Well, I should state that I am in pursuit of the cheapest M56/Q70 V8. I don't know if any of you usually browse around and comes across any interesting deals, but I semi-actively look around.
My 3 main sources are Autotrader, CarGurus and AutoTempest (in effect Craigslist), but so far, the car I am looking for hasn't come around yet. I have even been browsing the auction sites like IAAI and Copart. Over Christmas break, I actually dedicated time to actively look for about 2 weeks and no dice.
Getting an M56 in the Midwest in itself can be tough. Getting a reasonably priced one is really tough.

So what exactly am I looking for?
Cheap, dirt cheap - like in the neighborhood of $5,000. Preferably a running vehicle with high mileage; but if it comes to it, a car with a damaged engine or with any other form of salvage history will have to suffice.
I am aware that this is an ambitious goal, since as mentioned, I am decently aware of the market on the V8 sedans.

So why am I looking for another car?
Research, teardown and getting ahead of failures. I want a test mule. I will still keep my 2011 M56 for benchmarking.

Some might be familiar with my work on the previous generation VK45DE engine, and Infiniti M45s in general.
I have done a few tutorials on issues as they pop up, as well as some feature reviews on my youtube channel. I got into the game rather late for that generation, but I hope my work has been somewhat useful to people who own or are interested in vehicles with those engines.
I want to do the same with the Y51 platform. A perfectly running car will be good to compare, and especially a high mileage engine can be analyzed for wear.

I come from a background of maintenance and reliability engineering, hence my bias on getting things running right before exploring cosmetic modifications. My goal is to have a series of "How to keep your M56 on the road for the longest time, at the lowest cost".
However. there are some things I want to explore on the improvement side, such as auxiliary methods to continuously clean the intake valves. This line of work will include a look at the exhaust manifolds. I have ideas, I just need to actually test the effectiveness... hence the preference for a running engine in a moving car.

Also, my research lab is still my 2 car garage and my fenced backyard. I am planning to move soon, but between now and then, a car that looks presentable to the neighborhood would be ideal.


I hope it's now much clearer why I want the best car I can get for the lowest amount of money. There is simply no reason for me to pay $20K for a car I intend to tear down to pieces.

So what does this have to do with you?

1. You have a V8
2. You are interested in longevity
3. You hate surprise repairs
4. You'd rather let someone else tear down their own stuff and share their learnings

I am not trying to make foot soldiers of anybody and send you looking for M56 deals, but if you happen to come across or know of where I can get such a vehicle, that info will be appreciated. Point me in the right direction, and I'll figure out how to get it to St. Louis.
There is no rush, I know this might take a while.

For people who see this and want other means of reaching me, my email would be pretty convenient. EDBWOY at GMAIL

Good stuff! Hope you find a mule so you can tell me how to safe money on my pending catalytic converter repair job but I don't know if you'll find one by then lol.

Thank you.
Keep it on a dose of cleaner and see how much time it buys you. If/when you eventually replace them, you are welcome to donate your old manifolds for research.
How did that work out by the way - you were going to try Cataclean for your P0420/P0430 code, right?

Just checked Copart as well and this 2012 M56 with flood damage is currently 2550.

wbarrett48473 wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:51 pm

Just checked Copart as well and this 2012 M56 with flood damage is currently 2550.

Thank you for the link, I'll keep an eye on that one and see when it comes up for sale.
I wonder what the story is; I can't immediately see any water lines inside or outside, but the intake snorkel looks like it took a big gulp. Seems like a good adventure waiting to happen

Ed - it's an enhanced vehicle and definitely got a decent wash, so chances are CoPart would have taken care of any obvious water lines before the photos were taken. Could be a good opportunity though!

I see, thanks for that pointer. I looked up what that meant and through their website FAQs, I got to brush up on my Copart glossary of terms. A few things have changed a little since I last bought from them.
I think this car at the current bid, will end up costing around that $5k after fees and taxes.

I'll see if I can get a way to test it out. With as many electronics as our cars have, a flooded car with a locked engine is starting to sound like quite an adventure.

I missed out on that particular one. It had gotten rather expensive for a car I suspected to have a locked engine (my opinion might change with time).
I also consulted with my dealer and although he no longer deals with Copart for integrity reasons, he estimated I would be looking at close to $8k to get it home, based on his experience and where the bids were; and so I called it off.

We'll live to fight another day. This quest is a marathon, not a 100-meter dash.

You can have mine for what I owe! $7,500 2011 with 144,500 miles and purrs like a kitten!!

7500$ is a steal

No doubt! I have reached out and am in talks with Corbin about his M56.

Done deal. Let the fun begin.
I'll leave the thread unlocked, in case some other crazy opportunity comes along. [email protected]

CorbinM56x wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 25, 2019 4:45 pm

You can have mine for what I owe! $7,500 2011 with 144,500 miles and purrs like a kitten!!

Where u located

Do some serious s*** to Erma Eddie!! Yes I name all my cars. Glad your trip was safe and that you got the deal you wanted. Time for me to move on to something different!! Btw did the SES light come on?

Lets see what Ed can find out about these M56s lol.

.... Rubs hands together ..... This going to be very interesting!

CorbinM56x wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 29, 2019 5:15 pm

Do some serious s*** to Erma Eddie!! Yes I name all my cars. Glad your trip was safe and that you got the deal you wanted. Time for me to move on to something different!! Btw did the SES light come on?

Lol, nope! But I am trying to make it happen. You can bet that I've been putting as much use as I can on the car. Everybody loves it, and everybody will get to drive it.
As far as "project car" standards go, this one is pretty high. Deluxe touring package is pretty sweet. It rides much softer than the 56 sport as well, which helps make it an attractive roadtrip candidate.

I've gotten started with some regular maintenance stuff, I am hoping to sell the M45s I have soon to create space and free up funds for more craziness.