Lets Keep It Real
02-18-2007, 09:31 PM
#1
Lets Keep It Real
ok guys what you are about to read(if you want to) is my personal opinion and maybe an advice for the new maxima/i30 owners,for those that don't know i use to have a 1997 pebble beige maxima that got stolen by the end of 2005 just when a was about to return home from being deployed in Iraq and Kuwait,after that i bough a 1991 240sx and swapped a sr20det, later on i decided to move from Puerto Rico to Ohio so i sold it and as soon as i got here i was lucky to find a 1998 I30T 5spd VSLD .
the real reason i'm writing this is because even when i was away for so long things haven't change that much here and i think there is a lot of misinformation and a lot of people spreading opinions as if they where the hard cold facts and thanks we have this forum available so people come to understand better our cars and the whole dynamics involved driving,caring,maintaining and for some even racing.
First lets keep it real, even though for me our cars are one of the best cars comparing side by side with other cars on same year and price range lets say Acura TL,Ford Taurus,Dodge Intrepid,Honda Accord etc... the fact is it is a sporty family sedan and some people don't come to realize that.Of course some people have managed to get good numbers and raced with good results but please keep in mind for those who have done it it cost them good amount of money,time and sacrifice.
Whenever you race you car you are prone to breaking your car eventually, besides having to spend money on repairs you will have your car sitting for God knows how long until you car get fixed.Sure its your car your money and your time but again and is and advice for the ones thinking modifying a car is just like in the movies and for those that just looks in a magazine and thinks is easy but don't come to realize everything involved into modifying that car.
Like me a lot of people here don't have a huge amount of money and for some is their only car what that means is if you start modding your car and it breaks you won't be able to go to work,school or whatever you usually do with your car.
Another thing is pleas be careful what you buy and from who/where you buy it.I have seen lots of items claiming to work wonders on cars promising lots of HP or super mega additives for a few buck others even costing lots of money,don't just believe everything you see in the ads research find how true or false it the advertising.How many time a read people claiming to gain lots of hp from spark plugs,racing additives,chips,tornados,plug wires,filters.
Read ,instruct yourself get the facts,how many times i heard people with a stock n/a thinking that by going with a 3" exhaust tubing thinking it will yields lots of hp just to find the car feels sluggish in stop and go traffic and on top it sounds like crap.How many fell for the super triple split fire spark plugs only to have them replaced in 1 month because besides from feeling worse they fouled,how may installed foam filters to find out they won't last a **** and guess where all the foam when into.... yes inside the engine of your beloved car..ouch thats bad.My brother spent $240 for a set of Nology plug wires for his VW Passat 4 months later 2 of the wires where shot replace them with $60 neuspeed been driving for the past 3 years not a single problem.
Again we are not rich, well at least I'm not and usually we are hunting for the lowest price whenever possible,but not always the price is what you should have in mind remember you get what you paid don't just expect a look a like part performs like its pricey counterpart,just because it looks identical it will do exactly like its supposed to.Beware of cheapo imitations that won't last like autochrome,turbo xs turbos 2 of my friends bought the s15 turbo knock off 1 of them broke a blade that got sucked into the engine the other craked after 2 weeks.i bough a greddy type S bov that cost me $60+ it stuck open more time that its supposed to therefore i was losing some psi in every shift after that i went with the real thing never ever got stuck.
How many times i read people so worried about the weight of some particular part like wheels,it should really should matters to people drag racing,circuit,solo or some kind of competition i mean it is really so important to you if some particular wheel weights 2 pounds more when the only thing you do is go back and forth from work,college,school or you only use you car to hang around,be real.
Just because something works for a particular car or driver means is good to everyone.Also just it cost a lot means is the best thing,i bough KYB AGX a long time ago after 6 months front struts where leaking.
One more thing ,a turbo car is not so easy to work with, again it cost money,time and sacrifice,maintenance is higher chances of breaking are higher.Not to mention fitting a car that was never intended to be force feed
its even harder it involve custom fabrication and the the technical knowledge to do it.
