Question for the J owners

[1qckser]

How do you guys like the cars? Im looking for a possible replacement for the G20T and I think the J will fit into my lil Infiniti/Nissan family very well, whats your general likes and dislikes of the car? I really like the looks of this one. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...sting

[metaverse3]

First off, do not touch that car unless you can put it on a rotating spit and examine it from every angle.. I posted earlier about it..no badges, possible rust on floor/carpet area..look carefully.looks like the floor pan took on the shape of the carpet..97 taillights on a 95 j30 ? It is in florida which had 4 hurricanes in the past year...I smell something fishy..

I own a 1993 J30T. I bought it for my wife.. If you're over 6ft tall and are over 250 pounds, this is not the car for you.. The rear door is narrow..the front seats are designed for a smaller person.. The car is not a mover/shaker like a maxima or q45, yet, the beauty is in the elegance and power delivery...very very linear..and smooth shifting.. The car has the 300zx NA engine.. So, it naturally has a drinking problem (gas mileage)..but tolerable.. It has the usual nissan glitches..Bose blowout.. Dimmer switch goes taking the dash lights with it.. door lock timers go which will lead you to get an exorcism for the car since the locks have a mind of their own.. The fixes are simple and well documented.. It is also heavy....and not too nimble..again, classic traits of a luxury cruiser..

If it were down to my money, I would buy this car again.. I was in love with it since 1993 when I first saw it..finally was able to pick one up this year..traveled about a 1000 miles to Florida where I hunted it down. My wife loves it as well..seems to do well with women..all the creature comforts..electronic controls, leather..nice headlights that are bright etc etc. If you are a speed demon, this is not the car for you.. If you like performance with luxury and class, then get in line..you will not regret it..

[carlos_knology]

Of course I'm a bit biased but I like the J30. Power-wise, it's not a Q45 but it does fine. The engine is basically bullet-proof. It uses the same 6 cylinder engine as the same-year Nissan 300ZX (non turbo). However, the transmission is geared different than the Z and the car is heavier than the Z.

Like the Q45, it's suggested you do preventive maintenance. Especially with the transmission. It's recommended you have it flushed and replace the transmission filter every 30K.

If you're looking to do a lot of aftermarket mods - especially performance - this may not be the car for you. There is almost no aftermarket support for this car. After all, it had a somewhat limited production run (1993-1997 if I'm not mistaken).

For me, the car has been trouble-free. I have a '95 model (bought in 99) and most repairs have been minor (DIY) stuff. There are some common issues with the car but they're easily fixed.

You can check out my web page to see the types of issues common to the J30 ( http://www.fuzzycats.com/j30_diy.htm ).

Likes: Interior, ride quality, reliability.Dislikes: Wish it had a bit more power. Aftermarket support.

The best advice would be to go test drive a few and see how you like it.

[driverdriver]

I'm into my ninth year of ownership with my J30t. I bought mine from an Infiniti dealer one year used with extremely low miles.

What I like:

-Interior quality and comfort-refinement of the ride-Its got kind of classy timeless design to it that on a well maintained car still turns heads.-the general quality of the car-the smoothness of the transmission when the car is traveling in its power band.-the HICAS four wheel steering on the "t" model.-Dealer service

What I don't like:

-Off the line accleration, My Acura and Jeep are quicker-Tiny trunk-Requires premium gas to operate optimally. I've tried regular gas and noticed a performance dip.-Tends to rust around the body welds, but if caught early is quite fixable.-Most replacement parts are only made by Nissan and thus generally expensive.-Not fun to drive in the snow.

Buy only a J that has its service history. Otherwise you may be getting into an expensive headache. If you live in warmer climates (i.e California, NC, Florida, etc) get a transmission cooler for it. Also if you are mechanically inclined and enjoy working on the car, you can bring costs down quite a bit. For the most part the J is an easy car to work on a lot easier than any Euro Luxury brand I've owned previously.

Overall, driving the car still brings a smile to my face.

