Found this trolling the 'net.
This seems like a lot of car for the money. Nice mods
Just wondering what you guys think:

http://www.carolinahondas.com/non-ho...-asheboro.html

Thanks!

 

Price too high? About right? Great deal?

Any input greatly appreciated

bryman

 

His new prices paid for his mods are somewhat inflated & out of line to what they're worth. Obviously none of them are new anymore and parts are usually worth roughly 60-75% of their value used. And 350z V1 track rims without tires are ~$500, not $1,100.

If you can knock off $1k - $2k I think it can be a good deal if you want an older sedan; personally I'd go 05/06 for a few grand higher as I don't buy the first year of a new model but that's just me. Good luck, there are plenty of deals out there.


https://g35driver.com/forums/g35-car...edan-mods.html

 

Spoke w/ seller. He states those were the prices he paid for the parts new, and acknowledged they are not worth that now.

I kinda like the wheels, and confirmed that they are ridiculously expensive through the dealer (like $1500+/each as he stated). However, most people are not going to pay anywhere near that. I've looked online myself for those 350Z v1 track wheels and haven't found them anywhere near $500 for a set, so plz lmk where you found them...lol. Most I've seen are around $1000 or so. He said his are refinished and like new condition, so????

That one in Cali sounds like a smoking deal, but a bit far for me as I'm on the other side of the country.

thanks!

bryman

 

I was looking at bunch of 03 and 04 sedans with 82k miles between $8000-$10000. I would not pay $12500 for 122xxx miles and mods that I do not value $4000. I hate to break it to my self and to other but mods are only worth 35%-45% for what you paid. You need to find a buyer who cares about your mods. In the real market and when you go to a dealer those mods are worse. If i see a modded car that means it has been ragged on or atleast a hint to check more into it. Very few cars are done right and professionally along with adult owned. I would not even offer him anything since he is firm on price and move along for a better deal.

I paid $13000 for my 05 with 82k miles and it has the CD009 tranny which is the last revision. Interior was in mint mint condition and new brakes on the front (cross drilled/slotted) and other minor detail (JDM clear corner...etc). This was from a dealer and i could have got it potentially $1k cheaper had i waited longer and gone private party.

 

I test drove the car yesterday, mainly b/c it's actually local for me and all I can say is.......NICE!

***side note for faiz*** the car actually has 117K miles, not 122K. Minor difference I guess, but still...lol. I equate that to about 4-5 months of driving

Anyway, the seller is about my age (early 40's), and seems to know a fair amount about cars.
He's ****-retentive (like me....haha), and seems to keep excellent care of his vehicles. He mentioned some past cool cars he's owned (MINI S, SI civics, Acuras, etc), and showed me pics.....all seemed immaculate!

As a rule, I tend to agree with you in terms of looking at modified cars w/ skepticism, but after having a fairly lengthy conversation w/ this guy, it appears that this car may be that exception ("done right and professionally, and adult owned"). I have driven a couple other 6MT G35's, an '04 coupe and '05 sedan, both bone stock, (both with 20-35K less miles than this one)and this one handles MUCH better than those...definitely tell the Hotchkiss F/R anti-sway bars and front lower tie bar tighten the chassis up considerably.

He showed me where the NADA retail value on the car (w/o mods) was around $11.7K or so (IIRC), so $4500 worth of mods on top of that would be much more than his $12.5K price. So nearly $16K worth of car (as he proudly states...lol), for thousands less. Obviously, I can get a much newer car w/ less miles for $16K (which of course he agreed with). Still, $12.5K for a "tastefully" modified car (I agree with him there, as the car is pretty much equipped about the way I'd want it...suspension mods, a few mild under-the-hood, basic power adders--z tube, motordyne spacer, K&N, etc).
The '06+ G35 brakes are nice too, and I would imagine better than stock '03 brakes ('03's I guess had smaller calipers/rotors?)----he mentioned I think single vs. twin piston calipers, and larger rotors for '05+, IIRC.

Tough call for me, as it has SO many things going for it that I like: silver color, 6MT sedan (tough to find anywhere close to me), respectable (but not over the top) mods. Plus, this one does appear to have all the factory options for the year (reclining rear seats, Bose, sunroof, sport pkg, aero pkg, plus the Pioneer DVD/NAV/bluetooth/ipod touch screen sound system in it is really nice too

My overall impressions?: Nice car, drove great, mechanically sound, a few scratches here and there, appears to be a legit vehicle, owner seemed very honest and upfront about everything. It is an '03 and w/ over 100K miles is my only major concern, and was hoping to stay closer to the $10K number.

I drove an '05 6MT sedan, bone stock, a few weeks ago at a local carmax. It seemed decent also, but didn't have all the toys and upgrades this '03 had, plus the '05 was DG color (not my fav), but probably not a deal breaker. '05 had 84K miles (IIRC), didn't have the Bose stereo or NAV, (or the handling spirit of the '03 w/ it's nice suspension upgrades...lol) and was $15,000 I believe. It just didn't seem right, and I wanted to see what else was out there. Carmax I think just lowered the price of the car to $14K and it just sold recently

I know for sure I want a 6MT sedan, they seem to be few and far between in my area, and I like the mods, seller seemed genuine and the car looked and drove really nice. I really would like to get the car for cheaper, but he said he really felt the car was a good deal at $12.5K and was firm (at least for now....haha).

UGH.

I just don't know if I'm ready to pull the trigger or not. I don't HAVE to have the car right now, but I just don't know if I'll find one like this that's reasonably close to me in this price range.

UGH.

