.
G35 STARTED in 2003, there was no G35 before that. Before that was the G20.
They switched up a bit in 2005/2006 to the REVup engine, and also got sportier more coupe like fenders and bumpers, also got the better looking rount LED tailights instead of the ugly 03/04 ones. And better gauges, interior finish, etc. Overall a much better car save for some oil consumption issues with the REVup engine.

 

Man thats a waste of gas. I guess pictures never really do justice.

I wouldn't completely throw out the idea of importing from the states. I have a buddy who got his G35 Coupe from there and its actually spotless, absolutely no imperfections. Him and his dad took a trip down there and drove it back up, just filled out some paperwork at the border, DRLs in for safety and thats it. Not as big of a headache as many make it seem.

The price may work out to be the same in the end but you're looking at some way better selection and in general much better condition vehicles that have never seen salt or snow. Just a thought.

 

^That's really a great idea, especially now that most if not all cars are equipped with DRL, just not activated.

 

That made me laugh. Sorry.

 

Sorry I missed the typo, you're correct, I meant the 2004 6Gen. Maxima. If I recall most Nissan sedans sort of adopted that ('Box Turtle') style. Not sure if the Infiniti line followed suit. Anyway, too bad about being disappointed when you saw the car. At least you have the luxury of not rushing into a purchase. I knew my Camry was on it's last legs and I had to move fast. Short story, water pump seized, timing belt jumped, interference engine, still ran after repair but had a bad skip. And why I chose the 01 vs. 02 Maximas I saw on the same lot. The 01 was in far better shape.

 

I hate these kind of sellers. I looked at a car online that was described as "fully loaded." I showed up to drive it (yeah, I took a train to get there...), and guess what, it was not as described: no power/heated seats, no sunroof, no navigation DVD, no rear sunshade, it HAD been smoked in (the tool tried to tell me he only smoked in it a couple of times - until I found his extra ashtray...) All that is crap, but after I decided I didn't want it, I had to ask him for a ride back to the nearest train station.

Test drive FAIL.

But, I did end up with a fully loaded 530i, with everything except a block heater. And it will do 244 km/h (maybe a bit more).

I read this and my first thought was, "Dang, that is far. But how did you get across the water?"
My dad had an 04 6MT sedan, and now has a REV-UP 05 sedan, and yeah the facelifted models are much better. FWIW none of our 04, 05, or 06 (my mom's G35X) had/have oil issues, but then again only one of those has the REV-UP motor.

 

sad to see that you didn't get to experience them before you moving on.
As tuner said Night and Day is about the best way to describe the 6th gen bbk. But after having for 1.5 years... its the new normal, I can't and don't want to remember the orginals.

 

I've learned my lesson.

Next car, I'll be swapping summer/winter tires on the same OEM rims for a few years, at which point I'll upgrade to new aftermarket rims, and the originals will be relegated for winter use only.

At least, that's the plan. We'll see how it goes.

OAN, the Infiniti G has staggered rims, which I'm none too keen on. Oh well.

 

I happened to notice a couple of other examples that validate your comment on the 5th. & 5.5th.Gen styling as still being relevant. I think the Jaguar and Volvo stylists would concur.

 

It's about the same as the 02/03 3.5 oil consumtion issues here in the Maxima, only slightly less common. Seems to be another hit and miss with Nissan Oil consumption.

Yeah I don't want to imagine going back, though tonight is our first snowfall so in the morning I may decide that better tires > better brakes, and switch back to the winters and stock brakes.

It's silly to do that here, but I am sure it doesn't cost much to swap tires over in the States. Especially for 19" alloys (or at least 18" if you're not getting the Enkeis).

The Sedan's wheels shouldn't be staggered though IIRC, are they? I know they aren't on the 1st gen.

 

I think only the sport package has different front/rear tire/wheel sizes.

 

^Coupe as far as I know is the only one with staggeredwheels

 

Spock is right. The 2nd Gen G35S Sedan and 1st Gen G37S Sedan (same body, different engines) both have staggered rims... but just the S-model.

 

I'd get an M5 hands down, there are many 2000 - 2003 available for reasonable price, with the 6 speed and 400 horses, 4 doors. I think it's one of nicest car all around and it's fast as hell, you would crush any G35 or G37 no doubt and most car as well. There is also a lot of after market parts available, with a S/C it's hello 600 HP. That is for sure will be my next car, I'll probably get a 2006 or 2007 but if I can find a low mileage super clean 2003 I'd go for it.

