I don't know about you all, but I for one wish I hadn't modded my car as much as I did. Cosmetic mods are cool, and I also like my RSB and intake, but I wish I hadn't lowered my car or done the exhaust.

Exhaust stuff is cool at first, but I found it to be quite annoying after about a year and a half. It draws unwanted attention and often makes for a very noisey ride. And Random cats usually conk out on you eventually. Mine lasted all of 3 months.

My Eibachs make my car look sweet, but if you live around bad roads the ride sucks. Long term, they kill your car. The Max is not designed to absorb that much impact. Rattles, squeeks, clanks - you name it. Almost all the problems I've had with my car have been caused by mods. I guess it's my own fault for not doing enough research before modding. I suppose needed to get it out of my system.

My next car will have a K&N drop-in, tint, clear corners, and a strut bar and that's it. I don't even think wheels are worth the money, because lets face it, GOOD wheels are several grand, and I'd rather put that money towards the down payment. In a perfect world, I could have a show car AND a daily driver..........but I'm not sinking another dime in to this vehicle!

 

so what are you trying to say?

 

ONE disgruntled customer.

 

I'm just trying to say I wish I had spent my money elsewhere. I feel like I shortened the life of my car.

 

my car idles like a diesel truck. I get the impression my engine is going to blow. My bumper got ripped off by something in the middle of the road. The list goes on. I know how you feel, but i just can't give up now

 

i feel you. good thing that being poor for such a long time, i am begining to think not getting new mod for the future. (but i don't regret lowering my car , 4*4 is ugly as hell)

 

probey fstb, rsb and paint job..that bout all im doing..im poor

 

is there a reason y we need to know that?

 

i for one appreciate your opinion. i have a intake, y pipe, ordering the vb tomarrow, and next am lowering the car, then tint. all in all ill have around 1700 in mods when done. i like to look at every angle before i go spending all my money.

good luck with your car

 

Probably not a bad intenion to try to warn or help others, isn't that what this board is for?

I know guys who have only screwed up their car by modding and the like; and all modding decreases the value of your car. As for shortening the life...there are so many variables involved for each mod, so this may or may not be true. Everyone knows that Nitrous or Turbo/Supercharging an engine is going to kill it very quickly. An exhaust is not as likely to cause damage, even long term. It's not the modding itself but the quality of the aftermarket parts (engineering and manufacture) and the quality of their installation that can make the difference. And it depends heavily on how/where you drive.

The bottom line is that Nissan engineers make a hell of a product...I've got the 164,000 miles of agressive driving to show it, along with the confidence in many more to come.

Enjoy the Ride!

 

Different strokes for different folks. I have a friend that has to have the latest BMW M3 goodies. He spends more on that car than I have on my house. I explain to him the reality of depreciation and the bottomless and senseless pit of automotive mods. He tries to convince me I need a $1200/month car payment....

But in the end it doesn't matter. Spend the $$$ on what YOU want, don't listen to anyone else.

-RMB

 

i'll make sure i read this thread b4 i key in my credit card number at the mod sight.

 

Now that I am older and wiser; I think good mods are those that most anybody could appreciate, even those who are not "enthusiasts".

There are tons of things one could do that would make the car look and perform nicer for just about anybody.

Here is my list:

