[DJHOUSE77]

Hi, I'm new to this scene
I'm looking for a really reliable and economical car that I can play with a bit
I was looking at either a B13 sentra or a Toyota Paseo
I really like Nissans and was leaning towards the sentra

Can you guys give me some advice on what to look for in a 91-94 sentra and what to watch out for??
I'm looking to spend no more than 5,000 CDN on the car


Thnx in advance

 

[Felonious Cat Stalker]

Here in Ontario, look for rust, especially on the front door openings. Try to get a car that's been rust treated every winter. I let my go for the 1st winter I had it and rust came through all over in small and not so small spots.

5,000 CDN should get you a pretty decent car.

Paseos are a bit too girly, even if you're a girl.

 

[toolapcfan]

Look for a B13 SE-R coupe or an NX2000 because you'll likely end up wanting one of those two later on. Or if you're into 4 doors get a P10 Infinity G20. If a G20 costs too much and you have to get a 4 door, then at least get a Sentra SE, GXE or Limited Edition. You'll get all the goodies that way, SE interior, power windows a locks, tach. I heard one model even had 4 wheel discs as an option. Maybe get a sunroof too if that was an option. That's my .02 cents, which I frequently give out, it's a wonder I'm not broke. Ok, yeah, that was corny as hell.

 

[DJHOUSE77]

rust is a given

but how high a mileage is ok for this price range???
at what point do these cars start breaking down?
any parts that are notorious for breaking down??

 

[Daishi]

Door weather stripping.

Be mindful of the weather stripping especially in the doors. We've had 3 Sentras (87 XE, 92 GXE, 93 XE) and all three the stripping on the inside of the doors comes lose. That in itself is nothing a $2 bottle of super glue and 15 minutes can't fix, but check the doors for damage due to these pesky things coming loose. Try out the center console (air-con, air controls, directioning, etc...). In both of the B13s that we've had they have had times where they just won't work. Taken into a good shop and it's fixed from what they told me, fairly easily, but is rather annoying at 5:30 in the morning when it's like 10* outside and the windows are fogged up and the defroster isn't working. 45 mph with one's head out the window in that weather to see the road is not good for the face ;-). Also try out the radio and make sure all of the buttons work and in various temperatures and weather conditions. The stock radios have issues with varying weather elements. (ie... buttons working only sometimes, sluggish volume adjustment, annoying resets of the station to a particular preset number, etc...). I can't think of any more culprits at the moment. Those are the major things that I've noticed.

 

[DJHOUSE77]

thnx for the insight guys
i'm planning on putting a jvc deck in whatever car i buy so the stock stereo doesn't bother me at all

from what it seems like
the engine is pretty damn reliable

 

[toolapcfan]

Typical parts that break are the outer CV boots don't last. So get on the ground and look at the outer cv boots. Check the underside of the engine in general for any leaking fluids. Look below the PS pump to check for leaks, and around the head gasket and main seal. Check the oil on the dipstick to see if it's clean and smooth. Check for door sag, that's a typical problem. Check the trunk out, sometimes the tail light seals go bad and water gets into the trunk, so check out the spare tire well for water and/or mold. If there is no carpet covering the rear tail lights then it has leaked before. The thing with typically breaks on the HVAC controls is the fan switch itself, or the resistor. So make sure it runs on all fan speeds. Listen to how the engine runs with the hood open to hear any lifter noises or knocks. Should run quiet and idle smooth. These cars will be wrecked or the body will rust out before the engines crap out. You still want lower miles though. They say typical miles are like 10-12K a year but I think that's excessive. I've never put 10K on in a year. I look at 10K to be the most mileage per year that I will tolerate when looking at a car. Try and buy a one owner and if they have all records, look at them. If they took the car in for everything from oil changes to little repairs, it's probably a good car, and it'll show in the cars overall condition. People who take their cars in for everything don't tolerate rust, dents, etc.

 

[DJHOUSE77]

thnx toolapcfan

i'm writing this stuff down

 

[sunnysentra]

Look for a B13 in the 1994 range. I have seen these things beaten beyond belief because they generally are economy cars. SE-R owners generally take better care, but inspect the car through out. I owned mine since new and painted the underbody, but guess what, the rear rockers rusted anyway, a design flaw. The stamped metal has tight bends and water hides here. Get a Florida or CAli car.
Chris 92 classic

 

[Felonious Cat Stalker]

sunnysentra, it would be too costly to import as Fla or Cali Car. BC or Alta would be better for us Canadians.

On antoher note, about the blower motor. If you find a car that the HVAC fan only works on the "4" setting you should use that as an opportunity to haggle the price down - like "well, I'll need to fix that so maybe a lower price?." Then if the seller bites go to your friendly local Nissan dealer and say "I need a blower motor resistor for my 199X Sentra." They'll pull one out from near the counter (enough break for them to always be in stock) and it'll be about $24 CDN plus taxes and you may have just knocked a couple hundred bucks off the price for your efforts. It'll take 2 minutes to change it.

 

[DJHOUSE77]

lol
now thats a good tip fcs!

 

[SentraBoy]

Hey DJHOUSE77

If you can spend a little more than $5,000

I am selling my 94 Sentra XE...It is in MINT SHAPE.
It is listed on www.autotrader.ca (Kitchener Region)

It is listed for $8,495 w/Enkei rims or $7,495 o.b.o.
w/original wheels.

They are too many Mods and options to list on here but, I will part out the wheels and stereo to save you some money if you are interested. It's a MUST SEE!

PLEASE TAKE A LOOK IT'S WORTH IT!!

[email protected]

 

[Lucy John]

I am very late to reply you, I hope you found your desirable car.