I was trying to reset the rust clock and find a 97 max ( my 97 is turning into a rust bucket) with no rust.. from a more southern state than my own.

My father-in-law happened to call a dealer an they just took in a 97 GLE with 15,000 miles on it owned by a then 70 yr old guy.. now 85. He traded it in for an altima ..not sure why.

If its in pristine condition ( i believe it to be garage kept.. but know nothing more ) what should I not feel sorry paying ?

My wife thinks i'm crazy to buy a 15 yr old car, seeing that I already have one but the no rust to me.. resets the clock and with 15,000 should be virtually like new.

What issues should I look for seeing that it had to have sat around for some period of time.

I'm most concerned with body rust.. lower rad support.. interior leather condition..that sort of thing.. Short of that.. not sure what could be wrong with it that could cost me much $$ in the short term.

The dealer mentioned a # above $8K but that has to be ridiculous. KBB has #s that high ...edmunds more like in the $6k range..

I expect the dealer would just be selling it at auction vs putting a 15 yr old car on their lot... but who knows at only 15k miles.

Its WHITE.. which is not my ideal.. but so be it.. NO RUST.. that's what I'm looking for..

Appreciate any thoughts / right questions to ask.

 

Your wife if right.
For a bit more you can get an off lease 30k mile vehicle only 3 years old.
Much more value there then a 15 year old Maxima.

 

This is why I'll never buy a car from a dealer. The rack up prices like a boss. There was a 96 Maxima that sold on Ebay with about 15k miles for over $9,000 though.

 

The one on ebay had 10K on it. Seems like this is another holy grail. OP, can you acquire pics of this? Honestly, I would get this car anyways but not for that price. With those miles, I would say nothing to worry about at all except maybe the engine mounts. Rubber sitting that long may not last long with a few shifts.

 

Not sure who I feel worst for, the poor fool who would pay $8k for that car or the poor old man who traded it in for $2k

 

i would buy it too but for $6k max. the stealer will have a dificult job selling such an old car for that price regardless of mileage cause most people see old cars and run the other way... so if you really want it i'd say offer them that price and no more. and tell them to get the old man smell out of the car lol i had to battle that **** for a few months

 

even if the car is 15 years old- mechanically, it's brand new. I think $6k would be a fair price, only because of miles.

 

So they have it listed for $8k .. insane I think...nice as it may be. One photo shows a slight push in of a lower rear quarter down low...that's a worry spot for me as that's what rusts like crazy up here.. but could be nothing compromised.

For $6 i'm inclinded.. looks pretty pristine otherwise.. Things I lose from my SE.. wing, fogs, heated seats/mirrors (somewhat of a staple up here in northern VT ) white guages, my16" 5 spokes.. Of course.. some/all of this I could swap from my current 97. I also replaced all clipers/ brackets, lcas, sway bar links, 1/2 shafts ...so have to see if this 18,000 mile 97 has issues with those from just aging...

decisions...decisions...

 

Frankly, as relaible and durable as these cars are, it is not worth that massive premium for one with that few miles on it, even if garage kept. There are a lot more around with 85-100K on them, and you can get one of those for about $3-4K less, and honestly, you don't lose much in reliability.

the only thing you will miss is the new car smell and feel, if it still has that after 15 years anyway.

 

If you do it, you will get yourself a car that most likely will last you another 20 years if maintained well.

 

Regardless of the mileage it's a 15 year old car. There will still be failures due to the age alone. Particularly the before mentioned rubber. While the internals may still be virgin everything else has been exposed to the environment for quite some time. Another thing to consider that even though the car has only 15k miles, there's no telling what kind of care it may have gotten. The old man might have changed the oil once every 5 years because he figured he never drove it. There are always things you like that you need to watch for when buying a low mileage older car. My '01 had 63k miles on it when I bought it last year and I had to replace the alternator at 70k miles so age can cause failures regardless of mileage. This is actually common in cars that have sat or are barely used for a while and then are put into regular service years later in life.

I remember an AE86 that came up on ebay with 35 original miles on it. The owner purchased the car and basically drove it straight home and wrapped it in plastic for two and a half decades before deciding to sell it. Granted this is a bit more extreme of a situation but a car like that would need a complete overhaul before even considering cranking the motor. All the rubber would need to be replaced due to dry rot from lack of use and all the fluids would need to be drained and flushed since they were all years beyond their shelf life.

If you are able to come to a good agreement on price with the stealership I say go for it, but don't be surprised if you have any unexpected failures within the first few thousand miles of ownership. One thing you will have going for you if it does end up being a good specimen, the resale value will be phenomenal for years to come and you will get the majority of your money back from it

 

So they guy put say 6-7 K miles on it early on.. and then very little after that.. however.. he did keep taking it to the dealer for oil changes (he's the father of the owner I think ) in some cases .. 3-5 months between and only 150 miles later.. Insanity but it did get driven somewhere. Rest of the time, garaged.

It has no sunroof
It has no heated seats/mirrors from the cold weather package
It has no fog lights.
It has no wing
It has the 15" factory alloys 215/65 vs the 16" 225/55 on the SE.

So I am trying to convince myself its for the greater good to step "down" from the SE I am in currently.. to get a body that has not evaporated yet.

$8K is their asking price.. I was going to go $6 ..It will last for a long time I am sure.. and for 6 or even 8 K.. its the cheapest nice cost / year I will be driving for the foreseeable future (2 kids nearing college so i'm lucky it has 4 wheels and not 2 ) .

The lack of miles may indicate the pristine nature of the sheet metal.. which is more my worry than anything mechanical that can be fixed/replaced. My Y pipe I am sure is ready to call it quits and I am quite worried about the studs and having it be an easy job...

Still undecided.. thanks everyone for their 2 cents..

 

hell no, for 6 grand you can get soo much better. i mean, seriously there's alot of nice cars out there with a warranty i bet for that price. look around dude, your better off with a newer car then something you'll lose all your investment on cause of age. you'll be alot happier with a newer car that does'nt break down and make you throw your money into it like the rest of us. i love my max, but if i had the choice i'd go newer like 03-04 se with a 3.5 with 40-50k on it and less worries as to trade in/resale value. think it through, look around. good luck!!

 

I plan on keeping whatever I get until it is of no value to anyone.. I don't trade cars much hence why I am driving a 98 Toyota van and 97 maxima.. So I am not concerned with resale value.. just value to me.. how much $ I put down.. and how many years I get of it before it rusts out..

Whatever I get.. I will try to undercoat the crap out of every exposed thing I can find.. to see if that helps whatsoever..

If I could find an 03 (not really into the looks of the 6th gen and beyond ..yet) with 40-50K miles.. for this same ballpark in $.. with a perfect body that is not 1/2 way to rusting out.. I would be game.. I just have not come across this in my travels..

The low mileage of this 97 for sale.. and the possibly pristine body is what is attractive to me.

I'm not sure what could likely cost me lots of $ just given its age and perhaps its lack of miles.. but it should not be body repair ..

 

^If you did find an 03 with mileage that low you would be looking at $10K+ if not more, in great condition. Just a few months back I seen a fully loaded(with factory navi) 03 with 58K on it and the asking price was $13,995.