bmacster

I picked up a 96 Nissan Altima SE for $2500, 181k miles from a friend of mine but will need some work done on it before it will become a reliable daily driver. I plan on keeping it until 300k.

I did a bunch of research on the uberweb and various forums, took the car to a dealership to get an inspection and needs the following stuff done to it.

Remove T-Chain guide(s?) (forum search on this had different opinions but its very apparent that something needs to be done and soon.
New/Reman halfshafts (old boot is completely gone..not much grease left.)
New rack/pinion boot (old boot is starting to rip)
Shifter bearings and/or rod (it's looser than Madonna)
New front seals
New v/c gasket

Now, I am a complete car n00b but very mechanically inclined and since the dealership quoted me $2700 for all of the work ($1500 in parts, $1200 in labor) so I am planning to do the work myself. I was a bit troubled with this code; P0170 and P0325. I know one is the knock sensor but the P0170 could be the MAF. Is there a way to check if it is the MAF?

Otherwise, the car is in great condition. It was involved in a minor rear ender and there is something funky with the headlights from the prior owner but everything else is gravy.

Your thoughts on the MAF and anything else I should know about would be awesome. I plan on working on the car this weekend then a nice road trip.

Added: I looked under the hood again and noticed there is an intake. Could the filter be plugged enough to toss a code?

Thanks!