Well hopes this helps a few people around here understand a few things and
again we are all here to learn and share our love four our cars.Be real with your expectations,know your limitations and learn form the ones that already done it and listen to what other have to say and do whats really best for you.
I'm kinda of rusty with the English so please sorry for any misspell ,feel free to correct any
the real reason i'm writing this is because even when i was away for so long things haven't change that much here and i think there is a lot of misinformation and a lot of people spreading opinions as if they where the hard cold facts and thanks we have this forum available so people come to understand better our cars and the whole dynamics involved driving,caring,maintaining and for some even racing.
First lets keep it real, even though for me our cars are one of the best cars comparing side by side with other cars on same year and price range lets say Acura TL,Ford Taurus,Dodge Intrepid,Honda Accord etc... the fact is it is a sporty family sedan and some people don't come to realize that.Of course some people have managed to get good numbers and raced with good results but please keep in mind for those who have done it it cost them good amount of money,time and sacrifice.
Whenever you race you car you are prone to breaking your car eventually, besides having to spend money on repairs you will have your car sitting for God knows how long until you car get fixed.Sure its your car your money and your time but again and is and advice for the ones thinking modifying a car is just like in the movies and for those that just looks in a magazine and thinks is easy but don't come to realize everything involved into modifying that car.
Like me a lot of people here don't have a huge amount of money and for some is their only car what that means is if you start modding your car and it breaks you won't be able to go to work,school or whatever you usually do with your car.
Another thing is pleas be careful what you buy and from who/where you buy it.I have seen lots of items claiming to work wonders on cars promising lots of HP or super mega additives for a few buck others even costing lots of money,don't just believe everything you see in the ads research find how true or false it the advertising.How many time a read people claiming to gain lots of hp from spark plugs,racing additives,chips,tornados,plug wires,filters.
Read ,instruct yourself get the facts,how many times i heard people with a stock n/a thinking that by going with a 3" exhaust tubing thinking it will yields lots of hp just to find the car feels sluggish in stop and go traffic and on top it sounds like crap.How many fell for the super triple split fire spark plugs only to have them replaced in 1 month because besides from feeling worse they fouled,how may installed foam filters to find out they won't last a **** and guess where all the foam when into.... yes inside the engine of your beloved car..ouch thats bad.My brother spent $240 for a set of Nology plug wires for his VW Passat 4 months later 2 of the wires where shot replace them with $60 neuspeed been driving for the past 3 years not a single problem.
Again we are not rich, well at least I'm not and usually we are hunting for the lowest price whenever possible,but not always the price is what you should have in mind remember you get what you paid don't just expect a look a like part performs like its pricey counterpart,just because it looks identical it will do exactly like its supposed to.Beware of cheapo imitations that won't last like autochrome,turbo xs turbos 2 of my friends bought the s15 turbo knock off 1 of them broke a blade that got sucked into the engine the other craked after 2 weeks.i bough a greddy type S bov that cost me $60+ it stuck open more time that its supposed to therefore i was losing some psi in every shift after that i went with the real thing never ever got stuck.
How many times i read people so worried about the weight of some particular part like wheels,it should really should matters to people drag racing,circuit,solo or some kind of competition i mean it is really so important to you if some particular wheel weights 2 pounds more when the only thing you do is go back and forth from work,college,school or you only use you car to hang around,be real.
Just because something works for a particular car or driver means is good to everyone.Also just it cost a lot means is the best thing,i bough KYB AGX a long time ago after 6 months front struts where leaking.
One more thing ,a turbo car is not so easy to work with, again it cost money,time and sacrifice,maintenance is higher chances of breaking are higher.Not to mention fitting a car that was never intended to be force feed
its even harder it involve custom fabrication and the the technical knowledge to do it.
Well hopes this helps a few people around here understand a few things and
again we are all here to learn and share our love four our cars.Be real with your expectations,know your limitations and learn form the ones that already done it and listen to what other have to say and do whats really best for you.
