what does it take to swap in SE springs on a GXE?
how much do u think it would cost me if i went to a junkyard?
is there a write up that tells you how to change it?
wat should i look out for if i were to do it?
i just wanna know wat i shuld know in order to do this.

 

Kind of pointless. It's not like SE's stock handle great or anything. It's kind of like the difference between having say $2.00 and $2.26 or something. Sure the man with $2.26 has more money but the difference is negligible. Even though SE springs are technically stiffer, I guarantee you wouldn't notice a difference on the ole butt-o-meter.

Plus switching out springs is a pita and to do that much work to just switch stock springs onto stock struts is reeaaaalllly pointless. If you really wanted SE springs just for the sake of having SE springs it'd be much easier to just buy complete spring/strut units from an SE

 

ohh damn.. i was hoping for a cheap upgrade.. haha. alrighty then.. ill have to wait for a job for a suspension upgrade..
is there anything from an SE that could benifit a GXE in any way shape or form? lol
i ask this becuz i have like $50 store credit at a junkyard around here and i dont wanna let it go to waste..

 

I think the SE rear swaybar is beefier, but I'm not 100% certain. I really don't think you'd notice a difference from that either, though, since the rest of your suspension is 20+ years old.

I dunno, personally, I'd get some SE fog lights or something. If you're set on "upgrading" your GXE from parts from an SE performance-wise, there's really nothing that's worth the trouble in my opinion.

 

yeah it is. and yeah if lots of other stuff is worn out you won't notice it very much but if your bushings and stuff are new already then putting a bigger rear swaybar on a FWD car will do wonders.

 

well the cheapest way to make your car handle better is to sell your Maxima buy a Z31 like me

 

the SE springs are actually noticeably stiffer than the GXE springs, about 30% IIRC. the big difference is in the struts though. To just swap the springs would be a huge amount of labor for not much gain, but if you're going to install new struts, then it wouldn't hurt to add the SE springs at the same time.

The best SE mod you can do to your GXE is to yank out that crapmatic transmission and install a 5 spd.

 

or sell your Z31 and get a R32 GTR Twin Turbo AWD>joo

we should do some crazy circuit race with everyone who still has a Maxima and everyone who doesnt, that would be awesome

 

well if you are going to bother doing struts then why even use OEM anything... Koni >>> stock SE struts, and Eibach springs instead of stock SE springs.



you and your JDM fetish.

by the time I have my Z where i want it, your beloved Skyline will be left looking like a stock Subaru Forester

 

i wont have a R32 got a bit, but if i can get the 5spd 240z by me and RB25/RB26 swap it, your Z31 will meet S30Z powah

 

or we could just get a murcielago, and call it done
srsly,dude, you know R3x is damn near impossible to find, in the US, and when they are, they are not cost effective. quit being a damn braggart.

 

well.. im just lookin for sumthin inexpensive. haha. im 16 yrs old and unemployed. haha. i dont rele have much money. so im just wondering if i could get sumthin for 50 bucks at the junkyard that would be benificial for my car

 

yeah.. idk. z31 are ugly.. i would get sumthing like a cressida or sumthin.. or a miata.. a 240.. even tho theyre played out. or a 240z would be cool.

 

a job? lol (probably won't hire you because of your age, but you could try)
is there a time limit on the credit? if not, hold onto it you may need it sooner or later for a real problem.

if so, maybe a big-honkin' transmission cooler from a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. help the auto transmission last longer.

 

i think they look good

cressida - family car, not sports car
miata - great suspension design but high insurance since it's a convertible... and it's a 4cyl, which i hate.
240sx - not a 'crowd' i'm interested in being a part of. and i still hate 4cyl engines. also probably high insurance due to how many people wreck them while trying to imitate Fast N Furious.
240/260/280z - really hard to find one in good shape for a decent price. more aftermarket than a z31 but alot of stuff i'm making is custom or adapted anyways.

 

idk.. i dont think my age is a big problem. just not enough jobs out there.. i shuld start sellin crack.. thats a good life choice.. haha. but yeah.. is the exhaust any different on an SE?

 

only the muffler.. just for looks. dual tip vs single tip.

anyways the problem with buying JY struts is that they are gonna be high-mileage units anyways... which means you're still probably gonna have to take the springs off in order to replace the struts so either way you're doing the same amount of work to get good parts.

 

cressidas are hella legit bro..except theyre toyotas... z31 are just too 80s. the styling is just..
wat about the infinity M30? isint that RWD and has the VG or VE or sumthin like that? mazda FC are cool too.. except theyre rotaries.. i think that the KA is better then the VG for the simple fact its smaller and still capable.. specially considering the aftermarket backing it has... and the KA has a timing chain. not a belt.. wats wrong with 240 guys anyways?
maybe going german wouldnt be so bad.. get a clean 80s M3.. or M5.. that would be cool too..

