Within a month, it'll be car buying time

"WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe" (wesbarton89) 01/08/2015 at 11:43 • Filed to: None

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Ok, so we are going to be shopping for a second car in a month or less. I've got my eye on a 2000 Infiniti I30 base model for $800.

Here's what i know about it.

It's white, the body looks very clean, though one wheel is a steelie, the rest are factory rims. Tires are good. Interior, from peeking in, looks immaculate. No tears in the leather, and only minimal wrinkles. It does need new brakes, exhaust, struts and a new battery. I'll also replace the rim. The front Infiniti badge is missing. Mileage at this time is unknown, but based on cosmetics, I wouldn't expect it to be much higher than 150k. I'll also maybe replace the regular headlamps with factory HID lights from the touring model.

Now, I love turn of the century luxury cars, and the engines in these are great. The rear power sunshade will be awesome, because the sun gets in my daughter's eyes and she hates it. Heated seats are great too, especially with our cold winters, and it's got a sunroof for warm weather. It is FWD though. The last Infiniti I owned was a '97 J30, which was rwd, and it was smaller. I expect some difference in driving characteristics as a result, but I figure for $800, plus cost of fixing up ($500 tops), if it is mechanically solid, to be a really good deal.

Now, if that doesn't work out, I do have some alternative options.

I'd like another Mazda millenia, or other Mazda. Awd Subaru is another possibility. I've also had two Oldsmobiles which were both dependable. Maybe a Nissan. I'm steering clear of Ford, and GM econoboxes. Unfortunately it has to be an auto, since the fiancee can't drive stick. Price would be better to be around $1500 max. Though, I've got my heart set on that Infiniti.

Here's hoping it works out!

MIATAAAA > WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe 01/08/2015 at 12:05

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I freaking love the J30.

E92M3 > WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe 01/08/2015 at 12:36

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Good luck man.

PS: Teach your lady to drive stick.

WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe > MIATAAAA 01/08/2015 at 12:57

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As do I. It was one of the best cars I ever had, and it just drove so well. It had almost every feature available for its day short of a Mercedes. RWD, engine out of a Z car, a very unique look, and perhaps one of the first modern day "four-door coupes". Interior space wasn't the best, but it had real wood trim, not terrible mileage, and disc brakes all around. Definitely a car you could cruise in, and hoon in as well. I did an Oppo review on it awhile back, check it out.

MIATAAAA > WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe 01/08/2015 at 14:17

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I recently made another separate post (elsewhere) about how much I loved my 1992 Previa and I initially thought this was a response to that post.

I was thinking, "Wow. I mean, I liked my Previa a lot. But I wouldn't describe it as '[just] short of a Mercedes' and I had no idea it had an engine from a Z-car!". When I saw it described as a "four-door coupe", I realized I had made a mistake.

WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe > MIATAAAA 01/08/2015 at 16:31

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Haha. I would totally buy that kind of previa.