Topic: Contemplating the fate of a 1994 Infiniti Q45 in Carson City, NV
Hey there, all.
I've been a bit of a fan of Lemons racing for a few years now, and this morning started to think about Lemons as a possible solution to a bit of a quandary I find myself in.
Last year, I finally decided to part with my 1994 Q45, a car that I had truly loved for nearly a decade after having it handed down to me from my mother. The styling, the feel, everything about that car felt great. I handed the keys to a friend, and told him to go ahead and pay me over time, no rush.
After a year, he decided (for unrelated reasons) not to finish buying the car after paying half the price and handed the keys back. Unfortunately... he wasn't particularly kind to it. The paint is scratched up in places it wasn't before, there's more interior trim damage, and the "destroyed by heavy drivers" seat is pretty much flattened. The engine, however, in my experiences driving the car over the last couple weeks, seems to be in pretty good shape. The shocks are "okay", I think, and the tires were relatively new when I first started to consider selling the car.
But now, I have five cars, parking for 4 if I drive two over a curb, and need to track down the title for the Infiniti. My thought is... should I try and find a way to send her out in a blaze of Lemons glory? I'm not going to be able to do the conversion work (cage, seats, etc.) to make her trackworthy, but if the car might be a suitable candidate for Lemons use, I'm considering my options.
I have two major things that come to mind.
First, I could sell it for a Lemons appropriate price to an established team that wants to run her in Lemons racing events.
Second, I wonder if perhaps I could barter with a technically competent team for some... repair work. I've got a 1993 300ZX Twin Turbo that has been an absolute albatross for the last five years. Mechanical problems galore, but now, the only thing (I think!) that seems to remain is some kind of possible vacuum leak that my local mechanic doesn't have any idea how to approach. If anyone has worked on a 300ZX Turbo before, they know what I'm talking about. The Z runs, but idles badly, and overheats like crazy after a few minutes of drive time. Idling, temperatures are mostly okay, but once you get on the road it's a terrifying hellscape of fear. It could be air problems, it could be thermostats, but my partner and I have spent days trying to figure it out and have reached nearly the end of the road. Wouldn't expect anyone to actually fix the Z for the trade, but a weekend or even a good day of time spent helping us look into it might be a route worth considering.
So, Lemons commentariat, any thoughts?