I just made a payment on a 2000 Nissan Xterra for $2,200. I got the price down to $4,200 otd with all the work it needs.
the car needs
- New Oil cover gasket
- New Ball joint & lower arm for the front, driver side wheel
- An alignment to fix the steering
- oil change ; Since the next scheduled one is coming up soon
the car has 132K miles on it & road around town smooth. It’s fairly clean with lots of space & no serious rust on the frame. I know I did my research, I studied the best models & years to buy, & I’m confident in my decision. I wanna hear you guy’s opinion : Is it worth putting in $2,666 into a $4,200 that rides good?
the mechanic I had that looked at the car said “it ain’t worth buying (because spark plugs are hard to change in it) but is all the important stuff gets fixed, the car can last 2 years.”
what do you guys think, did I make the right decision? (I think I did. & only time will tell.)
I think I can get this work done for cheaper as well. I think $2,666 for all that work is insane to me. I think I know a shop that can do this for less.
The best would be if you could do the work yourself. (At least some of it.) That's what really makes owning a decades-old vehicle financially viable in most cases.
There's really no way to tell how long that thing will last but your target of two years seems reasonable. Old vehicles will sometimes surprise you if you get lucky. I bought a 1997 Saab that had about 200,000 miles in 2011 for $1500 figuring it might last a year or two. Now it's 2025 and I'm still driving it. There have been repairs along the way of course but I've done them all myself except for things like exhaust (I don't weld) and tie rod ends (alignment needed).
Yeah I know. See, stuff like that gives me faith. Cause I don’t know how to do anything mechanically on my car, I did research on a car that can easily be fix by someone for less. I think I DID in fact get lucky since I see new models with double that mileage go for $6,000 - $9,000 where I live. I think that’s insane. I’m fully aware & willing to drop the money for a professional to do the work. I make good money. (NOT rich) but I think I can find a bargain
AND funny enough, the shop I’m referring to that is cheaper in repairs IS a SAAB shop in Skokie IL called Peterson automotive. They looked at the 2002 I test drove that had the leaking oil seal & the power steering pump. I may bring it to them to fix. They were happy to inspect everything & repair it.
@chucktobias They even have a nice SAAB 9-7X parked across the street for sale. You can call them & ask about it. I didn’t get a closer look, but it looks nice on the outside & it’s ultra rare. They’re putting it up for sale I think. It’s the color Grey too Here’s the number to the shop [phone number redacted]
Thanks for the thought, but we don't post vehicles for sale in this forum. Also the "Saab" 9-7X is really just a thinly-disguised Chevy Trailblazer with a few superficial Saab touches. (Typical GM. They are ultra-rare because they were overpriced and didn't fool anyone that was into Saabs.)
Yeah no problem. Thanks for the thought. I’m positive this car will be good. It just needs some TLC & I’m happy to do it. I also apologize, I didn’t know that was a thing. But a supercharged trailblazer isn’t a bad summer car to have. It’s a little bit sporty & has a back seat. But I getchu, it still may have a weak transmission underneath it.
From what I've read the 9-7X is as good or bad as the high-end edition of the Trailblazer platform it's based on. They are rare mainly because GM thought they could get a ridiculous amount of money for them.
In fact I bought my car from a Saab aficianado who sold it because he needed a vehicle that sits higher up due to a medical condition. To replace the car he bought a 9-7X SUV to at least have something at least tangentially in the same family.
For reference : the full repair bill came out to $2,666 w/ tax for everything done. The guy quoted the important stuff at about $1,300 just to ensure it’s ready to drive, long term.
heres a list of repairs for this 2000 Nissan Xterra
- New Oil head gasket cover (leaking oil on the driver side of the block) (IMPORTANT)
- New ball joint & lower control arm. (The top control arm is new & there’s a loose ball joint) (IMPORTANT)
- a Wheel alinement (IMPORTANT)
- an oil change (IMPORTANT)
- 2 half balled tires in the rear (Can wait)
here’s the car’s basic details
* 2000 Nissan Xterra (1st Gen)
* 3.3L V6
* 4 speed automatic w/ a shifter for 4WD
* 132,000 miles on the odometer
* Surface rust underneath & a clean frame.
* drives smooth. Everything works from the lights to the rear window wiper
* Comes with a spear tire & original crowbar & Jack
* A first aid kit
* custom suspension (ride height is higher in the back
* No major noises or squeaks & the AC blows Hot & Cold air
I’m willing to fix all of this by the end of summer & I truly think it will last over 2 years max. The mechanic said he had a bad experience with the car, but this car has less major problems than another one I posted about (2002 model) I also like cheap insurance & I may NOT have to do admissions tests anymore since the car is 25 years old. Full coverage would be worth it this time.
I think I can get this work done for cheaper as well. I think $2,666 for all that work is insane to me. I think I know a shop that can do this for less.