hadman

iTrader: (21)

Some have already done it - I am 50/50 about doing it: Removing the center trim piece on the trunk.
I am in the middle of having the car repainted (91SE). Everything is stripped and mostly filled at this point.
Looking at the rear center piece, I can't help but be tempted to fill the sucker in. More in tune with the look of the 4th gen rear. I wouldn't choose to leave it blank, I feel it would need some sort of badging in my opinion. Again, maybe just the letters MAXIMA in chrome like the 4th gen, maybe a Nissan logo...

What do you think. Is the 3rd gen at it's best in original form, or do you like it 'raped'?

Talk about it here, or just use the poll.

MyBlue92Maxima

iTrader: (2)

if your talking about the like .. light thinger in the middle , that looks like it would connect both tail lights , yea get rid of that thing , i would get rid of it if i knew what was under it, i never took it off or anything , is it the same color as the car? or is their like a gap that needs to be body fillled;

mtnbikeair

iTrader: (4)

Its the same color as the car but there is a huge gap to be filled...
I think whats the best of both worlds is like the picture posted below. The guy i bought my maxima from painted the light cover except for the clear strip. I really liked the look of it.

Mattster

yeah I like how it is on mtnbikeair's max that is nice.

MyBlue92Maxima

iTrader: (2)

is it 2 seperate lights across the back ? like one on top and one on bottom and he left the bottom one , or did i read that wrong and you just say he painted over half the light... and when you say huge gap , how much are you talking about , is it light deep or just like a long thing acuse if it's not deep body filler should be easy to do on it..

warrior90t

iTrader: (1)

Hadman, you really sound like you want a fourth gen. I actually like the centerpiece though.

hadman

iTrader: (21)

Haha. No that actually isn't the case. And I don't really have a problem with the center piece either. I've had this same car since 1996, so I'm loyal 3rd genner. It's just that it's in the shop having body work done anyway, so the opportunity to 'mod' is doing its thing on me.
I like mtnbikeair's. Looks good mang.

tripleGmax

iTrader: (8)

if you have to ask if its two pieces i have to ask if you really own a maxima.....

its one center piece. mtnbikairs was paint over the red part(or black if you have a vg se)

people have shaved theirs by taking it out and filling the missing space with peanut butter..i mean metal.

looks good obeewon had his done as did a few others.

mtnbikeair

iTrader: (4)

The full shaved trunk is nice.. but if you want to do it cheap my way worked... and i kind of like the clear strip on mine it sets it off. Now all of that being said the only reason i like my way better is because it costs about two dollars to do. Haha cheap always makes things better in my eyes.

Burn MF Burn

Since my hood is messed up I am going to remove the center peice and use the metal from the hood to fill it in. Also how about removing the door stripes and fillinr those in too?

Phatsta

I'm gonna fill mine up, I definatly like it more that way. Get rid of the centerpiece!

DMad8724

iTrader: (4)

They keep altezzas away

Phatsta

but they vibrate and sound crap when I boost my bass

warrior90t

iTrader: (1)

Dynamat or some other dampener under the centerpiece should help.

mtnbikeair

iTrader: (4)

I dynamatted my whole trunk and i could still hear rattling. To stop rattling like very single piece of metal in the trunk has to have dynamat on it.

Phatsta

Yeah difficult to get rid of it completely... but I hope to deaden a bit of it by filling the centerpiece because that's what sounds the most.

MyBlue92Maxima

iTrader: (2)

can the trunk centerpeice be directly replaced from the red/clear with the black one?

tripleGmax

iTrader: (8)

sure, both of the SE and the GXE one are interchangable

floods943

Haha, I'd like to play around with maybe having the centerpiece light up along with the corner lights...otherwise I think it looks better painted over, just for the change.

hadman

iTrader: (21)

Hey TripleG -- your car is backwards.

hadman

iTrader: (21)

The only thing I wonder about is - how long will the paint last over the plastic?
I also live in a harsh winter climate - not sure how well paint will promote/adhere (despite a proper plastic primer first).

