Southern California Club Xterra

Southern California Club Xterra => SCCX General Discussion => Topic started by: buffalo on September 23, 2019, 12:47:29 PM

Title: To keep or not to keep
Post by: buffalo on September 23, 2019, 12:47:29 PM
I'm attached to my X and really don't want to get rid of it. Had the transmission rebuilt but still having problems with shifting in and out of 4wd. Also has exhaust problems and can't pass smog. Have to accept that it's not worth dumping any more money into it. Need advice....

If I decide to part it out I will have the following available
Yakima Loadwarrior
Extra Xterra factory crossbars
Shrockworks Front bumper
Shrockworks Rear bumper with tire carrier
Shrockworks rocksliders
All 4 Shrockworks skidplates
Warn winch, brand new with synthetic rope
Daystar 3" lift
New Bilstein shocks
Pioneer audio system with display/DVD/nav/rear camera
BFG all terrain KO2s 33s new
Okole seat covers
Nissan rubber floor mats

After I got the transmission fixed I dumped more money into it by adding some of the mentioned upgrades. They have not seen any offroading.

Still undecided...
Title: Re: To keep or not to keep
Post by: JFanaselle on September 24, 2019, 09:47:58 AM
Always a tough dilemma once you start having to sink what feels like endless money and work into a rig. One thing I'll mention is that shifting into/out of 4 wheel drive is controlled by actuators within the transfer case, not the transmission, so the transmission work you had done will not address that issue.

You didn't mention what year your rig is or what the mileage is, but assuming it's a 2nd Gen with over 100,000 miles, you're probably due for cats, which is likely where your smog issues are coming from. This is where you really have some tough choices to make. The cats alone usually run well over $1,000, and the job to replace them is a big project. Some folks on this site have had recurring issues with having to replace cats, and it's even led to some of them choosing to get rid of their rigs. Others bite the bullet and pay the premium for OEM replacement and for a professional to install them, so the work is warrantied and the issues are kept at a minimum.

Selling the rig as-is won't get you much of a return, especially with smog and transfer case issues. The aftermarket parts will fetch you pennies on the dollar if you sell the rig with them intact. Most buyers aren't willing to give you more than the value of the car itself, even with thousands of dollars worth of aftermarket equipment installed. Parting it out will get you more $ back for those items, but is also the slowest/most difficult method to sell it all off. You need the space to store and tear the rig down, you need the time/tools to do it all, and you need the means to advertise/sell everything. Plus, if you still plan to try and sell the vehicle somehow, you'll need replacements for some of the items you're selling (tires, bumpers, suspension components, etc.), unless you've kept your originals and plan to throw them all back on. This is not impossible, as you can usually negotiate a "swap" as part of the sale of your existing stuff, but that will impact the prices you're asking for stuff, the number of people/customers you appeal to, and the timing/work involved, as you'll usually want/need the rigs side by side to swap components over. Basically, each sale becomes more of a mod-session instead of a quick meet-up and exchange of money/parts. A simpler option is to junk the vehicle afterward, but again, you'll get much less money for this option.

Your bumpers, skid plates and sliders will probably sell pretty quickly through forum posts. The tires could be fairly desirable, too, but the cost of removal/exchanging/mounting/balancing can be prohibitive for folks if you're asking anything close to what you paid for them. The more universal items (Pioneer audio components, Yakima Loadwarrior basket, Warn winch, etc.) might be best sold through platforms like Craigslist or OfferUp, as you'll advertise to larger audiences and generate more demand that way. Some of the other items (the daystar lift components, the shocks, the seat covers, etc.) are easier to ship, but are in very low demand via the forums and you may end up selling them for half what you paid.

Not trying to be a downer, just trying to help you better understand your options. In the end, it's always a balance between money/time/convenience. The fastest/easiest option is to simply sell your rig complete, but this will cost you the most money (by giving you a very small return on all the money you've already spent). The least expensive option (by giving you a larger return on the money you've already spent) is to part-out and sell-off everything that you can, but this takes much space/time/effort. The middle option is to keep the rig and fix the issues, which is also not cheap or easy, but will allow you to keep the rig and all of your aftermarket parts.

Tough choices indeed, and I hope you get it all figured out soon.
Title: Re: To keep or not to keep
Post by: buffalo on September 24, 2019, 02:31:35 PM
Very intelligent and thought out response. Thank you. I had already decided to part it out in the near future. Luckily my other car will be sold too and used as a new down payment on a new Tacoma. The X sits in the driveway and doesn't take up space needed for my other vehicles. I'll get my Tacoma and over time use the money I get from selling off my Xterra accessories to offset new accessories for my Tacoma.

I just don't want to accept it's the end for my X. It's a 2005 with 145k miles bought new, which replaced my 2001 Xterra. I've been in the Xterra family since almost the beginning. Lots of good memories.
Title: Re: To keep or not to keep
Post by: Ghost65 on September 26, 2019, 06:54:47 AM
Very intelligent and thought out response. Thank you. I had already decided to part it out in the near future. Luckily my other car will be sold too and used as a new down payment on a new Tacoma. The X sits in the driveway and doesn't take up space needed for my other vehicles. I'll get my Tacoma and over time use the money I get from selling off my Xterra accessories to offset new accessories for my Tacoma.

I just don't want to accept it's the end for my X. It's a 2005 with 145k miles bought new, which replaced my 2001 Xterra. I've been in the Xterra family since almost the beginning. Lots of good memories.

Very familiar territory here...and as the other gents here will affirm, a broken record (Duffman, Celt, Sage will get the reference)

I too owned an 05'...220K miles...second transmission in...facing a second $2,300 repair for new cats...and I ended up selling my X for $3,200...after pumping over $20K in aftermarket parts and repairs into it over a six year span. 

I had some of the best times and met most of my current friends over tools and dust through my Xterra.

Joe's post is spot on...good luck in your future Taco adventures. 

Maybe Woody, yourself and I should create a "Recovering from Nissan's Forum"  ;)
Title: Re: To keep or not to keep
Post by: CAWoody on September 26, 2019, 09:06:32 PM
Very familiar territory here...and as the other gents here will affirm, a broken record (Duffman, Celt, Sage will get the reference)

I too owned an 05'...220K miles...second transmission in...facing a second $2,300 repair for new cats...and I ended up selling my X for $3,200...after pumping over $20K in aftermarket parts and repairs into it over a six year span. 

I had some of the best times and met most of my current friends over tools and dust through my Xterra.

Joe's post is spot on...good luck in your future Taco adventures. 

Maybe Woody, yourself and I should create a "Recovering from Nissan's Forum"  ;)

Amen brother.  My 05 X made it to 250k.  I had good luck with the Magnaflow cats but had to replace every sensor at the same time.  We decided to let it go before anything else could go south on it. 

Real happy with the Tacoma, especially since I put the Katzkin interior in it. 

GOOD TOYOTA!!!!!
Title: Re: To keep or not to keep
Post by: knightrider on September 26, 2019, 10:32:56 PM
Maybe Woody, yourself and I should create a "Recovering from Nissan's Forum"  ;)

https://www.sccxterra.com/smf/index.php?board=61.0

Done :D
Title: Re: To keep or not to keep
Post by: Celt on September 27, 2019, 08:44:14 AM
https://www.sccxterra.com/smf/index.php?board=61.0

Done :D

HAHHAHA..... Now that there was some funny!!
Title: Re: To keep or not to keep
Post by: Ghost65 on September 29, 2019, 09:36:57 AM
HAHHAHA..... Now that there was some funny!!

Nice to see our membership dues put to good use.  ;)