I know those engines are some of the best ever made, but those who know more about the VQ engine, is it advisable to buy one with 124,000 miles from 2003? How long would the engine last? BTW, it is a manual, which is good.

Dude is selling it for $6,667.

I just don't want to buy something that will crap out and need a new engine in a year. I do about a 1,000 miles a month.

Car seems to be in good condition from outside. I will try to go see it tomorrow.

4/17/2010 12:05:42 PM

NMSJ

4/17/2010 12:25:34 PM

nissan I35..?

4/17/2010 12:33:23 PM

i noticed that too.

4/17/2010 12:36:12 PM

car manufacturers (esp japanese) send different body styles to different geographical regions.

that was the body style in the middle east for that generation.

4/17/2010 12:36:45 PM

Those look like the 2000-2001 I30 tail lights too

4/17/2010 12:37:19 PM

yeah ask about the infinity I35 because thats what that model was called here

4/17/2010 12:40:48 PM

same basic engine, so who cares what the body looks like.

4/17/2010 12:42:17 PM

or Infiniti. Would be kinda different because the I35 was never given a manual trans here.

I'd drive it. For that price if it seems in good condition, then why not. It's probably my all time favorite affordable sedan setup. 3.5 VQ with 6 speed for under $10k will be plenty fun.

Buy it and then get some NWP parts!
http://www.nwpengineering.com/index.html

[Edited on April 17, 2010 at 12:45 PM. Reason : .]

4/17/2010 12:44:32 PM

it is a 3.0 and 5 speed. (3.5 didn't come here for another at least 3 or 4 years)

called the dude and he is coming in 30 min to my place.

will drive it and report back.

i don't like the Sunny (Middle Eastern Sentra) lights and grill (below), but hey...




[Edited on April 17, 2010 at 12:53 PM. Reason : ]

4/17/2010 12:49:19 PM

drove it. engine looks good and clean, but i would of course have to take it to a mechanic to have it checked.

it was actually at 141,000 miles. i don't know how much they can handle.

anyway, seems like it isn't meant to be. someone else talked to him before me and is probably buying it tomorrow. if he bails, the dude will let me know.

drove pretty well. transmission pretty smooth. nice acceleration as well.

it is a '"3.0 J" model. i don't know if that gives any indication to the version of the engine.

4/17/2010 2:29:10 PM

A buddy of mine had a 2001 I30 (same car basically) and he had it up around 160K miles when it was totaled in an accident. He put ~3k miles per month on the car, as he lived in Raleigh, was seeing a girl in Durham, and commuted to Greensboro 3-4x per week. So mostly highway mileage but heavy usage. Bought it in 2004 with something like 60k miles at the time, drove it until November '08. The only complaint he had was that the padding in the seats was questionable when he got it, and pretty much gave up while he owned it (and he isn't a big dude, 190ish lbs). He ended up replacing the front seats with ones from a wrecked I35.

Other than that, he had zero problems--ran flawlessly and still felt well put together until the end. YMMV, but his was pretty awesome.

4/17/2010 2:49:00 PM

I'd guess it's probably the same as the US VQ30DE-k

4/17/2010 3:04:08 PM

^, ^^ thanks.

how about this beast:

1996 Impala SS (LT1 5.7 lit V8 290 hp)
118,000 miles
$4,500

those things sound amazing!





again, my main concern is the engine. from the pictures car looks like it is in great condition. but will the engine bail on me? any known issue? lifespan?

thanks.

4/17/2010 3:14:00 PM

^best car youve looked at yet. BUY IT

4/17/2010 4:59:22 PM

2003 BMW 330i
90,000 miles
$3,500

Shouldn't this car be worth more?

It looks immaculate:
http://s986.photobucket.com/albums/ae342/sellbmwcar/?start=all

I asked him why it is so cheap and he emailed back saying because he needs to sell it fast because he is going through a divorce.

Sell it fast, OK I understand, but that car can easily go for a lot more.

I am tempted to buy it because it is dirt cheap compared to Camrys and Civics for double and triple the price, but I am afraid I will be spending a heck of a lot more on maintenance every year (and tires) than I would on the Japanese cars. But then again, since I am saving money on the purchase price, I can spend the savings on maintenance and repairs, and still sell it for the same price 2 years down the road.

What do you guys think? Any known issues with that model year/engine/transmission? It is an auto

Check out the pics... it looks bloody gorgeous!

4/17/2010 6:43:00 PM

man this is really bothering me...

the KBB private party value for that car is $9-10K

and he is selling it for $3.5K cuz he is in a hurry? what about $7K? even $5K?

4/17/2010 6:57:26 PM

that one really sounds like a scam of some sort

and the whole idea of maintenance being way higher on BMW's isn't nearly as bad as people try to make it out to be

[Edited on April 17, 2010 at 7:44 PM. Reason : asdf]

4/17/2010 7:43:50 PM

stay away from the nissan.

I believe I've seen that BMW in a high speed drift video on youtube

4/17/2010 8:57:19 PM

^ that specific bmw? joking right?! ok i know that you believe in the NMSJ philosophy. what about the impala SS?

^^ all i know is that if i bought the BMW, it would cost me about 3 times (or more if parts are needed) for the servicing every year as it would for a camry if i got the servicing done at their respective dealerships. so if a camry would cost say $300-400 per year in maintenance, the BMW would cost $1,000-1,500 per year. i am not about to fork that over every year, at least not at this stage in life.


How about this:

Subaru Impreza 2.0R (do you guys know about this engine, found on JDM models?)

