Hey everyone, I wanted to ask opinions on here on if you think it is worth it or not to purchase a manual 05/06 sedan. I've read up on various issues like the oil consumption problem, gas tank not filling up complete, uneven tire wear from faulty suspension component (only in coupe??), bad camshaft sensor etc. Some seem to affect different years or body style only. Maybe someone one could clarify some of these a bit...

Anyways, I'm asking if you think it's worth it from a mechanical standpoint and some issues will be simple to fix or if it's not worth the headache at all.
Thanks

 

The oil consumption isn't even an issue really but you need to check your oil weekly and top off as needed. Every other issue is simply 12 year old car problems and people not doing maintenance on worn components.

 

Gas tank not filling is a fairly simple fix, replace the EVAP hose. Gas gauge not reading correctly is usually a bad instrument cluster.

 

Thanks for the input
So what are the odds I get lucky and the car doesn't have an excessive consumption problem?? Pretty low I would imagine...

 

If you get a rev-up motor the chances are VERY slim (2005-2007 with the 6MT transmission). However if you get the non-rev up which came in the 2003-2006 equipped with automatic transmissions then your oil consumption will likely be minimal. I do recommend getting the vehicle THOROUGHLY inspected if you aren't a mechanic that knows what to look for, you can have Nissan do a pre-purchase vehicle inspection for a minimal fee, they do charge a little extra for a compression check of the engine and I strongly recommend you get one done.

Personally I would never buy a car without having a compression check done unless it was an incredibly rare item and I didn't care what condition the motor was in, look for 180 psi or greater with no more than 10% variance between the highest and lowest cylinder, usually the tech performing the test would tell you if there was any problems. 180psi would be a motor that's in excellent condition, if it was in the 170 range that's to be expected with a motor pushing 100k miles. Brand new low mile engines can be upwards of 210+ psi in ideal conditions.

EXCESSIVE consumption would be an engine with burned out rings that is probably smoking at high rpms and in need of a rebuild, keep in mind it's NORMAL for the VQ35DE to consume oil. In practically any other engine this would be a huge problem but Nissan went with some really shitty piston rings for some reason and it's super common to have oil consumption even on a 20k mile motor. The consumption is worse the higher you rev the motor, I consume about 1.5 - 2 qt per 3500 mile oil change interval but I drive my rev-up pretty hard, lots of freeway on ramps and such, I was born with very heavy feet there's nothing I can do about it.

/wink

 

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it! Gonna do some hunting around (more like waiting) for a manual in my region. Hopefully one magically appears soon I've always wanted a G35. Probably going to install a catch can system to help a bit

 

Keep in mind these cars will likely need every rubber part from suspension bushings to engine mounts replaced soon, and that's a lot of work. If you're paying a mechanic to do it, it's going to be big time money, you're going to want to replace every single suspension bushing while it's all apart, don't try and save money on parts because if you do you're going to have to pay him again to take everything else apart.



Since I bought my 04 (daily driven on poor northeast roads) with about 110k I've had to do shocks/struts/mounts, trans mount (not completely needed yet), poly bushings on the steering rack, LCA, sway bar, compression rods, rear end links, and the diff.


I did my lower ball joints and tie rods too while I had everything apart which is smart if you're planning on keeping the car and driving it like it was intended to be driven, they had no play at 120k but they were definitely quite worn.



List of my car's current mechanical issues:

-Clunking from front likely due to end links (should arrive tonight) which are the only part I didn't replace because they looked and sounded good 2000 miles ago at the time of the rebuild.
-Slight clunk from rear due to worn rear shock mount bushings, I'm ignoring this as it's not a safety or handling issue
-Slight Engine/pedal/wheel vibration at idle and at certain RPMs due to 14 year old engine mounts, probably need to be replaced but it seems like a bitch and they work fine
-Whine from the rear from 30-45 mph, could be wheel bearings or diff but most likely both. No wheel play or strange driving behavior other than noise.
-Burns 1 qt oil every 4000 miles with a catch can, non issue see above.


I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but according to my experience buying of a stock suspension 6MT '04 coupe you're going to either want to do your own suspension work, buy one that's already had this stuff done, or have a trustworthy mechanic and the money to fully rebuild your suspension.

 

Not sure what your budget is, but a mistake some people make is spending every dollar on the car they want. Dont spend your whole budget on the car. I would have at least a thousand saved for maintenance and upgrades. If you're an audiophile, then you can get yourself a nice system cause the stock one blows. Make necessary repairs first. Infiniti will give you a full inspection for $150. The repair quote will probably be thousands but a lot of the work can be diy or done by a trusted mechanic.

 

​​​​​​Hey. Looking at doing some of the same repairs soon. Which catch-can did you go with and what are your thoughts?

 

Did you replace suspension parts with oem or aftermarket parts?

 

Replace all suspension related bushings with aftermarket: Whiteline, Energy Suspension etc. Stock will just fail again. And oil consumption can occur on the non-revup motors more frequently than you think. 05 sedan 5AT here with 150K miles that eats 2 quarts every 5K miles. Started at about 100K and isn't getting worse so far.

 

I went with Moog tie rods and end links, Mevotech ball joints. Used Whiteline bushings for control arms, and Energy bushings for sway bar and steering rack. Very happy with both the price and the quality of all the parts I bought. When I did my front end links I found the PO had a Moog part on one side and another different brand aftermarket part on the other. The aftermarket was completely worn and knocking, the Moog part (which had clearly been on for years) was almost as tight as the new end link so I just left it on.

 

 

I've also had two '06 6mt sedans in the last few years.

Bought my first one at 72k miles, had zero issues and didn't burn any oil at all. I totaled it at 95k miles (like an a**hole :c).

My second one, purchased at 142k, currently at 174k. Burns about 1 quart per 1000 miles even with a catch can, which is a lot, but I also redline every chance I get (the one great part about metered freeway on-ramps haha) and autox frequently. I also get a CEL every once in a while because my gas gauge doesn't drop below 1/2 a tank, but I just use the trip odom to refill at 300 miles so it's not a major issue. Otherwise I haven't HAD to replace anything, though I have done plenty of 'mods' (for suspension, I've done poly bushings anywhere the OE stuff was starting to look worn) and consumable maintenance (belts, brakes, oil, clutch), and in cold humid weather one of my pulleys is starting to squeak (haven't checked which one yet as it goes away once the engine is warm), so I'll likely have to replace one of those soon.

 

I bought my 2006 sedan (automatic) 2 years ago with 127k miles and I've replaced the following so far:

Steering rack and pinion
Alternator
All accessory belts
Lower control arms
Rear differential gasket
Fuel pump
Both fuel sensors
Valve cover gaskets
Inner tie rods
Outer tie rods
Spark plugs
Radiator
All springs and struts
All Brakes pads and rotors
Soldered cluster dash to fix the notorious incorrect fuel reading
I think there were other things but I don't remember at this time.