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Comments
Best of Luck!
PS. My car is going in the shop tommorow morning. All of the sudden the fan clutch is slipping. It makes my car sound like a damn truck when until I get to about 40mph. By the way, if you are anywhere near Atlanta I would HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you go to T3. They specialize in Infiniti and Lexus and are WAY more knowledgable and cheaper than any dealer!! They just had someone drive from Mass. to have his Q worked on! They are that good!
I just know they do great work!
One other note. This is one of the overall best cars I've ever owned. I'm heavy into cars and I'm finding this to be one of the most under rated autos ever made. Now I understand all the comments from long time J owners.
Thanks for the help.
Thanks again.
I parish the thought of having a hitch!!!!!!
tnovak@infinitioflisle.com
Best of luck!
Jeff
I'm actually thinking about some 16" Mille Miglia Evo5's.
I'm new to the board but some of you from other Infiniti boards have heard my cry. I'm seeking an attorney who will take the task of prosecuting, suing and damanding compensatory damages to my J after an accident with an illegal taxi in Atlanta. In brief, I rear-ended a illegal taxi that stopped short with no brake lights but was actually in reverse to go around stalled traffic with no reverse lights to be seen. To add insult to insanity the taxi driver had a revoked permit to operate, the license plate on the taxi belong to another car,'flipped plates', no working brake or reverse lights and no insurance inspection sticker. My insurance company are a bunch of a**holes who appear to be content and cheaper for them to pay a phony claim rather than fighting this fraudulent act. AJC and WSB-TV are investigating this matter but in Atlanta depending who you are bedfellows with I have been fighting this battle like the Lone Ranger without Tonto. Never had an accident before so why would I start with an illegal cab on a sunny Saturday afternoon? Need input from all who can help.
Thanx
I did something very, very bad . . . But also very, very good . . .
I don't have a J30 anymore. I have a 1999 Q45!!! I had to have it. It was a fantastic price and I liked the way it looked an everything. I will miss the J but the 1997 to 2001 Q45 has always turned my head. The new Q does NOTHING for me. It seems to me that Infiniti wants to get back to the old 1990 Infiniti design philosophy. LOL
I'm not trying to rip on you, cause I love any Q, but its a fact that those years were not the greatest.
What I found was that everything I liked about the J30t I could get in the Q45t, in a roundabout way. I even like the look of the 97-01 Q; it's classy and hardly derivative like the stuff from the lexus camp. The 97-01 Qs also had about a 250 pound reduction in curb weight which didn't affect performance numbers too much from the previous model, even with the decrease of engine displacement. I have never been the type that needs a whole bunch of horsepower that can't really be used legally anyway. What I have said and will say is that we are driving luxury cars so having a "Fast and Furious-esque" asinine stoplight showdown with a tacky Honda Civic is hardly our intentions, at least they aren't my intentions.
Besides, our good friends at Stillen can help tweak an Nissan or Infiniti project, ya know, in case we feel like making or Qs and Js breathe a little fire . . .
The average luxury car buyers love power - who doesn't. But the luxuriousness has to be there first and foremost. Infiniti must have forgotten that it was designing a luxury car. When did luxury car owners say that they didn't want the wood trim - how about the trademark grill? The grill tells people what car it is and give off the pretigious image.
Infiniti missed the boat the first time and then they missed it again with the 2002 Q45. The grill on the new Q45 is terrible. What a waste of a great car. I just wish they would be a little more through when they redesigned their trademark grill.
bscblue - if you got a great deal on the Q45 that's fantastic. I'd rather have the 4.1 V-8 than the 3.0 V-6 (like on my Altima) anyday. While that Q45 model may not have been competitive with the Lexus LS400, it doesn't mean that it's not a very nice car. And with the difference in the resale value, in my opinion, the 99 LS400 and the 99 Q45 are not in the same market, if you are shopping for a used car. The LS400 is a lot more expensive. I'm sure you'll enjoy driving your Q45 for many trouble free years to come. Congrats.
I agree, L, that they made a terrible mistake when they introduced the Q the way they did. Luxury car buyers want all the wood, the chrome, the grille, and the cache that comes from owning a luxury car--plain and simple. The 97-01 Q made up for the previous models many cosmetic shortcomings. The car is classy without being bland, like LS400/30. Unfortunately, Lexus has a somewhat of a stranglehold on the Japanese lux car market here. If any luxury maker had styling issues, it's that company and Acura as a distant second.
