HELP!

[vexi0n]

Hello everyone! I have absolutely no idea where to post this -- hopefully this'll do (or a mod could move it to a better place).

Been lurking for a while now. Found the PERFECT ti. It's for sale locally, and the seller is giving me first dibs before actually listing it. It's a '97 active, 5-speed, with 135,000 miles. The car is in near perfect mechanical condition, with only a few cosmetic issues (the biggest being some worn down clear coat). Now for the problem. I have a tumor 2005 Nissan Altima, and my parents essentially control my finances, and my ability to sell the car (I'm only 18, give me a break!). I've made a deal though -- they'll let me sell the Altima and get the ti, IF I can find a buyer in the next week. The Altima's gone up on my local craigslist, and I'm thinking about ebay / autotrader postings.

Where I need help: as stated above, I have 1 week to find a buyer. I'm doing as much as I can (posting online, on nissan forums), but if any of you have friends/family in the market for a reliable 4-door, with reasonable mileage, decent fuel economy, and an automatic transmission -- I've got a car. Specs: 2005 Nissan Altima 2.5S, ~88,000 miles. CD/AM/FM 6-speaker sound system (stock), cruise control, power windows/locks/mirrors, automatic transmission. Tires have good tread, brakes in good condition. The car has been a daily driver, and hasn't really been abused (down the occasional gravel road, but that's just rural Mississippi). Interior is conservatively 8/10, exterior 7/10 (minor scratches -- it's a daily driver). All maintenance has been done by certified Nissan mechanics. Oil changes done at regular intervals (switched to synthetic at 75,000 miles). Price: $8700 OBO.

[vexi0n]

Test drove the ti today. There's really only one mechanical problem I can find -- in 2nd gear, when accelerating, there's vibration from the rear end between 3 and 4,000 rpm. The seller tells me its a worn drive shaft bearing. The local shop said it'd be about $600 to repair.

The car got new tires / brakes in May, so those are still strong. The clutch and tranny feel good. The car could use a few bushing replacements, and I'll probably get new shocks and springs later on. The one other major issue is the clear coat. It's almost completely gone on the roof and pillars. Repainting the car wouldn't be too complicated -- we have friends who run body shops.

So is this Ti a good deal? Once again, the price is $2800. It'll cost $600 for the drive shaft bearing (unless there's a cheaper option you guys know about), and the painting will probably run about the same. Basically $4000 for a Ti in near perfect mechanical condition and decent cosmetic condition. Any advice / input?

[tiFreak]

seems like a good deal, good luck selling the Altima

[vexi0n]

Within 4 hours of it being on craigslist, I had 3 sound offers (none for full asking price though). I really only need to make $8k out of it (I'm only 18, parents want at least $8k out of the Altima) -- but I'm going to hold out a few more days and try to make the full $8700 or close to it.

The owner of the Ti is the 2nd owner -- he's had it since 50,000 miles. He's a sports writer, so nearly all the miles are highway miles. Is there anything else I should be looking out for? I asked about o2 sensors, temp sensors/thermostat. The oil pan / housing all looks good. The car has a clean carfax, never been in an accident. Rear hatch struts seem good. What other common issues do these cars have?

[tiFreak]

window regulators and cooling systems

[vexi0n]

Regulators have been replaced (and I've already read over the DIY on how to grease them myself). Cooling system all seems good -- no issues. What typically goes wrong on the Ti cooling systems? I thought just the 6-cylinders had the typical BMW cooling issue?

[tiFreak]

two plastic coolant pipes on the head usually go bad at around 150k, it's under $20 for both but they're labor intensive to get to, radiators and water pumps have also been known to fail, if you check out the knowledge base section of the site there's a few different articles on changing them and bleeding the coolant properly

[vexi0n]

Sounds good, thanks for the info. I've been all over the knowledge base section -- good stuff in there. I'll be getting the drive shaft bearing and paint professionally redone, but plan on doing the rest myself (saggy headliner, and other little bits and pieces). Any suggested mods? I was thinking about the homelink auto-dimming mirror (there's a nice DIY on bimmerforums), among other things.