I drive cruising at high speeds on a regular basis, and am interested in mods that will help the drivability and/or reliability of my car. Any recommendations? I don't want to spend a bunch of money, but I'd like to upgrade the quality of parts when they start to go (around now) and rack up as many miles as possible before getting a new Maxima/G35.

 

Don't speed and you will be ok....

 

good tires, intake systems and fresh oil

 

Keep your car maintained and make sure the tires have the same PSI for best gas mileage. You could get a y-pipe and intake (or cut a hole in your stock one like I did) for high end power. You could get a FSTB and RSB or lower your ride for better handling

http://maxmods.dyndns.org has info on the mods and you can read up on everything and decide yourself

 

Leave it stock and keep up on the maintenance.

 

Best piece of advice I've read on here in a long time.

 

Mine is stock and I do a lot of highway driving, works great.

 

What fun is that!?!?!?!?

 

Y-pipe for a little more highway power. If you're feeling adventurous, retrofit a 2000 VI and you'll make BMW drivers green with envy. Otherwise, work on the suspension...SFCs would be a good place to start as they'll help the suspension do it's job.

 

the answer is ZERO.
it ammounts to ZERO fun.

 

yea but saves you a bunch of headaches.

did that guy just say same tire psi for better gas mileage?

 

waht is your question?
i think he meant all tires have equal pressure in them.

 

I like this thread, just thought id say that.

ohh, and keep it waxed, keep good oil in it, good gas, a FI cleaner every 10k-15k atleast, good tranny fluid, accelerate easy but go as fast as you like is my rule. And clean the underbody every so often

 

haha my rule is the opposite. i love to accelerate FAST and stay near the speed limit. anyone can speed.
how do you clean YOUR cars underbody?

 

just go to a self serve carwash and if youve got like 30 extra secconds go around and spray it off good, or do it in the drive way with a hose and mabye jacks. If theres rust starting i coat it in spray paint too, i know it doesnt stop it but it slows it.

Also, if you get up to like 10mph and then accelerate hard its no prob but from a standstill its tough on an auto tranny.

 

just curious but...how do you know its tough on an auto tranny?
i've heard that before.

 

Honestly, i forget, i heard a big explanation once that made sense but i cant recall on the specifics...........

 

Im interested in this as well.

 

I think launching hard is bad for any tranny, auto or stick. It's all wear and tare. And if there is a diff between trannies, don't you think it would be worse for a stick since it's prone to human error? At least with an auto, the ecu tells the tranny when and when not to shift, taking into account all the other variables.

 

Yep
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtml
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/00/000320m.cfm
http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=7021

 

with a stick its just the clutch, then maybe a flywheel resurfacing, which would cost a lot less than a ****ing tranny rebuild on account of a fried TC. and everyone knows you cant really do auto tranny work yourself. thats why you have to have a ****ing college degree to work on them.

 

Haha, right.

I keep taking mods OFF my car and getting back closer to stock. Oh well, live and learn.

 

Y-pipe + tranny cooler + hacked intake (if your not doing a lot of stopping)

Anything else comes out to ~1hp = 150$+

 

exactly. those are what i'd recommend. Tranny coolers are often forget. After a good 3 hours of driving my Max, you can smell the Tranny I need a cooler soon. Where are good mounting places for coolers?

Also, a K&N drop in will help reliability. You won't have a buy a new filter every 10k miles Y pipe will add some extra power.

 

Id say no to the K&N, they allow more crap into your engine

 

Right in front of the radiator is where a tranny cooler should be mounted.

Here's a link to the install.

http://www.greghome.com/Greg's%20Garage/1999%20Nissan%20Maxima%20SE/Xmission%20Cooler.htm

 

Who says? Maybe if they aren't oiled properly...

 

Except for things like brake pads and rotors, stick to GENUINE NISSAN PARTS as much as possible for your consumables like oil filters,fuel filters etc.. Keep your tires rotated, balanced, and your wheels properly aligned.

Avoid cheap, aftermarket parts with names you never heard of. Look for replacements that offer a greater degree of safety, performance, or longevity. Don't try to skimp on important things like brake pads, rotors, calipers, wires, etc.

When single parts wears out in systems that have them in pairs, replace both at the same time, like control arms, tie rods, CV axles, etc.

Find a reputable mechanic and stick with him.

Use a good quality gas like BP or Chevron. Stay away from "bargain gas" like Wal-Mart or Costco.

Change all of your fluids to synthetics.

 

Used oil analysis's say, reguardless of how they are oiled. For longtime reliability a paper element is the best.

 

EXACLTY!

 

I just bought a Purolator fuel filter today. :\

Went to a few nissan dealers and none of them had the 300zx filter in stock. But then again, it's a freakin fuel filter. How much diff could they be from oem?

 

Purolator is good, and for oil filters, the pureone and the M1 filters are the only ones my car gets, there better than OEM

 

Believe it or not, chassis stiffening and lightweight rims and tires will actually help longevity as well. They'll basically isolate your chassis from a lot of vibration and impact and help prevent rattles and loose bits. Lightweight rims and tires will also reduce wear-and-tear on your suspension bits (including shocks), and help your gas mileage. Both of those things will also greatly improve ride comfort and driveability -- the car will respond more predictably and consistently, and it will soak up bumps and allow the wheels to track much more properly and safely over rough/uneven terrain.

I think the most cost-effective lightweight rims are either Rota Slipstream or Kosei K-1 Racing (15", of course). For tires, your best bet is Falken Ziex ZE-512 -- great traction in all conditions, good treadwear, and low weight. For chassis stiffening, get Warpspeed Stage 2 Subframe Connectors and, if you really want, a BlehmCo Stage 2 Lower Tie Bar.

 

Not much to where you have to go out of your way to get one. Just go to the dealership and get the correct OEM filter for your ride.