A tale of two Infiniti's

The real question is not about a car as I see it.

Do you listen to the little woman or don't you and are you prepared to pay the piper when you don't.

Remember who has all the Bob Costas

aussiesmg wrote: The real question is not about a car as I see it. Do you listen to the little woman or don't you and are you prepared to pay the piper when you don't. Remember who has all the Bob Costas

That's only leverage if you're getting even a little bit now and then to stay addicted. That's my cynical 2 cents.

Sorry, I don't see the issue here. Grow some balls and buy the car you want. That green 5 spd looks pretty sweet and like the others have said, you have a great collection of parts to keep it going.

Its not a balls issue...I would hope she would talk to me before spending 2 large on anything. That's a lot of cash regardless of where it came from. Its a respect thing...

I've scheduled a test drive. Once I've driven it, and had a chance to thoroughly inspect the car, if there aren't mechanical issues or other mysterious undisclosed problems, then I will tell her that this is important to me and would make me happy. I think she will come around.

Yes, that was a bit tongue-in-cheek. I just know in our house my wife respects my decisions and if I felt that the green one was the better move (which in this case I think it is) she'd respect my decision. I don't need her "permission" and she doesn't need mine. We both trust that the other is not bone-headed enough to do anything to cause the family financial ruin.

doc_speeder wrote: Yes, that was a bit tongue-in-cheek. I just know in our house my wife respects my decisions and if I felt that the green one was the better move (which in this case I think it is) she'd respect my decision. I don't need her "permission" and she doesn't need mine. We both trust that the other is not bone-headed enough to do anything to cause the family financial ruin.

That is a case by case basis, some people find $2000 to be a LOT of money, some have more funds to play with.

Yes that's true, and I'd put myself in that scenario. I thought quite seriously about the $700 Neon I bought a few weeks ago. Not an impulse buy for sure. I guess I was assuming (yes that's dangerous I know) that if the OP is looking at a $2k car, then he has the budget for a $2k car.

True, I do have $2k in hand for use on correcting my situation with regard to getting to and from work. I can spend that money on:

A). fixing my current car
B). buying a new-to-me car
C). buying 87 lamas and having them pull a chariot I made from scrap lumber and an old lawnmower.

Of those 3 scenarios, I lean towards one, she leans toward another, and my crazy ass brother dreamt about the third. WHile, I can go with any of them based on the cash I have in hand, one will be awesome, but may cause strife within the marriage...one will be satisfactory, and still cause strife in the marriage, and one would likely put me into a top 5 spot for likely winners in this years Darwin awards. Just because I have the money for any of the options, doesnt necessarily mean I will just choose any one of them....at least not without getting Mrs 4CF on board first.

Around here, Llamas have dropped significantly in value over the past 3-4 years and I don't think the market has hit bottom yet. I hope you aren't considering that option...

Your brother sounds like an intelligent man. We share like minds.

Seems safe to me! There is a local ranch here in AZ with about 30 llamas I drive past once a week, let me know if you want some contact info

And, Lo, the braintrust spoke, and so it was done! Convinced SWMBO that it was what would make me happy, and she climbed on board. Offered $1600, he countered at $1900,we landed at $1800. I will pick it up tomorrow.

Glad it is getting sorted out. Now the fun really begins.

I hope the hint of sarcasm I hear in that post is just my inner cynicism burbling to the surface...He says hes got the title ready to go, and that hes ready to make the sale. Swapping over onto my insurance and such should be pretty simple, its a 99 G20, I currenlty drive a 99 G20 - this new to me car has approx. 5k more on the clock than me, is a different color, and is a 5speed, but aside from that, mechanically, theyre virtually identical.

I hope the fun you mention is referring to the grins I will have as I chirp second pulling out of the hairpin after the bridge at the base of the hill by the Little Miami river I cross everyday on my way to work...

I was refering to stripping out the old one and such, no sarcasm. Are you going to swap the interiors between the two?

Awesome! Start a build thread! (Even if you're just freshening it up!)

I was thinking of maybe moving my power seats and digital HVAC controls over - this car has manual push-button HVAC and manual seats. But, the seats are cloth (not slippery leather), and manual seats dont have mega-heavy electric motors inside them either, so I may leave the seats issue alone. Otherwise, theres little difference. This car does come with the optional 6 disc changer so thats a bonus. I will be swapping over my stereo - even tho my current cars stereo is OEM, I modded it to include a Aux-in 3.5mm port by soldering in a bypass onto the back of the printed circuit board. Also, my current car has solid lower engine mounts (well, filled with window weld, not really "solid), and solid aluminum subframe bushings. I will just swap the whole subframe over (I think, not sure if the rear lower mount is the same between autos and manuals).

