What Q45's to stay away from???

[Blazeman]

Are there any certain years of Q45's that I should stay away from? Are there any better years that I should look for? Iam currently looking at a 1996 and just trying to get the most bang for the buck.

[ChiQ45]

It seems like from what I've been reading on the boards since I got my 1993 Q. The 1st gen Q (93 and earlier) are great performers but they have a chain guide problem (they built the chain guides from plastic). Which can give out "time bomb" are what some people here said, but they out perform the 2nd gen Q's in some aspects. The chain guide issue can be fixed though for quite a bit of money. Nissan fixed the problem from 1994 models and on though (kinda vague about that though some say it was actually later). You can check with a local infiniti nissan dealer about that. I also noticed alot of people talking about how transmission coolers are essential for maintaining the life of your transmission (I had one put in when I had the rebuilt transmission put in). And don't buy the car online unless you can see the car hehehe. Thats jus my 2 cents.

[elwesso]

The Q45 doesnt really have a BAD per se year...... I wouldnt get a 90-93 without updated guides..... And I wouldnt get a 96......

[nuQ]

from what i understand, the 96Q is pretty much bullet-proof. a transmission cooler is ALWAYS a good idea to extend the life of your transmission (heat is the enemy!). what you really have to understand, and accept, is the maintenance and care of the Q is all-important to keep it running like new. if you are in the "i change the oil around 3k miles, or the where-abouts, and that's the extent of my maintenance routine", the Q may not be the car for you. if you're willing to read through all the old posts, and get a good understanding of the Q and what makes it run so great,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the Q is the car for you!!! i've learned SOOOOO much about HOW to keep the Q like new from this site and all the resident experts, priceless advice you won't find ANYWHERE else. if you already have a 96Q your considering, make sure you have someone look at it first to make sure it has been maintained, get all the records from the car you can. good luck and WELCOME TO NICO!!!!!!!! jeff

[elwesso]

Yea...... If your within a half hour of Indianapolis, Ill drive down, meet you up and look at the Q with you...... Ive scoped mine down from head to toe, and i know what to look for!!

And yes, this site is invaluable..... I have a set plan of stuff I need to replace to get it back going full speed.... I just had my suspension revamped, then its off to some underhood electronics, and then the transmission!!!

The 96 might be bulletproof, but I wouldnt get it from the performance standpoint..... No VVT=non comparable power to 90-95!

[BadQ45t]

I think the most important thing if you want to buy a first gen Q is to find someone that knows what they are doing to look it over and figure out how much you'll need to spend on it once you buy it. Let's face it, even a 96' is now 7 years old and there will be some worn out parts. While the 90-93 are the fastest, I think personally you lose too much in the way of things Infiniti fixed along the way and things like CD players, CD Changers and the like. My dad had a 92' and it was fast, i have 97' not as fast, but I sure missed my lumbar supports, CD Changer, and a few other nice things that the 92' didn't have. BTW, his time-bombed at 107k, timing chain guides broke and that was all she wrote.

If I was in the market for a first gen, I'd be looking for low mileage well maintained 94 and 95's, but find a mechanic or bite the bullet and take it to a dealership and spend the 150 bucks (they will often give you credit towards your first repair with that money) and have it checked out. It could end up easily costing you thousands of dollars if you buy the wrong one.

[Blazeman]

Thanks for the replys... The one I am looking at is a one owner with 58K miles on it. They say they have all the maintenence records on it. And it looks like they have taken very good care of it. Thanks for the offer elwesso but Iam just a bit more south that you are willing to travel (Norman,OK). Does 10 grand seem fair for the for the Q as I have described? Or is that just too much? I wont have a problem paying 150.00 for a dealer to look at the car if it will give me piece of mind.

[q45t96]

I own a 1996 and it may be slightly slower then the earlier models, but its not significant. What it lacks in power it makes up for in reliability. Mine has been a great car. Just drive it and tell us if you think it lacks power. I would guess you will be impressed. I had mine up to 130 MPH just last week and there was plenty left to go. With the new blue's all around it was as solid as a rock. In my opinion, which is not worth much, if that car has been maintained well and has a clean body and interior, it is well worth $10,000. I guess you could buy the same year Honda Accord for about the same price. Don't buy it thinking you are going to make money. Buy it to drive one of the finest driving automobiles ever produced. Then don't worry about it. It is the best value on the road in terms of pure driving satisfaction.

[Mr1der]

10k would seem very fair for a car with that low a mileage, what year is it by the way?

[PalmerWMD]

while 06's dont have VVT they <are> the newest/youngest of the famous G50 series Q45's.

For many that could be a good reaon in itself to desire them.

As for the guides, the more I think about it they are not sucha big problems since the preventative maintenance can be accomlished for $1200-$1300 and decent independents.

Also this icnludes some other maintenace stuff ( cleaning insides front cover new oil pumpm chain oil pump chain tensioner) that is probably a good idea.

Currently T3 Atlanta has what must be the very best deal in the country on them for a chian guide job ( a special holiday price of $1000 while supplies last) so I wpould not exclude older years for that reason.

That 1996 sounds like a car anyone would be happy with, but have a dealer check it out for you.

Fred..: )

[BadQ45t]

I drove a 96' it has no problem getting around, if you think the car is clean I'd offer him 8,500 or 9 since you're about 2k away from a 1,000 service bill for the 60k service. Also, a checkout from the dealership is in order, I'd make the service writer a deal and tell him he's got you 60k service if he passes the inspection, or he may apply the 150 bucks (or whatever he charges) towards it.

You should also ask the dealer for his schedule of services for the 60k service. you're going to want everything flushed, not drained, so it could get up around 1200-1500 bucks.

[elwesso]

I agree....

Personally, I dont think Id want a first gen... Even though they are faster, id miss my power headrests, seat heaters, super comfy (but in my case ripped) leather seats, mirrors that tilt down in reverse, gold clock, CD changer, and wood trim..... I think its has much more luxury, whereas the first gen EVERYTHING is based on function.... I read an article written about the Q in 1989 and it said that everything was based on function.... Thats why theres no grille, wood, etc on the 90-93....

[HeavyDuty]

My 91 has (had) wood veneer trim. Other than washing the car, the first thing I did was remove it, all of it.

Now it's just black, if it weren't cracked around the shifter, I might have kept it.

It probably started deteriorating from drink spills since I have no freakin cup holder!! Geesh!

[Jesda]

son of a binkitch. Im not the only one who wants a cupholder!