Why did you buy your Q45?

[Infinitiguy19]

I don't think there was a topic like this ever made, if there was I am sorry.

But why did you guys buy your Q45, Any year Q45 owners are welcome obviously.

I will go first: I bought my first Q45 in August of 2008, it was a black 1991 Q45 with malfunctioning TCS. But I bought it because when I first saw it I did'nt know what it was, I had never seen such a great looking interior on a car go for $700. The exterior especially the front nose I will admit I did'nt like at first, but now I love it. But the interior the seats especially did'nt have a crack on them and the car had 169K. The car also had 1990 Q45 seat controls, I think the previous owner put those on.

But all the car needed back then (According to my knowledge back then) was a fuel filter, brakes all around and new headlights (Because if you pushed them in they moved). But in reality it would have needed 4K to get it back to as new condition.

But as some of you may know I lost the car to a tree (not me driving).

Now after that my dad offered 2000 Acura TL, 1999 Chevy Monte Carlo...., But every time I told my dad NO I want a Q45, I searched for Q45 (Preferably 1990-1993) and I found a Green 1994 Q45 at first, but the odometer was toyed with 2 times so we passed.

Then I found my current Q45, A green 1993 Q45 with 114K miles when I bought it and now 126K, and to say the least the car was extremely well taken care of. Basically my second chance in life.

Thats my life story whats yours?

[oldmako]

I was looking for a Lux-Bus for my 225 mile highway commute. I started out looking at 3.5RL Acuras, 300 series Lexus, MB coupes etc. The Q-Bomb showed up by accident.

I can't remember where I was, but there one was. IOW, there was a gorgeous cream Q parked right next to my truck. I started looking at it, and was very favorable impressed.

I have always loved the larger 2 door MB coupes, the old BMW 633s and similar cars that are elegant and a bit sporty in a Gran Tourismo kind of way. While this car is a 4 door, I really think that the 97-01 models are gorgeous, especially the 99-01s, and especially from behind. Hang some larger wheels and lower it a touch and you're riding in style. I love the look of Jeff Leeds car. I wish I had the ching to re-create that.

Five minutes on ebay to get acquainted with the various body styles showed me that the cars have a terrible resale value. Two minutes on Consumer Reports showed me that they are well made and very reliable. I watched ebay for two months and eventually made a low ball bid on an overlooked black & tan, never expecting to get it, really just to track it and see how high it went.

The rest is history!

I'd like another.

[goody90q45]

I bought my 94Q about 4 years ago for my son who was home from college for the summer and needed a ride. I'd never owned an 8 cylinder car before this and was driving a 94 Toyota truck. At the time the only things I knew about the Q were:> Whatever info was available through KellyBlueBook.com (good ratings), and> The parents of one of the kids friends had one (also a 94) and it looked nice.

I bought it for $5000, with 122k miles, on the contingency that it pass smog (at my expense) and the A/C was fixable for under $100. I pulled into the driveway at home and my son walked out, took one look at it and said he wasn't going to drive a Buick all summer and it wouldn't fit in the parking spots at Berkeley. He opted for the truck and I was stuck with the Q which passed smog and the A/C fix was a $20 blue relay.

I found NICO after a couple of days and after a few hours of reading you all scared me into thinking I'd bought the most complicated, unreliable car ever made. I told the wife I was selling the Q at the end of summer (I've always blamed Wes) and buying something else- a nice Civic or Corolla. In the meantime I fixed the fan control amp, the odometer bulbs and a couple of other things with NICO's help. As I read old posts and continued with small repairs to the car I found that anything on this car was fixable with NICO's help. I've since owned 4 more for parts and two 90's for driving. They're great cars and I think they'll be collector cars some day soon. You heard it here first.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I've always loved the Q45, even when I was a young kid and didn't really know what it was. The Q45 and the R32 Skyline are part of the reason I came to love Nissan so much. I'd seen them both and wondered what they were. The Q was beautiful and the Skyline very unique. I still didn't know much more about them than that, though.

Years later, when I had my drivers' license, I would see G50s driving around occasionally. My love for the car was rekindled. But I was a kid with no cash, so I wasn't going to own one. Yet. Plus I was more than happy with my Maxima. I had no intention of replacing the Maxima. That car and I had history, and I'd go on to keep it in great shape for a long, long time. All for the best, as it was a great car to really get your hands dirty on.