I do like the way yours looks btw. Leaving the clear strip works for sure.

tripleGmax

iTrader: (8)

rhd swap owns you

hadman

iTrader: (21)

haha - shouldn't that statement read: uoy snwo paws dhr

99SEL4ME

Leave it alone biatch!!! That's what sets the 3rd Gen apart from the rest. That one piece looking taillight looks awesome. I have a 4th Gen now and am friends with the kid I sold my 3rd Gen to, and we were going to a meet yesterday and was following him and couldn't help but love the a$$ end of the 3rd Gen, sooooooooooooooooooo sexy.
My opinion, leave it!!!

hadman

iTrader: (21)

Easy yo. Don't be hatin. After owning mine 10 years, I've probably stared at the 3rd gen booty as long as anyone here. Just looking to get a little 'community perspective'.
Good to hear a passionate comment like yours though!

mtnbikeair

iTrader: (4)

Well if you are going to do it... buy plastic adhesion promotor ( its a clear primer that sticks to plastic) and then put a few coats of paint, and use some clear coat. I never had trouble with my paint... and i even took shortcuts, i didnt prime it, or clear coat it. I just used a $.94 spray paint can to do mine.

hadman

iTrader: (21)

Yeah, I understand the paint process. I just was having doubts as to the longevity. It's not a baked on finish and it is an exposed part (and wees gots lots of exposure here in the Great White North).
At any rate, I don't doubt it can be done with good results -- not to mention a hell of alot cheaper than what I was originally asking. That said... my original question was pertaining more to filling it in the traditional way, as my car is in the shop as we speak getting full body work and paint done.
I also put in the first vote as "leave it as-is", but I was curious to see what everyone else in the 3rd gen world thinks, regardless of what I end up doing. It's been interesting to see the results so far.

Torres

iTrader: (4)

hey hadley

u have lots of things to get ready for the BBQ........and i hope to see your new rims next week.... and i don;t know if you heard but the results from Darknights are here:

Clayton (4th gen with 20's) -1st place
Richie -2nd place
Phil -3rd place


I WAS ROBBED........

o well next year for sure and i need to change my sig with the new rims....

hadman

iTrader: (21)

Yeah Kingrukus told me. He said your 3rd gen was getting alot of attention though. Sorry I wasn't there to represent. Would have been nice and shiny too with the fresh paint almost finished. The paint should be finished on Wed/Thursday - then the rims go on with new shoes.

Hey you hear that mangs -- Toronto represents at Dark Nights Nationals!!
http://www.darknightsnationals.com/MainPage.htm

Torres

iTrader: (4)

hell yeah..had ladies LOVING the 3rd gen..........
and when Alex gives me a copy of the pix for sure i will post them up

hadman

iTrader: (21)

Excellent Torres. Post pics. oh - and check your email too.

Back to the thread... I screwed around with a pic in Photoshop yesterday. It's crude. Just intended as a general guide. I actually used mtnbikeair's picture, because I don't have a full on pic of my rear section. Why did that not sound right?

Anyway, here it is. I just wondered what it could potentially look like if I had the money to throw around for a truly custom rear section. Like the license plate says...

ghettoshark

No, your not a loyal 3rd genner. I am, because i had my 93 maxima since 93, i bought it new. But about the light thingy, just do the paint thingy like that pic on the first page. it really looks good. leave the part where it says Nissan Maxima and the whitish light on.

hadman

iTrader: (21)

haha. Man you drive a hard bargain. I may have only had it 10 years, but I'm no less loyal.
If I were to do it, I would do exactly what you suggested. That's why I left the strip.
The only difference is, on my black SE I have the black center piece with the Maxima logo dead center on it, not on the thin white strip below it, as it's pictured above. So the clear strip at the bottom would have no Maxima insignia at all.
That's also why I added the badges at the two corners instead.
The circular tail lights... that was just an afterthought.

Anyway, I'm still interested to see this poll taking form. I myself voted to leave it 'as is' when I made the poll, but I've always thought it looks good either way.

Burn MF Burn

what do you think about this. DGAF anyway but youknow so

Alex_V

That looks good. Id like to do that on my car. Id take the badges off while painting though, or paint black behind them afterward or something to make them stand out.

~Alex

Burn MF Burn

i thought about something like that too but it kinda stands out like it is just not from very far away

mtnbikeair

iTrader: (4)

I still like it with the clear strip going across the bottom.

kiyakerz

iTrader: (7)

that makes me think of a civic... for some reason. not sure why

tripleGmax

iTrader: (8)

lol you painted over the maxima and nissan stickers.....take them off it has to look better without paint over the stickers.

Burn MF Burn

there are no stickers its rased plastic and i didnt want to sand it down flat, i am going to take it off and put a peice a metal over it when i get the car painted so i dont mind it now just wanted to see what it looked like what i dont like is the crome trim on the tails