Austin (TX) CL - 83 Diesel Wagon, 80K mi, 'bad' IP

#1

Nissan Maxima 6cyl diesel, motor 80K miles - $1000
Reply to: sale-252283917@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-12-22, 4:25PM CST

This low mileage one owner well maintained 83 wagon was only made 2 years. Due to changes in dielsel forulation most likely, the seals in the injector pump gave out, so that is what needs rebuild if you want the whole car in tact.

* Location: Austin TX
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

83 Diesel Wagon 80K mi 'bad' IP - Austin, TX

#2

80k miles is good. I wonder if more than the input shaft seal is leaking? Definitely a trailer proposition. Still no word on the one in Colorado. I'll email this one also. Bad part is I've got a business trip this week. Internet access sketchy.

Later:

After looking at the listing again, it sounds like the car is being sold for parts? Kinda vague, but it is listed in the parts section. Makes me wonder about a title.

#3

goglio704 wrote:...After looking at the listing again, it sounds like the car is being sold for parts? Kinda vague, but it is listed in the parts section. Makes me wonder about a title.

I received a response from the owner, the car is whole. If someone wants to view it the vehicle is located at 6505 Skycrest. The following is a copy of the email that was sent to me:

Hi - the car runs fine, but due to the fuel pump leak should not be run
until the pump
is rebuilt. The price reflects an offset for the pump rebuild. I have the
title, the body is in great shape and was repainted and reupholstered along
the way. It is automatic, recently had the tran fluid flushed. You can come
by 6506 Skycrest to look at it in person. Call with any questions 394-1286
or 326-3500

Here's the photo that was sent a long with the email....another "brownie" but in really nice condition if the other side looks the same. Then again it has new paint too. I'd love to see what the new uphostery looks like! It does have those hideous hub caps of course!

steve a

#4

I think this might be a better car than the one Colorado, even with the IP leak. I got more or less the same reply, and exactly the same picture. With many thanks to Ben, we know more about the Colorado car, but I like the idea of this one better for some reason. Opinions?

#5

Even with the IP leakage I'd go for the Texas car personally. This car seems to have seen slightly less abuse (from what we can see).

my .02

sa

#6

That was my impression as well. A run to Texas with a trailer is certainly feasible for me, but not on short notice. Truck, trailer, and some fuel being employer provided certainly helps.

I need to get more info out of this seller. He seems to assume that all responses to his ad are local. I guess that is in keeping with Craig's List doctrine though. Little do they know of the incredible search engine that is NissanDiesel.dyndns.org

#7

Well . . . we know how to re-seal the IP, if it's the shaft seal. Since you'd want to replace the IP belt & tensioner anyway, this is almost a no-cost fix.

The paint and uphostery make it worth at least a grand more than if it didn't have those improvements.

The big deal is the transmission. The '83 has the best AT available; the '81 has the worst (no OD, no lockup)

And of course all the running changes Nissan made over the run of the vehicle have been incorporated, so you get all kinds of improvements.

Yes of the two, the Texas car has more appeal. And probably less rust.

#8

Here is a question relevant to either car. How to go about buying it? Since it is not an auction, there would be no reason for somebody not to take the bird in the hand and sell it out from under you. A deposit should prevent this if the seller is honest, but who knows? Surely a 10% deposit would be reasonable?

#9

I would call and talk to the seller and indicate that unless it proves to be grossly misrepresented that you would like to buy it and would be interested in securing it with a deposit (paypal if possible?) and would hope that 10% would suffice. If they balk at that idea ask what they would consider acceptable and then negotiate if you need to.

If they are unable to accept a deposit without wiring the money (expensive) I would ask them to give you a verbal comittment to hold it.

sa

#10

goglio704 wrote:Here is a question relevant to either car. How to go about buying it? Since it is not an auction, there would be no reason for somebody not to take the bird in the hand and sell it out from under you. A deposit should prevent this if the seller is honest, but who knows? Surely a 10% deposit would be reasonable?

Or have a local store it for you if at all possible.

#11

I was corresponding somewhat regularly with the seller by email until I asked for more pictures because I am in another state. Nothing but crickets chirping after that. Maybe the seller is just busy. I did learn that the air conditioning is defunct. Other than that and the IP, supposed to be no other problems.

#12

Well....their weather isn't good right now...but it is more likely that the absence of contact that was once there smells like sold vehicle.

sa

#13

I finally got some more pictures, and I must say the rest of the car looked good. The cargo area was conspicuously absent from the pictures and the glove box door was gone. I asked about those items and was told the car sold. Odd part was that it usually took two or three days to get a reply to an email. I don't understand why people advertise an item and then are so slow to respond to questions. I guess the fact that it sold anyway explains the phenomenon. Very disappointing.

#14

I was wondering what happened with this. I am sorry to hear the seller was flaky.

I ran into the same thing with the fort collins car. The seller would only return my calls and/or e-mails when it was convenient for her. I think I sent her 3 e-mails and a phone message inside of 2 days and it took her almost 4 full days to pick up the phone. It was at this pont she told me that the car was more or less sold to someone from Wyoming...until she called a few hours later and the person was no longer coming and at that pont she was SOOOOO willing to negotiate. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.[/i]

#15

What happens is that the seller got fixated on the "flavor of the moment" and that flavor probably said that they would buy it. Once the seller hears those words, everyone else involved in the sale (and anyone who might inquire after) gets the cold shoulder non-response.

been there before

steve a

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Austin (TX) CL - 83 Diesel Wagon, 80K mi, 'bad' IP

Austin (TX) CL - 83 Diesel Wagon, 80K mi, 'bad' IP

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