Appreciate all the suggestions and support, guys. They have all the cars talked about here as available donors if need be already and we seem to have a pretty concrete plan for now (as much as you can w/o trying it an seeing if it works in the real world) so at this point I am going to put this thread to rest from my end and start the project. That way I won't be talking $hit until I have something to back it up. Cross your fingers and watch for pics in 2 to 4 months and Thanks again. No hard feelings nay-sayers, I wouldn't beleive me either. Last thing, if anyone see a cheap S13 that runs let me know.

 

I'd use 300Z parts

 

did you even read any of the posts in this thread?? ...I sware some of you guys make me wonder sometimes

 

Personally I'd be worried that the 240 driveline would standup to the potential of the 3.0L V6. If I were starting a project like this and wanted to source parts from within the Nissan family I'd be looking at drivetrain parts from the last gen 300zx, including the TT engine. Lot's of potential, well sorted out, huge aftermarket parts availability. Sounds good to me.

 

well if it can stand up to ~350hp or so turbo KA24(D)Es I'm pretty sure it can handle the abuse of the stock Max 3.0

 

240 driveline no problemo - nissan rwd manual trannies & diffs are quite strong and the rwd auto's can handle the extra go power. It's only the auto trannies used in 3-gen max that's the weakest link - it's also used in stanza / altima and based on tranny that's in sentra & nx - 4 pot's with way less torque & hp (which is why it doesn't last like it should). Nissan got shafted by there supplier JATCo (should be crapco...)

 

for what it is worth, after i read this thread last nite or so about the J30 chassis, i went to kinkos late and pulled into a space right next to a J30. i was then able to visually compare and contrast the two cars: now, they say that the 3rd gen is the J30 platform. so i am assuming that does not mean the chassis specifically -it cannot. the J30 is larger.

the "platform" must refer to the general design, shape, concept and chassis geometry/theme. (i think the 350Z and the G35 and FX45 or whatever that is share the same "platform," yet the vehicles differ in size and shape).

surprisingly, the J30 is bigger. it does not initially strike me as that way, but, hey, i saw the cars. it is wider than my maxima, and longer, albeit not much longer. the front glass is raked MORE than the 3rd gen, actually. the hood is massive compared to the 3rd gen. the front and rear glass pieces are wider but shorter top to bottom. i believe most infinitis have this trait. and it is the droopy-a$$ of the J30 that may give the idea that it is somehow smaller than it really is. but i have always liked it anyway, from the beginning.

so, then, "merely" swapping sheetmetal would not be so easy. you would need to custom-fab it totally, and using the J30's chassis, would render the car NOT a 3rd gen anymore. one would need to absolutely and completely resculpt and "re-geometricate" the entire 3rd gen's unibody. wow. a massive uphill battle.

good luck, btw.

 

It just seems to me that it would be kinda ludacris to try to make a MAXIMA a RWD car. That's just my 2 cents. I heard this many time throughout this thread and would agree that you're better off buying a sports car or modding the hell out of the engine. Oh well, to each his own!

 

this is off-topic, but about 3 years ago, MotoRex made this promo car: they literally grafted an R34 front end onto a 4th gen maxima. they kept the VQ engine in it. and they put R34 tails on it, perfectly grafted and smoothed out on the rear. it was a seamless job. they painted it that R34 blue color as well.

so it was a novelty.

when one proposes to entirely resculpt a car mechanically and aesthetically, is this still modding? one is venturing into custom-fabrication beyond a point.

 

Damn! Someone seems to be having a bad day...

 

Done yet Burt?

 

Well, no. Unfortunately I have had to post pone this project and this is why. A couple weeks ago I fell asleep by my pool and ended up with 2nd and 3rd degree sunburn.(don't ask) I therefore could not wear my seatbelt while driving. I then got pulled over for not wearing my seatbelt. I then was notified that my license had been suspended for an unpaid speeding ticket. Then while I was in jail I found out that in order for one of my friends to use a bail bondsman they had to be 25 yrs old AND have lived in Atlanta for the past five yrs. and of course none of them meet those requirements. It then took my friends 2 days to come ups with the 1200 dollars to bail me out. While I was laid up with the sunburn and locked up the shop took another job that is as involved as the one I had planned. Plus After paying back the bail, impound fees, ticket, lawyer, and the court costs pending, over half my project money is gone. So don't look for this one anytime soon. Its gonna take me 6 months to save that money again. So Fu(k me.

 

Ummm yeeaaaahhhhhhhh.

 

maybe going to jail was a "sign."

did the dog eat your homework, too?

 

Try doing midengine instead. That way all you have mess with is the fuel tank and a hole in the floor and add a subframe

 

Sshhhh.. don't give away all my secrets!

 

man...that was an elaborate reason...*cough excuse cough*

so...AFTER all of that you're going to resume the RWD conversion later on eh?

 

maybe we can start an online support group for all of the recovering RWD conversion victims. we can start a money pool for the families.

 

don't tell them that... that's my secret

 

Yeah but u could only drive it with a crash helmet. Other wise u wouldn't be insured.

U think people could find better things to spend money on, its a maxima or not restoring a model A or Shelby Corba. Where spending insane amounts of money will give u some kind of return. Better putting the 10K+ in the back for 2 years cause thats about how long it would take with the amount of work involved.

Does make u wounder why they didn't do it in the first place, Nissan that is.


Dreaming is free, Reality is money.

 

well. i will tell you exactly why they didn't do it in the first place: MONEY. it is far cheaper to mass build FWD cars than RWD. reality is money, as you said. as for the Cefiros, they kept those RWD because they are JDM. there is no export costs for those, as well as a smaller market. FWD is far more profitable for the massive USDM. also, it keeps costs down for "what you get." to get a competitive power/performance sedan similar to the maxima, you would need to go to BMW or Audi RWD platforms. and who wants to spend that kind of money? that is the appeal of the maxima: for the money, you get a lot. eventhough you have to put up with FWD. IMO, most consumers don't even know the difference, ie, they don't care. i mean, i care, i know, but many don't. most consumers cannot even change oil.

 

 

Done yet? ..........

 

The max got wrecked. I started building a DSM instead. I spent half as much on this car as I would have on that project (which is really not that much) and I now have AWD, boost, and am already running high 12's with the mods the previous owner had made. You know anyone with a 3rd gen being parted out? I need to finish fixing this one and get it sold quick.

 

i'm very tempted to say something about this RWD thread.

 

Did you fall asleep or did you PASS OUT?

 

So you think a wrecked 240sx would fit and with transmission would work. I'm thinking a 350z rear diff and transmission... It has the same engine so easy to tune Pretty much same car just four doors and front wheel drive... I would love to put a rear diff in my 2011 maxima and add a turbo. Drift car or just the build... You think a 350z would work well?

 

The only thing you're doing is making **** up, bumping a 20 year old thread to get your post count up so that you can ask a simple help question.

 

With a screen name like that, this is the RWD car you should be looking at