Buying a used Q45

[SolderBomber]

Im thinking about purchasing a 1994 Q45 it has 180k miles and a descent body/great interior the person im buying it from said they're finished with the problems and would like a new car, The car has a gas leak in the trunk apparently and some windows wont go down that's the only known problems i was told. I would like to know about what other problems to look for I already understand the CAS and injector problem but what other little things should i expect to do like the timing chain for example. It's for 1k so i don't expect the best

[qship96]

Expect a minimum of $5,000 in hidden worn out parts- not including anything cosmetic.

[goody90q45]

Expect a minimum of $5,000 in hidden worn out parts- not including anything cosmetic.

Qship is not far off the mark. My 92Q that I bought for $1 (not a typo... one dollar) 3 1/2 years ago from a generous former NICO member and drove home 300 miles with no issues has cost me about $7500 to keep in tip top condition.

- Thermostat, alternator belt $250
- Leaking fuel hose under plenum $220
- Michelin pilot sport tires $1130
- Replace all 4 rotors and brakes $700
- Hood struts, radiator cap $57
- Battery $105
- Replace 2 fuel injectors under intake $715 (PO had replaced all 8 with remanufactured FI. I'm using new FI)
- Replace rack & pinion assy, 2 hoses custom made since they were discontinued $1750
- Replace FI #1 (did this myself) $117
- Replace AC compressor and convert to R-124 since compressor and R-12 freon not available $1175
- Lots of oil and filter changes and numerous other incidentals not listed.

I love my Q and she runs great but I can't afford to keep it after retirement in January. I'll be lucky to get $1500 for it and will go back to my 94 Toyota truck as the daily driver. If you're on a budget and can't afford repairs I wouldn't recommend a Q45 of any model year. If you want a great car that's fun to drive and don't mind spending lots of $$ to keep it running, buy it.

BTW... The fuel odors are either the PO didn't replace the swelled fuel pump o-ring when he replaced the FP and/or there's stripped or missing bolts securing the FP assembly to the gas tank. You need to remove the rear seat and the upper parcel deck to get to the fuel pump. The window issue is broken regulators which is the cable assembly that raises and lowers the window.

Good luck with your purchase.

[94Q45Beast]

wow. I've done knock sensors, a lot of hoses, countless fluid changes with top quality stuff, water pump and thermostat and housing and hoses around it, valve cover gaskets, starter, tps sensor, belts, coolant temp sensor, fan blade, tires, bushings, brakes, filters, paint, body work, entire left bank fuel rail + 2 injectors, brand new interior OEM color match leather, spark plugs and a lot of other stuff that I dont remember at the moment. All parts were OEM new and unused. other than the fuel hoses (autozone), fuel rail(pull a part), and the interior leather(non oem but color matched)..... I still haven't gone over $2500 in parts considering the fact I don't go to a mechanic shop. and do everything myself.

[goody90q45]

10 years ago when I bought my 1st Q I did most of the work myself but now I take it to a shop and pay $95/hour to have the work done. No time or ambition any more to do the repairs myself (old guy who loves his Q).

[SolderBomber]

Thanks for all the replies so far I really appreciate it!:D I know that im going to have to repair somethings but I do all my own car work and I also work at a parts store so I can get the parts at a discounted price this vehicle will mostly be used while im finishing my rx7 build and will be the reliable boat for carrying more than one person with me I truly love the way they look and rarity of these and it turns out that the person replaced the fuel pump so it might just be a gasket

[King Charles]

On my end I bought my '96 3 years ago for 2,000$ I replaced all belts & fluids soon as I acquired it. Only repairs so far have been to user error lol I backed into a ditch with a concrete drainage pipe that bent my tie rods & control arm front passenger side,as well as ruptured some corroded brakes lines. I sourced all parts from a local parts Q with no problems.

Just this week my 1st true mechanical mishap has happened the MAF sensor is bad. I'd say I'm right about @ the 1,200$ mark with repairs. Mind you mine only had 100K miles when purchased. But this car's been bulletproof for me so far.

Godspeed.