I remember when I delivered Pizza for a year after high school in my Ford Ranger (2.3 5 speed, not a bad truck by any means, surprising torque from the 4) I'd often drive past a house with a green belt buckle G50. I wanted one. Bad. No way I could afford one on Pizza salary, though.

I got a real job and found NICO shortly after that. My Maxima was still not going anywhere. But after 3 or so years on NICO as a part of the Maxima community, I decided I really did need a Q. I started looking but had little luck. People don't take care of their cars around here, it seems. I saw more Qs with paint problems than the rest of NICO has combined, I'd bet. Qs making nasty sounds. Qs with owners who never went to the dealer for service (chain guides!). No luck.I started looking for a MKIII Supra turbo instead. But I had no better luck there. The turbos were all abused. Bad paint or "I started [x mod] but didn't finish" torn apart.

I was getting desperate when NICO admin Rex mentioned he was considering selling the rsiwicki Q. The timing was perfect; my sister had just got her license and needed a car. My dad wanted the Max as we knew it's history and I could fix anything on it. I sold him the Max and bought Rex's Q.

Now I've got the Q45 I always wanted...and then some.

[paranoidjack]

I wanted a 750il. I looked everywhere, but couldn't find one I trusted given the finicky nature of the beast.

When I finally found a 740 that was acceptable, I could NOT BELIEVE how tiny it was inside for the driver. I'm a big guy, 6'4" 240 lbs, and it was just TINY. Only 5 seconds in the driver's seat and I knew it wasn't for me, but for tiny europeans.

I saw it on the lot used at a Pontiac dealership. I was instantly taken aback at it's beauty and anonymous yet distinctive qualities. It was in absolutely immaculate condition (tension rods were sparkling clean even).

I drove it, loved it, and gave him 15k cash and drove home. Not a day has gone by when I have regretted that decision - in fact, I think of the day I first drove it almost daily, and love every second of it. Quite a move from a 96 j30.

[smalcom]

May, 2008. Had just sold my 2006 Lexus RX400h (nothing wrong but outrageous payments and getting close to retirement) and wanted something with low mileage and at least Lexus class. Searched Auto Trader and found a low-mileage (75,000) one-owner 1997.5 Q45t in Maryland. The original selling dealer had gotten it back and was selling it again.

Sent my son to look at it (I lived in Delaware) and he thought it was a nice car. Was driven in to see the car, and it was love at first sight! The car is a beautifully kept Ivory Pearl that still looks like it just came off the showroom floor. I'm a big guy (6'3" 290lbs) and this car fits me perfectly. Love the power, luxury and quiet of this car.

Don't plan on making any changes (it will stay stock) but I do plan on keeping it for many years, which means lots of maintenance.

Bought an extended warranty, and they have already replaced valve cover gaskets.

Would have liked a 2000 AE, but I love this car, and wouldn't trade it for anything.

[timderiksen]

hmmmm why did i buy my 98Qt a year ago. well my I30 got totaled, but i wanted to stay with Nissan. the Qt makes my 3rd Nissan Ive owned. So when i was searching for a new car i wanted something big and with RWD. then i remembered the Q's are RWD and they are very clean looking and they have a little baby V8. shoot my car use to get up in go, but since I've gotten in to car audio and added a bunch of weight in the rear end its a little slower. But i can still beat them ricers lol.

mods. lengthened stock rear control arms to fix camber problems. still working on car audio. re wired headlight to put in 01 headlights. put in hids in the fog lights and did it the right way not the plug and play way. took out the clutch fan and put a electric fan on which makes 3 fans now lol. ported rear deck for SPL. add second bat.

future plans are to bag it to lay body with digital air ride controls so ill have FBSS. redo all the leather seating(summers in houston can be really bad on leather seats) upgrade alternator to a mech man alternator. lots more just havent figured it all out yet

[NightRiderQ45]

I bought one because it was in the price range that I was looking for. Before the Q, I owned a J30 which I loved for the few months owned until someone stole it. During my search, I was looking at the Acura RL (00-03), Lexus GS 300 (00-03) and the Q45's. The Acura and the Lexus were out of my price range at the time since I was still in college, so the Q45's took over. I purchased my 98 and I've been in love every since; but if I knew what I know now, I would have at least gotten a 99 for the HID's alone.

