NotaBene

New owner here, 2001 Maxima SE 20th Anniversary Edition, 5spd Manual.

I've been going to car auctions for about the last few months, hoping to find a good car to buy, add value to, then sell at a profit. Last Wednesday, I walked into the auction lot, and the first car that caught my eye was a silver Nissan, sporty, nice wheels,195,000 kms. (about 117,000 miles) Went over to it, and knew, without looking at any other car in the compound, that it was to be the car I would bid on that night.

I knew very little about Nissans, or Maximas. The 20th Anniversary Badge seemed cool. I figured it would add value to the top end somehow. The listing showed no accident declarations, or seller declarations. Good. Makes it easier to sell when you don't have explaining to do.

Well, I'm top bidder (by accident, one of those things you hear about where someone scratches their nose at the wrong time). $1600 Canadian (About $1250 US), all fees and taxes included. They give me the CarFax after I pay. Spotless. Wow. But I can't pick up the car until the next day. Registration is late coming.

So, I come home, and start doing research. Turns out, this car is somewhat of a rarity, I guess. Only so many 20th Anniversary's produced, and even fewer in 5 spd.

Next day, I pick up the car. Beautiful. My daily is a Mercedes E420, which I love by the way, so I did not expect to be seduced by a car that was headed for someone else's driveway down the road. So, I'm not so sure about the flip. One thing I can say for sure is, if I do sell it, it won't be at a discount.

Here are some pics.

It's going to need some work. Clutch, at the very least, needs adjustment, maybe replacement. That's not inexpensive.

Driver's seat tears on the vinyl bolsters. I know a guy.

Little paint marks, and one scuff about 4" in diameter. And, for some reason, missing the front license plate holder.

I consider myself to be s**t lucky, falling into something that, I guess, is fairly desirable. I've been reading posts, and you guys seem to know ad love your cars.

I'd love to hear from any of you with comments. Thanks

Not sure if the pics went up. I'll put them in a reply.