 

This has appeal (to me):

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...e&rdpage=thumb

 

No doubt this is a very nice car and not very well know in the general public. I have driven a few and let me tell you this is a hell of a car, it's fast and has a lot of torq, it also handle like no body would think for a car of this size. I have an X5 with the 4.4 and even though it's a 5000 lbs SUV it's quite fast, less than the 4.8 but still it's pretty amazing. If I had to do all over again, I would have sold the max and put the money on the M5, but still I'm happy with the max being close to the end, it's going to be a surprizing car for what it is. I would not hesitate to get one if I was you, but make sure you have a good car, have it inspected, some M5 that have been badly maintain by the second or third owner can be a pita. Those car where selling in the 80 000$ brand new so an original owner car is always a plus as it's people who have money that buy those new and most will babied it.

 

Nice car to have but the resale value would worry me too much. Give it another 5 years and no ones going to want to touch that with a 10 foot pole. People would just be worried about things breaking and the ridiculous cost to fix cars like that scares them off. It'd be really difficult to justify the value of the car to a potential buyer after you've had it for a few years, the depreciation just kills my interest.

 

That's the primary thing that keeps me from owning any BMW out of warranty, much less a 10 year old M5. I'm no mechanic, and I'm not interested in the cost of parts and repairs on a machine like this, particular if it were used as a daily driver.

But damn... that red M5 with camel leather is gorgeous. Florida car, one owner. Beautiful vehicle. (drool)

 

THAT m5 is pretty sharp i must say, I heavily dislike BMW too.

 

There is a bit of urban legend going on about the cost of parts. Last week I decided to replaced, sway bar links, tension struts, tie rod assembly and the rear links, it cost me 365$ for the parts and 70$ for the 4 wheel alignment at a local shop. I did the job over the week-end. The dealer was asking close to 2000$ for the job. A BMW is not for everyone, it's either you are wealthy or mechanically incline then the maintenance is not that bad. I buy most of my part here: http://www.autopartswarehouse.com great service, very reasonable price and fast shipping, the quality of the parts are very good. I have my X5 for about 3 years now and it is very reliable, it doesn't cost more than the Murano or the Pathfinder I had previously but it is definitely more reliable really.

 

This, but...

An E39 M5? It's a rarity(relatively speaking). As with most vehicles that are high performance and rare, maintenance and repairs are quite costly. Take something that is regular maintenance. The front brakes for instance. E39 530i is very reasonable. Same brakes on the M5 are like 250% more.

All in all, BMWs have a bad rep for having expensive parts. Any luxury line really. The biggest cause of this is markup. The economics make complete sense. In a free market, who are you going to charge more for parts? The guy with the Corolla or the guy with the A3? It's obvious. If you're lazy and pay list for parts, the luxury brands aren't for you.

Side note: I don't find anymore apprehension wrenching on an M52 or M54 than I would a VQ. I charge customers the same labor rate for both. Talk about an Audi or VW and I'll might give you a different response.

 

I did the entire drive train on the X5 last week, the 10 pieces set cost 290$ + shipping and that came with a 3 years warranty, there was also a 10 pieces kit for 211$ / 1 year warranty, BTW those parts were ordered from USA. The BMW dealer here charge 127$ /hr for labor and the parts are very expensive and no better, in 3 years I never had to go to the BMW dealership. If I can't do the work myself, there is a local shop that does good work for reasonable fee, they also have all the computer to re-program and such. I now have to go for the remote that doesn't work and that is going to cost me 200$ for a remote that worth about 10$, this is the only thing I hate about BMW, but the car itself are awesome. I certainly understand the situation that prevail in north america in terms of economic and it is understandable that people want to put the less money's possible on a car. The last SUV I owned before the bimmer was the 2004 Murano that I bought brand new for 45$ K and kept it for 4 years, I sold it and bought the X5 with the money and it's the best SUV I have ever own and it still a 2004, I'm going to keep it for another year or so and then get a 2010 - 2011 X5M, in 2 years from now those will be selling around 40-45K

 

the 540i around 2000 was pretty much a M5 anyways, which is why I'm looking at it too. Pretty much all the benefits of a "M" without the drawbacks of insurance cost.