I now have the salary to purchase whatever car I choose but I plan on driving my car until the wheels fall off. It's hard not to be in the market for another car because the new Jaguar XF is looking quite tasty along with my favorite...the Lexus GS350. I was looking at the MB CLS but the reliability of the cars pushed me away.

[jimbyjimb]

Needed something cheap and was an attractive alternative to a Crown Victoria. While nicer in almost every way I occasionally find myself missing the simplicity of your more standard American ladder-frame right-wheel-drive platform, although the VH isn't overly complicated and the Nissan computer is WAY better than any year-comparable Ford. While purists will often lead those to believe the Q is an extremely complex unique piece of metal I've found it's quality construction and subtle differences much less complicated than initially led to believe. The only downside? Hate the automatic that takes ten years to shift and how expensive parts are. So far been a relatively easy and inexpensive vehicle to own, and comparatively much, much nicer than any car I ever thought I'd own.

[Jesda]

Back in 2001, I test drove a 1993 Q45 and was completely blown away. It was incredible, even at 120k.

By 2003 I was ready to buy, and it was between the Q and the Seville STS. The Q had lower resale and RWD. It also had a much nicer interior. That 90-93 headliner is just AWESOME. Closest thing to it right now is in the Cadillac DTS Platinum.

[sublime187]

did it for the poonani.

[Bigmike40]

Why did I buy a Q? Well I have been a Nissan fan for years, I have owned 4 Nissan cars over the years with no problems. I have always admired the Infinitis but they were a little out of my price range when I was younger. I was raising three children and paying for wife's tuition. I recently owned a 2004 maxima which was a great car, I had over 99K with no mechanical problems! I was hoping that Nissan made the new 2009 Maxima with RWD but I was disappointed when I finally drove it.

I have always wanted a RWD V8 car and BMW was my first thought but the prices are scary and they were no bigger inside than my maxima. I was searching the web one day when I saw a 2005 Q45 for sale at the dealership with 100K warrranty and 17K on the odo, I had to at least test drive it. The rest is history, it is an excellant car, comfortable, sporty, unique and always gets stares. My story....

Mike

[BLACKonBLACK98]

wanted to build a president, but i'm kind of over that for now. that ugly a** '90 front end grew on me.

[unknown007]

wanted to build a president, but i'm kind of over that for now. that ugly a** '90 front end grew on me.

Swear it did on me too.Tell me it doesn't look dope from far away though?

It looks beast.

[MinisterofDOOM]

One thing I find amusing is that for years I only rarely saw Qs on the road. Now, I actually see them fairly often. I have the satisfaction of knowing mine's the best on the road, though. Some of them may have straighter bodies, but none of them have stronger drivetrains. And none of them have my headers.

Kind of the same thing happened when I owned the Max, too. At first, I was the only kid driving one. There were still a lot around (the third gen Max was insanely popular when new, after all) but not a lot of kids drove them. Then a couple years after I graduated from high school I started noticing beat Maximas EVERYWHERE, driven by kids who I'm sure hated them because they had 4 doors or weren't Civics. And again I had the satisfaction of knowing mine was the best of them all.

[Raxephon]

I originally purchased my first Q45 for several reasons:

-rear-wheel drive -v8 with a little "oomph" -trunk space (I don't like carrying luggage in the back seat) -interior room(I'm pretty big, so leg space/head room go along way) -beautiful body lines -luxury styling, yet simplistic -reliability(assuming proper maintenance & care) -comfort without conformity(at least for me)

Before purchasing my first Q45 I tested out several other luxury sedans and none really fit me quite so well as the Q did.

Bottom line, it is a great car and I prefer it over any other sedan out there.

[Jesda]

Its been SO long since I've seen any G50 on the road. It might be once or twice a year now.

[jimbyjimb]

I see them literally everyday. But being in a large port town where I'm sure many infinitis are initially sent to the country that shouldn't be a surprise. I have a couple staked in junkyards in case I need parts. Always many for sale on the local CL ads as well.

