DipreSantana

So my father bought a Maxima for about 2k. It's a 2000 5 speed GXE. As I needed a car I gave him 2k and took ownership of the car, I did not inspect it, I assumed he did before he bought it. I WAS WRONG.

So far I've found these issues with the vehicle, I've not yet raised the vehicle to see the undercarriage.

The vehicle needs;

New Wiper Blades
New MAF Sensor
PNP HID's Replaced to either stock halogen bulbs or a retrofit.
New Instrument Panel
New Radiator Support
New Battery Wiring
New Trunk and Hood Struts
New Gas Door
AC Refill / New Compressor / IDK Haven't Checked the Compressor Yet
New Alarm Transponder / Maybe NEW Alarm System
New Driver Window and Door Rubber
New Front and Rear Bumpers
Some Dents Removed
New Paint / The Old Paint is Chipped / Some Spots Are Rusting

It might also need;

New Power Steering Pump / On Cold Mornings The Steering Stutters and Is Hard to Turn When First Driving
New Synchros / The Transmission Will Whine When Shifting Gears


My question is, is it worth it to refurbish this vehicle, or should I sell it for what I can get and move on? The engine is strong, and most of the electronics still work, on the flip side, the previous owner was an idiot, there's so much crap under the hood, from an air horn to who knows what else. And can anyone estimate how much each repair will cost for me?

Tonyrizzo21

If I was in your position, and had any chance of getting most of my money back, I would get rid of it. I recently paid 2800 for my 2000 SE, in excellent mechanical and very good cosmetic condition.

If you are able to fix most of the issues yourself, it MAY be worth hanging on to, but from the sound of it, it was not taken care of, and I'd always be wondering what's gonna go next.

There are much better deals to be had out there if you are patient, and diligent in your search. Good luck if you do decide to keep it, I hope it works out well for you.

george__

iTrader: (1)

No way

Go find a 5.5th gen and call it a day

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

get your money back if you can. you can't get much for 2000 bucks, but if it's not road worthy it will cost a lot more before you get it roadworthy

moogotzskillz2

was the car chop'd or wrecked? honestly i just bought a 2k maxima GXE 5spd. 200k miles, needs the basic maxima stuff:

MAF
Power steering Hose
Tune up
Detail

for 1900$

and its not a rusty at all NC car!

Maverick4189

iTrader: (7)

As long as your just not being super picky and wanting it perfect and these items really do need replaced I would say sell it and buy another if you want, that one seems used and abused. Im sure you can find a good replacement out there unless your like me and just to darn partial to that car, I wont get rid of my max cause it was my first car

rebelhell

iTrader: (1)

I'll say...it depends.
How much of the work can you do yourself?

New Wiper Blades
$20-$40 depending on brand/quality
New MAF Sensor
$90 or there about for OEM (I wouldn't bother with aftermarket).
PNP HID's Replaced to either stock halogen bulbs or a retrofit.
Just stick some halogen bulbs in there. I'd get rid of the HID, not worth the hassle.
New Instrument Panel
$80-$90 on Ebay...can be hard to find one from a MT, may have to deal with an Auto (pretty sure it will still work).
New Radiator Support
$160 plus labor if you can't weld it yourself.
New Battery Wiring
Should be easy to pick up OEM wiring from a junkyard. The cables are short enough to not be an issue.
New Trunk and Hood Struts
Hood struts ar $30 for a pair on Amazon. There are no trunk struts, it uses a torsion bar assembly. Probably just needs adjusted.
New Gas Door
Check car-part.com I found one for my car for $30 already the right color.
AC Refill / New Compressor / IDK Haven't Checked the Compressor Yet
This might cost you $50 or a couple hundred. No telling without inspection of parts.
New Alarm Transponder / Maybe NEW Alarm System
$25 on ebay. I doubt there's a problem with the alarm
New Driver Window and Door Rubber
Check local junk yards and car-part.com - Should be easy to find relatively cheap. New seals aren't expensive at all.
New Front and Rear Bumpers
Again, junkyards are your best bet. If you don't have to paint them all the better.
Some Dents Removed
New Paint / The Old Paint is Chipped / Some Spots Are Rusting
This all depends on how much you care about what your car looks like. It would be dead last on my list. I have a few imperfections on my Max that I'd love to take care of but having a dependable car takes precedent.

New Power Steering Pump / On Cold Mornings The Steering Stutters and Is Hard to Turn When First Driving
This should be a fairly easy job too. Change your belts while your at it and check your pressure hose, they like to fail.
New Synchros / The Transmission Will Whine When Shifting Gears
Sounds like a throwout bearing to me. Time for a new clutch?


If you like working on cars it could be a fun project. Otherwise it's really up to you how much you want to tackle. Bury yourself in junkyards and it should be able to come together relatively inexpensively.

shaks

iTrader: (15)

it's up to you basically... you will not get a perfect car for 2k, unless it's a "friends" deal
there are some thing you could deal with, others need attention
I've purchased my previous car knowing that I have to redo the entire suspension, brakes, tires - I've done it knowingly

Right now, I would do it over if the car price was 1000 less from what I paid

nsnrider

iTrader: (59)

you won't get much of a car for $2k no a days. You seem to bee too picky for a 13 year old car. Everything you have listed is basic stuff that wears out with age. You want something better? Buy a better car (meaning newer with low miles) and be prepared to spend $$$.

Good luck.

If it was me, I'd stick with the car and work out the kinks one by one starting with the stuff that is safety related or things that might leave use stranded on the side of the road.

Pilm

replacing radiator support is the only real killer issue, most of the rest of it i'd call ordinary and what do you expect for $2k! if you don't want to do the work, sell it or get your money back from pops and let him worry about it. and never ever buy a car without inspecting it first, doesn't matter who it's from.

DipreSantana

The vehicle drives very well, I've driven about 300 miles this week. I tighten the battery ground and positive at the frame and alternator, and cleaned up the battery posts and terminals and now the car doesn't just die when I try to turn it on.

I can do most of the work myself, I estimate that in parts alone I'd be in for about 1k. I wouldn't want to put more than that to get this thing to last me a few years.

About the transmission, the clutch is very grippy, but it feels weird, especially when going from a stand still, IDK what that's about.

In the end, if I could find a 6 Gen for like 5-6k with a six speed, I'd be all over that.


PS, this isn't the first time my father has thrown a problem vehicle at me. Last time it was an Xterra, but I did refurbish that one.

mwatters

your dad sure likes to dump nissans onto you, huh?!

cwaters1184

as was said, 2 grand doesnt get you much unless you get lucky. spend a grand, fix the necessary stuff and call it a day.