[SHIZZLE]

I took a '91 Sentra SE-R for a test drive today. 129K, all stock. Everything's functional except for the foglights. Test drove it, redlined it, also put it in fifth gear. No pop-out. Runs strong.

Now for the probs: Dings. No big deal, couple here and there. Rust. Some around the fender by the wheel, and a considerate amount under the door part (not sure what that part's called)

Also, when the car slows down (from about 15 or so to 0), the car feels a bit shaky. Any ideas? Could it just be bad tires? Bearings? I'm not very mechanically inclined, so I'm not really sure what to look for.

Besides that, the car looks and runs great. The dealer provided me proof that the car was owned by one-owner, with a stack full of maintenance papers. Oil changes, etc... All done at a Nissan dealership. Had all receipts. Seemed the previous owner was pretty anal with the car. Dealer asked for $3,500 and got him down to $2,695.

I think it's a pretty good deal, although I'd like to know if I should maybe just save another grand or two (which would probably take me another month and a half since I work part-time and go to school full-time) or just purchase the car?

Any advice/ideas/suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

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Jerome
'98 SE-R
Soon to be a Classic SE-R... Or an NX2K.

 

[JimR]

The Classic SE-Rs are getting old, and ones in good condition aren't getting any more common. The car you looked at has typical mileage, records, and a reasonable price. If it is indeed in reasonable shape, I would consider it. Just how bad is the rust?

Even if you can save up a little more money and go after a bigger fish, you might not want to. Any used car is going to need at least a little attention in the first year of ownership. I dropped around $2000 in maintenance on my '92 in the first year and a half when I got it three years ago. The original owner was a picky Nissan enthusiast, but parts still wear out. Fix them, and the car will hum for years to come.

It all comes down to that rust. If it's bad and could become worse, walk.

 

[SHIZZLE]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the advice.

I am most likely going to grab the car. As far as the rust goes, the only real areas of the problem arise at the lower portion of the car. Right on the part of the car that's under the driver's and passenger's side doors. (not the door itself, but the molding below the door, ya know?) It is a moderate amount of rust, but I guess it's not so much a surprise just because of the crazy winters we get here in Chicago.

How feasible is it to fix something like that? Any ideas? I mean, fixing the body would probably only come after the car is running up-to-par, so maybe I would just save money 'til next summer to do the job.

Anyway, like I said earlier, thanks for the advice. It's much appreciated!

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Jerome
'98 SE-R
Soon to be a Classic SE-R... Or an NX2K.

[This message has been edited by Jerome (edited 06-16-2001).]

 

[Sheabird]

hmmm. A tough decision arises. I would probably go with it just because you have all the receipts and you said it runs strong with no 5th pop-out. Remember, you can try and wait for one with no rust but it may have other problems and it will be virtualy immpossible to get one in mint condition because they are getting to that age. I say take what you can get...and in this case, decent condition...

just my thoughts.

 

[Yosho]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Jerome:
Hey guys,

Thanks for the advice.

I am most likely going to grab the car. As far as the rust goes, the only real areas of the problem arise at the lower portion of the car. Right on the part of the car that's under the driver's and passenger's side doors. (not the door itself, but the molding below the door, ya know?) It is a moderate amount of rust, but I guess it's not so much a surprise just because of the crazy winters we get here in Chicago.

How feasible is it to fix something like that? Any ideas? I mean, fixing the body would probably only come after the car is running up-to-par, so maybe I would just save money 'til next summer to do the job.

Anyway, like I said earlier, thanks for the advice. It's much appreciated!

</font>

Tell the dealer that you're very interested in the car and you want to take it home over night. Take it to a mechanic (that you trust) and have him look over the whole car. Have him try to diagnose the stutter as you slow the car down. Ask him what parts will need to be replaced in the near future... in the next year... ect.

Used cars can sound like a great deal, but if you have to replace a $1000 in parts 6 months after you buy the car, is it really such a good deal?

If everything checks out, and all the major parts look good, then you've got yourself a nice classic. =)


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- Yosho
'96 200SX SE-R
'00 Civic Si EBP

[This message has been edited by Yosho (edited 06-17-2001).]

 

[Guest]

130k is hi miles does ac work? 2600 doesnt buy too many cars though. I live in lisle Il.
I could offer a third opinion and check out the car for you 630-719-1504 ask for mike

 

[Trys_Hard]

Well I just paid 4750 for my 92 with 71k on it. Pretty much everything was perfect except the starter honk, and the Speedo clatter. The shocks were a bit worn so I replaced them with AGX's. So if it takes less than 1,500 in repairs I think you will have gotten a good deal and a great car.

 

[SHIZZLE]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Mike Ehrhardt:
130k is hi miles does ac work? 2600 doesnt buy too many cars though. I live in lisle Il.
I could offer a third opinion and check out the car for you 630-719-1504 ask for mike</font>

Mike, yeah, the AC does work. Like I said previously, everything is working 'cept for the foglights. 5th gear is fine and the car (at least to my knowledge) runs strong.

I am having an absolute difficult time finding these cars and this is the best offer I've come across yet.

I was already planning on purchasing it this coming Monday. (June 25th)

Thanks again to all those who have been offering advice and suggestions. I believe I am making a decent purchase although if I am not, third, fourth, and fifth opinions are always welcome.

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Jerome
'98 SE-R
Soon to be a Classic SE-R... Or an NX2K.

 

[SHIZZLE]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Trys_Hard:
Well I just paid 4750 for my 92 with 71k on it. Pretty much everything was perfect except the starter honk, and the Speedo clatter. The shocks were a bit worn so I replaced them with AGX's. So if it takes less than 1,500 in repairs I think you will have gotten a good deal and a great car.</font>

That's a great deal! Actually, there is a '92 with 70k on it and the owner is asking for 5k. Thing is, I wouldn't mind looking at it and taking it for a test drive, but I am nowhere close to 5k. That would take me about another month and a half to save up for that much. But I just don't know if I should just wait or not... (Working part-time as a full-time student makes it real hard to come by with cash) Plus, we are in need of another car, and I'm not so fond anymore of driving my auto SE-R as the 5spd '91 provides me with much more fun.

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Jerome
'98 SE-R
Soon to be a Classic SE-R... Or an NX2K.