I'm kinda of rusty with the English so please sorry for any misspell ,feel free to correct any
02-18-2007, 09:47 PM
#2
Interesting post. 2 things caught my eye,
I disagree with the wheels, dont worry about going lighter really, but try to keep your wheels pretty light, every one pound of unsprung weight multiplies by 4 in what you would feel inside the car, so if you get new wheels and tires that weigh 7 more pounds than the OEM ones, 7x4=28x4(for each wheel)= the equivilent of putting 112 pounds in your car, a big deal IMO.
Other than that, Thank you for your service for our country and for protecting our freedom.
KC Ryan
I disagree with the wheels, dont worry about going lighter really, but try to keep your wheels pretty light, every one pound of unsprung weight multiplies by 4 in what you would feel inside the car, so if you get new wheels and tires that weigh 7 more pounds than the OEM ones, 7x4=28x4(for each wheel)= the equivilent of putting 112 pounds in your car, a big deal IMO.
Other than that, Thank you for your service for our country and for protecting our freedom.
KC Ryan
02-18-2007, 10:01 PM
#3
Originally Posted by kcryan
Interesting post. 2 things caught my eye,
I disagree with the wheels, dont worry about going lighter really, but try to keep your wheels pretty light, every one pound of unsprung weight multiplies by 4 in what you would feel inside the car, so if you get new wheels and tires that weigh 7 more pounds than the OEM ones, 7x4=28x4(for each wheel)= the equivilent of putting 112 pounds in your car, a big deal IMO.
Other than that, Thank you for your service for our country and for protecting our freedom.
KC Ryan
I disagree with the wheels, dont worry about going lighter really, but try to keep your wheels pretty light, every one pound of unsprung weight multiplies by 4 in what you would feel inside the car, so if you get new wheels and tires that weigh 7 more pounds than the OEM ones, 7x4=28x4(for each wheel)= the equivilent of putting 112 pounds in your car, a big deal IMO.
Other than that, Thank you for your service for our country and for protecting our freedom.
KC Ryan
02-18-2007, 10:09 PM
#5
Thanks for the thought. Im sure people will agree and disagree but I have learned the hard way from modding. A piece of good advice I can add/reitterate is that if you are modding your ONLY car, do not do something that can jepordize the reliability of it. Because nothing ever works out like you think it will. Sometimes whatever can go wrong, will.
02-18-2007, 10:27 PM
#6
Originally Posted by kcryan
Interesting post. 2 things caught my eye,
I disagree with the wheels, dont worry about going lighter really, but try to keep your wheels pretty light, every one pound of unsprung weight multiplies by 4 in what you would feel inside the car, so if you get new wheels and tires that weigh 7 more pounds than the OEM ones, 7x4=28x4(for each wheel)= the equivilent of putting 112 pounds in your car, a big deal IMO.
Other than that, Thank you for your service for our country and for protecting our freedom.
KC Ryan
I disagree with the wheels, dont worry about going lighter really, but try to keep your wheels pretty light, every one pound of unsprung weight multiplies by 4 in what you would feel inside the car, so if you get new wheels and tires that weigh 7 more pounds than the OEM ones, 7x4=28x4(for each wheel)= the equivilent of putting 112 pounds in your car, a big deal IMO.
Other than that, Thank you for your service for our country and for protecting our freedom.
KC Ryan
02-18-2007, 10:40 PM
#7
Most true, but I'm afraid those ideas most likely only settles in when we get older. Did the turbo thing with my Honda Civic not knowing fully beforehand what I was getting into (basically I rushed into it). Ended up destroying the crankshaft and the connecting rod bearings.
I forgot all about the tornado product until you mentioned it. I remember it got me into heated arguments with a whole bunch of people, including the shops that sold them. Did you ever see the commercials they had on tv?
I forgot all about the tornado product until you mentioned it. I remember it got me into heated arguments with a whole bunch of people, including the shops that sold them. Did you ever see the commercials they had on tv?
