So I'm interested in getting the 2004 Max SE. Does anyone know where and how I can find a 04 leftover? I have a wedding to pay for coming up and buying a 30K 05 maxima wouldn't be right. So, Do you guys know where I can find the leftovers or better yet, HOW I can go about that without driving to each one? I can call too but would they be willing to look it up for me? I was thinking the internet serach but they only list new or pre-owned.

Thanks Everyone...

 

Check with Ebay motors, Auctions, CarTrader.com, Nissan dealerships and ask about low mileage 04 for sale. If you get the vin# you can run a carfax report on it. There are still some low mileage 04's out there, heck I have had mine 21 months and still only 16K babied miles on it. Good luck.

I'm sure other Org members will chime in soon with other great advice also...

 

What are you asking for? A used 2004 or a new 2004 that hasn't been driven?

If your worried about cash, why not wait until the wedding is over to get a car?

 

I would prefer a new 2004 but if that is non-existent then a low mileage 04 would do. I never really searched for leftovers before so I don't know what to expect. As for waiting til after the wedding, that would be the sensible thing to do.. but if my car craps out on me tomorrow.. then after the wedding won't do. Basically, I'm preparing myself. I currently have a 97 SE, 173K miles. I bought it with 42K and put on the rest. Its treated me really well. I need new struts and got a quote or 980.00 to fix it. Now, I'm stuck with the decision of either dumping that much money into it and hoping that nothing else goes wrong but if lets say the tranny goes, then I just dumped in 1K for nothing.. Know what I mean? Had I had less miles, it would be a different story. 173K is pushing it like none other..
So, waiting after the wedding would be the best thing to do but realistically I need to have a backup plan..... 04 maxima. :-)

 

Thanks!! I hope so.. Any and all info would help!

 

That seems horribly high for just some struts. I got struts and springs for over $200 less for my car. You might want to shop around for another quote.

 

980??? who have u been goin to. aftermarket shocks are 50-100 bux each NEW.

check for sale forum. u can pick up used struts for dirt cheap

 

I see what you mean. Do you still owe money on the car you currently drive? Is there anything else you suspect thats wrong? Does the transmission give any signs that its about to go? ect.. ect.. ect.. 173K miles is a piece of cake for a Maxima.

 

$500 including labor at the most.
If you don't think your car will last until the wedding, then you don't have much of a choice since you need a car to go to work, save money, and get your bride-to-be nice things You should be able to get a left over 05 soon, if you want new.

 

Thanks Everyone. Yeah I agree and thought that it was high too. He quoted me I think 165 per strut and then 1 hour labor per tire and then the alignment. I think thats what he said. When he told me the price, anything he said after that started going in one ear and out the other. Yeah, I should call another place and get another quote but I just assumed that it would be around that range anyways but since you guys think it should be around 4-500, I'll call around some more.
I was talking to someone on the org about used struts, but I'm not sure how it works...can I just buy the parts and have them install it? Een then, I would still need to make sure that I have ALL parts necessary.
You think that 173K miles is nothing? Hm.. I know they are known to go high but I'm a footstep away from 200K!! That to me is a lot..
Roughly when do you think the 05s will start to come down in price?
Oh yeah.. I've, We've been saving money like crazy for the wedding and she does get all the nice things but we have just been concentrating on savings.
Yes, I still owe money on it. It sucks, I made a bad decision of refinancing the car during college in order to get more money left over in the month to party, boy that wasn't worth it. The car would've been paid off years ago but no.. Let that be a lesson to you kids out there. Don't refinance for the wrong reasons! Although there were some kick *** parties though..

Anyways, thats the dilemna that I have been facing for a week or so now. I could always go down and get a mazda 6 but the maxima is calling my name.........anyways.. Good Morning Everyone...

Oh.. How would I know that the tranny is going or starting to go? I just assume that high miles=new transmission. I could be totally wrong.

-T

 

High mileage doesn't necessarily means bad trans. It just means take it easy. If your transmission shifts funny, get it service and see it that helps. 173k is still 27k from 200k, that almost 2 years of driving for an average driver. BTW, don't let the new-car bug bite cha!

