My mom is debating on selling her 1996 Maxima GLE. She is the original owner of the car, She bought it new when I was 12 (I'm almost 30, now) and since then, she's only put about 65,000mi on the clock.

The car is Metallic Green with Sand Leather/wood Interior, Moon Roof, Interior is mint with no scratches or wear marks, clean carpets and factory floor mats. BOSE sound system. Auto Transmission, Garage kept, AC/Heat works, Power Steering works, Every electrical item in the car works. A few random items: Grounding kit and Cefiero Headlights were added along the way.

I've maintained the car for the last 10 years or so, and for the record, I drive a VQ35 Sentra (www.Ninety-9.com). I've done every repair, every tune-up, every oil change, etc. Everything on the car still runs like new.

The bad: For the past several years, I've been living about 8 hours away and I no longer have the facility or tools around to take care of any repairs when I drive or fly down. As the car is nearing its 20th birthday, small things are starting to pop up. I changed the starter, CV axles and seals, Power Steering Pump and hoses, complete brake repair (new discs, lines, and loaded calipers), Iridium plugs, Belts, etc. The only outstanding items on the car are: It needs a new front main seal and it needs a new water pump. The water pump is starting to leak through the weep hole behind the alternator.

For me to do this repair myself, I would have to drive the car up to where I live in Pensacola, and my mother, who is not used to having to maintain an older car, is starting to think that the car is unreliable (she doesn't even know the meaning of the word, nor will she ever know how many cars I've had to limp home).

If I had the money, I would buy this car as my DD, but unfortunately, I'm unemployed and I have a VQ35 Sentra and an older M3 that hit me up for cash like children.

I want to see if there is any interest on the .org for this car. I will post more pictures tomorrow when the sun is up, but my opinion is that I would take no less than $4500 for the car.

 

pics (Note, there is a jack currently under the engine making the car look higher and I have a motor mount off as I'm changing out the water pump.

 

With all due respect, you won't see anyone biting at that price no matter what the milage unfortunately.

Especially with the water pump needing replacement.

It's sad for me to say being a 4th gen lover, but it's true.

 

member just sold one on craigslist for $4200 in a matter of hours, figured I'd try my luck.

 

KBB is 3,500 even for 0 miles and perfect.

Whoever got $4k+ for a 4th gen better laughing his way to the bank.

 

The 4th gens have dropped in price a lot.
I'd be surprised if you can manage to pull 3k

 

Crazy question: Where is the car now? City, State?

 

If the car didn't need any repairs, you could get a good offer for it. There aren't that many 4th gen's out there with low miles. HOWEVER...the org if full of cheap a$$es and I mean CHEAP who want good $hit and pay the least they can.

Good luck with the sale.

 

^
+1

That is super low mileage and someone will bite! Keep firm on the price!

 

Great idea, stay firm on that price, that way it'll never sell.

 

Front main seal?? Wow, those never go. You sure it isn't half moon seals?

 

Understood, however, price is also dependent on demand. If other immaculate 4th gens are going for $4k or more, that is what the market dictates. At the moment, I'm on the fence about selling it for her, as I might just buy it. It's more reliable than the 3 cars (VQ Sentra and 2 BMWs) I currently own.

$4k may be a lot, but for the condition it's in, can't go wrong. I've owned 2 G20t's of this era and I'll be damned if I wasn't out there every week resolving another electrical issue: 2 window motors, the door lock switch, brake lights, trunk lid harness, sunroof, oh F*ck that sunroof.

See my other comments below.

My bad, it's currently in Tampa Area, Florida.

Well, I wound up buying the water pump (Nissan OEM) on Friday and I'm just wrapping things up. There was no shaft play, just a bad O-ring, but since I was going through the trouble of opening up the timing panels and removing the pump obviously, a new pump was going in. I also changed the belts, since the idler pulley had to come off.



It's called a "Feeler" for a reason. If I had any need to get rid of this car, I would haggle. Until then I'll stay firm and see if someone will make it worth my while.

Is that what the VQ30 has? I've only changed the crank seals (front and rear) on a few SR20s. I'm talking about the front crank seal, behind the crank pulley. It's not in serious need of replacement, it just bugs me when you see oil coating the lower front cover.

For the record, I've been getting back nearly all my oil on every change, so I'm not too worried about the speed of the leak.

 

If you don't have to sell quickly, don't. Hold firm. I'm the guy who got $4200 for his '99 SE. I am not laughing all the way to the bank, because I saw how the very first guy reacted to the car once he saw it. I was low by at least a couple hundred.

The guy who bought only brought $3300 with him because he assumed I oversold the condition of my car. I didn't oversell it.

He spent 10 minutes looking at the car and, after the 10th, "Holy crap, this car is like new" comment, he didn't hesitate to pay my asking price. Two other people called while we were on the test drive and were pissed as hell that it would likely be sold by the time they got there. Another guy was halfway into a 30-minute drive when I called tell him it was gone.

The first guy, knowing he didn't have enough, pleaded with me to hold the car while he went to get the rest of the money. He was an older fellow, buying the car for his son, so I said $100 would hold it. Hey said, "Hell with that, here's $300. Please do not sell this car until I get back".

I cannot speak for yours, but KBB was dead wrong on mine .. by a long shot. NADA listed the car at $4800 (with the caveot that ultra-low mileage values could be much higher). Edumunds: $4135.

In the end, all the sites use an algorithm to arrive at a low-mileage discount. I think when you get below a certain mileage, the algorithm isn't as reliable.

Given the initial reactions I was receiving, I truly wish I had listed it at $4800 and held tight for awhile. I didn't need the garage space for another 2 weeks, anyway. It's all speculation at this point, but I'll bet the guy would've jumped at $4500, without hesitation.

 

Thanks for the info. I realize the price is higher than kbb, but she has been approached, in the past, even in parking lots, by people who asked if she was looking to sell her car.

At the moment, there is no rush to sell because she doesn't have anything to replace it with, it's been her only car since 1996. She doesn't understand cars enough to realize how great she has it and how much I stay on top of things. She thinks its unreliable because in the last year it's needed a new starter, PS pump, belt, plugs, and now a water pump (seals, technically), and tires. I've been trying to convince her not to sell her car, and if she refuses, I'd consider buying it (I already have 3 cars, I would have to sell something, first).

Funny thing, I just borrowed a Honda Fit from my friend to drive home for Christmas (My M5 gets about 15MPG while the Fit gets 40, tough choice). She tells me that she would rather have a Honda Fit because it's *newer*. I cannot stress enough how disappointed she would be after a month of driving a Fit. It's a tin can with 1.5Litres of hamster fury. The tank is so small that even at 40MPG, I can't get it much further than 300 miles before it needs a pit stop and my #1 pet peeve about it: No %#$% arm rest!!! Eight hours in a 5-speed M/T Fit and no where to put my arm!!!

Sorry, I went O/T in my own thread.

 

^
sounds like my family members who ask why I keep buying old cars

 

I see its been well over a month since the last post. Do you still have the car? And if so, is the price still the same?
If your still in Tampa mabey I could come take a look at it cause I dont live too far. Im just north of New Port Richey.

 

OP hasn't logged in since 12-31-2013.

Anyway, the OP can ask whatever price he wants. The next person who complains about the price posted will get a one week vacation from the Org.

And Fakie, there's no harm in a feeler thread if a price is posted and the seller is genuinely interested in selling. If someone offered him $4500, I believe he'd sell it as advertised.

1997 GA16DE: If the car is no longer for sale, or if it has sold, please update the thread so I may close it.