the aQhilles heel-A Q45 Love Story

[RocksnTwigs]

It was way back about 1997 I picked out a used car for my Dad to buy.After doing research and always admiring them anyway, I decided thebest bang for your buck in the luxury car class was the 1st gen Q45.Wefound 1990 black w/grey 1 owner example and the "Q" became my father'sfavorite car he ever owned.This is saying ALOT since he had a 65 Mustang,a 67 Riviera, a 69 Corvette, a 71 Mercedes,and an 89 Sterling amongstothers in his day.

Fast-Forward to June 2006, my elderly Mom & Dad both in assisted living homeand are no longer driving. my brother in charge of the family trust.He's ready to donate the Q for a tax write-off because its not starting while his sons drives it and the shop he tows it to says it may be fuel injection related.Even after I go down with a gallon of gas and start it up(yeah BIG f.i.problem), He wants me to get rid of it

I end up selling it to my best friends dad and months later in December 2006 when my folks both passed away, It was comforting knowing I'll be able to see the Q once in a while and remember Dad.

Which brings us up to the present.I get a call from my pal's pop that I did not want to hear.The dreaded cam-chain Achilles heel of the early Q45s stopped Dad's car in its tracks.I towed it from the Infiniti dealer to my house for foolish sentimental reasons. Sad fact is, unless someone has a smokin' deal on a motor replacement. I'm gonna bid farewell. So if there's anyone around So Cal in need of parts (pristine grey interior, replaced trans with low miles,wood package & mo)let me know.I'll make you a very good deal.Id rather the goodies go to a Q45 enthusiast than just junking it.

I can be reached at [email protected]. Thanks, Alan

[Haitian_King]

It was way back about 1997 I picked out a used car for my Dad to buy.After doing research and always admiring them anyway, I decided thebest bang for your buck in the luxury car class was the 1st gen Q45.Wefound 1990 black w/grey 1 owner example and the "Q" became my father'sfavorite car he ever owned.This is saying ALOT since he had a 65 Mustang,a 67 Riviera, a 69 Corvette, a 71 Mercedes,and an 89 Sterling amongstothers in his day.

Fast-Forward to June 2006, my elderly Mom & Dad both in assisted living homeand are no longer driving. my brother in charge of the family trust.He's ready to donate the Q for a tax write-off because its not starting while his sons drives it and the shop he tows it to says it may be fuel injection related.Even after I go down with a gallon of gas and start it up(yeah BIG f.i.problem), He wants me to get rid of it

I end up selling it to my best friends dad and months later in December 2006 when my folks both passed away, It was comforting knowing I'll be able to see the Q once in a while and remember Dad.

Which brings us up to the present.I get a call from my pal's pop that I did not want to hear.The dreaded cam-chain Achilles heel of the early Q45s stopped Dad's car in its tracks.I towed it from the Infiniti dealer to my house for foolish sentimental reasons. Sad fact is, unless someone has a smokin' deal on a motor replacement. I'm gonna bid farewell. So if there's anyone around So Cal in need of parts (pristine grey interior, replaced trans with low miles,wood package & mo)let me know.I'll make you a very good deal.Id rather the goodies go to a Q45 enthusiast than just junking it.

I can be reached at [email protected]. Thanks, Alan

You can ebay a decent VH45DE. If you weren't so far away, I'd come and get the car.

Some members will disagree, but a cheap replacement can be found for about $500. Just to get it running so it's not stting there, you know?

[maxnix]

Sorry to hear about your parents.

You can carefully select and rehabilitate a VH45DE from Japan to install into it.

Hope HK is paying attention.

[qship96]

[QUOTE=Haitian_King]

You can ebay a decent VH45DE. If you weren't so far away, I'd come and get the car.

And then you would have TWO Q45`s that need chain guides!!!! Twice the fun!!!!

[infinitinut2]

I echo maxnix's condolences! Parents are impossible to replace and, until they are gone, we never seem to realize what they meant to us!

