Is my 92 Maxima GXE worth keeping?

[wompshmack]

So, I have this 92 GXE sitting in my driveway, I don't really drive it anymore, it hasn't been registered for a while. But recently my clutch went out in my truck, which I do normally drive, and my roommate needed a ride somewhere.... I forget, something that sounded important. So I figured I would fire up the maxima, see if it still ran, and it still works fine. Actually more than fine, it's a really fun ride. That's actually why I joined here. I wanted some opinions on whether or not it would be worth fixing it up. I don't have very much invested in it at this point, and I would really prefer an SE, so I wanted opinions on whether I should start working on fixing this up, or sell it in pursuit of an SE to make into my project car. Either way, it's about that time of year, and I should start working on a project pretty soon. It's sort of an important factor that the GXE is (obviously) automatic, and I'm not really a fan of that. I'm not capable of changing that on my own, but a shop said they would do it for $1000. Also, I'm not above learning to do new things. Give me some ideas, guys!

[tigersharkdude]

Depending on whats wrong with your current max, it may be a wise choice on finding a new one (depending on how much money you would have to spend to fix the current one).

3rd gens can be found for less than a thousand dollars. Search around and see if you can find a 5-speed

[MinisterofDOOM]

Yeah, I'd say it depends on how yours has held up compared to others you can find. Third gens can be CRAZY reliable, so it may well be worth hanging onto yours. My dad bought a GXE brand new in 93, and it's still in our family, still going strong, and without question the most reliable car either of us has ever owned. Even when things do go wrong on it, it's so easy and cheap to fix that it just doesn't make sense to get rid of it.

The automatic transmission's definitely a bit slushy, and easily the weakest point on the car mechanically. But even that, if cared for, should hold up pretty well.

Our GXE has 280k miles on it, on all-original motor, 2nd transmission. I had the dealer do a FULL power steering restoral on the car about 5 years ago, had the trans rebuilt, and have kept on top of replacing suspension components. Aside from those things, the car has only ever needed basic maintenance.

The VG30E is REALLY, REALLY hard to kill, ultra-simple to work on, and sounds pretty decent, too. I know the SE's VE makes more power and is also extremely dependable, but my VG has treated me so well I'd never feel the need to look elsewhere. 160hp and 190hp are both gutless, so in the end power's a non-issue. For me, it comes down to the overall ownership experience, and I can't imagine a better one than my VG has provided.

Really, it's all up to how well your 92 has been cared for (or not cared for).