Since the 1st generation G is getting rather old, I have noticed quite a few people selling and purchasing used cars and wanted to give a few tips that people should know about used car facts. Hope it helps and good luck everyone.

1) CARFAX is a way to fool public, not dealers. When any body panel of a car excluding bumper has been repainted, it is considered a prior accident vehicle. You are better off selling with the dings and scratches than having it repainted.

2) HOW TO TELL IF ITS BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. Run your fingers along the edges of all body panels when looking to purchase a used car. A Non painted (as in factory paint) panel will have a smooth texture to it. A painted (prior accident) panel will have a rough texture to it (GUARANTEED, dosen't matter who painted it, it will have a rough texture to it). If you are still considering to purchase that vehicle, remember, it will cost you when you try to sell it. If it was involved in a minor accident, it should have VIN # labels on all body panels. It its missing VIN # labels, most like that body panel was completely replaced due to a prior accident.

 

When buying a manual Sedan that is 2005-2006 model that means you will be getting the rev-up motor. You need to inspect the engine and transmission carefully before you know what you are getting into. The engine have a bad history of Oil Consumption and will run DRY if you do not monitor it. If the previous owner went on long oil change intervals then that is a FLAG and should be looked into. In 2005 and 2006 the changed the manual tranny to the last revision cd009 to beef up the internals due to grinding.

The 2005-2006 have newer tail lights and a new interior with brushed aluminum. The Manual sedan comes with 18" sport wheels, VLSD and Sport suspension.

Autocheck is the way to go and I have ran free autocheck for long time members and have been shocked at the amount of stuff missing from Carfax to Autocheck like FRAME DAMAGE.

 

+1 on Autocheck, I've seen stuff on there that Carfax didn't catch. Also you can take the car to a trusted mechanic to get it looked at if the seller is willing. Check where the car came from and check to see if there was flooding or other natural disasters around that year/month it was sold.

Great site i consult is carbuyingtips. this is for new and old car purchases, i used the info there to save and negotiate at the dealer/seller. also good if you are selling your car on your own or trading into the dealer.

Just google search it, not sure if i am allowed to post links.

You should be able to take the vin # and ask the dealer to pull the maintenance/repair records.

Also, there are insurance/warranty companies that offer warranties on used cars. if you are planning on keeping the car for a while and not a DIY person, that might be a good investment. otherwise i would recommend putting the money you would have spent on a warranty into a savings account/stash for routing maintenance and unexpected out of factory warranty repairs.

If you aren't planning on keeping it long, the it's up to you.

make sure you aren't dumping all your dough on the ride when you first buy it. If you are like me i like to get a synthetic oil change, balance and rotate tires, front end alignment, brakes, tires, etc right off the bat unless the tires and brakes are fine (tires at least 50% tread life and not more than 2yrs old; brakes at least 60-70% wear life left). You might want to have a little cash left over just in case you need to get something for the ride or if you want to start modding, etc. For me getting decent all weather floor mats is also a must for me, but to each her or his own.

Buying used in cash is nice since you don't have to worry about a payment, but if you get a loan, try to get one from a local credit union or your bank of choice. You can always get a loan first then pay it off if you don't feel comfortable paying cash/writing a check. You can use that rate/loan to negotiate with the dealer finance agent.

If buying from a non-dealer, be careful and bring a friend or two to help with negotiating/safety reasons. Try to meet in a public area when seeing/test driving the car. Make sure the seller has the title and will sign it over immediately when paid. you can check with your local DMV to make sure the car was not stolen. I'd recommend licensed conceal carrying for shopping for used cars, especially if you are carrying cash. It's a dangerous world out there. Good Luck and stay safe.

Also always test drive the car before buying unless it is a certified used one from a very reputable dealer, even then though I would not agree to buy without test driving. Test drive is very important, don't blast the stereo on the test drive, you can do that later. You need to listen to any sounds/noises that are not normal in a normally operating car. Test the sound system after you are sure there are no abnormal noises. Make sure all the power options work. Make sure you have all the light bulbs/LEDS working. Don't just buy the first car you test drive, even if you believe it is the one. It may be the one, but you need to make sure you know how others drive so you have a comparison. Sometimes things may not pop up at you if you haven't driven a few of the same model car. You may notice something you didn't before.

Also, don't be blinded by an out of this world deal. You gotta ask, why is the seller offering it at this deal and what may be wrong with the car. Don't get railroaded into a loan that you can't afford or too much car for you to afford. If you really want a specific car, take your time and save your money, make sure your finances are in order before pulling the trigger on it so to speak.

Be patient if you can't find what you are looking for at the moment. With all the used car buying sites on the Internet nowadays, you can go out of state and expand your search if needed. You can also use those ads as bargaining chips when buying/selling. Don't settle for 2nd best. Get what you want so you will have no regrets. I have seen people on car forums and my friends settle for something that wasn't exactly what they wanted and they ended up paying more to get what they want or regret it the entire time they have the car.

Sure, you can get other's opinions on the car and whatnot, but ultimately it is your choice at the end on which one you are getting. You are going to be the one driving it and you should accommodate you first, everyone else second. Kid's or special circumstance family members are a different story, it all depends on how often they ride with you.

Car forums such as G35Driver are awesome to let you know of any issues/problems with various generations of the cars and what to look for on the test drive/inspection before buying. Also they are a great source for DIY jobs if you feel comfortable. You need to weigh the cost of these possible issues vs how much you want the car/practicality/how long you are keeping it.





Hope this helps.

 

Good info here.

 

Do all sedans manufactured in 2006 have the cd009 transmission.

I ask since my car was made in Jan 2006.

 

You need to re-ask that questions with more details.

I have a 6 speed MANUAL transmission

You sig lists your vehicle as AUTOMATIC ('06 G35 Sedan RWD 5AT Ivory Pearl VQ35DE Mileage ~96,500)

The CD009 tranny is a MANUAL transmission with beefed up syncro for 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

My vehicle is 05 model built 06/2005 and carfax/autocheck list it as built/delievered 07/2005.

My vehicle has cd009 and I would imagine any car after build date 06/2005 and 6-speed Manual transmission would have a cd009.

I have heard on 350z forums that from 07/2004 is when the Z has cd009 tranny.

 

So to set things straight the auto transmission never had any issues or revisions in the 05 , 06 models? i.e do i need to worry about getting a bad transmission with weaker parts?

thanks