concidering this q45 purchase, noob to them though

[aymaeid]

my friend is selling his 1994 q45 and i was concidering buying it, but i said ill ask for the opinions of the experts first. ok, the car has 160k, and he wants about 2500 for it. the car has been very well maintained. all the seats are in mid-conition, it has the messaged and heated seats, new low profile tires, and wheels, very clean burgendy paint, little scratches, no major dents, kickass sound system and subs, and was driven from north carolina to jersey alot. i know the car is a 4.0, my 240sx does about 220-250 miles per tank, so im wondering if the q45 will be the same if drivin responsibly. any input would be great guys, thanks.

[Woot!]

Is your friend part of Nico? $2500 seems to be a good price if it is everything you say it is.

[aymaeid]

no hes not on nico, he's a neighbor and one of my best friends so i know he wont jip me, but 2500 for any car with 160k just seems way too much, especially if its a 4.5.

[Rex]

If the motor has never been over heated and has seen normal (3k interval) oil changes, the motor will last well over 200k.

Does the transmission have an external after market ATF cooler?

When was the last time the ATF was changed?

Have you looked at the Q buying guide?

BTW, if gas mileage and fuel costs are a concern, the Q is not the car for you.

[aymaeid]

thanks for the input, i know it would be amazing to roll in a q, but i dont believe it is the car for me after all, thanks for the help. i guess i have rejected the idea because i have just enough to pay for the car and... "Q45s are NOT a turnkey car, they are going to need some attention to make them reliable. " at the same time, gas is a pretty big deal with me since i am a college student barely getting by. again, thanks rex

[Haitian_King]

Q45's are 4.5. The half a liter makes a difference.

[Q45tech]

I really doubt gasoline will rise above $5 per gallon soon [unless], so if one cannot afford $3500 to $5,000 per year in fuel and an equal amount in main/repair/ insurance/taxes, etc a V8 of any displacement should be off your list.

More and more of us will be rediscovering the wonders of 4 cylinders in the future.

[96Qowner]

... "Q45s are NOT a turnkey car, they are going to need some attention to make them reliable. "

Yes, this is the main thing to think about.

[AlabamaDan]

Tell the guy about us and maybe He'll decide to keep it. Honestly, it probably needs about $5000 to be brought up to date in terms of worn suspension components, plugs, valve cover gaskets, steering rack, etc. Most Qs do.

[Haitian_King]

God. I'm waiting for a winning lotto number, or some sort of insurance settlement if I'm going to get the Q up to snuff before summer. I can only put in so much overtime at work. I would love to just have my Q back to the shape it was in when it first arrived on the Infiniti lot back in '91. Then do a full President conversion (Exterior at least), and just pamper it until I'm dead.

[AlabamaDan]

Well, if you DIY all that stuff it's probably 1/2. I've put about $1000 in mine over the last six months and nothing was "broken".

[Haitian_King]

Good point Dan. I need to learn to do stuff myself. I'm learning everything in theory, but haven't been able to put it into application. I'm taxed for time at the moment (end of semester) and I'm afraid to do anything to my Q. If I bugger it up, I'm boned.

I'm asking for a 100+ piece tool set with sockets and spark plug wrenches for Christmas.

I'd love to get my hands on another Q. Preferably not running, and then I can get experience on it and get it running. I also noticed some Automotive courses available at the Community College by my house. I think I'd like to enroll and gain some more practical knowledge.

[goody90q45]

I'd love to get my hands on another Q. Preferably not running, and then I can get experience on it and get it running

Take a chance and knock on your neighbor's door and see if that parked Q is for sale. Ohm his injectors and pull the ECU codes and transmission codes and then convince him the car is not worth more than a couple hundred dollars because of all the repairs (8 injectors @ $225/ea) it needs. It works for me.

I'm asking for a 100+ piece tool set with sockets and spark plug wrenches for Christmas.

Great Christmas gift. Set your sights a little higher and ask for the 200 piece set and make sure Santa knows you need metric.

[elwesso]

The ONLY time these cars get a bad name is when they get into the hands of an inept owner.

Parts are not cheap, they arent easy to work on, its impossible to find someone who can diagnose problems on them. Q45s are DIY cars, otherwise its kinda stupid to own them. Theyre not hard to own, but they'll need attention.