Decisions, decisions.....


bryman

 

I got my 04 AT sedan for $15,000 from the dealer with 48k miles (and a 3yr bumper to bumper warranty: powertrain and electrical)


I know mine was a little pricey, but i personally would rather pay the extra bucks and know that i bought a reliable vehicle.

The worst feeling in the world is that regret and guilt of buying a car after you've had it for like 2 weeks.

 

Got my 2006 Sedan for 12,500 at 92K.

Bone stock. Parts that needed replacement after I bought it were :

1. Compression rods and bushings
2. Y-pipe (was leaking from one of the rubber extensions)
3. AC belt
4. Block heater (needed for cars in winnipeg)
5. Various fluid changes
6. TPMS relearn
7. JDM clear corners
8. Day time running lights (needed to import vehicle from US)

Have had the car for about 10 months.
Spent about 2 grand on it already. Most of the stuff was OEM and dealer serviced.

 

OP, here are the major issues I had with my 03.5 6MT:
- bad synchros in tranny causing grinding at 2nd~6th gear
- valve cover oil pooling issue
- compression rod bushing issue

And if you get the car you might need these services soon:
- clutch and flywheel replacement
- spark plugs
- compression rod/lower control arm bushings
- shocks and struts
- wheel hubs and bearings

Overall I think the car is in good shape, and has sensible mods that work for you. Get the VIN# and check the service history from Infiniti before you make your decision.

 

the pictures of the car don't show that it has the aero package. the only part of the aero package that he has on the car is the spoiler. the aero package has a different bumper, and it also has side skirts and lip for the rear. they stopped making those parts and anyone who is selling the whole kit (if they are) wants top $$$ for it. so if he is trying to use that as a selling point you should be able to knock the price down quite a bit. anyone can correct me if im wrong but i have an 04 5AT and i know my car does NOT have the aero package and it looks just like the one in the post. hope this helps.

 

^ you actually got it mixed up with aerodynamic body kit, aka Nismo body kit. The aero package the seller has actually includes the rear spoiler and under body diffusers.

 

You cannot consider other car prices into this equation, I would like to hold on to my car as long as possible due to its rarity alone, haven't drove it in a year. If this is what you want then get it, you probably wont have much to choose from for this year make and model. They only produced 6mt sedans for this model for about year and a half from 2003.5-2004. For these model years the 6mt sedans are known for their braking characteristics 70-0 around 151 feet/ Enzo 149 feet, so i would think the upgrade brakes might not be such a big deal, the rims where prob a better benefit. Also with the Areo kit 0 lift is achieved.. Skid pad is around .87 g so the added rigidity from the upgraded sway bars and front lower tie bar prob will do wonders for the handling. Mileage is a little high but you should use that to knock the price down if you can, besides that seems like a good buy if you want it. Good luck.

 

^ That $500 quote for the 350z track V1 wheels were for the wheels only with no tires. With 50% plus tread tires, on Driver & my350z I've seen them priced out anywhere between $700 and $1,100.



^ Incorrect. Browse thru the marketplace here and on my350z. Items that do not wear out such as sway bars, springs, strut bars & others of that nature usually command higher than just 35-45% of their original value. More like 60-75% as I stated above. Sways go for roughly $200+, aftermarket springs (not 350z or G35 springs) $100+, etc. If you find someone who's selling Hotchki/Stillen/MD sways for $100-$150 or Powergrid/SPL/Whiteline front/rear endlinks for $100-$150, they're idiots for selling so low against market pricing & you just lucked into a hell of a deal.





^ It's your money, and well-kept & maintained cars can be hard to find, but they're out there. You're talking about a sedan that's been around for close to 9 years - there will be other similar cars out there guaranteed. If you like the sedan well enough, go for it. $12.5k is a decent price but he's not raping you. Obviously the lower the price the better but his mod list and costs associated with it made me laugh a bit. I didn't see him list any suspension mods so if he's still on stock springs/shocks it would be a good time to upgrade there (at least shock-wise).




^ Well said - listen to this man on those problem areas. Also a pre-purchase inspection would be of great importance before you buy just to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into maintenance-wise and/or it's been in any accidents.

 

I would look at the two possibilities, assuming he really is firm at his price. If you bought the car tomorrow for 12.5k, do you see yourself regretting it? Sure everybody would like to have saved some money on their car purchase, but do YOU consider the car a good purchase at this price? What would your feeling be if someone bout the car tomorrow at his price? Would you be kicking yourself for weeks, wishing you hadn't waited to pull the trigger? Obviously the answers are all subjective, but you get the idea.

 

When considering return value for part I should have clarified and said the value you would get if you tried to trade it in or sell the car as is. If you remove the mods and resale on a enthusiast forums then you will be getting a higher return. Keep in mind shipping fees along with paypal will really put a dent in the final value. Either way MODS are never a good return on value and should never be a HUGE selling point as it only benefits certain people. Selling a modded car means finding a particular buyer who actually likes your mods and the value you place on them.

In my opinion if i had $4,000 to spend on mods then I would find other mods that i prefer over the ones the seller did. Some would love to leave the car stock and slap on a Supercharger kit. Other would prefer to slam it and put wide deep dish rims or a full out competition system with 19 lcd . Different strokes for different folks and the seller needs to do a good job selling the mods and the vehicle to the right buyer.

OP: Please do not get emotionally attached to the vehicle and step back and realize you will be putting more $$$ into any vehicle to maintain. You can find other cars with lower mileage or even the 05-06 model with revised tranny.

I would hate for you to buy the car and then have to swap out bushings, clutch or even worse tranny for grind, and other maintenance items the seller did not perform.