Alright so i LOVE G35's i dont care if its a sedan or a coupe i love them both.

But i dont have much money so i wanna get the best bargain i can on a a G35 as i can get. I saw a 2003 Infiniti G35 Sedan for sale with
90 K miles. The things that are wrong with it is that its been in a accident before, Needs new power steering, Needs The front and passenger side air bags and the Front Bumper just needs to be adjusted. Thats about it and the guy is willing to let it go for $4900. There is no "Check Engine" Light on or anything Transmission shifts smooth. Everything is stock in the car except after market deck. What you guys think? Is it a good investment? Should i buy the car? And also what if he drove the car a ruff way? Would it make a difference on how long it lasts? And also how much would a maintenance cost would be for a car like this per month? Please feel free to give me your honest answers i will greatly appreciate it.

 

I would run, not walk, in the other direction.

Cheap initial price and actual cost of ownership are two different things.

Yes, if you beat on a car through it's life it'll generally not last as long as a car that's been well taken care of. That's not to say it won't keep running, it'll just require more repair over time.

No "check engine" light doesn't necessarily mean anything - he could have just reset it. I'd get codes run on it to see if there are any non-obvious issues.

Insurance can't be estimated without knowing your age, driving area, driving record, etc.

Maintenance costs per month - all other factors aside, are going to depend on how many miles you drive. Older cars with higher miles generally require more upkeep - just like us old men. LOL..

I haven't had a ticket in longer than you've been alive (I just know, trust me on this one) and I cut my insurance by two thirds just moving from Texas to Washington...

Did you just say most cheapest?

 

Thank you for the detailed explanation. The insurance is going to be under my fathers name He's like 60 with a clean driving record. The previous owner said he kept it well mantained but my the looks of it it looks like he sometimes has a lot of fun with the Triptronic.

 

Buying a salvage car is not a good idea to most people, a still wrecked car is even worse. Not to mention you can get early year coupes and sedans for ~10k I believe, it may be double the price but wrecked vs no accidents is a clear decision imo.

 

I'm going differ the the others here. Not that they're wrong in any way, but here's my take on it.

You're probably a young guy looking for a nice but inexpensive car. That price is hard to pass up and if you're tight on cash, I would give it some serious consideration. This is what you should do:

Carfax it - you already know it's been in an accident, but any more information that can be dug up is better. If you're willing to pluck down 5k on this car, spend the extra $30 bucks or whatever and get a carfax.

Take it to a mechanic - someone that specializes in nissans, obviously. Have him check out the nuts and bolts of the car and ask him for an estimate of how much the repairs will run you. Get his .02 cents.

Lastly, dont consider it an investment. A car rarely is, even more so if it's been in a wreck. Just consider it a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Once you move on to more income and cash flow in the future - you'll have the nice option to "pass it up" for something better. But for now, take what you can.

This is called "Ballin' on a budget"

 

I can't say strongly enough that low initial cost and overall cost of ownership are two very different things.

Many, many times I've seen guys spend a little more money and wind up with something they really enjoy that doesn't require a lot of work out of the gate.

Airbags aren't cheap.

What kind of accident? Are there unibody issues? Alignment? Is it wrecked right now, or has it been repaired? (the fact that you say it needs airbags leads me to believe it's not drivable right now - but people have different standards)

What he says is true - sometimes you have to take what you can get. You're looking at a couple of grand in maintenance here (unless the price of airbags has dropped while I wasn't looking). Why not use that couple of grand to find something a little better?

I'm not saying go buy a new car, but is buying a wrecked car your only option?

 

Guys no the car isnt a wreck it drives and Looks like its a normal working car LOL. I drove it and the engine and tranny is fine no engine noises

 

When I took my G in for the airbag recall, the reciept showed that it would've cost about $1k to fix just the side airbag on the driver's side. I can only imagine that replacing all the airbags would cost a sh*t ton more...

 

I would never buy a car that has been in a accident. Just keep looking around. There are plenty of G's out there for you to grab.

 

Like most of our member recommended I'd be cautious buying a car that's been in an accident and then there's the 90K miles on her clock. Airbags, if you intend on replacing them they aren't cheap and neither is the power steering issue. Maybe it's me but why would a young guy want a "granny" four door? I've never even considered buying anything with that many doors....
Gary

 

With the way cars are depreciating, if you save just a bit more (for instance take what it would cost to fix the issues plus the cost of the car); between that and finding a non-wrecked G (coupe since you are young ), you might have enough to get a high mileage one.

Cars aren't an investment and if the car will nickel and dime right out of the gate, it's probably not worth it

 

The price on this car is probably a fair price but it will be small compared to what you'll have to sink into it. If this was going to be a second car for weekends and projects, fine, but if this is to be a primary driver that you need to rely on, no way, it will make you miserable and poor.

 

Looks like you have your mind set on the car. And you know more about everything than anyone. So go ahead and get the car.

I bought my G brand new. And it's funny how some of the stuff showed up once the initial excitement of owning a new car settles.

 

That's a little harsh. He just wants the car. It looks good...all G's do...its cheap, he's dying to pull the trigger. I think that is understandable. He's lookingh for advice and he's palying devil's advocate because he wants the car.

He's gotten good advice. Now it is up to him.

But, I do have to wonder about his username....xhale...exhale what?

 

LOL, 1K for a little plastic clip / harness?