Estimated Life of vehicle

[hkchuen]

I am deciding between buying a new vehicle or fixing up my 94 Infiniti J30. (130k mile)

As the car is having tranmission problems, I am going to take the car to a dealer (as recommended by forum members), who will charge $95 for inspection and assess necessary repairs, at which point I will then decide whether to make the repairs.

To make such decision, I am hoping to ask for some expert opinion:

(1) How long does a J30 usually last? (In terms of total miles until the point where engine has to be replace / something really expensive goes wrong)

(2) What are the most costly repairs?

Thank you!

[driverdriver]

(1.) Like with any car, well taken ones can last a very, very long time.

(2.) The most expensive repair, seems to be the sunroof motor. Most owners, spend a weekend and do it themselves. Infiniti repairs are costly, since of course its is an Infiniti (not a Chevy) and generally most parts are only available through a Nissan/Infiniti dealer. Most forum members cut down on repair costs by doing things such as buying parts from a forum sponsor (cheaper than dealer), doing the repairs themselves (the archives are filled with how-tos and http://www.fuzzycats.com has an extensive DIY section). Some of us have purchased FSM's (detailled service manuals) which become regularly available on Ebay and when all else fails, we take it to a trusted independent mechanic or to and Infiniti dealer. Follwing the J's maintenance schedule is also very important. Well maintained J's are essentially trouble free.

I'm not a mechanically inclined, I'm far from it, but if you could read and follow step-by-step instructions in a DIY document or FSM and own a few basic tools a lot of work on the J is easier to do than what you think. If you have issues, you always have this wonderful forum to turn to.

[Fred D.]

Keep your Infiniti and fix it up, it will outlast most cars, if well maintaned. Also the parts are long life parts, maybe they cost more than other companies, but the reliability and performance are well worth it.

[Q45tech]

Most purely mechanical components with need to be replaced around 150,000 miles except for engine and differential...............electronic modules can last forever subject to cosmic rays scoring a direct hit or the overload of some driven mechanical component exceeding their current handling capacity.

Rubber components have a variable life.

Up to a point [assuming you have an unlimited supply of junkyard components] you can rebuild a J30 for ever............at some point I would buy a few junkers in the same color for easy access.

Usually the paint or interior gets to the point where you are reluctant to fix the mechanical.

Engines, trannies, diffs etc are plentiful thanks to 300zx and J30 sales.

[hkchuen]

I also need to do some bodywork on the vehicle. In particular, I need to replace the rear-passenger side door.

Do you know where I can obtain this part, hopefully in pearl white?

Thanks!

[DrewQ45]

Go to Harrys U Pullit and get your door cheap. They have junkyards in Hazelton, Allentown and Pennsburg. Hell, you might find a good transmission too.

http://www.wegotused.com/aboutus.htm