[Q45tech]

1990-1993 was a neat time for Q ownership, By 1994 50,000 were on the road in US. My 1993 office in Clearwater had a picture window that looked out on US19 and I was 3 blocks from Lokey Infiniti so I saw more than half the Q in west coast Florida coming or going.

When I took 18 months off to attend grad school in 1995 the Dean gave me a faculty spot so I could park adjacent to entrance. At 47 I was older than many of the faculty. Many young fresh snot nosed NYU, Warton, and Fuqua Phd starting out.

By 1997 it was just another obsolete car.

[MinisterofDOOM]

none really fit me quite so well as the Q did.

Fit is exactly the word. It wasn't until I actually owned a Q I realized how well it fit me. The cockpit is masterfully laid out and brilliantly driver-focused. The dead pedal is EXACTLY where my food needs it to be. The arm rests are right where my elbows naturally fall. The shifter in drive is exactly where my palm naturally sits. I really like the unusually large steering wheel. Same with the thickness of the rim...perfect. When I drive other cars I inevitably think "this steering wheel sucks" comparing it to the Q's. The gauges and steering wheel are also mastefully positioned. Everyone lauds the Z and G for the tilting instrument cluster. BAH, I say. A properly designed car doesn't NEED the cluster to tilt. I'm quite tall and with the wheel fully lowered and telescoped I can still see the tops of the gauges.

The Q definitely fits me better than any other car I've ever driven.

[Jim1999Q45]

Why? Because my wife had ridden in her sister's Q and loved it. When they moved to Valdez, AK in 2003, they wanted 4WD-- so we took the Q off their hands for $20k. It was the wife's car until last month when she upgraded. I was thinking of selling it but plan on keeping it now that I'm more familiar with the engine. Friends often comment that it's the smoothest ride they've ever had! And I just LOVE the way it looks! Cool and classy at the same time.

Black-on-black '99 Q45. Jim

[Skibane]

VALUE is what attracted me to the Q.

It is one hell of a lot of car for the money - roughly $10K less than a LS of similar vintage...much better-looking, too.

The interior sealed the deal!




Modified by Skibane at 2:26 AM 4/5/2009

[BadQ45t]

So I have only owned Nissan's for the last 25 years, starting with my 1984 300ZX the last car I bought BRAND NEW as in zero miles. So I had a 1985 Maxima I bought in 1994 after the LA Earthquake broke Interstate 10 in West LA and I didn't get out of 2nd gear for 2 weeks. I than moved to the Bay area in 2000 decided it was time to get a sweet ride. My dad had a LS400 which I yawned at and than got a 1992 Q45 which I got to drive out on the highway and I just feel in love with. I started a search for a Q in January and wanted the 1st gen, but even by 2000 most were in rough shape. I finally drove a 1997 that was clean as a whistle, touring package, only 40k on the odo and loved it. While not the beast the 1992 was, the car was soooo smooooth and I for some reason in the dark green with the spoiler just thought it was very cool and liked the look more than first gen, so did the wife. I kept my eye on the car on the dealer lot but the price was too high at 35k. I was about to thrown down 41k (very low price) on a 2000 Ann Package brand new when the owner of the dealership commited suicide in jail (long story) and suddenly there was as "sale" at the dealership and the 1997 was now 22k, 24k with an extended warranty. For that price, done deal. That was 9 years ago this month and have had nearly zero issues with it...now lowered with Tein Springs, KYB SR Specials, and M45 Sport 19" Enkei rims (spacer out to fit properly). Other than that, fresh fluids regularly and a few tune-ups. I plan to drive it at least another 5 years, only 91k on the odo. I now have a 2005 XTerra to offset miles and to dirve on bumpy roads.

I get so many people that come up to my car and say "wow, what is that, this is so nice". This week I had a guy in the gas station ask me "is that the new Q45, I thought they discoutinued that model"....Nope, this is a 1997 model..I nearly needed to show him the Reg to convince him that this wasn't a 2009 car.

The only thing planned right now is to get a Pioneer Nav system in, I think that will totally moderize the car.