1. ATB differential (totally out of sight yet helpful in foul weather situations -- and autocrossing -- and making a hard right turn out of a driveway)
2. Strut tower bar (nothing obtrusive since its under the hood and really does help the front end)
3. Subframe braces (totally out of sight and reduces lots of road vibrations and helps handling. Notice how all carmakers boast how much stiffer each new model car frame is)
4. Wilwood "Fastbrakes" kit (10 pounds unsprung weight reduction at each wheel. Faster stops and better ride and look nice)
5. Brembo replacement rear rotor and Foliatec paint (no more rusty rotor and dirty caliper look)
6. Valvebody and trans-cooler kit. (Less converter slippage within each gear and sportier shifts. Better acceleration and improved transmission life)
7. Stainless steel brake lines. (Much less spongy brake pedal that most any driver can appreciate with better modulation)
8. KYB-AGX struts. (You can have OEM soft, street performance, or track performace with the turn of a ****)
9. H&R progressive springs (a softer riding option than the Eibachs which also aren't bad. The 4X4 look is way too exxagerated on a stock Maxima so it has to go. These springs only cause really bad side effects on ride when they are used with improper struts, heavy wheels, overinflated-overaggressive tires, etc.)
10. Tires: Take them a notch down from the "super maximum performance" category to the "ultra-high performance" category. As an example, Dunlop SP-9000 has much better grip that OEM tires and ride well even in low profile sizes.
11. Exhaust: Courtesy Nissan makes a very nice cat-back exhaust system that is much better than OEM and is not noisy. The 2" chome tip looks much nicer than the rust colored 1.75" steel OEM tip.
12. Camber bolts: (Totally out of sight and allows for proper alignment and even helpful for a non-lowered car on OEM tires. All the average driver notices is that the tires won't plow and squeal as easily in a sharp turn when a slightly more than OEM amount of negative camber is used.)
13. Paint: Nothing impresses like a good paint job.

my two cents worth

 

 

Whoa, I sometimes feel the same, but it all goes away when I see a Riced out civic in the street and go show him whats up, Problems happen no matter what, Even if you dont have any mods stuff happens as you go along. If you buy a car expecting not to have any problems you dont deserve to drive.

 

 

You'll be alright... Go get you a buick or something then....

 

The only way I'm not modding the hell out my next car is if it's a G35 coupe or a EVO 8. Get a pimp ride to floss in without modding and get a car to play with. Like a mini truck or something .

 

I am totally with you. The only mods on my car are a FSTB, clear corners and a set of cheap Primax 15 inch rims which look a 1000 times better than stock even on the stock size (they were a hard bargain to pass at $45.00 each). I haven't even gone to a K&N since I've hears there is a "possible" MAF faliure related to oiled filters.

My 96 GXE has 72,000 miles - (I've put about 27k of those), runs like its brand new and have had zero problems since I've had it.

 

cant help it..must mod car...must get clear corners.. must get front strut tower brace..must get rear sway bay....must get paint job...must get new aiwa system...must race and kill riced out civic.....

 

 

This subframe, what is it, and how does it help all these things, and how much is it?

 

I didn't say it's been proven one way or the other. Just that there was some talk a while back on the org about that. Hence the reason I put "possible" within quotes. The way I see it, OEM filters aren't expensive and neither do I need any additional power. The stock 190hp is plenty for me.

 

check out warpspeedperformance.com and Nealocs site for info. On Neal's site go to page 2 under suspension...they called SFC(sub frame connecters)

i think they are alittle over $200+labor

 

i actually agree.....car makers arent stupid. aftermarket parts arent ALWAYS better....i think some intakes actually lower some performance. only thing i dont regret is Y-PIPe!

 

Its NEVER enough!!!

RAAAAHHHHHH!!!

 

modding is fun but costly and for an everyday driver its annouying, between the exhaust and intake i cant stand my car SOME times, it is ok next to riced out civic when u know you gotta represent lol but for now im done with performance parts, theres no where to race around here other then the turnpike and just going there driving the speed limit theres a 95% chance you'll get pulled over...good thread though for people to see opions and think b4 they mod...

 

Here's my worthless insight-

Over the years, I have regretted a handful of mods I've done to the car. That would probably explain why I've had three different suspension setups, 3 different sets of wheels, three different exhaust systems, different intake setups, etc.

I've come to learn this:

1) buy EXACTLY what you want the first time
2) usually the more expensive parts are higher quality
3) research before you buy

I've finally gotten my Maxima to where I want it. The H&Rs deliver the perfect ride, my 17s fit the image of my car perfectly, the SFCs/suspension/wheels/tires make the car a beast in the turns, the MEVI/JWT ECU offers brutal acceleration, my modified stock airbox/y-pipe/2001 muffler make for a very quiet performance intake/exhaust while offering loads of real performance, and the custom charcoal/black leather interior is a dream. It makes me a bit sick to add up how much I've spent on this car, but it has made me so happy. I just wish I had done the right mods the first time around.

