So, my G turned 7 just a few days ago on 7/29. I picked it up with under 10 miles on it back in 2004. I love the car and have driven many of the 58k mi that are currently on the clock. Me and the wife shared it for the first year living in NYC then it was her car from 2005-2010 till we had our twins then I turned the SUV over to her.

My car has had most if not all of the common issues that we see on this board (compression rods, throttle chamber, CD changer, y'all know the drill). Last week the CD changer died again (no big deal but 5 of my discs are trapped lol) and today she took it to work and just got home and informed me that the drivers seat motor is dead.

So, my question is, keep it or dump it? It's paid for and still in great shape but I have had the new car bug for some time now and this may push me over the edge. Thoughts?

 

a new seat motor is about one new car payment to replace.

I really do like my car. I dont see me selling it anytime soon.

If I do buy a new car, ill probably keep my G35

 

If you have the Bose in-dash changer, they may goodwill it. I took my 03 to the Nashville Infiniti dealership with the same issue. They told me it was a "Bose" issue. They replaced my unit w/ a refurbished one and sent my cd's to me a few weeks later. My 03 was out of warranty at the time, so it wasn't covered. I was told it was a frequent issue and Bose was "Goodwilling" it.

GL!
rob.g

 

For me, it would depend on where I stood financially. Do you have at least 6 months in straight cash (ie emergency fund)? Are you CCs paid off? What about investments,like a 401K, IRAs, etc? How about your mortgage rate? Is it a good time to reconsider a refi? Does the home need updating? These are all things I consider before pulling the trigger on a highly depreciating asset.

Sure sounds to me like your G has been very reliable. Those problems are VERY minor. Most cars suffer much more significant and costly repairs. Overall, these cars are very reliable (except for the Revups). I've gotten to use to the reliability of my G and my previous 96 Maxima. These cars have been bulletproof.

My 03 has been paid off for at least 4 years now. I always get a little itch for something new, especially when friends get new cars (which is often). The thing is, if I got something new, I couldn't afford to mod it and what's the fun in driving stock? I had to do that with my G almost 7 years ago when I first bought it. I'm going to do everything I want to do to this car before I unload it. I still often consider keeping it and buying a 3rd car. I could go out and buy a new WRX for $28K (w/taxes) and get maybe $10K for my G. OR I could keep my G and buy something like a used S2000 or even a Lotus Elise and have the best of both worlds and spend the same amount. Hmmmm.....

 

58K miles?
WTF! That is a new car.
I bought mine with 123K. The body is perfect.The maint. appeared to be neglected.
I have almost 1K in all of the repairs.
I will decide if I sell it at 200K.

New cars suck the life right out of you. 500 - 600 dollar payments is just a waste.
The trade in value for a 2004 is going to be almost nothing... Without going to KBB, I would guess under 5K.

 

^^umm I put in a decently equipped 04 sedan with his mileage and KBB trade in value was over $13K.

I'm just saying.............

 

I will tell you this and what I have seen on the forums from people posting up trade in at the dealer. THe OP will expect to get $8500-10500 for his vehicle and what I would do personally is go down to Carmax and see what cash value the offer to get a good idea. You can buy 2004-2005 G35 sedans for $12k-$14k all day long so getting 13k as a trade in at a dealer is going to be very hard unless they screw you over on the new vehicle pricing.

 

Who is going paying $12-14K retail for one?

Around ATL last month I found several 2004 in great condition under 11K.
I paid 11K OTD and the car I bought was immaculant.
It wasn't until I started driving it a speed that I realized there were some brake issues.
The radio dieing didn't make me really happy, the rest is just PM.

If I bought a car with 58K miles, I would put as much detail in to the PM as a 100K car.
My cars need to be dependable for at least two years.
I can only imagine how pissed I would be if my car broke down 400 miles from home.
Knock on wood, I have never had a car break down. I maintain my stuff every 3K regularly.


CarMax is a great resource. They are usually 1000.00 under KBB trade-in good condition.
I doubt they would resell a 2004 on the lot. It would go to auction.
I would never buy a car from CarMax. Way too much $$$$!

 

I have an 05 with 95k and figure I'll have the itch in 3 years or so. Why not wait on the redesigned G37...it will probably be released in 2013 or 2014. 58k is low mileage...enjoy it for a few more years.

 

Thanks for the replies, fellas. I took it to the dealer for an oil change earlier today and asked the service rep what I'm looking at to replace the head unit and fix the seat.

HU: $650 (lol)
Seat: $1400 (rofl)

I'm certain I can get this done cheaper elsewhere. I would go for an aftermarket system but I have satellite radio so there's that. I don't want to lose any of my subscription by changing the system just yet. As for the seat, I did some searching and found that if you tap the motor you can get it going again. I was able to get it to move a few times but it's 500 degrees in my garage right now so I didn't want to mess with it tonight.

Here is a pic taken earlier today after the dealer washed it for me. Seeing it all cleaned up made me want to keep it a little longer. It really drives like new and looks great as it has been garaged its whole life, even at work. My only mods are a Stillen gen 2 and Akebono pads. They did have a nice IPL Coupe in the showroom! That Graphite Shadow is sweeet; it has a purple flip flop effect in the light. My finances are in order and I can afford a new ride at this point if I want it but no car payment is nice.

 

That is a nice looking car.

I replaced my head unit last Saturday. Five hours, under 400.00. Bluetooth and handsfree.
Not knowing what Sat system you have, XM charges 15.00 to transfer a remaining service from one radio to a new one.

You should be able to find seat parts on Ebay... Contact this guy: nissan-unlimited

 

Mine's an 05 G35X with 75k miles, I've had the new car bug for two years now, but i can't justify getting into another ride yet. All my friends are jumping into new cars as soon as they pay theirs off, sometimes even sooner and happen to owe more than what they got for trade-in. Payments suck. I just buy with cash, so I don't have to mess with a loan and interest. DaveB is definitely on the right track. In the end it is ultimately you and your wife's decision to pull the trigger. I would recommend analyzing all the pros and cons first. Good Luck.

 

OP, you have a great looking sedan. MY OPINION ONLY, but if you were to acquire a Nismo body kit and coupe wheels (or whatever you like), it will re-spark the love. It will look completely different.

Did you check into the Bose goodwill (assuming it's bose)?

I'm sure you can find a used seat motor from someone parting out and swap it yourself (never done this, and don't know if it could be done, but worth a try).

GL!
rob.g

 

PB35, you have a really nice car (as seen in the photo) with only 58K miles. I would say your total expense should not be more than $1500 (even if you get a nice sound system like MikeERideWNC).

That is better than the 20K+ you will put in a new vehicle over the next 5 years and those monthly payment ...

Unless you have a new car itch, then it's a different scenario.

 

Your problems are minor, you're just simply looking for an excuse to get a new car which is financially irresponsible IMO.
My 03 G sedan has WELL over double your current mileage and the upkeep has been very affordable. One of the cheapest cars I've had to maintain.
Biggest thing is to quit going to the dealer, they're high-in-the head with their prices.

Get a double din kit for the stereo, and the seat may be as simple as replacing the little plastic gear for like $15... but even if it's not, a nice pair of coupe front seats is a lot cheaper than what the dealer quoted you for just one seat