Now, though, the car doesn't pass emissions, thanks in large part to the exhaust manifold stud problem. The studs have been broken for years, but never impaired emissions tests until this year.
I've put more effort, time, care, and money into that car than just about anything (and even anyone) in the world. The only things I didn't do myself were a transmission rebuild, a power steering rebuild and the periodic timing belt/water pump.
Looking back at the car, it's been so easy and cheap to own it's astounding. I don't think any of us will ever own another car that's anywhere near as reliable, or easy to work on, or cheap to fix. The car's only real flaw was its charging system, which consumed alternators like candy (I think I put 7 total replacements in the car over the years, all of them since 2001).
After 18 years and 280,000 miles, including years of running on ethanol mixed gas, I've only ever replaced ONE SINGLE fuel injector. ONE. And that was just this last November.
The car never burned oil, ever. You could drain the old, fill the new, and not give a second thought to the oil level until the next oilchange.
And that car was always fun to drive. A few months ago, after replacing the driver side control arm, I took it for a test drive to ensure everything was buttoned down. It was the first time I'd driven the car in probably a year. It still put a smile on my face. Even after the 350 ft-lb tire-eating Q45 and the superbly-balanced and agile LS8, it still stands on its own merits as a genuinely FUN car. It's utterly gutless, but never feels it. Torque is always there. And it's so well balanced for a FWD chassis. Very neutral, very "centered," with a more obedient rear-end than I've found on many rear-drive cars. The right tires on a third-gen Maxima, even with stock GXE suspension, make it a damn fun little beast. Even with terrible cheap all-seasons, as are on it now, it's still a playful car.
And it sounds good, too. A few years ago I had a magnaflow catback setup put on the car. It sounds better than just about any other V6 I can think of. Smooth, deep, and clear. No rasping, no farting, no buzzing.
I still consider the third-gen max to be one of the best looking sedans ever built. Subtly aggressive is how I've always described it. So simple, but with the little details worked so that it never looks bland, never looks boring. Next to Camrys and Accords ten years newer it still stands out as the more modern design. It aged well because it's timeless. The proportions are nearly perfect.
I'm headed over to swap the stock stereo back into it before we decide what to do with it. We have friends in areas with no emissions testing who want it for their kids, or we may just give it back to the junkyard that provided so many of the parts it now wears. Neither end pleases me much, because I won't get to work on it or drive it anymore.
The Max was always FUN to wrench on. My Q45 was fun, but so needy that working on it became more of a chore than a hobby. And the LS8 is too modern and high-tech for me to do much at all without needing expensive tools.
Those things, and I know whoever ends up with it, on the road or off, won't take care of it, because it's "only" a 20-year-old family sedan.
Anyway, this wouldn't be complete without pics. So pics away:
Goodbye, Maxima.