I think the Q45 is(was) quite competitive with the Lexus LS400. They both had excellent quality but Infiniti really won out in the looks department for me. That's why the J30 is still a great looking car 8 years after it was introduced. The reason I upgraded from it was because the Q, while being very advanced, is still a easily maintained car, like the J30. Just enough elctronic gadgetry to make me squeal but not nearly as much as the new Q; I don't necessarily forsee anything really breaking with the Q but I'd rather not find out.
The new Q really doesn't do much for me but I will say its still a much cooler car than the LS430 which is just 20mg away in Thorazine from being the old Mercedes S420's evil, derivative twin. And NOT in a good way.
I think that's one of the reasons why it's selling so well. Even old MB guys look like they prefer the LS430 to the new MB's. The new MB S-class lost that substantial look and is more of a sleek design.
Also, Lexus designs the interior with a lot of class and simplicity. They also do not skimp on material quality.
The 2002 Q45 - if they brought it over exactly like the Cima in Japan, I think they would have done better. Instead, they cut a few corners and skimped here and there. I am not sure if the Infiniti guys thought that the new LS430 would be a pushover... the competition is already stiff as it is... don't get me wrong the new Q45 is an excellent car, as any car that cost that much should be but it's still missing that identity that it desperately needs. It would have be performance but we know how that panned out.
The G35 may have performance that will blow the doors of of my J30t, but what about the looks? Its a cheep looking ugly car!I would rather buy the new Altima, but it does not seem to have the lux feel of the J30. I wish Infiniti would do a J35t, and make it good! For now my J30t has 90,000 miles on it and looks and runs like new, I just may wait until I can get a used 2002 Q45t for around 25K- 30K.
The G35 on ther other hand looks like an awesome car. Don't forget that it's aim is at a lower pricepoint than the J30t's original MSRP, so you should expect a little less luxurious interior.
I don't know how well it's going to sell because of the Infiniti name but, I sure hope this is Infiniti's savior, like Audi's A4 was.
You J30 guys should be applauding the G35. It is the same concept (based off the Nissan Z) although the styling is different (it doesn't emulate a Jaguar).
I have a 94 J30t with 143K and my tranny is still going strong. My recommendation would be to have a full tranny flush first. Make sure you do the FULL service, which mean have them drop the pan, clean it, and change the filter. Then hook up to the exchange machine and refill with Mobil 1 synthetic. This will normally make a BIG difference. I had it done on mine in December and immediately noticed a much smoother and crisper response in shifting. Also, you could have a external transmission cooler added (made by BG) for about $120 or so. Heat is the real killer in these transmissions! With the Mobil 1 you have a ATF that has a much better viscosity than any other.
I'd try these things first before I'd worry about a much pricer fix as a new transmission. All that I described would probably run you about $350 or so. Much better than the alternative!
Also, NAPA (only Napa that I know of) carries a additive for the transmission called Lubeguard. Its about $12 bucks for a bottle and several people have had good results with it. It just helps with a smoother shift and has anti-foaming additives to help out. You can just add it through the dip stick tube, but make sure your fluid level isn't too high before adding it or you will have too much fluid in the tranny which also can be a bad thing. I had to drain some off before I added it to mine. Best of luck, hope this helps!
Jeff Palm
Atlanta, GA
PS. I also LOVE the G35, can't wait to test drive one, however its still to pricey for me! Maybe in a few years! If Infiniti continues to depreciate as rapidly as they have in the past then maybe I can get a good deal on one in a few!
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The best thing to do would be to get that 1996 model. The color combo is fantastic and the price is sweet. You may be able to get them to knock down a few hundred more. But as far as that goes, I don't know quite what your real budget loosk like. As long as all the models are well-taken care of, then any of them should be a steal.
Enjoy!
These all fall within my budget ... I like the '96 with 36kmi but is it -twice- as much car as the '95 with 77k ($14.9 vs $8)?
Hmmm ... thanks for your opinions.
JP
I, too, have noticed the new G35's minimalist interior and (excuse me Infiniti Gods) cheap-looking components. But let me say that if you have read any articles lately about cars, especially last month's Automobile, you'll notice that automakers are increasing trying to pare down costs while raising profit margins and this is evident by some of the cars coming down the pike, luxury and standard cars alike.
The CTS, the X-Type and S-Type, the C-Class, the Altima and a whole slew of other cars are suffering from this penny-pinching by automakers. The cars all look pretty good but the interior materials and some exterior materials are being manafactured as cheaply as possible. The CEos of these companies have garnered nicknames like "The Knife" and such because of their ruthless cost-cutting which destroys some automobiles quality feel.
It's only gonna get worse, not better.
There is quite alot of growl from the engine and also lots of windnoise as well. Is this normal?
I'll check out the '95 today to see if it's the same.
