OK to make a long story short I messed up my Max a few months ago and the body shop wanted 4K to fix it. I found a guy who will do the body work for $300 and the same body shop will paint it for $800. So I am going to be doing this in the next week or two and I want to put a Stillen kit on my car. I have an extra $850 to spend. The only problem is the car is not lowered yet. What would you guys do just buy the kit put it on so its painted and lower later? And it has 2k 5 spokes on it now no real rims. Anyone know how bad it will only look. It will only be like this for 2 or 3 months tops. What would you do?

Zach

 

I think you should take the $850 and put it towards a good lowered suspension before you buy the Stillen aerokit. In my opinion, cars that have kits but aren't lowered are pretty hideous...

As far as which suspension, that depends on what kind of drop you'd prefer. $850 is a good amount to start with to invest into a true coilover system. If you want to go with springs and struts, you could pull that off for about $600 and have $250 leftover for other mods.

 

How good could the work be if all the work is going to cost $1,100 vs the original bodyshop's quote of $4,000?

 

+1 if i had 850 to spend, i'd spend it first on dropping it. this is my list:

1. drop
2. y
3. wheels....etcetc

like it's said all over the org, the suspension is probably the weakest part of the maxima. i'm looking at h&r's with illuminas. i believe comfort is more important.. especially on jersey and nyc streets. my .02 good luck.

 

Id say lower it first too b4 the kit. I read a post a little while ago about someones input on kits and i like his view. Make sure it is something you want and will want later cuz it is a lot of money. Visual mods are expensive and people dont always like them. Do the performance mods and others b4 the kit

 

The body shops estimate was to put all new parts on the car. All of the was basically to the rear quarter. The bumper got scuffed up and the body shop wanted to put a new one on. It was basically an estimate if insurance was covering it but I only have liablility so it wasn't going to be covered. The guy doing the body work is a guy I know that works at another body shop. The quarter is getting repaired not replaced as is the bumper. The body had something crazy like 10 hours to repair a scuffed bumper and 6 to repair the door (it had a small dent). Plus all the hours to replace the quarter then paint labor.

 

i dont know what your talking about dude? how much do you have $4000 or $850? and do you have $850 to get the kit and lower it? or do you have $850 after the kit and lowered? or mannn what the heck are you talking about? i know your anxious but just calm down and breathe and think about your sentencing



but if i had $850 to spend in your situation if thats what you are saying i would get the bodykit and lower it and wait for the snow season to be over while saving somemore money and then get it painted and wait a couple of mnths till i get the rims.

 

Nobody else has a problem with it just go back and read it again. 4K was the original estimate to get the car fixed. $850 is what I'll have left over after paint. The question was basically body kit or lowering.

 

well then you have two options to think about

do you want the kit so you can please your eyes and the look of the car
or
are you more the performance guy wanting maximum handling which will mean you still need front and rear bars, mzmtg's rear mount at a very good price , better wheels and tires, etc...

but then again your getting all this bodywork done now so you might as well just get ot over with and get the bodykit so it can all be painted at once with the car


and sorry dude about the last comment 8 shots will do that to ya

 

8 shots? shots of what? its 2 in hte afternoon??

 

Well everyone here basically backed up what I originally thought. Lower the car then get the kit later. I talked to the body shop they said they will paint the kit later for $50 as long as I ask them to make extra of the color I am picking out. I am going to order the lowering kit today. Thanks for the help.

Zach

 

I dont see a problem throwing the kit on and getting it painted at the same time. But i would suggest to get a drop very soon after you get your car back out of the shop

 

its this simple. a body kit will look good on your car if it's low. if not, you won't be happy.

scenario 1: get a kit- looks gay on a car that's too high for the kit- you're not happy til you lower it in 3-4 months

scenario 2: you lower the car and it handles much better. you're happy and now you're looking forward to getting the kit.

performance before aesthetics- always

 

I don't think it would be that bad, but now that I found out that the shop will do it so cheap I will lower it first. By May I will have the kit on with rims so either way it wouldn't be so bad.

 

figured you'd save a couple bucks by painting everything at once and installing it. Of course dropping before bodykit, but saving a few bucks doesnt' hurt.


good luck

 

I got an idea. Everyone get rid of there maximas and get hondas. Cheapest cars to mod. Solve all your problems. I am just kidding....... OR am I. Drop it and y-pipe and later turbo or S/C.

 

I say kit first,then lower. that way you know how much you wanna lower it after the kit is on.

 

Well since I don't have a sig and no one asked I already have a Y PR intake, and SP2 so there goes the y-pipe suggestion thanks anyway. I am lowering this week then the kit in a few more with rims and maybe turbo or S/C later down the road or a 3.5 hybrid this spring/summer.