02-18-2007, 10:52 PM
#9
Originally Posted by fithos
Most true, but I'm afraid those ideas most likely only settles in when we get older.
02-18-2007, 10:55 PM
#10
[QUOTE=maximus_pr]ok guys what you are about to read(if you want to) is my personal opinion and maybe an advice for the new maxima/i30 owners,
I can assure you maximus_pr is correct!
I decided to start modding my car almost 11 years ago when i purchased it new. Presently it is set up for street, track, Autocrossing, and Road Course Racing. It is not our only car so it's no big deal if the car is down.
For me modding became a challenge and a hobby. I don't consider my i30 a family car or grocery getter. It is a serious car that can perform!
The caveat here is I could buy a porsche 911 or porsche carrera with the money I spent on my car. I can afford to play with my toy and I really don't want to replace or sell it. I love driving it.
This doesn't mean you can't do what you want with your car, just remember it takes big bucks and a lot of knowledge before you go from 4 door family sedan to the real deal.
The next most important thing is doing it right so your car is reliable and doesn't go up in smoke.
I can assure you maximus_pr is correct!
I decided to start modding my car almost 11 years ago when i purchased it new. Presently it is set up for street, track, Autocrossing, and Road Course Racing. It is not our only car so it's no big deal if the car is down.
For me modding became a challenge and a hobby. I don't consider my i30 a family car or grocery getter. It is a serious car that can perform!
The caveat here is I could buy a porsche 911 or porsche carrera with the money I spent on my car. I can afford to play with my toy and I really don't want to replace or sell it. I love driving it.
This doesn't mean you can't do what you want with your car, just remember it takes big bucks and a lot of knowledge before you go from 4 door family sedan to the real deal.
The next most important thing is doing it right so your car is reliable and doesn't go up in smoke.
02-18-2007, 11:04 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,391
This was put to me into perspective in late October 2005 when my last car was stolen. Many people forget that it is just a car, a method of getting from point A to point B. Some people like to do that in style and thats fine if you can afford that. Others, such as myself, cannot so i am always worried when i go to the movies or to the mall or to a club downtown will i see my car when i get back?
I guess what i am saying is that spending insane ammounts of money on a car is not very smart because someone else can damage that very quickly, i have seen peoples cars get keyed just because they took someone elses parking spot at college, i have seen peoples tires get cut just because they SEEMED like they cut someone off on the previous corner of the road, i have seen road rage where people hit other cars on purpose just to scare them into getting off the road.
Thats Toronto for ya buddy!!!
I guess what i am saying is that spending insane ammounts of money on a car is not very smart because someone else can damage that very quickly, i have seen peoples cars get keyed just because they took someone elses parking spot at college, i have seen peoples tires get cut just because they SEEMED like they cut someone off on the previous corner of the road, i have seen road rage where people hit other cars on purpose just to scare them into getting off the road.
Thats Toronto for ya buddy!!!
02-18-2007, 11:24 PM
#16
5 actually......family cars tho,
1992 Cadillac Allante, my baby, currently covered and asleep for the winter.
1998 I30
2003 Qx4
2003 C240 benz...soon to die thank god, i hate that car so much, hopefully soon to be a M3
2004 Xterra
I really only drive the I30 and Allante reguraly
1992 Cadillac Allante, my baby, currently covered and asleep for the winter.
1998 I30
2003 Qx4
2003 C240 benz...soon to die thank god, i hate that car so much, hopefully soon to be a M3
2004 Xterra
I really only drive the I30 and Allante reguraly
02-19-2007, 06:58 AM
#17
Originally Posted by kcryan
5 actually......family cars tho,
1992 Cadillac Allante, my baby, currently covered and asleep for the winter.
1998 I30
2003 Qx4
2003 C240 benz...soon to die thank god, i hate that car so much, hopefully soon to be a M3
2004 Xterra
I really only drive the I30 and Allante reguraly
1992 Cadillac Allante, my baby, currently covered and asleep for the winter.
1998 I30
2003 Qx4
2003 C240 benz...soon to die thank god, i hate that car so much, hopefully soon to be a M3
2004 Xterra
I really only drive the I30 and Allante reguraly
02-19-2007, 07:51 AM
#18
Originally Posted by i30krab
just remember it takes big bucks and a lot of knowledge before you go from 4 door family sedan to the real deal.
