Found a few J30s

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Stoneage_Turbo
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Car: 1994 Caddy Deville 4.9
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just a curiousity bit here , ive found 3 j30s in my area 95 and 96s and theyve got me thinking but id like to know how they are to drive and maintain, there is no 5 speed from what im told and there somehow realted to a q45 in some way

basiclly im gonna look at 2 and drive 2 and see how they fit me after my G20 scare last weekend (found a clean 96 in oralndo but got flashbacks and chills sitting in it )

does the engine have a timing belt or chain ?

does it suffer from the upper link issues ?

or any other issues to look for ?

gas milage?

one of them is a "t" whats the diffrence here?

gas milage is a big deal right now , its 75% of the reason the caddy is being traded off , the other 25% is the leaks it has everywhere

lets not tell deesolballs , hed have a temper tantrum over this one


maxnix
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Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2002 8:11 pm
Car: 1995 Infiniti Q45
1995 Infiniti Q45t
2000 Infiniti Q45

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Diesel Balls is back in his cave, I think. He'll probably emerge soon again.

Timing belt, iron block, funny electronics, check the sunroof and look at Carlos-Knology's fuzzycats.com website for his J30 fixes.

Rear wheel drive is good, but it is a heavy, luxurious car, so it won't be beating Hondas on gas mileage. Cheaper than a Q. t model could have HICAS if before 1995. Also meant to have stiffer springs, shocks (check part numbers with Scottsdale), and the forged BBS wheels.

Do a search and lots of information will be forthcoming.

Eswift
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timing belt.

i am unaware of any upper link issues.

if there is any rust, you will see it on front swaybar first. also around sunroof. also at the main side body weld underneath the doors. Mine is a 94, which has lived in the salt belt, and only has the sway bar rust. these are simply the common locations.

hard to tell during the day, but check for intermittent headlights (headlight relay) and intermittent interior lights (dimmer).

note how it shifts, transmission is arguably more of a problem than on Q's. check transmission fluid, color, smell, froth, etc.

96 model will be OBDII...ewww.

everything else is similar with other cars...uneven tire wear, exhaust quality/quantity-give that stuff a look.

injectors fail here and there, mostly due to these reformed fuels up north..

bose radio can be a problem, turn it on, check for proper operation and any pops or crackles.

other than that, I have had mine for over two years and nothing besides preventative maint. or stuff I could fix myself.

be prepared for a combined MPG of around 21-23.

t comes with spoiler, smaller sway bars, hicas rear wheel steering, BBS wheels.

Stoneage_Turbo
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ahh cool , thankx , well ill go drive them after doing some research , thanks for the links and ideas !!

Metroyed
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I Hope you don't mind a small back seat. Otherwise you might want to concider an I instead.

oh and i know it's been said, defenetly get that timing belt looked into.

VimyJ
Posts: 1969
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2002 6:09 pm

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New timing belt @ 105k on 95 an later. Most electronic gremlins ironed out on 95 and later. Solid ride. T has stiffer springs so lighter sway bars. HICAS dropped after 94 on the T. Great car.

Stoneage_Turbo
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vimy , long time no see dude !

so they replace the belt at 105k eh ? seems like they are getting good life out of those belts

Eswift
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new timing belt at 105000 on mid-94's and later, actually :P

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elwesso
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I think you should look for a Q...... The J30 is a nice car, but IMO the price differention isnt enough to consider one over the other...... Plus, lots more power..... The J30 back seat will only seat 2 people, unless they are very small........

Id look for a J with TCS..... All the weight is in the front, so no weight over the driving wheels= constant drifting, even when you dont want it........

VimyJ
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No doubt about it, the Q is a beautiful car. But......

Higher higher maintenance on a Q. Everything is more expensive.

The back seats are tighter in a J but they are so damn comfortable that I've never had a complaint only compliments.

The J goes fast and feels great at speed. Not a Q powerwise but on the highway it's nice. Really nice.

No TCS on the J. VLSD. Good tires make all the difference.

Weight distribution is 51% front 49% rear.

Drifting? How about throttle steering? Nice. Really nice.

Excellent brakes.

This is a driver's car. Infiniti done good with the J30/J30t.

Eswift
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vimy-

2nd on the throttle steering! On less of a car the power would be dangerous, but the car acts predictably and does exactly what you input to it. Not many 4 door cars of that weight and size (wheelbase especially) are this maneuverable.