[94Q45Beast]

my Q just hit the 180K mark, still got every monthly dealership, T3, and personal service maintenance report, receipt, and notes, pops kept it in peak condition as if it was his 4th child spent a several G's on it, some of the logs I read are down right outrageous....like replacing the entire exhaust system A-Z from T3 when the Cat's went bad. bottom line is that if the Q your looking to buy is really worth it then put the book value aside and take a good look if you really want to venture into these part of the woods as it is easy to get lost in it. these Q's can be a money pit at times...but its satisfying, its like an addiction that once the "high" is over you do whatever you can to get it back through maintenance, don't get me wrong, these Q's are reliable.

[BadQ45t]

I think they key is you can do your own work. For me I couldn't wrench if my life depended on it, no skills and not time. So that leaves me at the mercy of the $95 an hour mechanic. My 97' which are more reliable than the previous model has probably cost me 8k over the last 15 years since I bought it including a few sets of tires, a few sets of wheels and recent coil overs.

However, with this mileage you will be dealing with knock sensors, value cover gaskets, exhaust parts (rusting, wearing out), 02 sensors, etc. Plus the suspension parts have no more aftermarket support so the OEM is pretty much the only replacements left.

That all said, I personally loved the 94', it was the best compromise between the beast 90-92 which had so many gremlins it wasn't funny but were so powerful and the first non belt buckle front with more reliability. As long as you know what you're getting into, what the heck. Even if you drop 3-4k into it, for 5k what other car like that could buy? I used Toyota Camry with 150k on it?

[94Q45Beast]

I'm currently trying to find out if JRZ can build shocks to order for the Q, they do a lot of custom shocks to match OEM fit. but they're products are insanely good, I drove a friends car with JRZ's and is absolutely incredible and you can even change the dampening at will with a little adjustment knob. I'm currently looking into another Japanese company to make the under plenum hoses to order with their finest quality rubber. I'm gonna need a set of every hose on the Q regardless if old or not so it can be replicated....soooo much planning and lining up before the Strip.

[94Q45Beast]

all factories that I have contacted about the hoses only work with silicone hoses other than fuel lines....would that work for the Q?..fuel line will be made of stainless steel or nylon braided hoses...kit would include new stronger clamps.....is this something other G50 owner would be interested in? or am I flying solo....an aftermarket hose kit that includes under plenum hoses + some more.....will contact JRZ when I'm done negotiating with the factory.

[94Q45Beast]

YEEEESSSSS, finally got through negotiations, they asked for the hoses as a sample to duplicate, will need help on acquiring these hoses....and I'll need to categorize them (coolant, vacuum, oil, atf), as of now the kit would be for the G50's, Y33's and up will be next, will contact JRZ tomorrow.

[PetersQs]

I'll join in on a shocks order

[94Q45Beast]

they're gonna be expensive but fair and from a business standpoint, it can/will/possibly raise the value of the Q individually. I just don't want to be flying solo on the hose kit. its going to be cheaper than the OEM kit and will outlast them with stronger clamps

[qship96]

I dont want to be the "Debbie Downer" here, but you might want to inquire with them what is their minimum size order to make custom molded hoses and shocks- generally,to do the tooling,they are going to want to see a substantial size order to make it economically feasible.

[94Q45Beast]

I've handled all that for the hoses...my company deals with these kind of factories on a regular basis... I still need to get in touch about the suspension

[94Q45Beast]

who ever contributes a hose to send as a sample to replicate, they get 25% off on the kit. hoses can be used, as long as it still has its correct shape and inner diameter.

[Barbel12nadine]

94 Q45 Beast,
Are you still looking for hoses?
What is the time frame of getting these hoses?
I have a 1995 Q45 & I am looking for hoses for it.

[94Q45Beast]

We are working hard on and the hoses are currently being engineered at the moment. will post back as soon as I'm ready to launch the product, I will need 10 testers of the kit when its ready to launch, testers will get it at a special discounted price. pm me if your interested in being a tester, and I'll put you in my system and notify you as soon as we are ready.