Hey guys, hope you're all doing great

I've decided to get another Maxima. I'm sick and tired of not having one. Bored to death. Frustrated! So there's nothing to do but get another one...

I was looking at this one (it's way over in germany but the import is rather easy over here)

I don't know german that well but basically it says date of first registry was december -94 which makes it one of the newest 3rd gens out there. It's got an anti-theft alarm system, leather interior, 5spd tranny (!!!) and light alloy rims. As seen in one of the pictures those rims aren't the nicest around but still better than stock. And it's a VG of course, there are no VE's over here.

It says nothing of the milage though, that's too bad. For that price, €1700 the milage is probably pretty high though. It looks to be in fairly good shape, and has all the criterias I'd like to see in a max (black, leather interior, 5spd) so it seems to be a nice deal.

Anyways what I'd like to do is to buy this car as a project, disassemble it, reinforce almost everything and get it running (without turbo or s/c as the laws here won't allow it) with as much power as possible. I was thinking of the issues with the transmission though... you think it'd hold up with anything other than stock power?

Also, I've tried searching Google and reading through the stickies and such but I can't find anything on 'performance-rebuilding' the engine. I think I've heard about it being done though but I know nothing more than that... anyone got any useful links?

 

tear it down.. up the compression with custom pistons. use Z32 or VE connecting rods as they're good for up to about 400 hp.
port/polish the heads.
replace w/ Ferrea 1mm oversize valves
JWT cams and ECU.
full exhaust.

should run you about $5000-6000US to do all that.. you'l be looking at ballpark of 215-230 crank hp.

 

would that stuff cost that much? of course the cams the ecu aren't cheap... I'll look into it, thanks Matt!

 

Alright so this is the mod list I'd like to apply:
(if anyone could give me an idea on what ball park HP I'd be looking at after all this it'd be great!)

- JWT cams (these) - $560
- JWT ECU (CAL or FED SOHC??) (this) - $595
- Z32 rods (these) unless I can find used ones or at least something cheaper) - $1660 (holy crap)
- Ferrea valves, are these the same as for VG max (couldn't find maxima in the list)? NISSAN 300 ZX 3.0L - SOHC 12 VALVE (VG30D-TURBO VG30T) - 1984-1989 (no price on those)
- Ferrea valve springs..?
- Fidanza flywheel - $370
- ACT stage 1 clutch (assuming I won't reach 360 ft/lbs of torque) - $420
- Underdrive pulley - $200
- Y-pipe - $250
- Hi-flow cat - $150
- GReddy catback exhaust - about $600

Well this stuff alone is $4805, not counting the valves and springs or everything else that's needed to go through with this. But it'll be worth it!!

Any other tips would be great, thanks!

 

We told you you'd be back! Hehehe...They always come back!

 

Proof that building up a VG, at least without a turbo, is a HUGE waste of money.

 

how the hell is it a VG, did they keep making VG 5spds overthere untill 94

 

I'd also up the displacement, and skip out the JWT in favor of a megasquirt unit

 

+1 on the mega squirt and add a wideband o2. megasquirt.info JWT is just a general tune, and they charge wayy too much for it. Gimme $400 (Its a bargin compared to JWT!) and Ill send you a megasquirt and wideband o2. j/p, you can get a whole megasqurit for about $200usd, plus your wideband o2 of choice. there are also cheaper o2's as well. but since you have the time and budget Id reccomend a quality one.

Id up the displacement too. Or you could import a VE since your changing the engine management it doesnt matter which one you use. Then you could really make some power.

sub1000- come on you should know all the GXEs 89-94 had VG's! and the SEs had them 89-91! only the 92-94se's had the VE!

~Alex

 

VG 5spd though. We didnt have vg 5spds after 91 since the se got the ve 92-94.

 

true, but I doubt the standered SE and GXE packages apply over seas any way so my point was moot anyway >< Maybe some owner did a 5 speed swap, not likely but possible.

~Alex

 

Phatsta is from Sweden.... so like he said it is probably a 1994 with a VG 5spd.
No VE's in his locale. Can't you guys read?

I'd check up on a 3.4L and put in the Q45 Infiniti pistons. Then you could be doing close to 250hp.

There is a thread around here. ;-)

If you need some help you can fly me over and I'll do some work for you.

-Brian

 

Like Alex said, import a VE engine and swap it in the '94, then go from there....

 

Correct, there are no VE's over here. They just made VG autos and 5spds up until -94, only because (sadly) the demand for this car was at a minimum. Only 200 cars sold between 89-94. I actually got those data from Nissan Sweden, the general agent (or whatever you call them). I got a 'friend' there, a guy called Gunnar which is the most badass Max mech I've ever talked to (no offense you guys )... he could tell me almost anything wrong with the car over the phone.

Anyways... import from U.S is easily a $10.000 so that's out of the question. Importing from Germany is free though (European Union you know) and they have the same environmental laws as we do so no need for any changes there, and that's helpful cuz a rebuild's a ***** to get through the emissions.

So unfortunally I'm limited to the VG.

I'll check out that mega squirt and wideband o2 stuff, thanks.

Just for the record I'm no super wealthy dude that loves spending $5k like it was monopoly money... I'm thinking of making this a project over several years, buying one bit at a time and slowly see the progress. Don't wanna rush this job, that's not the point

And Brian, thanks but I don't think I can afford you

HTPerformance; I've read the story about the 3.4L and yeah it sounds interesting. Don't know if I can get all the parts over here though, gonna have to look into that.

Thanks for all the tips guys, keep'em coming

 

Phatsa, I ment get a JDM engine from japan or maybe a euro supplier. Im sure theres a similar market unless it messes with the emssion laws.

~Ale

 

Yeah that's probably the case... the laws are strict but quite simple. They say you cannot rebuild or put anything in a car that hasn't been standard in the car from retailer. E.g. I can do a 5spd swap since the Max was sold as a 5spd, but I can't swap engines unless the car was sold with that specific engine at one point or another in sweden. Same goes for turbo and s/c. If the car was sold with turbo here in sweden, then yes I can rebuild it, but it wasn't so . That's if I'm gonna drive it on the streets, of course the laws are different if I register it as a racing car and drive only at the raceway.

The way to get around it is to get a car that was sold before -76 and rebuild the damn thing. That's how they put V8's in Volvo 240's over here. Get a chassis that was made before -76, then put whatever engine you like in it. Unfortuanally there are no max's from before -76

I will have to stick with the VG I'm afraid, but thanks though.