I looked at a 2003 G35 with 170,000km, much higher than I wanted, but recently I contacted the guy and got him to accept $7k, and I pay the $100 to Certify it.

Comes with a coupe midpipe. I think I'm going to buy it, but I want to look it over once more. I'll be modding the exterior quite a bit if I buy it, I hate the 03/04 appearance compared to the 05/06.
On the bright side it's a little more reliable than the 05/06 Revup... but doesn't have the tuning goodies the REVup does.... Oh well I'll be looking at around 300 hp either way so I'm cool with that. Anything more will be mainly for fuel mileage, looks and sound (exhaust/intake, etc)

 

That's a lot of "clicks", but a decent price if it's in good to great condition.

 

170k isn't bad at all for an 9 year old car. That seems like a pretty good deal for $7000 as long as it was properly maintained.

 

Yes she is pretty solid, just had a pile of work done for the safety including brakes, compression rods, and fairly recently, new tires. Good papertrail for maintenence.

Downside is a somewhat rough exterior, sandblasted front end, one minor ding in the R/R fender, and a small scratch on the left side. No rust though that I saw. As I said need to look it over closer, and I'll be swapping the front end out probably anyways, if not painting the whole car. We will see.

Mechanically it looks tip-top, drives like new, feels very firm and solid steering response even over bumps, something I didn't even experience in the 2005 with 75,000km on it.

Over all I think the price is a touch low for that car, with a buffer ran over it it would easily pull $8000 or more. Either way, if I like it I'll grab it and park it for the winter. That means these SS Coilovers will go up for sale.... but I'm keeping the 19" Enkeis for the G35.

The rest of the Aftermarket stuff and mods will be sold with the Maxima likely. Maybe not the 6th gen BBK, but who knows...

 

Get it, Matt. We'll get together again next year with our respective G's. However, I'm not going to tempt you if you react to driving the 3.7 vs. the 3.5 the same way you freaked when you drove the 3.5 vs. the 3.0.

I wouldn't do that to you, man.

 

The 540 with the 4.4l is a very nice car too and that engine can move, for a V8 it is very reasonable on the gas. There is many good looking 540 for sale at a very reasonable price. At the end you do what you have to do, but personally I wouldn't buy a car with 170 000 km, pertaining that you already have a very nice car with much less mileage. Just though here, but you want to replace your max I mean then go for a car with lower mileage, to me this would be a downgrade (I'm not bashing at your choice but rather want to help you make the best decision ) If you want a G, that is fine but because you want to mod the car and get 300HP, you better find a lower mileage car.

 

I must have seen the kilometers and subconsciously avoided the math.

That's 105K miles! Yikes!

That's under 12,000 miles a year, which I believe is average or even a little lower than average.

 

LOL I am sure it won't be as drastic, but perhaps.
Either way the G is domnating my list so far...\


Good ponts man, stll have to drive a 540

The TE i had had 191,000km.... not an extremely high amount as long as they're well maintaned. I'm more comfortable with a Nissan at 170,000 km then I am with a BMW or Merc at 140,000km, so all things in retrospect, price considered moreso than anything else, I don't think it's fair to write the car off based on mileage.
Ideally I want a car under 100,000km, but in reality I can't justify the cost of a car in the condition I want it with that mileage. The low mileage cars that are affordable seem to be beat to crap for the most part, and I'm not payng over 10,000 for a car that needs work. I'd much rather pay 7,000, put a couple K into it if I find it's worthy of it (after a period of driving), and end up with the type of car in the shape I want for less money.

Anyways, if there's any rust that will tell the tale mostly, I don't want ANY rust, if any is evident I'll pass on it.

 

K well I just sprung and bought the 2003 G35 6MT with 170,000 KM on it. (around 106k miles).

I'll park it over the winter and tinker with it and the Maxima back and forth while I prep the Maxima for sale, and prep the G35 for Spring. I need to test the G37S 19" rims to see how they look as well.

For now, I've started a new acct. over at G35driver.com under the simple recommended "TunerMax". It works, I am too lazy to come up with anything better. Sucks being a noob again though!!!

Thanks to everyone for their help so far. Funny enough, I haven't commited to modding/keeping this car 100%. I want to drive it for a bit and check it over closer before I spend a whack of coin on it.