The good news is that very few problems leave the car un-drivable, and most everything gives you warning. One must become ONE WITH THE CAR.. I know I am one with my car.. She was pissed when I bought the BMW, and now that its cold shes like "OK fine let that old tramp handle the snow, i'll sleep all winter"

You'll get 400 miles (if you get 20mpg) on a tank (highway driving) but it costs $60 to fill up...

[Haitian_King]

Ok Mike. Will I really need 200 pieces? Thanks for the advice. I think the set that I was looking at had the metric sockets.

Is this suitable?

233-pc. tool set has all the essentials of a well-stocked shop. Includes 95 1/4"-drive, 1/2"-drive and 3/8"-drive sockets (metric, deep-well and SAE), 12 combo wrenches, 42 hex bits slotted, 6-point, metric, Phillips and more), 20 hex keys, 4 pliers, 13 screwdrivers, 4 punch and chisels, spark plug sockets, tape, auto tester, ball-peen hammer, snap-off knife and blades, measuring tape, mini hacksaw and more. Custom-molded carrying case has lift-out tray.

I think I will ask the neighbor this weekend. It's a really nice Q. A nice burgandy color. He has the Y33 touring wheels on it too.

[elwesso]

Sounds cheap... Hopefully it has a decent money back guarntee, but if its decent quality that should be about everything you need.

If you could get all that except the SAE stuff thatd be fine. All you need is a set of metric wrenches and sockets.

[Haitian_King]

Cheap as in shoddy?

SAE is bad? I don't even know what it is. Can you recommend a good set then Wes? I'd hate to buy this set and find out it blows.

[qship96]

Look at Sears flyers in your local Sunday newspapers for specials on Craftsmen tool kits-you want metric sizes only for the Q,SAE are traditional American inch sizes.Lifetime warranty on Craftsmen tools,good quality for home use,easy to obtain.....

[AlabamaDan]

Is that the craftsman set? My buddy just bought that. It's a good set. The more you work on cars the more you'll find that you need a specific sort of tool for this or that. But, that will be enough to get you started.

There's SAE (Standard) and Metric. It used to be simple to know that if it was American it used SAE and if it was foriegn it was Metric. Sometime in the 80s American cars started using metric - now it's difficult. My Jeep uses both - which blows. On the Q you just need Metric. In fact Jeff and I joke that all you need is a 10mm, 12mm and 14mm to take the car apart.

[Haitian_King]

No it wasn't Craftsman, it's a brand called Master Craft. Maybe I should just check out the Craftsman sets then. All I need is metric and the spark plug wrenches right? And an assortment of Phillips head screw drivers?

[elwesso]

SAE only comes handy occasionally. All of my metric tools are scratched and have all kinds of crap on them. My standard tools are all shiney and new!!

one thing I dont like to cheap on are things I use often... 3/8 drive sockets, 1/4 in drive sockets and wrenches are things I dont cheap on. Things you dont use often, and larger stuff (1/2 drive) is a little different. its pretty hard to break a 1/2 drive socket or ratchet..

If the one you're looking has a replacement warranty its probably fine.. What I would do in your situation... buy this set for starters...http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_1...+Sets

Thats the exact set I have. I would supplement it with a nice set of screw drivers and a metric wrench set from sears.

From there, head over to harbor freight and buy everything for pennies on the dollar. I spent the money on the tools I use most often and that I cant have break.

[Haitian_King]

Thanks for the info Wes. This set is cheaper than the one I was looking at too. What would I be getting from Harbor Freight?

[AlabamaDan]

I think that's the set I started with too Wes, but I've added to it over the years. I get tools for Christmas and Birthdays when no one can think of anything else. Not a bad deal really. I think my favorite tools of are the Craftsman Ratcheting Wrench Set I got last year. Sometimes I wish they had a flexible head, but I didn't know. Sometimes I don't even use a socket and ratchet now.

[AlabamaDan]

Oh and I like the older Craftsman rachets better. The ones they make now aren't quite as good IMHO. I surfed ebay and found a good one for about $10.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...:1123

[AlabamaDan]

Here's the begining set you need. It's on sale today with free shipping.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_1...aff=Y

[Haitian_King]

Thanks Dan. This looks awesome.