I just can't afford $2500 for a rebuilt transmission right now for my '89 Nissan Maxima. Could I put another kind of transmission in it, or a used one of another year??? I only have about $1200 bucks.


Any ideas???

^i^
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(my best friend's unsolved murder)

[Edited by HeavenlyOne on 01-01-2001 at 12:25 PM]

 

Look around at a couple different shops. $2500 is way to much. You should be able to get your tranny rebuilt for $1400 or less. You really have no other cheaper options. Any 3rd gen GXE or VG tranny should work. Mopst likely all that went bad were the clutch plates and a few other soft parts. In reality you could rebuild it yourself for about $150, but I wouldnt recommend it unless you had some one help you that knows what they are doing. I would look at places like Aamco. They had decent prices when mine went out. I believe they quoted me $1400. They have good warranty's too I think.

 

i may do this if mine decides to go out (150k and never been rebuilt/replaced I believe)...go to junkyard and get a used VG tranny that appears to be in good shap, then you just ahve to pay for install costs. You don't have a waranty, but if you get lucky and it last you for a while you save d a lot fo money, if not like 2 used ones will still be cheaper then 1 rebuild probably.

PJ

 

there suggestions are all great, except for one thing, you say you cant afford 2500 bux, which is understandable, I dont have that kinda money either, all I had was a grand, and I was like bawling every day about my car.
But if you pull one from a junkyard your going to pay more in the long run, becuz our trannies are so crappy u could end up pulling one just like yours, and your out 1k, then you buy another one your up to 2k! I spent 2500 on mine, ALOT OF MONEY, but, I had ALOT wrong with mine, the damage was severe, I had a new torque converter put in also. And I have a 3 year warranty...you get what you pay for, I say get it rebuilt and get your warranty(if you get it at a junkyard, then installed you wont get a warranty most likley).....take out a loan if thats an option, like I said, I dont have the money either, I applied for a Visa and charged my tranny, plus most nice tranny shops do offer credit, where you would make like a 60 buck a month pymnt if the tranny was like 25000....

 

A suggestion.. this will cost you more up front, but you should end up coming out ahead after it's all done- especially if you're good at working on cars..

go find yourself a 92-94 max that's been totalled.. you can usually pick them up for under a grand.
if you do all the work yourself, you can easily make money on the deal, but you could pay a shop $500 to switch the tranny to your car (92-94 trannies seem to be MUCH more reliable. I only knw of a couple people that have had problems, compared to 50-70% of 89-91 max owners)

now you've got a complete car with a good tranny and a totalled car with a good engine and most likely lots of good sheetmetal and glass.. doors and windows are easily worth a hundred each, same for the hood.. fenders with about $70, etc etc etc.
you could part the thing out and make some money back on the deal, and possibly even come out ahead.

Then again, you've got to have space to store a wrecked car and hope the neighbors/parents/whatever don't complain..

 

Thats what im gona do..find a wrecked 5-speed though and convert mine to a 5-speed before the trannie dies, and sell the rebuilt auto trannie

 

Don't waste your time rebuilding it.. just say "it was werkin when I pulled it." hehehe

 

ah..nah what it is is i already had it rebuilt about 3 months ago..so its rebuilt and has a 1 year warrenty but my motor is fixin to bite the dust, so i was gona buy a wrecked 5-speed(since i want a 5-speed) and the money i get from selling my low-milage trans would cover the cost of the wrecked car thats what im planning anyway..not sure if its gonna happen like that or not

 

Thanks for the replies.

I will give Aamco a call.

My transmission is still running at this moment. I just haven't driven it cuz I'm afraid it will go out in the middle of the highway.

Getting a used transmission doesn't sound that bad to me. Of course, I would put another year in. The lack of warranty really doesn't bother me. My husband paid a shop to put in rebuilt tranny($2000) in his Explorer and they only gave him a 3 month warranty!


Getting a loan is not an option for me right now.

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!! I miss my car!!!!!!!!




^i^

 

From what I've seen, the transmission in the Maxima is the same one as the Stanza. Used/wrecked Stanzas (90-92) sell for much less than Maximas. Also, the Stanza (4 cyl.) had less torque than the Max, so the chance of getting a good trans is probably better.

 

I got my tranny rebuilt for 1,200$ with a 6 month warranty. Nissan wanted somewhere around 2,700$, some other shops wanted 1,500-1,800$. There was another 1 that asked 1,300$ (which i should have went to) I got a 6 month warranty, but I had lots of hesitation and stuff that is still going on after the rebuilt, after taking the car back to the mechanic to get it fixed under warranty, they said nothing was wrong with it, plus it doesn't really act up all the time. I now don't suspect my tranny anymore, I'm almost sure its something else.
I think you should call up some shops that do transmissions, and look for the lowest quote, maybe you can bargain a little too, if not, just drive carefully for now until you have more $.
Also, think if you want it done and how much you are going to keep the car for, spending 1,200$ + on a car you wont keep is not worth it, it might be a better idea selling it, then use the money you made and the 1,200$ u have to get a newer year, better condition and lower milage Maxima, maybe a 5-speed this time so you don't have to face the Maxima tranny demon again

 

Wow, I really appreciate all the replies.

I live in Austin, Texas. I'm hoping that I can find someone to fix it for me for around $1200. That would be great.

I just bought my car in June, so I plan on getting another 5 or so years out of it. It is immaculate inside and out, so its worth putting a little money in it.




^i^

 

Hey that's where I'm going to school this coming fall!!

UT Texas!!! Hookem' Horns!!!