[1qckser]

Thanks guys, I already have a pretty modded Q so the J would not be for power, however like the Q the J has the timeless elegant look to it and is bigger than my G20T, I have just started to pay attention to them and think they are a wonderful car, as far as DIY stuff thats no problem, once again thanks

[IvoryJ30t]

pros-comfortable seatsconsole and dash layoutexterior styling [except rear]cons-underpoweredsoft suspensionautomatic transmission

with a manual trans, much more power, and tighter suspension, the car would be a blast.

[Rex]

I like the J30, but in your part of the world, I'd go I30.

They can be made to look REAL nice .

[elwesso]

I dont know, the J seems like it should be very easily modified... I mean a Z32 TT engine should swap right in, and a manual is much more possible (dare say easy?) on the J than the Q...

IMHO the J has more modability than does the Q, mainly because its has some aftermarket, with the VG and the Z32...

Honestly, the J30 should have been offered with the VH45 or at least a turbo version... I tihkn back in 94-ish there was too much overlap between the J30 and the Q45.

[IvoryJ30t]

in the rest of the world, the j came with the VH41DE as an option.

i figure there should be enough room for the 45.

[rebar71]

I have a 93 J - bought it just about a year ago.

My wife picked it out when it was time to replace our aging and increasingly troublesome BMW 318i. I wasn't crazy about the styling at first, but it has grown on me. As for the ride of the car - I was in love with it from the first test drive. It is my daily driver and the best driving car I've ever owned outside of a '97 Miata STO I had prior to having kids.

With regard to the car being underpowered - I disagree. It's not that the car is underpowered - it's that the low-end torque just isn't there. The power band really seems to kick in when you get to about 3500 RPM. It has plenty of power for passing - just not off the line.

[AlabamaDan]

I had a 95 J and I loved it. The only things I ever say wrong with them was the window regulators had a fault. The door panels seemed to wear quickly on the top. From what I understand the drivetrain never caused many problems. Cool looking. Great car.

The Js and the older Qs IMHO were the best Infiniti produced. It was back when they were competing for market share and building great cars. I can't say the same about the newer models. I heard the J was discontinued because Infiniti was losing money on every car built from the accounting department's numbers.

[downtempo]

Todd, you're getting another car?!? and what does your better half think of this?

[Jesda]

Thank goodness my better half IS my car.

[IvoryJ30t]

As for the ride of the car - I was in love with it from the first test drive. It is my daily driver and the best driving car I've ever owned outside of a '97 Miata STO I had prior to having kids.

thats what drew me to the car.

4 doors, not too big, RWD. handled nicely.

before i even drove it, i was imagining the placement of a manual shifter, i liked how the parking brake was a foot pedal, keeping the console clean.

the very first time i drove the J, it was raining. i got the car sideways plenty, and it was very stable and predictable. coming around a corner, i nailed it, broke the rear loose, and held the line around the corner throttle steering. it snapped back in line perfectly and i was off.

from that moment on, i wanted it manual trans, and a few hundred more horses.

[rebar71]

4 doors, not too big, RWD. handled nicely.

before i even drove it, i was imagining the placement of a manual shifter, i liked how the parking brake was a foot pedal, keeping the console clean.

If it wasn't RWD, there's no way I would've even considered buying it. FWD is fine for my wife, but I hate it. The lack of a manual transmission was also a turn-off at first. But after the test drive, I decided that I could do without it for once. Outside of the family bus (Nissan Quest), the J is the first car I've purchased with auto transmission.

the very first time i drove the J, it was raining. i got the car sideways plenty, and it was very stable and predictable. coming around a corner, i nailed it, broke the rear loose, and held the line around the corner throttle steering. it snapped back in line perfectly and i was off.

It doesn't take much to break the J loose in wet weather. Even the shift from 1st to 2nd if your pointed uphill from a dead stop at a light can break the rear end loose. My wife loves the car too - though she doesn't get to drive it much - but she's petrified to drive it in the rain. Then again, just the thought of drving in the rain - PERIOD - freaks her out.

[LuvMyJ]

I guess my nick says it all, lol. Besides being fun to drive, all the DIY projects I've tackled so far (oils, belts, rear brakes and struts) have been a breeze.