How do you know if your car has been driven the cra*P out of?!

[Smartidiot]

Hello Guys,

This question jsut came to my mind out of no where..

I bought a used 04 G35Coupe a year ago with 50,000 miles on it.. and my question here is.. how do i know whether my car has been driven the c*rap out of by the previous owner???i mean.. even though the car does carry high mileage .. but the previous owner could be driving like a grandma or he/she could be a former rally racer.. are there any specific parts or symptons which i should pay attention to ?? so far the car runs smooth like a champ w/o any problems whatsoever.. but i am being curious the history of her...

any inputs are appreciated....

[AZhitman]

Have your dealership pull a maintenance history, print it out, and give it to you.

Other than that, not much you can do... For what it's worth, the G can take a severe track pounding and never show any ill effects... I'd know.

[telcoman]

Hello Guys,

This question jsut came to my mind out of no where..

I bought a used 04 G35Coupe a year ago with 50,000 miles on it.. and my question here is.. how do i know whether my car has been driven the c*rap out of by the previous owner???i mean.. even though the car does carry high mileage .. but the previous owner could be driving like a grandma or he/she could be a former rally racer.. are there any specific parts or symptons which i should pay attention to ?? so far the car runs smooth like a champ w/o any problems whatsoever.. but i am being curious the history of her...

any inputs are appreciated....

Smartidiot

I think you worry too much?

What was the age of the previous owner?

Were all the services completed?

So as long as the engine had all of its fluids what could a previous owner do to it? Wear the tires, brakes, or clutch prematurely?

If your vehicle is fine, no transmission problems, don't worry, be happy!

Just my $.02

Telcoman

[Jacko3]

Azhitman:

Well said! In fact, excellently said!

[Smartidiot]

Smartidiot

I think you worry too much?

What was the age of the previous owner?

Were all the services completed?

So as long as the engine had all of its fluids what could a previous owner do to it? Wear the tires, brakes, or clutch prematurely?

If your vehicle is fine, no transmission problems, don't worry, be happy!

Just my $.02

Telcoman

lol.. i guess you are right. i do get paranoid from time to time...

reason why i was worried is because there are only 3 service records recorded in Infiniti database .. but then i guess service recoreds wouldn't show unless the previous owner brought the car back to dealership every single maintenance (which i don't do it myself either..).

[Jacko3]

Smartidiot ( wished i had another alternative name here):

I don't know how to tell you this, and everyone on this site knows I flog my car routinely, it is next to impossible to know a G that has been floggged or dogged out, especially with one which has a solid record of routine maintenance---that is why Azhitman is 100% accurate.

I have found that my car is wearing me out instead of the other way around. My G-35 has tamed me in some ways, instead of me taming the car. I guess you can only imagine how a car can tame its driver or wear out the driver. I have a friend with a 2006 G-35 coupe who is contemplating selling the car, not because anything is wrong with the car, but because the G-35 has worn him out and tamed him, as he has now come to acknowledge. He gives me funny excuses like, "the car is not exciting to drive anymore", as a way to hide his frustration about a car that won't quit after years of dogging it out. My friend is a total beast when he gets into his G-35 coupe.

I have never driven a car that can take punishment under all manner of unebeliveable conditions. I have flogged my car to the point where brake fading occured, clutch was smelling, brake fluid was smelling, and rubber was smelling, all at the same time, and by the time I got home, its as if the car was just beginning to enjoy tormenting me. I have driven many cars in my life, and with the way I drive, something usually breaks. With the G-35 coupe, nothing breaks.

The car is virtually bullet proof. Any major issues the car might have is a direct result of a known problem from the onset usually published in a TSB or a consequnce of unforgiveable abuse by its owner such as using wrong fluids or wrong/cheap replacement parts or frorm small and annoying issues like window not going up (this is very rare).

I have adviced others not to fear driving their cars hard. The G-35 Coupe is plenty capable of handling anything you throw at it, at all temperatures and conditions. This is a car that will last most of us, for many years to come. Infiniti really did well in the design of the G-35. So, don't worry about the mileage, go out and go enjoy the car. Drive it hard, you won't break anything. I know this sounds unusual, but is anything usual about the G-35?

[SneaKe]

If you're lucky, as I was, you can search through the nooks and crannies and find a blank check and hospital ID badge from the previous owner, and then call and scare him into telling you how he drove the car.

[Kenrik]

My car has 88k miles

I have done 7K WOT pulls daily for the past 45k miles... in that time I have gone through FOUR Sets of tires (Yes that 16 Tires total) and I have done the breaks twice.. as well as countless oil changes.

So all I have really dealt with are normal maintenance items... anyone who would drive my car would have no way of knowing it's been flogged every day since I got it.

My G35 takes a beating and says "that's all you got?"

[Andy_V35Sky_350GT]

Sometimes the drive belts can give an indication if the car has been thrashed. If they are worn down/cracked before their time then maybe its been flogged, if they are in great condition (and you know they haven't been changed) then chances are a granny was driving.

But its a G, grannies don't drive G's. Just enjoy the car, its not going to self combust.