Anyway, I bought a 90 Q with advertised engine issues (noises from valve area). I had no intentions of ever using any of the engine parts, feeling that $600 was a good deal for a parts car. Bought it sight unseen off ebay and, did not really look at it closely until I got it unloaded. Then, taking the time to look at it, the bloody thing is in excellent COSMETIC condition for an 18 year old vehicle! Not one tear/crack in the interior, and the exterior is such that I would not be ashamed to drive it to my country club (sans engine issues, that is!). Everything seems to work properly (except the engine!!!!) Anyway, I have acreage where I can hide maybe a thousand Qs, so that is not an issue. I put a car cover on it, and am waiting for some time to get serious about checking into the engine noise thing.

I called my favorite dealership and, they told me that they could not get the service records for a vehicle that old??!! Again, time dictated I not press the matter. I have a friend who is an excellent mechanic, although not Nissan/Infiniti. But good, nevertheless (when I needed the chain guides done on my other Q, he said he would rather not, having no experience in that matter, and concurred I take it to T3 in Atlanta.) Now, if my guy tells me it is not a death rattle noise, I may trailer it on over to T3 and have them put it into running order, IF THEY CONCUR IT IS WORTH IT!I cannot rationally justify such, but, I contine to feel that the early Qs were one of the most awesome production autos ever built! Succinctly put, the bloody things have SOUL!

Any more knowledgeable folks care to weigh in?

Thanks!

[Haitian_King]

You can ebay a decent VH45DE. If you weren't so far away, I'd come and get the car.

And then you would have TWO Q45`s that need chain guides!!!! Twice the fun!!!!

How true.

Your mathematical skills are astounding. Quite the savant! Bravo!

Just joshin' ya.

[Haitian_King]

I echo maxnix's condolences! Parents are impossible to replace and, until they are gone, we never seem to realize what they meant to us!

Anyway, I bought a 90 Q with advertised engine issues (noises from valve area). I had no intentions of ever using any of the engine parts, feeling that $600 was a good deal for a parts car. Bought it sight unseen off ebay and, did not really look at it closely until I got it unloaded. Then, taking the time to look at it, the bloody thing is in excellent COSMETIC condition for an 18 year old vehicle! Not one tear/crack in the interior, and the exterior is such that I would not be ashamed to drive it to my country club (sans engine issues, that is!). Everything seems to work properly (except the engine!!!!) Anyway, I have acreage where I can hide maybe a thousand Qs, so that is not an issue. I put a car cover on it, and am waiting for some time to get serious about checking into the engine noise thing.

I called my favorite dealership and, they told me that they could not get the service records for a vehicle that old??!! Again, time dictated I not press the matter. I have a friend who is an excellent mechanic, although not Nissan/Infiniti. But good, nevertheless (when I needed the chain guides done on my other Q, he said he would rather not, having no experience in that matter, and concurred I take it to T3 in Atlanta.) Now, if my guy tells me it is not a death rattle noise, I may trailer it on over to T3 and have them put it into running order, IF THEY CONCUR IT IS WORTH IT!I cannot rationally justify such, but, I contine to feel that the early Qs were one of the most awesome production autos ever built! Succinctly put, the bloody things have SOUL!

Any more knowledgeable folks care to weigh in?

Thanks!

Same thing my dealership told me. They took one glance at my model year on my registration and told me that they records were archived and they couldn't get them. I called Infiniti Consumer Affairs. (1-800-662-6200) They read me my history and told me the dealerships that the PO serviced the car at. I googled one dealership (Infiniti of Massapequa) and they were able to pull up the service records and fax them over to me while I was at work.

Did I mention it was free?

Sorry to hear about your parents.

You can carefully select and rehabilitate a VH45DE from Japan to install into it.

Hope HK is paying attention.

Paying attention to what, pray tell? This has nothing to do with me. I'm beginning to think that your needling is not out of concern, but is in fact some perverse source of joy for you. Whatever it takes to get those rocks off pal. (Personally, I'm into women.)

I think I'm going to have my old guides bronzed so you can put them on your mantle. Or take a picture of them and frame it.