Hi, I am new to this forum. I am looking at a '94 Sentra LE w/ 155K miles and 5spd tranny. I have not seen the car yet, but would like to know what to look for as problem areas.
For some info on me - I am not new to cars. I used to work for a DSM parts manufacture. I built an honest 325whp '98 Talon TSI. I build 4x4 Toyota pickups. I have an '81. I work on japanese sportbikes. I have been riding motorcycles for over 16yrs and have been working on them for 11yrs. I have also been building streetrods with my father-in-law for the last 5yrs. And I have been working in the maintenance field for 14 yrs.
I am not trying to brag about myself, I just don't want the answers given on the DSM boards from people thinking that I am a teenager with daddy's money building a ricecar.
How are Nissan engines as far as regular maintenance? Mitsu and Toyota engines need to have timing belts/chains changed on a regular basis or the engines detonate! Is this the way Nissan engines are? This is not a problem to me, just some "need to know" info. Are the tranny's durable? Mitsu trannys are O.K., clutch's don't take abuse well. Toyota's are great.
Especially in your neck of the woods, check the area around the front door hinges for rust, this is the worst spot on the car for that.
The GA16 is a good little engine, if taken care of (or even if not) it should last. I sold my 94 Sentra with 220,000 kms on the odo and the engine was still strong, felt like it had a lot more life. No detonation and it had the original timing chain. The original clutch was just starting to slip at that point and the synchros were getting worn, especially in 3rd. This car was driven hard, in Solo II, and road rally too though.
The exhausts on these cars are biodegradeable, if it hasn't been replaced, yet, it probably should.
When you drive it, make sure it doesn't pop out of fifth gear, it tends to get that problem frequently. Check the heat, make sure the heat works on settings 1-3 (not an expensive fix, free if you swipe from a junk yard just annoying). Check the wheel wells for rust, at the bottom of the doors is one of the fastest areas to rust also. The engines are durable as hell and will last you forever if you keep up with regular maintanence. To my knowledge, the trannys are durable also, mine kind of kicks into first hard though, which is kind of expected at 150k miles. The exhausts do seem to get eaten up quickly, seeing as mine makes a huge growling noise comming out from right under the drivers seat. Listen and make sure it's fine. All in all though, these cars where made to last you forever. Well worth the money and they respond well to bolt on mods
BTW - How much you paying for it?
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Thanks for the info. They are asking $2100, but I plan to offer less. They said that the heater switches were replaced last summer and the A/C was charged then too. I have been told that the only rust on the car is on the bottom?? and that there is not very much? I will see Friday.
My wife has been looking at Honda's, but I don't really like them. Yeah, they are basicly well built cars, but there are soooooooo many of them that are ricecars and my DSM friends will laugh and harass me to no end!!
Is there a list some where on-line of cheap/free mods? A list of recommended mods? I am not looking to full out mod the car, but from my previous post, you can tell that I will not leave the car alone for too long.
Is ther also a list of problem areas, ie - heater switches and such.
Thanks for the help. This board has provided me with more help than the DSM boards did in 2.5 yrs!
Don't tease me about turbo's. I love the way they make an engine pull. One of my buddy's custom builds turbo kits for V8 mustangs. He sees aplications for turbo's on just about everything!! He has an '85 mustang that runs low 11's on pump gas, mid 10's on race gas, and thru mufflers!!
I will probably keep this car NA, but, you never know. I may love the way the car handles and go nuts with mods. I had over $7K into my Talon and I got free labor and 95% of my parts at dealer cost!
i got a le around the same mileage, in minnesota, and when i first drove it GODD#!$ it drives like a dream!!!! IT had much power for a 100hp car, and 106tq, or whatever the numbers are. I smoke the tires with ease. I've even raced it stock and beat a couple of people on the track. But yo, the first things going wrong with mine, was the hinges, on the driver side, there rusted so the door kinda slants, then the actually part the door closes into is bending inward. Next thing is the engine light might come on for nothing. Well it's something but i don't know what. The clutch went out at 175000, and it was stock. so it's replaced. The battery was still stock as well, but that's dead, along with my alternator, because of old mtx81000d. The rust on the bottom area by the door accumulates, so please fix that first if you do bodywork. The trunk break if you put any real kicks in there my L712 destroyed my closing mechanism's, so now my trunk is a two man job to open. The heat still works, so does the air, and my car is ready for upgrades. But the weirdest thing that happened so far, is that when i went to replace tha alternator, the bolts broke into the bracket. i guess i'm too strong. and the bracket is 264.00 at nissan, because it's the whole god@#$!$ airconditioner. There connected, so i suggest you be really delicate to that alternator bracket. Other than that, I love this car.
xher0, why didn't you just get the bracket from a junkyard? Forget the dealerships;/
i will cause it's like $40 bucks there. But still i gotta drain the air conditioning liquid first then rip out everything to pull that off? that's bough. does it disconnect or do i have to take the air off.
Well, I am now the proud owner of a '94 Sentra LE. I picked it up for $1900. After looking at the car and driving it I think that this is money well spent. The interior is immaculate. The only thing that I have found that need fixing on the interior is the dash light dimmer switch. When you adjust the switch the lights flicker. It should just need to be cleaned. On the outside, it has some rust on the rocker panels on both sides. The drivers door has the lower hinge pin is loose and needs to be replaced. And, it will need tires soon. So nothing major.
Thanks again for the help. I am sure I will be visiting this site on a regular basis.
i got my 94' sentra for like $1000 and my old 91' i got for free. (i really miss the 91') but the 94' seems promising...do to the ga motor but the sentra is a really well built car....ill give props
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here a link to the hos!
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/569143
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advise on '94 Sentra LE
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