Quote :

"For sale is ex-patriate, engineer owned 2006 model Subaru Impreza 2.0R - 2.0Ltr boxer-4 engine, Symmetrical "All Wheel Drive" (fun to drive !!) - 5 speed, MANUAL gearbox - Automatic Air-Conditioning - Power windows, mirrors, sun roof - 68,000 miles - Full option model with 6-CD changer, sun roof, remote key lock - Brand new Michelin tyres installed only 2 months ago. - Alloy spare wheel - Rally style front seats - Always agency serviced - Full service records/receipts available - 30,000 miles and 60,000 miles full service (all engine bearing, belts, fluids, brake pads etc) performed at Agency - extremely well maintained - First owner - $9,300 only !!! negotiable. -------------------------------------------------- Optional items : - Motorcycle trailer with hitch (used only for few kms) - $190 - Spare A/c compressor for Impreza 2.0R (taken from new "total loss" car) - $350 (new one costs $530) Seriously fun car, serious buyers only please........."

[Edited on April 17, 2010 at 9:09 PM. Reason : ]

4/17/2010 9:05:20 PM

you should go drive that subie, just for the hell of it

but don't expect it to shift like a honda (butter)

subaru 5 speed tranny's suck

for a few grand more, get a 6 speed STi and be way happier

4/17/2010 9:32:14 PM

The "automatic" BMW seems to have a very interesting shifter & extra pedal. Maybe it's so cheap because it's a scam?

Also, That Impala doesn't have 290hp unless it's modded. They were 260 from what I recall. I'm not saying that anything's wrong with it or anything. I just don't like dealing with people who overstate their vehicle (whether willfully or ignorantly) as I think they're more likely to gloss over other details as well.

4/18/2010 12:40:44 AM

My pop has an I30 w/ 200k miles and it's still running strong. Those engines are super smooth and are known to be very reliable. If anything, the transmission is starting to get fussy.

4/18/2010 12:43:34 AM

That BMW is way too low, scam or something shady, walk away.

The Impala SS on the other hand--those things are tanks. The GM B-bodies were built tough, and the 350 is one of the best engines GM has ever built. The LT1 is no exception, tough as nails and a torquey beast. 118k on it wouldn't worry me in the slightest. dave421 is right about the rating though, factory was 260 HP. Don't expect it to handle very well and your gas mileage will suck, but other than that, great car. Lots of space inside, huge trunk. Lots of attitude.

4/18/2010 1:17:45 AM

h8er this 5 speed subie you drove... how many miles were on it ?

4/18/2010 2:04:48 AM

all these ads are scams man.

also why the assorment of choices?

4/18/2010 12:07:39 PM

^^ I'm just commenting on the subaru 5 speed in the 2002-2007 wrx, in general

everyone knows they do not handle abuse very well, and they do get abused quite a bit

drive any factory 5 speed honda back to back with a factory 5 speed wrx and you'll see what I mean in the shifting mechanism / transmission

4/18/2010 10:15:00 PM

How come this is only $4,000? WTF IS GOING ON WITH ALL THESE ADS???

I emailed the guy and asked if it is his car because from the description he sounds like it fell from the sky and has never seen it before. He said yes it is his.

Isn't that easily worth like almost $15,000? Looks brand new. Maybe it has been driven a couple of hundred thousand miles or something. He doesn't list the mileage and didn't tell me in the email as well. WTF YOU CAN'T SAY THE FIRST SENTENCE BELOW IN THE AD WITHOUT SAYING HOW MUCH THE MILEAGE IS... grrrr some people can be so stupid

AUTOMATIC HONDA CIVIC SI 2007 FOR SELL AT AFODABLE PRICE

Quote :

"Description: The mileage represented on this vehicle is accurate. It appears there has been no smoking inside this vehicle. This vehicle looks new, with no signs of prior damage. This vehicle is in great shape, there is no collision damage evident. No door dings or scratches on this baby - it is immaculate. To look this good, it is obvious that this beauty has been garaged. This auto's tranny is smooth; no skip or slip when it shifts. This engine is just getting warmed up and can't wait for you to be behind the wheel and finish breaking it in. There are no electrical problems with this vehicle whatsoever. This is a fabulous vehicle with absolutely no defects. This vehicle appears to have been detailed on a regular basis and looks brand new. Extra clean interior, absolutely no rips, odors or abuse. No tread life lost on these tires."

4/19/2010 1:15:25 PM

dude

it's a fucking scam

don't be an idiot

4/19/2010 1:40:22 PM

You are a terrible troll or a fucking idiot.

4/19/2010 1:41:22 PM

^^ eh yeah, i basically implied it is a scam.

^ take your pick... still can't be as bad as you btw, not all of them are scams as you said. the maxima (I DROVE IT), impala, and impreza are clearly not scams. who is the "fucking idiot" now?

4/19/2010 1:48:08 PM

you drove all the cars?

4/19/2010 1:59:50 PM

I don't know about other countries but in the US the Civic Si is only available with a manual transmission.

4/19/2010 2:09:14 PM

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that in Nigeria, it obviously comes with an AT.

4/19/2010 2:19:04 PM

lol

4/19/2010 2:55:09 PM

lol, did you find these cars on craigslist or something?

4/19/2010 6:25:57 PM

http://www.expatriates.com

the vast majority are legit (camrys, accords, civics, luminas, yukons, etc), but in between there are these scams.

just saw a fresh one: 2009 corvette, 4,500 miles, $7,500 (complete with pictures! and a VIN NUMBER, which checks out!)


[Edited on April 19, 2010 at 7:13 PM. Reason : ]

4/19/2010 7:12:30 PM

welcome to the internet.

4/21/2010 11:09:53 AM