Q45 To buy? or Not to Buy?

[G4Any1]

Hello Q45 Forum users. My names robert and I've been searching for descent transportation to get to and from school which is only a few miles from where I reside. In my searching I found this 1994 Q45 which is 4 sale for $1700. It has 168,000 miles and seemed to run fairly descent when I started the engine. I saw no smoke, it didn't overheat, and it accelerated with no problem. The only things I saw that could use some attention was a few rust spots on the paint and the one minor dent on the driver side door. What say ye? To buy, or Not to buy considering my car before this one was a toyota celica and I have never owned a luxury vehicle such as this one and know nothing of it's components, plus I have heard all the comments of those who have owned this vehicle and complain of it's expensive repairs. Although I'm a fast learner I truly have no idea what I could be getting myself into if I purchase this vehicle and something goes wrong a few months down the road I would be willing to put time and effort into the car to fix it but don't know if I could afford it...
To buy, or not to buy???
That is the question... Rj
PS: My avatar picture is the Q45 I found 4 sale. If someone could also explain how I'm supposed to get my images in a post I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

[G4Any1]

Also to add to this I would like to say the car has no radio so I will have to buy one and the interior could use some cleaning... Do you think it's worth the price? Kelly blue book retail value is 2,400 private seller value is 1,160. I'm thinking I will try and purchase 4 $1,200...

[OwnerCS]

Welcome to NICO. Where in the US are you located? There may be some good Q resources near you to help evaluate the car.

Here are some questions that come to mind.

1) Will the car be your primary (e.g. daily driver) mode of transportation?

2) If the car needs to be out of service for repairs do you have an alternate (e.g. another or borrowed car, public transportation, or family) mode of transportation until it returns to service?

3) If yes to #2, how long can you rely on the alternate mode of transportation?

4) Are you the do-it-yourself type person?

If yes to #4, do you, a family member, or a good friend own a set of metric tools?

5) What reason did the previous owner give for selling the car?

6) How long did the previous owner own the car?

7) Do you feel the previous owner was the type of person that would fix all known issues as the issues surfaced?

8) How much can you afford to spend (in addition to the purchase price) to maintain the car for another year of service?

[elwesso]

Welcome to NICO!!

CS gives a great list of questions to ask yourself..

Heres the bottom line when it comes to a Q.. The purchase price is going to be about the cheapest part of them... The sad and unfortunate part about them is that usually people buy them because they are dirty cheap, and think they'll be a turn-key driving car for many miles, and thats simply not the case. how do you think a car went from costing 55,000 in 1994 to 1200 in 2010?

However, the nice thing about these cars is that they are when they are WELL SORTED they are very reliable cars. Unlike other luxury cars of similar age, these cars have very few problems and overall are as rock solid as many new cars. Also with these cars being in junk yards, parts are plentiful and usually pretty cheap.

[G4Any1]

Thanks for the feedback!!! You guys brought some very good questions to the table to help me critically analyze the situation...
1) Yes the car will be my primary source of transportation.
2) As of right now no because my other vehicle is in the shop itself. (1991 Toyota Celica)
3)I have been getting around by bike to go back and forth to school. (sucks)
4)Yes I'am as long as I have good instructions, I have some tools but not one's for major jobs.
5)The previous owner was said to be in prison at this time and needs the money for necessities.
6)I haven't found out how long he had it but I do know they said it had been parked since he went to prison which was about six months ago and right before he went in he had recently just had a new transmission and some motor work done. Probably simple things such as the core packs being changed??? Not to sure haven't seen any paper work, but do trust I will ask for it...
7)Seems to be the case but I have no way of knowing. The car seemed to start and run smoothly
8)LOL, If I continue eating sandwiches and penny pinching as I have been doing to save to be able to purchase the vehicle then about 4 to 500 a month.
Although once I obtain my degree in HVAC at the end of this semester I plan to join the Air Force and start acquiring a better income...
I'm supposed to look at the car once more tomorrow, and make a decision. I just don't want to buy another car that will give out on me as my previous car did.(96 Acura Integra) Oil pan gasket was bad and I didn't realize it till poof there went 2grand down the drain:(
I will definitely be checking for oil leaks... I believe taking it to the nearest Nissan dealership for a diagnostic will be my smartest choice. Any other suggestions???

[G4Any1]

Is it possible to get this 94 model a diagnostics check at an Auto Zone or Advanced auto?

[OwnerCS]

IIRC those places will run a diagnostics if the check engine light is on. I tried to get them to check without the engine light and they wouldn't do it..

Where are you located as we might have some Q resources in your area who can help evaluate the car?

[goody90q45]

Is it possible to get this 94 model a diagnostics check at an Auto Zone or Advanced auto?

The 94Q is still OBD1 so it's not likely that they're going to have a code reader dedicated to Nissan vehicles. You're going to have to pull the codes yourself by removing the ECU to get to the screw in the back to count flashes of its red light. Easy stuff. Go to the tech help section at Q45.org for instructions or search here.

I'd be more interested in ohming injectors and KS and looking for fuel and coolant leaks under the plenum. You don't want to have to take the plenum off early in ownership to replace a $3 hose. If it starts and drives codes are only interesting and you can work them off one-by-one later. Where are you located? There could be someone close with a laptop consult to save you a lot of effort.

[BadQ45t]

I don't think it is a bad $1200 car, but you need to be prepared to spend another 3k in the next two years to make it a reliable daily driver. I have a 97's with 92k on it, I was 2nd owner, I don't drive it that much, but I still spend money on fluid flushes and upkeep without anything breaking. If you're cool with that extra 3k then go for it, it might cost you $1500 per year in upkeep as the car climbs over the 150k mark. That said, I love the 94', my favorite 1st gen year, and with some TLC your friends and family will think your driving a 50k car. My 97's is worth $6500 on a good day and when I take people for a ride they feel like it is a 50k car