Oh, don't look at my sig

 

True.. But that new max looks mighty nice..Wonder if I can convince wifey that we don't need to go on a honeymoon... Wouldn't that be the accomplishment of all accomplishments?

OH.. Update on my phone calls..
So, I called around to get other estimates on the 4 struts.. They all came back to me with the $1100 range. I know someone said 500 tops.. is that just for one end?

 

KYB GR2 $299 shipped, plus 2 hours of labor at most. http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=408082

Honeymoon is like a vacation, but you endup spliting time between in the room and out of the room You'd endup spending all the money, but only experience half of where ever you guys go. Try this explanation and see.

 

Do what I did.....get one from Enterprise Rental Car.....they sell cars below wholesale because they are not in it to make money or selling cars, they are not car salesmen persay, so there is not haggling, they make their money on rentals. I got mines with 17K miles on it for 24,000. Which wasn't a bad deal.

 

thats not a bad idea.. but don't people beat on rentals? I know I do.. and I know that the first thing that comes out of people who rent cars was... I rented a ----, I beat the !@#$ out of that thing... You may have gotten a good deal on a nice one but that doesn't hold true for all.. I still feel bad for the stratus I got in Colorado...talk about beating.....

 

get one and put 22's on it......

 

imho before a wedding is just like before purchasing a home--one should save every penny in preparation. For example, it so easy to say "I've got the 12k for the closing costs in the bank," brokerage acct., etc. It's the incidentals and unforseen that puts it over the top. A wedding is the same. A new car is so unnecessary--are you sure you really want to be married? Just a rhetorical question, you don't have to answer.

Otherwise, I believe a 1 yr. old car is a terrible price point in which to be a buyer. The dealer is trying to push it as almost new, i.e. very high price, while at the same time it got clobbered on the depreciation (especially a Maxima). 2-3 yr. old is more the cost/bene pt.

If you're set on the '04, send some emails. Dealers give you pretty nice prices when they are clueless who you are and nothing more than an email addy.

 

Since your car is still running, just change the shocks/struts and roll with it for a while. Unless the new-car-bug's already bit you, then either get brand new or 2+ years old.

 

Yeah. I've been thinking and keep on saying that I'm going to drive it to the ground... the only problem is that i just need to stop seeing the new maximas on the street.. :-) You're absolutely right Frank about the inccidentals.. I never realized how many extra costs there were when I bought a place. Yes I do want to get married.. well.. no but she says that I want to get married.. HAHA.. just kidding.. of course I do.....I'll just fix that sucker up.... eventually..

 

not sure if you are still kinda confused about the strut situation on your 97, but when you call dealers and shops, they are gonna charge you for the parts that they order as well as instalation and anything else they can add on. takes the advice of buying your own shocks (if you need more info on this, just read the stickies or else check out KYB GR-2's or Tokico HP's. both are basically stock replacements; what you're looking for, I believe. these can be had for less than $400 or even better if you shop around a bit. then just take these in to the dealer or somewhere (maybe another local max owner can help you install for a few beers and subway or something!) otherwise, after labor, you should only be up to about $600 or less.

Good luck with the car, and even more so with the wedding! haha, JP

 

or there might be local 4th gens around selling their factory stuts? iunno bout you, but i have my stock stuff and a lotta 5th genners have theirs too (right??? RIGHT??)...... but iunno bout the 4th gene people.

 

You mentioned that your fiance is always getting nice things. Does it mean that you have a shared budget, if it is, then who's the main contributor? Saving for all the things that matter to her is nice, but you gotta take care of yourself too, just be reasonable.
With your car situation, you wont be able to sell your 97 with 173k mi so it'd make more sense to invest $500 on used or aftermarket shocks/struts and drive it for another year or two. Having said that, when buying smthg for fiance, you could also buy smthg for yourself, and that is pay off that damn car ASAP, shame on you for owing $$ on such an old car. Once your Max is paid off, you can start saving on a downpayment on a new car that you like. The thing is, your Max is not really worth anything, which means that you don't have any equity to use as a downpayment on a new ride, so you'll need to start saving for it from scratch.

 

Yes.. Yes.. Shame on me....