 

ohh.. :/... well wat if i take the whole strut/spring assembly.. the cars there prolly have lower miles then mine.. although idk if i can get that for $50.. lol..

 

the Z is not my only car so i only need 2 seats and 2 doors for my RWD choice. M30 is same motor as the Z31. And I like the 80's styling... i think the 1990 and newer z's look too "JdM tYtE"-ish. imo all 4cyl engines are garbage. unbalanced as fawk, not much low end torque, and the powerstrokes don't overlap so they are rough when you put stiff motormounts on. and 240 guys are just generally douche-**** there's always exceptions (like matt93se) but generally speaking they are. And there's nothing wrong with having a timing belt as long as you aren't lazy and actually change it when the book says to

 

depends on the mileage. even with 50k miles on them they probably aren't in too good of shape. and when i said "struts" i was referring to buying the full SE asselblies with the springs already installed on them.

for instance the stock struts on my z were 0% functional with "just" 124k on them. i pulled the spring off and there was no resistance from the strut at all.

 

yeah... i mean.. its not like im gonna get another car anytime soon. lol.. the M30 would be rele cool i think.. but i dont see any anywhere.. lol..
i like all engines.. and i dont rele know 240 guys enough to judge them.. ohh!!
it just came to me.. wat about the S12.. came with the option of a VG
best of both worlds.. VG and actually acceptable looks!
perfect sports car.. even tho i think the VG is too much for that car. i feel like the CA18 is just fine.. and the whole thing about the timing belt is that its just sumthing less to worry about... but yeah.. i love how this thread moved on to a totally different topic. lol

 

Z31 are wicked looking, i actually like Cadavers color too (the salmon). More of a fan of the 200ZR myself but theyre essentially the same body style.

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...AdIdZ185359081

Cressida are cool cars to slam and put a low bodykit on, theyre boss cars. For a 4cyl drift car i would take a S15, 1989 Silvia, or SR20 swapped 180sx, highway ripping would be a Z31 or Z32, 4dr RB26 swapped R32, S30Z, or RX-7 FC. I dont really see myself owning a 4cyl though, if anything ideally i would have my 3rd gen turbo'd which is starting soon, get the S30Z in a year or so, and a R32 GTR within a few years.

 

well then.. ****.. mine are probably hella ****ed.. 21 yrs old.. and never changed.. :/.. how can i see if they are good or not with out pulling them out? does that little bounce test tell me anything about the condition of the struts?

 

idk about skylines eather.. theyre too much.. idk.. i wanna ride humble.. hahha.. sumthin cheap but cool... the maxima is a boss car too.. i think anyways.. i mean.. hella luxurious for theyre time.. im actually panning on slaming my max.. hahaha..... i could definetly see myself being a civic kid.. but.. its wateves.. im just happy with my car to be honest.. lol

 

the Z31 is a better looking car than any S-chassis. More than "acceptable" as long as you get rid of the ugly stock wheels.

my 1.7L civic is PATHETICALLY underpowered. Almost no power whatsoever under 3000rpm.... so i can't see how a CA18 is "fine" only being 100cc bigger. Even the VG30E is slow as far as i'm concerned. If not for the oilpan issues I might have tried a VQ35 but instead i have decided to go with a 5.7L LS1... once you drive a car with that much torque under 1500rpm you'll understand. My brother's 3.5L maxima can pull away in 3rd at times i have to go back into 1st on the Civic.

my car isn't factory salmon-color, it's faded bright-red! with grease stains and dents all over it i'm just gonna get a new hatch lid w/o rust on it and respray the whole car with rattle-cans. don't care about doing a good job, just making the car one solid color without any stains on it.

 

yeah it kinda does. soft & bouncy = bad. form and quick-to-settle = good. you might just want to get some cheap struts that are new.. probably better than old OEM ones. KYB's will be good for stock springs. You can get a set of SE springs to go with the KYB's if you want since either way you have to remove the springs to swap struts. New strut mounts would be recommended as well, as they tend to dry out and crack over time which can eventually cause them to fail... which would not be good.

 

yeah my 3rd gen will always be my favorite though. has the right amount of options, none of the stupid crap thats out now like heated seats, heated steering wheel, etc.