02-19-2007, 08:03 AM
#19
Guest
Posts: n/a
i can agree with everything you said.... i made that mistake with my civic when buying those cheap parts and eventually caused more problems than actually helping. ever since I got this maxima the only thing I bought on ebay was bolt-ons. everything else was with a well known company and I'll never look back. remember you get what you paid for....
02-19-2007, 08:25 AM
#20
Originally Posted by mac_brickcityVQ
i can agree with everything you said.... i made that mistake with my civic when buying those cheap parts and eventually caused more problems than actually helping. ever since I got this maxima the only thing I bought on ebay was bolt-ons. everything else was with a well known company and I'll never look back. remember you get what you paid for....
Originally Posted by mac_brickcityVQ
my civic
02-19-2007, 10:59 AM
#21
Originally Posted by kcryan
Interesting post. 2 things caught my eye,
I disagree with the wheels, dont worry about going lighter really, but try to keep your wheels pretty light, every one pound of unsprung weight multiplies by 4 in what you would feel inside the car, so if you get new wheels and tires that weigh 7 more pounds than the OEM ones, 7x4=28x4(for each wheel)= the equivilent of putting 112 pounds in your car, a big deal IMO.
Other than that, Thank you for your service for our country and for protecting our freedom.
KC Ryan
I disagree with the wheels, dont worry about going lighter really, but try to keep your wheels pretty light, every one pound of unsprung weight multiplies by 4 in what you would feel inside the car, so if you get new wheels and tires that weigh 7 more pounds than the OEM ones, 7x4=28x4(for each wheel)= the equivilent of putting 112 pounds in your car, a big deal IMO.
Other than that, Thank you for your service for our country and for protecting our freedom.
KC Ryan
I've actually traveled with my Max and had approximately 250+lbs of weight in the car, and noticed no significant decrease in gas consumption (all highway miles though).
But I still agree with you on trying to keep the wheels as light as possible.
02-19-2007, 11:01 AM
#22
Originally Posted by MDeezy
I've actually traveled with my Max and had approximately 250+lbs of weight in the car, and noticed no significant decrease in gas consumption (all highway miles though).
But I still agree with you on trying to keep the wheels as light as possible.
But I still agree with you on trying to keep the wheels as light as possible.
02-19-2007, 11:04 AM
#24
Originally Posted by kcryan
General rule is about 450 lbs will lose you 1 mpg highway, so thats not suprising, but did it feel different braking, and cornering?
02-19-2007, 01:14 PM
#25
Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 67
Just want to chime in a bit....
The best mod but may not be the cheapest one is to change the nut behind the wheel a.k.a. yourself
Take driving school like Skip Barber... you'll be surprised how all of the sudden you feel your unmodded car has too much power for you. Once graduate, you'll be surprised how much faster you could go w/ your unmodded car.
The best mod but may not be the cheapest one is to change the nut behind the wheel a.k.a. yourself
Take driving school like Skip Barber... you'll be surprised how all of the sudden you feel your unmodded car has too much power for you. Once graduate, you'll be surprised how much faster you could go w/ your unmodded car.
02-19-2007, 02:39 PM
#26
Originally Posted by willard00
or it takes an 01 audi A4 and about $5,000. thats my plan for the future =) haha
There are far easier and cheaper cars to mod then our nissans.
02-20-2007, 04:57 AM
#31
Originally Posted by i30krab
That's an understatement!
There are far easier and cheaper cars to mod then our nissans.
There are far easier and cheaper cars to mod then our nissans.
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