northwest37

I'm going to check out and drive a '09 G37x Sedan tomorrow, what should I look for? Car has rebuilt status from minor bodywork, 195,000kms.

It'll be my first vehicle and first time purchasing one, what should I be taking a closer look at?

SupraOfDoom

Are you buying it from a 3rd party or dealership? I bought a repaired salvage title from a dealership, and I brought it to my own dealership to have it looked at for anything they may have missed (or neglected to say). Obviously check for engine lights, leaks in the engine bay or below the car, and listen for anything making noise while test driving.

Sounds like you're in Canada judging by KM. I know that not all lenders in the US will approve a rebuilt title, and not all insurance companies will insure them either. So also might want to make sure you can obtain those.

STownSaint

Wisdom says get a car with lower mileage/cleaner history as your first car (unless you're well-trained mechanically). It's most people's first big purchase and responsibility, why make it riskier than it has to be? (I'm getting old......)

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

Try to take someone w/ you that can keep you level headed if you're the type that can be impulsive. Can hurt the deal if you show that you're in love w/ the car, and especially if the friend is someone that's mechanically inclined. Try to source a few other vehicles in that price range so you can at least see what else is out there rather than just focusing in one one vehicle.

Good Luck!

jfridge92

It's also worth noting that pre-2012 G37's have the potential to have the rear timing cover gasket fail. If that fails and you are not mechanically inclined to repair it yourself, it can be a very expensive repair bill ($1500-3000 depending on the shop). I'm not throwing this as a scare tactic, because if I'm not mistaken, blnewt has an 09' that has not experienced this failure. But, with this being your first car purchase, and it sounds like you may be on a budget, this is certainly something to take into consideration. Since it has higher mileage, it's totally possible that this repair may have already been done in the past, so if it has any service history or receipts/invoices that the seller can provide, that is even better.

Bravo at

I see you're in the NorCal area. Happy to meet and check out the car with you. Or Maybe take a ton of pics and notes and share with all of us. You'll get more support from the forum if you've done you're part and some homework. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

Crazy_Guy

I personally would not take the chance on a rebuilt car but the best thing to do would be to just hire an independent mechanic to inspect it. Even though it says it was minor bodywork it could be hiding other issues

SupraOfDoom

They can come with extra problems. Heck mine even did. I had to replace the drivers side baffle in the front, and I even noticed it had an AWD hub on it instead of RWD. That wasn't an issue, but it was also missing the extended Z1 studs that came with the spacers that were installed on the other 3 sides.

Still, sometimes buying rebuilt salvage means saving a ton of money. I got this car for 11.5 with 54k miles in a state where 6MT's are more impossible to find than most.

Crazy_Guy

That is a hell of a deal I could not find a 6MT in good condition anywhere near me and didnt want to take a chance on cars from Houston since Harvey was so recent so I got a 2009 G37S 7AT for 11k with 116k miles the only issue it had was some badly repaired fenders and some messed up rims although Im putting new wheels and tires on anyway so not a big deal