3rd gens are pretty rare now here, and everyone asks me what kind of car i have, not that i mind

EDIT- i thought your Z31 was just painted a matte Salmon on purpose I actually almost bought a Z31, i was looking for a parts car just to take the turbo off for my 3rd gen and some guy wouldnt leave me alone, he had a Z31 turbo for sale and he said take the whole car for a few hundred, i said i would like to but in September i could have bought a whole car and driven it to my other house but i just need the turbo because i wont drive a car i cant trust on the highway for a hour and a half in winter, he said it turned over a few months ago but now needs new spark plugs blah blah buy the whole thing, i even put "cannot take a whole car, just need the turbo system" on the ad yet had people offer whole cars

i kinda rattle canned after i fixed my rust, i fixed the rust properly then just primer, paint, clearcoat. you cant really tell the difference in normal light but in the sun you can see the kinda matte spots but most of the rust hasnt come back. Kinda want to get my 3rd gen repainted but that can wait until i get the rest of my turbo stuff together

 

well.. i dont think this argument is ever gonne be settled between u and me. lol
from my standpoint.. power is prolly the last thing on my list.. im not a drag racer nor do i aspire to be one.. im a fan of more balanced out cars.. i see the CA18 as fine because its prollly a hell of alot lighter then the vg.. although.. im sure a LS1 in a S12 would not be a bad idea at all.. hahahaha

 

nope. it only shows its true color when it's wet.





i can't wait to get her running (bought it with a blown motor so i have never even driven it)

 

the LS1 is actually the same weight as the stock VG. and the wheels are far enough forward that the car actually has a dead-on 50/50 weight distribution in short wheelbase form with the VG so the same would probably be true with the LS in there. My car weighs less than 2900lb stock. I just hate that it has struts instead of wishbones up front struts are great for saving space and money but not so great for performance cars.

And even if you don't have alot of HP, having that much lowend torque is SOOO nice. You can launch at 700rpm with an LS1 and the engine will be just as happy as a pig in mud. If i tried that in my civic it would either stall or vibrate the car like a jackhammer, and wouldn't have any throttle response at all. Also 1700rpm on the highway and still being able to pass ftw... 3400rpm (civic) on the highway and no power to pass ftl. I'm not saying all performance cars HAVE to have a V8... but open up your mind to bigger torquier engines. VQ35 isn't much if any heavier than the KA... and makes GOBS more power down low.

 

wow.. i didnt know that z31 had a 4 bolt patterb.. i would have expected a 5 bolt.. interesting..

 

i pretty much grew up in a 3rd gen Prelude ('88) 5spd 2.0 Si, when i got my 3rd gen it felt like a load of a difference. I drove the Prelude once, never liked it at and i cant stand 4cyls (i have been in alot of 4cyl so not being biased)

Smallest engine i think i would touch would be the RB20 2.0l inline 6, and the VG30E isnt slow, its a good starting block to build on (aka what JoeBoost all did).

and with 4 lugs, most 80's cars had them. 1st gen and 2nd gen Maximas, Z31, etc. i must have a mental problem but i cant stand the way the 4 lug pattern looks

Smart Cars are actually 3 lug

 

only the 84 and 85 (mine's an 85) have 4-lug. and i already have the 5-lug parts.. just have to get them ready to install. i wasn't gonna do anything but swap the motor but then i noticed how TOTALLY gone the front struts were so i decided to restore the whole suspension now instead of putting it off. new bushings, new mounts, new struts, new spring seats, etc. And the steering rack is shot too.

 

jesus ****in christ! thats re-godamn-diculous.. u got half a junk yard in there.. hahahhaa

 

lmao i'm just as bad, i have a huge table full of 3rd gen parts. trying to sell some of it (i have like 4 pairs of corner lights lmao)

wonder if a Z31 could even fit a RB25 or even RB26?

 

of course but the weight balance won't be as good as it will with a shorter wider motor. the 200zr is proof that RB's can fit.

well yea haha, it was either that or leave it all outside in the rain. i have a garage now though so i took it all out and put it on the floor.

 

why rattlecan the Z31 though? i would just do the prep myself and let Maaco paint it for a couple hundred (apparently if you dont prep yourself and dont get a crazy expensive paint job they paint over your current paint with no prep so it peels in a month)

 

b/c my longterm plans are to find a cleaner shell. This one is going to be my DD for a little while, then for the LS swap I don't want to accidentally ruin a nice shell so I'm gonna test stuff on this one first then swap it over if it all goes well. Besides i have a feeling Maaco would refuse it most likely b/c of how much bodywork it needs (and minor rust repair), so i'm just gonna do it myself and as long as it comes out half-decent i'll be happy. the door jambs will still be red and so will the engine bay but all the visible surfaces when the car is "closed" will be a different color. Either dark blue or white... probably dark blue though. And i need to black out all the ugly chrome trim.

 

i think i heard that color-change costs more at Maaco anyways... even on their basic paint job, it costs more if you have them change color vs staying the same color.