Hello.
So there is this 2004 6spd maxima that has a dead engine. Has 82K miles on her. Will need a new bumper, rear bumper repainted and front passenger side fender replaced.

Its the SE, with leather, dirty as hell but can be cleaned.
Engine WILL have to be swapped. No idea if tranny LSD.

What is the max amount of cash i should bid on it?
Thanks.

PS
2004-2008 engines will fit right?
Any engine related issues for each year i should know about?

 

3000

 

id say its worth how much it would take to swap the engine and return the car back to running condition.

if the car is worth 7 grand (which it is with that cosmetic damage)

and the engine worth around 1500

the labor which is about another 1500

and the risk that there are other things wrong with it that you can't "test out" before you buy.

the max it is worth is about 3.5 grand.

im sure many people can find "better deals" and get it running for less than that, but for someone who isn't willing to spend the next month with their entire garage tied up and a full time job of wrenching a head of them, those are the prices your going to get from reputable refurb companies and reputable labor shops.

in my opinion.. i would never spend any amount of money on a daily drive that i can't test drive beforehand.

now if you ask me if its worth it to buy a broke down 1970 stingray corvette? id say sure

 

I'm planning to swap the engine myself.
It aint hard and i got all the tools for it.
Also, are there any recalls for any engine years? I heard 04 engines had some kind of recall with the timing tensioner ect...
Thanks.

 

you are braver than me man. i've rebuilt a 454 along side my pops, but i wouldn't touch 2004 import motor with a ten foot torque wrench.


timing chain? yes, if you got the engine outside the bay, replace the timing chain. the tensioners ARE known to go bad

 

"if you got the engine outside the bay"
Explain...

 

engine bay. if you have the engine out side the car... ect...

 

Is this for all years?

 

don't know.. i have an 04 and i know this is a possible problem for me.

 

Purchased the car for $3200.
Not yet sure if engine swap the way out as what the guys at the auction say is usually totally different to what it actually is.

I mean the description is "engine knocking" but that could be the tensioner failure and other timing chain related stuff.

Il keep you guys updated (if anyone cares) to what comes out of this when i go to pick up the vehicle. Hopefully its not an engine swap, if it is i might do a write up on it. Would be neat if transmission is LSD.