Dex

114,800 original miles
Black exterior
Black leather interior
Factory sunroof
Automatic transmission
Factory STOCK unmolested
No rust CA/TX car
1 family-owned since in 1995, transferred & titled to me in 2013.
I drove it from CA to TX (approx 1400 miles) and as of Feb 2019, I've driven it less than 2000 miles.

Repairs/restorations I've done over several years I've owned it:

1) new set of tires (2013)
2) rebuilt power steering pump (2014) - rebuilt pump is no good (noisy)
3) new fuel injectors, coils, valve cover gaskets, intake gaskets (2015)
4) new fuel pump (2016)
5) new Nissan battery (2017)
6) new set of struts (2017)

If I were to keep this car, I would:

a) rebuild original power steering pump (I kept the orig pump, I have rebuild kit of gasket & o-rings) then re-install.
b) replace IAC (I have a brand new IAC).
c) replace fuel pressure regulator (I have a brand new regulator)
d) replace audio head unit ( I have adapters)

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

Violator

Everybody is going to come at you with $1500 offers and you'll never hear the end of book value. Been in your situation, just be ready to hold onto the car for a year if you're firm on the price hope you get an acceptable offer soon

Dex

Thanks for the heads up.
We've had it for 24-25 years and I've had it in storage for 6 years so we're not exactly pressed to sell.
For the right person, I'll negotiate some.

max ride 41

iTrader: (4)

your biggest issue is that it sat so long, maybe if you did those repairs you might get 3,400.00. i have 95 and did a lot more than that to it and if not for the gall dang rust from living here in the salt belt i'd ask 5,000.00 for mine.

Dex

Sorry to hear about the rust condition of your Maxima, How bad can it be?? Some photos would clue everyone in.

In the general aviation (GA) world, a plane's TBO or time-before-overhaul, as set by the engine manufacturer and followed by the FAA, for some engines is about 2000 hours. Some are much less. Today, the average vintage of these planes is circa 1960s or about 59 years old. In a 2012 survey, we learned that the average airframe time for fixed-wing planes in the entire US, with up to 4 seats, was only about 2700 hours - because these planes are flown so infrequently, it's a whopping 45 hours of use out of 365 days. Now, every certificated plane goes through an annual inspection and it has to pass before it is considered airworthy. And part of the inspection is a compression and cylinder leakage check. Most A&P mechanics will agree 15% is the compression pass/fail threshold, It cannot fall under 15% or 68 out of 80PSI is the limit. What does this have to do with my Maxima? When I replaced plugs and valve cover gaskets, I checked the compression of my engine as well. All were within less than 10% deviation. I do start it and take it around the block every so often. My car accelerates and drives as good as it did it 24 years ago.

So I'm not quite following your line of thought - how or why is the age of my Maxima or when certain repair/replacements were performed, a "big issue" and how is it related to my asking price? Please explain and please feel free to fact-check my claims.

https://www.faa.gov/data_research/av...Dec2013-V2.xls

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

You guys are crazy if you think maintenance/repairs/restoration = more $$. These are things you are supposed to do and part of car ownership.

Dex

If my Maxima was my one and only car (i.e. daily driver), then I'll agree with you. Regular maintenance is part of car ownership. However, it would also have 360,000 miles. It would most likely be scrapped in salvage yard and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

For buyers who are on a budget or want something for nothing, asking $4k for a 24 year old car may sound crazy.

We purchased it new in 1995 for over $27K. Factor in devaluation over 24 years, that's over $44.5k in today's dollars. 114k miles over 24 years is less than 5000 miles a year. So, asking less than $4k or less than 10% for the remaining 68.3% useful service life of a $44.5k car is not crazy at all.

Inflation calculator here -> http://www.in2013dollars.com/us/infl...5?amount=27000

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

You and I may appreciate the relative low mileage, but most people don't. Price is their number one consideration. Then condition. Then mileage (maybe). Even KBB doesn't care about low mileage. Put your car into KBB with your actual mileage compared to what it should have. You might get $300 more if you're lucky.

Dex

Thanks for the pricing reference (KBB).

KBB is really for dealerships as it gives them a point of reference to justify dealership price. In my opinion, price is determined in the real world by demand vs supply = fair market asking price. And how is fair market asking price determined? Watch an episode of Wheelerdealers to get an idea. Or look up the price of 1955-1957 Chevy which, according to one website, sold originally for $2,200. Then compare to today's prices. In this forum, 1995-1999 cars with over 250,000 miles are valued at $2k and over. Is a car with less than half of 250k miles worth $4k? For someone who really wanted this car - a black on black GLE with sunroof and leather seats - in 1995 but couldn't afford the $27k price tag - but can afford it now. Maybe a trip down memory lane is worth $4k? Let's find out.

https://fiftiesweb.com/cars/chevrolet-55-59/
https://www.hagerty.com/apps/valuati...vrolet-bel_air

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

I wish you the best of luck with the sale of your Maxima.
Location is a big factor too.

KBB is not just for dealerships... Unfortunately, people weigh KBB values heavily and reference it all the time when car shopping. Hopefully you've looked at Craiglist Maximas in your area for comparison too.

komik

Cars are not a good investment. Sorry, but I don't see anyone paying $3,800 for a Maxima that is older than OBD2. I really like my '96 SE. I bought it for $1,400 ten years ago and still love driving it today. But one of the reasons I keep it around is because it isn't worth selling. It isn't worth much at all. Not to anyone looking to buy a reliable used car. Sure it is still a great car that never let's me down, but so are countless other vehicles that are a full decade newer. If your Maxima is worth something to you, keep it. But if you decide to sell it, you will need to meet the market price. As much as we love these cars on this forum, none of us are looking for them to roll across the stage at the next Mecum auction.

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

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