Someone asked me for some tips when looking at a used G20, I pulled this info together and thought it would be worth posting for others.===================================================Here's things to look out for G20's.
First, it would be very wise to spend the $75-100 for a Certified Infiniti Tech to do a thorough PRE-purchase inspection. If the seller isn't willing to allow their car to be inspected by a Certified Infiniti Tech, walk away from the car.
Before they even decide it's worth having a Certified Infiniti Tech inspect the car ...
* Look for rust (back of rear fender wheels and lower back door openings) , damaged to CV boots, leaky axle seals, basically any "fluids" under the car or unusual noises from the front end when turning and accelerating. Check to make sure passenger side window rolls down from center console switch and that the cruise control works.
* Open the hood and look for any unusual fluids, any "splattering" on the hood, a result of leaks or fluid overfills, both are bad. Look for any signs of leaks around the valve cover, a leaky valve cover gasket can be a sign of poor maintenance or over heating. Both will shortened the motors life and cause problems down the road.
* Open the Oil Fill Cap, and look around inside (use a flash light if necessary). If you see any sludge or "coagulated" materials, thanks them for their time, and walk away from the car.
* Transmission - if it's an automatic, during a test drive, with the motor fully warmed up, check for firm and consistent shifts, any soft or delayed shifts are signs of a transmission on it's way out, very expensive repair. If it's a manually (5 spd), check the feel of each gear shift, it should feel "notchy" but not difficult to move the shifter into each gear. Also, try driving in 5th gear for a distance, there is a possible "pops out of gear" issue with abused 5 speed transmissions. The only "for sure" sign is the car popping out of gear while driving in 5th, and should only apply to pre 95's but worth checking out nonetheless.
The motors in these cars are very reliable as long as they have not been neglected. If oil changes were skipped or delayed, they "can" start to develop sludge, which if left unaddressed can block the upper oil passages, once blocked the upper end of the engine will become oil starved and seize ... requiring extensive repairs or engine replacement.
Keep in mind, for the most part, these cars were quickly handed down to the family teenager, driven rather hard (the SR20DE is a peppy motor in a light car when coupled with a 5 speed) and relatively neglected. A sign of this is rough looking interior or several "bumps and bruises" to the outside of the car.
Let me re-state - it would be very wise to spend the $75-100 for a Certified Infiniti Tech to do a thorough PRE-purchase inspection. If the seller isn't willing to allow their car to be inspected by a Certified Infiniti Tech, walk away from the car.
Looking at a G20? Read this
Re: Looking at a G20? Read this (Rex)
yeah i would say thats even good info for buying any used car.... some problems i also encountered with my 92 sentra,
-door hinges worn out causes you to have to slam doors and also weakens the door striker possibly to the point where it cracks almost off the frame and starts to rust
-if clutch pedal is really hard to push watch out for cheap clutch cables breaking... not too hard to fix just lube it up really good and probably adjust where it goes through the firewall with some jimmy rigging
-if clutch is hard to push the mounting of the clutch pedal to the frame over time can crack and eventually the whole pedal can break off
-leaky sunroofs
-door hinges worn out causes you to have to slam doors and also weakens the door striker possibly to the point where it cracks almost off the frame and starts to rust
-if clutch pedal is really hard to push watch out for cheap clutch cables breaking... not too hard to fix just lube it up really good and probably adjust where it goes through the firewall with some jimmy rigging
-if clutch is hard to push the mounting of the clutch pedal to the frame over time can crack and eventually the whole pedal can break off
-leaky sunroofs
That's excellent info for a late-model or common car - like anything from 1999 up or a neon or chevy anything.
On the other hand, if you are looking for something that is fairly rare - like a P10 chassis G20 5-speed or NX2000, for example-- all rules change.How fussy should one be if there's only one example available in their area each year?Fuggedaboudit.If you want that kind of car, you'll buy it in whatever condition. Or you'll settle for the "mechanic-checked" Neon or Grand Am.
Mechanic checks for old and rare cars are silly. You WILL lose the car to another buyer. I speak from experience.If the car YOU WANT has oil leaks or worn struts or a rough idle... So what? Maybe you can get a slightly beter deal. Or just get a 40k mile JDM motor for $400.Bald tires? Great! Now you can get the wheels/tires YOU want. Bad paint? Chips? a small dent? No problem! MAACO will paint it for just a few hundred bucks.Behold! MAACO $300 paint job...If you want something unique, rare, or special, you must pay to play. No exceptions.
If you are a car newbie, but still want an older car, that's fine. Just plan on a learning curve and twisting a few bolts. Forums like this are a great resource.
On the other hand, if you are looking for something that is fairly rare - like a P10 chassis G20 5-speed or NX2000, for example-- all rules change.How fussy should one be if there's only one example available in their area each year?Fuggedaboudit.If you want that kind of car, you'll buy it in whatever condition. Or you'll settle for the "mechanic-checked" Neon or Grand Am.
Mechanic checks for old and rare cars are silly. You WILL lose the car to another buyer. I speak from experience.If the car YOU WANT has oil leaks or worn struts or a rough idle... So what? Maybe you can get a slightly beter deal. Or just get a 40k mile JDM motor for $400.Bald tires? Great! Now you can get the wheels/tires YOU want. Bad paint? Chips? a small dent? No problem! MAACO will paint it for just a few hundred bucks.Behold! MAACO $300 paint job...If you want something unique, rare, or special, you must pay to play. No exceptions.
If you are a car newbie, but still want an older car, that's fine. Just plan on a learning curve and twisting a few bolts. Forums like this are a great resource.
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