looking at buying a '91 maxima and need some info.

[Cyman]

I'm looking at buying a 1991 Maxima SE, and just wanted to get your opinions before I commit.

everything on the car looks and runs great. no engine noise, transmission/clutch are working perfectly, tires are okay, ect. the only down side to the whole thing is that the car has 225,000 miles on it.

it doesn't burn/leak any fluids, and the seller said it has been very well maintained.

He is asking $1300. yay or nay?

also, are there any problem areas I need to take a look at with this car? and when does the timing belt need to be changed?

[loystock]

The price is reasonable but the mileage is really high. You need a thorough inspections and test drive before making a commitment. AFAIK, that car has a timing chain which has no scheduled maintenance/replacement

[MTZI30]

Ya 225k is way up there in miles. Lot of the rubber parts might be getting worn out. But ya if the car runs good and you like it go for it, just be prepared that car does have a ton of miles and is 20 years old.

[FatGeek]

I am in process of getting a 90 or 91 from a family member with a dead trans. The engine has 225k and still runs strong, but over $1k has been put into it (including labor) to have the injectors replaced and other minor work. If the injectors haven't been replaced, change all six at the same time when one goes out while the intake is off the engine. Other than injectors, and as mentioned before, suspension parts, if the car has been well maintained, you could easily get a few more years of good use out of it.

[Chris92SE]

91 was the last year of the timing belt (VG30E SOHC engine). If maintained, they are very reliable. There are people I know with near 400k on original engines.

They are good cars and can last a long time. There are some common problems like bad injectors, fuel pumps going out and MAF sensors. Do a compression test to make sure all of the cylinders have good compression and that should give you an idea of if the engine was maintained pretty well. Manual transmissions hold up a lot better than the ATs from the 89-91s.

If you get a nice stack of receipts for work done, it would be helpful. Like any FWD car, things like CV boots should be checked, drive the car to see if the front end suspension seems loose (cars just get old).

$1300 doesn't seem excessive. You might want to offer $1k cash.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Yep, Chris92SE nailed it. I wouldn't worry about high engine miles on these cars. Mine's got 270k miles and still runs smooth and strong. Heck, at 270k I'm still running 5 original fuel injectors.

Since you're looking at a manual car, you shouldn't really have much to worry about. Any little things that might need to be done to play "catch up" as far as maintenance goes should be relatively simple...these cars are very easy to work on.