I'm considering buying another car right now, but I'm having the hardest time trying to part with my Maxima. I seriously don't know if I can do it because the car has treated me so well and is on the verge of 13s the way it sits right now.


Dave

 

Go drive the new Maxima and come back and say the stock 190HP is good enough for you... Install a y-pipe and try to say 'that's enough power for you'...

 

As long as my car can be driven to the race track I could care less about how it performs on the streets. I care about how it performs on the track.

 

bees in can sound???
i dont have that sound, my exhaust sounds really good right now if you dont like to hear the exhaust...y pipe is the best mod there is for the Max!!!!

 

Actually I did test drive an 03 6-speed. Sure it's a lot faster, but so is the E36 M3, Corvette, Porsche 911 and a host of other cars. I got my speed thrills too when I had my Yamaha YZF600r. Almost every weekend - we'd hit a back road just outside San Antonio and go flirt with 150+ MPH.
I didn't say 190hp was enough for anyone else - just for me. I have wet dreams about a supercharged Turbo Nitros Injected MEVI JWT chipped 3000 hp Maxima too.
But I'll drive to work and back in my Stock Maxima thankyou very much.

 

I like how he put a Maxima in the same category as those other cars.

 

I believe most people want a car that they can't afford. So they try to make the cars they can afford perform and look up to those standards. Then their are those rich folks that buy Camrys and SUVs that don't care about hitting a corner and feeling the Gs or having the freedom to enter an on ramp without permission from congress. Just my little ol' opinion.

 

I agree somewhat about modding, I wish I had bought the right mods the first time...or maybe done a little more research.

As for the drive, yeah it rattles a little bit but I don't mind. It rattled before I modded.

And I forget it all when I am WOT to get on the highway because some kid in a civic thinks he is going to block me from getting on. Just to see the look on his face when a four door 6-year old car blows by his little barely-a-year-old car.

Just my two cents.

 

i don't regret modding my maxima, i regret how much money i had into it. $2K for rims, $1K alarm, $2K stereo, $600 suspension, $100 intake, $300 y pipe, $600 cat/exhaust, not to mention all the little stuff like tint or light bulbs. i'm just glad i sold it for how $1K less than i payed for it and all my mods.

ride in a stock GLE and a modded maxima. to me, i would like to have a Maxima ride the same way that GLE did but have the sportiness and go of a high powered Maxima.

 

Instead of the milder H&Rs which will give you a good upgrade in performance without sacrificing ride, you go for Eibachs, Coilovers etc that maximise performance, but you pay the penalty in ride.

Instead of Tokico Blues or KYB GR2s, you go for AGXs. Same thing; maximise performance, sacrifice ride.

Instead of a resonator on your B pipe, or a 2K muffler, you go for the straight thru muffler and a non-resonator B pipe. you get the max flow of power out of your exhaust, but sacrifice noise.

It's all give and take, but in this case, alot of taking but not much wanting to give.

DW

 

you dont always have to sacrifice when going for performance....there prolly isnt 1 hp difference between a cat back with resonator and one without.

H&R vs. Eibach ...thats the first time Ive heard someone say that the Eibach are much better performance.


I SAY MOD and MOD FREELY...just be smart about it. dont put $6k into a car worth $6k. Over 90% of my mods will be taken off when I go to sell my car. Who wants a modded Maxima anyway??? The market isnt big enough for it. And I am sure that I can get at least 50% of what I paid for all my parts back when I sell them used to people. And the 50% or less that I lose will be worth it because CARS are what I enjoy.

 

I completely agree with you. I had a 93GXE and I modded the suspension, tires, intake, lighting and i basically messed everything up. The car would of ran for another 10 years had I not done anything to it.
Right now I just got a 98SE and you can bet that except for the stereo, clear corners, and tint, nothing else is going on the car.

 

What about a rear sway bar? Does that affect the Maxima in a bad way? Also, will the y-pipe kill my stock cat after a while?