My only issue - and I mean ONLY, was the vague shifter feel. Twice during the test drive, I found second when looking for fourth - just was really loose feeling. Im not sure if thats an actual problem versus just my driving style. Its been a few years since I DD'd a manual, so I was brushing some dust off my 3 pedal skillset. But my 95 Corolla shifter felt awesome - like it had a steel gate plate off a Ferrari. Who knows...I guess thats what aftermarket shifters and bushings are for!!

Either way, the car is leaps and bounds better. I will post up pics and progress. Thanks for everyones input!

Congrats! Glad you got what you want and SWMBO is happy. Win/Win!

There are only two reasons that I would move the seats: To get the leather (but it sounds like you don't like it, so ignore that) and IF the power seats made it more comfortable. Sometimes there are more adjustments possible that make the seating position better.

Well, SWMBO seems to want the leather seats, so looks like they will be swapped over (IIRC, the plugs are present in all chassis, its the actual seat that changes based on options that are chosen). Personally, the cloth seats are grippier, and weigh less, so to me they are more desireable, but sometimes you gotta pay the piper. If leather makes her happy...happy wife, happy life as they say...

It will get Hawk street pads, it will get new shifter bushings, it will get a bigger rear sway bar, and it will get a RSTB...eventually

Some other nice to haves would be urethane rack and swaybar bushings, and a set of solid aluminum/delrin lower control arm bushings. But that will be a little more cheddar, so who knows...

...And it is mine! pics to follow...

HURRY!!!

4cylndrfury wrote: Well, SWMBO seems to want the leather seats, so looks like they will be swapped over (IIRC, the plugs are present in all chassis, its the actual seat that changes based on options that are chosen). Personally, the cloth seats are grippier, and weigh less, so to me they are more desireable, but sometimes you gotta pay the piper. If leather makes her happy...happy wife, happy life as they say... It will get Hawk street pads, it will get new shifter bushings, it will get a bigger rear sway bar, and it will get a RSTB...eventually Some other nice to haves would be urethane rack and swaybar bushings, and a set of solid aluminum/delrin lower control arm bushings. But that will be a little more cheddar, so who knows...

From someone who's been married about a decade, and you've never met, so take it for what it's worth:

unless she's giving you the key to the back door every day for the next year, just keep the berking cloth seats if they make you happy.

Leather passenger seat and cloth driver?

Relationships are built on compromise...or something like that. Says the unmarried 23 year old!

Ha, I found out recently that all P11 G20 power seats are also heated, its THE SWITCH that was installed as a dealer option that activates them. SO, I will be swapping in the seats and buying a set of switches online, because I want the butt warmers (it gets pretty cold here in the winter). And I dont mind compromising on the cloth vs leather debate to make her happy. I got a clean, Cali car with a proper gearbox, which makes me happy. The rest is arbitrary.

Ive been coveting a 5 speed, 99 P11 for years now. I think I will call her Precious!

I wouldve liked a QTI color code car - the pearl white on my original car:

But, a 5 speed P11 is a unicorn. A 1999 (non-roller rocker motor), 5 speed P11, in the greater Cincinnati area, with little to no rust underneath is a unicorn with a mermaid riding on its back. A 1999 (non-roller rocker motor), 5 speed, QT1 P11, in the greater Cincinnati area, with little to no rust, is a unicorn, with a mermaid riding on its back, playing "stairway to Heaven" on Eric Claptons Gold Leaf Stratocaster...so I took what I could get.

May I present to you: PRECIOUS ( thunderous applause, bouquets of flowers and womens undergarments being thrown about, choirs of angels singing "Welcome to the Jungle" in glorious harmony )

I now have 100% more Infiniti content at my house!

So, this week, I plan to swap the lower crossmember over, as I have 2 new lower motor mounts, and solid aluminum bushings installed in my old car. I also may swap front struts over, as the new car has a little bit of shudder on bigger bumps that I didnt notice on the test drive. My white car has newer tires on the same wheels, so theyre coming with me. The aforementioned leather HEATED seats, and the stereo which I modded will make the swap list too, and thats about it.

I work near an old factory that takes up a few city blocks, which would make a killer backdrop. Im gonna try to get a few fancy magazine photoshoot type pics tomorrow when the suns out. The paint on this car is in great shape, but a few bits of black trim are a little faded, so I will probably put some satin black rattlebomb action into effect at some point.

I will continue to update this thread as I progress through the changes. Thanks for all the interest and support, guys. I love this forum!