NerdManXdx

iTrader: (5)

SOLD

1997 Nissan Maxima GXE
166,100 miles
Manual transmission
Color: purple exterior, gray/black cloth interior
Eibach Pro Kit Springs & Tokico Illumina Struts
Front strut tower brace
Stainless steel clutch hose
16" wheels from a later model Maxima (I forgot which)
Averages 22 mpg mixed city and highway driving. Gets about 26 mpg highway on long trips.
Clean title, title in hand

Sadly, I am selling my car because I am moving in a few weeks. I bought the car in 2009 with 85k miles on it.
Asking $1700 or best offer

THE GOOD:
The car drives well and has been very reliable. The only time the car has left me stranded was when the starter motor started to fail back in 2009. The alternator also died once, but at least it gave me warning signs as it was dying so that I could replace it before getting stranded. Otherwise, the car always got me where I needed to go. The Michelin Premier A/S tires have less than 5000 miles on them and have a lot of tread left. The clutch was already replaced about 25k miles ago.

The suspension mods make the car a lot more responsive. Although they don't eliminate the natural understeer, the car is very stable, especially during emergency maneuvers that require hard braking and steering. This characteristic has allowed me to safely avoid several pretty bad drivers over the years. The springs are progressive, so the ride is not harsh. If I'm remembering correctly, the springs lower the car 1.5" in the front and 1.3" rear, so the car isn't very low and you won't have to worry about speed bumps, driveways, etc. The strut stiffness is very easy to adjust. I also have my SE springs off of my previous 96 Maxima if you want them.

I performed most of the maintenance myself and kept records. Responsibly driven.

THE BAD:
I cannot smog the car. I've taken my car in for smog twice now. The first time, the technician told me that the aftermarket catalytic converter was too rusted to read the EO and model number. I cleaned off the rust and brought it back, and now the technician said the cat is too old. He said he couldn't test my car without the receipt for the cat, but the cat was already on the car when I purchased it, so I don't have a receipt. Basically, the car requires a new cat just to test it. The car hasn't actually been sniff tested because the technician said he can't run the tests without the right cat. The car passed smog when I last registered it in September 2016. The same tecnician said he couldn't read the cat back then either, but he passed me that time. Since I don't have a job right now, I can't afford to replace the cat myself. IF YOU PURCHASE THE CAR FROM ME, YOU MUST ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND GET THE CAR TO PASS SMOG YOURSELF.

Other known issues:
Oil loss: I fill about half a quart every ~1000 miles. I never let the oil run low. If you pay attention to the car, you can feel when the oil is getting to the bottom 1/4 of the range since engine idle is very slightly rougher and shifts aren't as smooth.
Radiator leak: slight leak out of the top of the radiator. Because of this, the coolant reservoir empties fairly quickly, but the coolant level never gets very low in the radiator. The engine does not overheat.
The tint on the rear window is hazy. There aren't any big bubbles, but looking through the rear window is like looking at an out of focus picture. You can see cars behind you, but it's difficult to make out what car it is.
Front passenger door doesn't fully lock when using the power lock, i.e., when you press the door lock button from the driver's side, the passenger side lock sometimes only locks half way. I normally either 1) reach across and lock it manually or 2) press the unlock-lock button for 3 cycles, and it will usually lock by the end of the third cycle.
The ignition sometimes doesn't immediately crank on the first turn of the key. It seems to be slightly misaligned because the engine starts cranking when you slightly release the key. It will almost always start by the second turn of the key. I can't remember ever needing more than 3 turns.
The radio antenna is broken, but I don't have much of a problem with reception.
The paint isn't in great condition (see the pictures).

NerdManXdx

iTrader: (5)

Update: The car passed smog! I got an appointment with the state SMOG referee, told them what happened, and they said that the smog technician that I previously took it to was wrong. I got my car smogged at the referree, and it passed, so now it's fully ready to sell.

I have less than a week left in San Diego, so if you're at all interested, please feel free to shoot me any offers. The worst I'll do is politely say "no" if it's too low.