JP
It's fairly quiet but I wouldn't expect vault-like quiet like a DeVille or S600. LOL
Just to help you a little, I saw on Ebay a J30, 1997, silver, with just 56K miles on it (with some warranty!) right now at about 8 grand witha BuyItNow price of just 12,9. That's exactly how I bought my J, from Ebay. I paid so much less for it than retail and maybe even less than a private person. My experience was great.
No, I wasn't expecting Lexus-quiet but the '96 I test drove was louder than my Accord! It was more of an engine grumble (I like that in my Camaro, I just don't like that much of it here in my 'cruiser').
bscblue, that's a nice deal for a '97 ... a local dealer has just advertised a '97 with 58kmi for $20k! That's crackhead pricing ... for that, I'd get a '97 Q or more.
I think I'll check it out and make an offer of $13+ and see.
There's also a '95 Q with 46kmi for $15k that I'll also have a looksee.
Still, no t's to be found (except a purple one).
thanks.
JP
And now that you mention it, a J30 shouldn't growl. I sold my J30 to a friend of mine who takes as good care of it as I did and it isn't Lexus quiet or as quiet as my Q but it isn't necessarily loud and its engine certainly doesn't "growl." That sounds like engine probs. And the noise in that '96 could be due to tires. Tires have a lot to do with interior noise levels. If the tires are worn or improper, it can affect the driving dynamics of a car as well as interior noise levels. Both cars sound like they have 'minor' issues.
Anyway, take your time in deciding, JP. I carefully read about the J and read every posting in this forum so that I would know as much as I could about every model year of the J. Make sure when you decided to buy one, you know as much if not more than the owner who is selling it!
Just from lots of readings I think I love this car.
Thank you all in advance.
had new but generic-brand rubbers and the '95 dog
had new Dunlops (forget which kind) so that would make a big diff.
Anyways, the dealer with the '96 36kmi j30 wants $14.5 ... not bad ... but if I can pay lower then it would be great!
I'm going to check out the '97 58kmi today.
JP
- 93-94 had Super HICAS 4-w steering
- 93 requires timing belt change every 60kmi
- Little or no changes between 95-97
The drivetrain and engine seems to be bullet-proof but there are miscellanous electrical problems (sunroof, power window motors, doorlocks, etc.)
The looks and reliability of the J's have me sold.
Also, they're not in high demand so used car prices are pretty reasonable for a car that retailed at $35k+.
Good luck.
JP
I'm not sure why Lexus edges out Infiniti. Their styling is bland and hardly original and everything else about them can be had on others cars for far less money. But the reason why the Lexus and Infiniti nameplates even exist is because of America's insatiable vanity and need for labels. In Japan, everything sold here as an Acura, Lexus, or Infiniti, is sold there as a Honda, Nissan, or Toyota. They knew how we would balk at spending 50 grand on any of those plebian name car companies while the Japanese know that quality is quality, no matter whose name is on it. Oh well! And they are usually making an extra 10 to 20 grand because of our status seeking.
And as far as the J goes, Jiamin, all model years are pretty good bets. I'd read through all the posts here (there aren't many) to learn nuiasances to be aware of that are particular to Js. Let me give you a quick run through of differences (for details look through the posts):
1: The 1993 and 1994 benefited from HICAS 4-wheel steering, something available on many sport and luxury Nissans at the time.
2: The 1993 had a 4-speaker Bose system while the rest of the model years got a six-speaker system. The 1997 J30 got the new Bose head unit that was used on the Q45 and I30.
3: The 1995-up models got revised taillights and power lumbar support.
4: The 1994 and 1993 models got floor mats that had 'J30' embroidered on them. The rest of the years did not. I sourced out some 1993 floor mats for mine!
That about does it. Like I said, check the rest of the posts here. And for Infiniti parts, accessories, upgrades, apparel, and what not (all OEM) check Infintiparts.net. A great resource!
Anyway, JP, keep a level head and let us know if you need any more info about anything!
'95-'97 seem too be much more reliable. Go with one of these.
I still remember in the past, somewhere I read "J30's driver is too much isolated from the road" (not the exact word but basically it meant that). Some post complained about its noise. I guess people are raising the standard of a car's quietness.
-Kavan
Uh, since the timing belt was changed not that long ago you shouldn't have to change it for a while. at least until 160K miles.
The Bose head units are notorious for going on the fritz in the J30, and in many Nissans at that time. You might to send it in for repair and that usually costs about $125. I wouldn't recommend putting in a cheesey atermarket stereo. The Bose unit is already up to the job.
As far as the mats go, I suggest you take a look at Infinitiparts.net, the site that gives you OEM Infiniti parts at discount prices. Buy the mats from there.