[SVTCOBRA]

There is only so much you can do.I 1. don't consider northern cars,2. check for previous mods - check to see if bolts have been turned - against service records,3. check condition of interior, exterior, underneath.

Sometimes you have to just roll the dice....and on this coupe I did purchase a NISSAN backed warranty for 36/36000

Oh and we love our coupe!!!!

[SVTCOBRA]

Sometimes the drive belts can give an indication if the car has been thrashed. If they are worn down/cracked before their time then maybe its been flogged, if they are in great condition (and you know they haven't been changed) then chances are a granny was driving.

But its a G, grannies don't drive G's. Just enjoy the car, its not going to self combust.

And, I have noticed that the belts do not last long in a G!!!They are good for about 40K only. Cracks show up quickly after that.

I changed the original belts in my cobra at 65K miles....and they still were in good shape, no cracks!. I just thought since they were over 10 years old, it was time.

[poms302]

Hey SVT, northern cars can be mint. Mine is purchased from a guy who only drove the G in good weather, it was his 3rd car. I only drive it 3 or 4 times a week when it's nice. Be nice

[SVTCOBRA]

Sorry! It's just that we get alot of cars from the north down here and they look great until you crawl under them or look at the bolts under the hood.

You have to take into account my first car was a rusty 69 Mach 1 with about 130K miles on it, plus, I work on my own cars, so I'm real picky about the working parts.I have looked at a BUNCH of cars over the years. Friends & family come to me quite often when they are in search of a new/used car so I'm crawling around the car lots regularly. I can pick out a northern car pretty quick. No offense! I just have a thing against rusty bolts especially on the drive train & exhaust system. And, yes, you are right. Lots of northern folks drive their fun cars in fair weather only. I'm betting that they do not make their way south.

[gwoods]

I've never owned a 04 G35 before so your probably okay LOL

car fax see if it was ever a rental or loaner? You want to be the 2nd or 3rd owner.

[Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT]

I've never owned a 04 G35 before so your probably okay LOL

This is so TRUE!

You are free and clear, Good to go

Drive it like you stole it and for get about it... That is what most of us do here!

Today i got pissed off at the GF while in the G and i pulled onto the HWY like a NASCAR DRIVER and the G loved it

It is funny because I will shift at the wrong point sometimes when not paying attention but when i am pissed it is as if the G knows and Gets all the shifthing right!

DJ

[AZhitman]

Don't buy mine. That is all.

[aukword1]

This is so TRUE!

You are free and clear, Good to go

Drive it like you stole it and for get about it... That is what most of us do here!

Today i got pissed off at the GF while in the G and i pulled onto the HWY like a NASCAR DRIVER and the G loved it

It is funny because I will shift at the wrong point sometimes when not paying attention but when i am pissed it is as if the G knows and Gets all the shifthing right!

DJ

dude i know what you mean...when ur mad...the car is like an angel sent from god just to be my ***** for the moment...lol

[Smartidiot]

thanks for all the replies guys... i am too happy that my car wasn't owned by gwoods after seeing all his race records.... lol

anyways.. i jsut checked the carfax of this car and it indicated that the car was initially registered as "commercial purpose" by the previous owner.

Does anybody know what does that mean exactly up here in Canada?

Does it mean that my car was used as a school bus by the previous owner?

[G_whizz]

http://www.buzzle.com/articles....html

[Andy_V35Sky_350GT]

anyways.. i jsut checked the carfax of this car and it indicated that the car was initially registered as "commercial purpose" by the previous owner.

Company car. Ex lease I'd imagine.

[Sentientbydesign]

But its a G, grannies don't drive G's. Just enjoy the car, its not going to self combust.

I saw one driving a newer sedan the other day. She was like 60-70.

I also saw a motherly looking woman driving a red coupe two nights ago.

I know of another grandma of like 15 who's had a red coupe for quite a few years. She's a small exception since she still gets young guys going after her.

To the OP,

I took my Coupe out on Sunday and beat the hell out of her. Even Jackos "flogging" can't compare.

Doughnuts, figure 8s, transitional drifts, clutch kicks, ran over a cone...

What did my baby do? She asked for new shoes and told me to stop choking her (spinning out at WOT and stalling the engine rolling backwards).

I smacked her a few times and she started back up like nothing happened.

I had to clear two SES codes:

Intake Manifold Runner Control (IMRC) System Malfunction (High rpm)

Fuel Control Mixture Rich (Bank 1 Sensor 1)

Other than that, everything was fine.

The few areas that I'd look for a beating:

Was your G modded before you bought it? Telltale sign of a power addict.

VLSD fluid is toast (this requires professional inspection)

Bushings or Shocks worn

"Permanent" alignment problems.

Other than that, go beat on her!

[av8or]

am i the only one here having bad luck with their "g"... bought mine used and i have had 4 major issues already... door locks not working, "cd err fo",fuel gauge malfunction, and just recently transmission exchange... carfax came in clean... everything has been fixed and currently having transmission replaced...

[Jacko3]

Sentient:

Yep! Thats right! You topped me on the flogging of the G. Judging by the way you drove your G, i would say I drove in a spirited manner.