[unknown007]

I also see Q's everywhere.I hate it how it happens.I wanted a 240SX since they were fairly rare for a minute then bam everyone got one.I wanted a Datsun 510 then I just didn't find a good one.I want a Q45 yay none.Then couple days later I see 24's on them.Then I see then everyday now.I hate having a car everyone has but I know mines the cleanest on the inside and fastest at least.

[BadQ45t]

there are fewer and fewer everyday...count the Lexus LS400/430/460's out there and compare to the Q's, like a 100 to 1 ratio.

[kdkrone]

I had been driving a BMW 528e since I purchased it new in 1982; it was a stick shift. At 160,000 I was tired of driving a stick shift and wanted an automatic. The BMW dealer where I lived was an arrogant place where the customer always appeared to be wrong, so BMW was eliminated. This was in 1991 or so. I spoke with a friend's 15 year old son who was a car magazine fanatic. He suggested the Lexus and especially the Infiniti. I was not fond of the funny front without a grill, but I liked it from the rear. I took him for test drives.

I remember quite well the experience of the test drives. The Lexus was quiet, and had a soft, cushy ride. When I went into a turn, it wanted to go straight. i loved the handling of my BMW, so that did not work for me. There was brake fade, also. I mentioned it to the salesman, who dutifully said "No one had ever said that before" (the 93 had a 1" larger wheel... so I guess someone must have noticed, ya think???)

We then went for test drive in the Q. It was quick, and when I put it into a turn, it wanted to turn. When I wanted to go straight, the faster I went, the easier it was to hold my line. The interior was functional, and as someone mentioned earlier in the posts, everything just seemed to fit me. The seat arm rests worked well for me both right and left, and the shifter was in perfect position.

My only major disappointment has been with the transmission. I am on my third one now, the first having failed about 75K, the next at 95K (factory rebuild), (I am at 130K now with a local rebuild). I get to the point where I am concerned about taking long road trips, wondering what will fail. Not too many mechanics seem to know about the car, but, as Mike G says, with the help of Nicoclub, I have learned a lot. In fact, Mike has been one of my mentors here. If this website did not exist, i would have sold the car a long time ago, frankly.

Presently, the car is running like it did when it was new. I have always loved driving it and have kept it in tip-top shape, doing as much preventative maintenance as possible. I used to be able to take the car to Jerry Tucker in San Diego yearly to have him comb through it and do what needed to be done, but he has retired. Fortunately, I have met a very good mechanic in the small coastal town where we now live and he seems to have enough knowledge of other Nissans that I have developed confidence in his abilities. We shall see.

I keep saying that if I ever find another car that I enjoy driving as much as I do my 92, I will buy it. I am still driving the 92. The other thing that I am often heard to say is that a person should not enjoy a material good as much as I enjoy the Q---when it is running well, there is just nothing like it...

Ken K

[JeffTepper]

It seemed like a good idea at the time!!

The car was originally purchased new by one of my neighbors who is a car guy that can afford to drive whatever he wants and has owned Pebble Beach quality cars. I had been a passenger in the car several times over the ten years he owned it and found it to be a nice sleeper. Then he bought a newer Q45 and I asked him what he was going to do with the '94. He paused and then said, I guess I'll sell it. I then asked him what he wanted for it and he suggested a modest number. I told him to consider the car sold and that I would get him the cash when the bank opened in the morning.

Originally, I thought I would use the car as a short term (6 months) daily driver while my regular car was being treated to a thorough refurbishing. Once the wife drove it, she told me "This one's a keeper...." She appears to be correct!

[maxnix]

What's with the Fonkey floor mats, Skibane?

[miata007]

Here's my reasons: Most car/luxury/comfort/style/reliablity for the $.

Plus I have always been a Nissan fan. First car was a 300Zx, 2+2, auto.

After owning it for 4.5 years, Here are things I don't like:1. less reliable than a average accord.2. Cost more to fix and difficult to to find good mechanic.3. MPG (20mpg)

If I am in the market for a new car I will most likely pick something smaller:G37, Sienna, Accord, Altima.

007

007

[Skibane]

What's with the Fonkey floor mats, Skibane?

I'm still driving around with the manufacturer's sticker glued to the back window, and the dealer's tag on the keyring, too...