Of course, you need to know your car and tires and be able to predict your traction limit...

that is really what separates out the excellent drivers from the rest, and this extends into racecars, because the same (although scaled) traction circle applies.

Eswift
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Vimy, while we have mentioned tires, have you any recommendations for winter tires, since you are priviledged to the same chi-town seasonal transition as I?

do you do the whole snow tire thing?

VimyJ
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I've never really had a problem with the J in the snow. But then again, I've not driven her in really bad conditions. I had some POS Goodyear Eagle HPs on it during a reasonable snow last Christmas and didn't have much of a problem. Just needed a light touch on the throttle. I have Yoko YK420s on the J now and they have out performed the HPs in every department. We'll see how they are in the snow. Any old snow tire on the drive wheels will add greatly to traction. I grew up in Canada and before the all season tire folks would only put snow tires on the rear. Worked fine.

VimyJ
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BTW,

GO CUBBIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eswift
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thanks, I have never really required the snow tires either, as I have grown up with RWD...it just takes a delicate touch.

CUBS WIN! HOLY COW!

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elwesso
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Does anyone know the weight distribution on the Q......?

How much more expensive are parts for a Q compared to a J..... I have done some research, and there are some things that are LESS expensive (like shocks)........

I wouldnt mind having 6cy gas mileage, though.....

Eswift
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eh... mileage isnt the J's forte.

my 2 recent fill ups were

17 mpg: all city, very spirited driving.

24.5 mpg: all highway, cruise @70mph

that gives you an idea of the J30 MPG scheme.

I usually end up somewhere right around 20.

Eswift
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J parts seem to be just barely cheaper, most likely due to availability, many things are cross listed with 300zx parts. (starter and all engine parts, sensors)

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elwesso
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Thats noticeably better than the Q..... Ive been getting about 13-15 mpg in the city, with at least 5 WOT shifts on a half tank......

Im gonna clean the plenum and im hoping for some benefits there......!

Stoneage_Turbo
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"eh... mileage isnt the J's forte.

my 2 recent fill ups were

17 mpg: all city, very spirited driving.

24.5 mpg: all highway, cruise @70mph

that gives you an idea of the J30 MPG scheme.

I usually end up somewhere right around 20."

well i guess that kills the J idea then , i get 17 as it is with the deville , back to maximas and i30s with 5 speeds

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elwesso
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Infiniti isnt really known for gas mileage.......

Really, a perfect Q will get pretty close to any other V8 luxuary car in its class........

VimyJ
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I get 21-22 mpg consistantly in city/highway daily use driving.

j30t
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ive been getting 19.5 in the city with A/C on all the time.

Stoneage_Turbo
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well those figures arent as bad , thats a improvement on the deville there

maxnix
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Stoneage_Turbo wrote:well those figures arent as bad , thats a improvement on the deville there
Stoney, good to see you here again.

But really, if it's about the mileage, get a Prius. The first corner you come to, or any other change in direction or velocity will make the difference between a J30 and a DeVille very apparent.__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t & 2000 Q45

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VimyJ
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I had a little time to kill in between gigs so I figured out some of my mileage numbers. Looks like I get 22-23 mpg consistantly.

Stoneage_Turbo
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"The first corner you come to, or any other change in direction or velocity will make the difference between a J30 and a DeVille very apparent."

you are absoluetly right here , the deville uses its doorhandles to turn .front bumper to stop and lays on its exaust to get going .

but i would like improvements all across the board in my next rig , beatter mpg , performace, and safety , so the the J30 is still on my list , the only thing that holds me back is the lack of a 5 speed , i miss shaifting for myself alot , i really enjoeyd the 5 speed maxima i drove so im trying to see if there are many 5 speed I30s left out there , the only thing is it doesnt have the same syleing the j30 has , something about the j says to me " im not your average 4 door" its a very unususal looking beast , i look for that in a car

Eswift
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transmission swap is calling your name...

Stoneage_Turbo
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what a 300zx swap ?spose flywheels and stuff are indentical ? would be interesting to pckup a fly wheel and transmission and toss it in there ...hmmm

Eswift
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just so you know before you get into it, you will also need

1) custom driveshaft2) hand parking brake3) fit a clutch pedal in there

otherwise, its as easy as pie.


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