Maybe I shouldn't.........do you guys ever feel this way
 

I like the way my car looks...i really do
but lately I just feel like I'm wasting some much money on the car, which eventually (1-2 yrs) will not be mine anymore.
I just rode in my friend's 2k GLE (completely stock), his car felt alot more comfortable than my car.......
I just think that what am I trying to prove....a car is a car....why wasting so much money on it....
someone talk some sense into me

I feel the same way everybody I know ask me why I mod my car but u can mod it to the style that u like or give ur car a different look. I have a black max also and ur car looks nice :)

Re: Maybe I shouldn't.........do you guys ever feel this way
 

You'll snap out of it...

Is it a waste of money for me to go to a golf course and pay the man $50 so I can chase and hit a little white ball around his property? Well, maybe for some, but for me, I derive pleasure from doing that. Same with modding my car...it gives me pleasure.

1) Mods = pleasure. They can be addictive. Fun, frustrating, something to be proud of doing yourself, etc.

2) Definitely ask yourself if any mod you do will make your car better for what YOU use it for. If you like to drive long distances with the window down and not autoX or drag race your car... then a suspension upgrade might not be right for you. What good is a stiff car if all you want is a comfortable ride like your friend's Max?

3) If you like the work but you don't want to go to any extremes with your Max, do what I am doing... save up for a project car. I plan on having a TT 300Z by the end of the year (I hope) to play with. I can take care of my need to tinker and spend way too much money to satisfy my ego and not mess up the good thing I have with my DD Max :).

Maximas are fun cars and they are fun to mod but if you don't feel you're benefiting from the mods then step back and think about it for a while.

Good luck!

Re: Re: Maybe I shouldn't.........do you guys ever feel this way
 

:sprint: If it gives you pleasure... go for it!!

Re: Maybe I shouldn't.........do you guys ever feel this way
 

I was never into modding (before I found the .Org :rolleyes: ) but now I find that I've done the RSB, FSTB, and plan to lower the car once I find some GR-2's to go with my Teins. I've also done a full stereo, interrior neon, and various LED replacements.

I know it is stupid to spend the money on a depreciating item, but it is the pleasure that it gives me to work on it. As much as I b!tch and cry when I'm scraping my knuckles, the feeling of accomplishment afterward is worth every minute.

In the end, it is more than a car...it's a hobby, I'd probably have spent the money elsewhere anyway :(

Re: Re: Maybe I shouldn't.........do you guys ever feel this way
 

That's a really good point.

Re: Maybe I shouldn't.........do you guys ever feel this way
 

Why did it feel more comfortable then yours? Your suspension is stock right?

I Love modding so i can be different then everyone else out there who has a max. Also, its not that expensive, i mean 1k will get you a lot of **** for your car :)

we mod cause we want to be faster, corner better, visually different and in some cases louder(exhaust) than others........with that comes some sacrafices like stiffer rides and more creeks and rattling.....like most posters have said, i take joy in doing all the mods myself, except the springs....if you want a stock ride, de-mod....life is short, just enjoy!

If I'm not modding my Computers, I'm modding my Cars. It's nice because the attenchion to detail really makes it worth it. I mean I have my car all stock on the outside, because I'm not into extra show and flash, and I have a pretty stock engine because I am not on the track as often as I would like to be.

MrGone

modding my car makes me proud. Puts a smile on my face when I press the throttle and squeeze the juice. Puts a smile on my face when I walk away from it and give it that look..

It also gives me pleasure to see peoples heads turn, and tell you "nice car man"

Money is made to be spent, spend it to make you happy.

its happened to me before too...in the end, where are you going to end up?? for me modding my car is more of like an escape from all the crap u go thru in life..
it might be a phase it mite not..just see where it takes you.. :)

I wouldn't worry about unless you are spending your food/rent money on mods, letting your baby starve and living out of a cardboard box.

if you're having fun...enjoy and stop worrying.

Bob

I think we all go through this on different occasions. I had a civic that I dropped MAD cash into a few years ago. Then one day I said it was just a civic and got rid of it. All that money gone. But I look back and I enjoy the times I had with that car.

Now I mod my max. I have a fetish for making things "my way" and I think we all do. like killer2002 said "money is made to be spent". This hobby is really NOT THAT expensive. I have seen guys waiste more money in their CD/DVD collections. Most of the time I am sane and chill, but I LOVE having that ability to drop the hammer and let my car scream away from the pack.

Nothing makes me more happy than when I started my new job and I had a guy to lunch. We were rolling and I needed to gun it, he grabbed every "oh Sh!t" handle he could and said what have you done to this car, with a huge grin on his face. That is a great feeling, that's right, what have "I" done.....

In the end, do what you gotta do big guy.

To me, it's all about personalization. A car should reflect the owner, not the manufacturer who created the car, and not the dealer who sold it to you......

Yeah it's a never ending battle and it can only depreciate the value, but who cares....it's only money right?? :D :wall: :bawling:

Mod or not to mod ???
 

Great post I felt the same way. I have a daily driver and have done minimal mods which came out to over $4K and then say what the @$#%!
But then all the mods were beneficial to my comfort. I spend over 3hrs a day commuting and I really enjoy all the mods in my car. I'm much older but the mods bring me back to when I used to help my uncles tinker with there muscle cars. This car is great. It serves 2 purposes. Great family car and great drivable ride.

Agreed
 

I agreed with what everyone has said as well ---

I don't mod as heavily as alot of people, because I prefer a semi-stock appearance.

However, I think it boils-down to making this car Look-like and DO what it should have when i bought it from the dealer.

I think when I'm done modding I will have spent only $2000, and it's MOSTLY suspension bits, tires, and wheels.

Well -- that's not including the $3000 big brake BREMBO kit that I WILL HAVE to get one day!! :goofy:

MOD-ON!

gr

to each his own.

I choose not to mod. And to the point of the first post... Stock is more comfortable (obviously)

I got the SE because I wanted a sporty ride but I wanted something that is still built for comfort. I could have just gotten a GLE and dropped it an inch, new springs, shocks etc etc... Then it would be much better handling, but lose the comfort

Moding fundementally changes the car, there are +s and -s as long as you enjoy it do it, but every mod has a price, not only in $$$ but in a trade off. If a different exaust, suspension, wheel and tire combo etc etc just enhanced all aspects of the car without detracting somewhere else, Nissan would have made it stock.
'
I can only think of a handful of cars that there are mods without drawbacks. All I can think of is the LT1s with the skip shift

Re: Maybe I shouldn't.........do you guys ever feel this way
 

For one a car is not an investment and neither is modding-its a hobby
The day u leave the dealership ur car loses money and everytime u add a mod it loses money- I personally plan to ride my car into the ground
as a commute car for my business, so any modding(appearance/performance wize)
is going with me for the long haul. When my payments are up- and
my MAX is payed for a new 350Z will be in the garage for weekend fun.
Whats the point- why are there 1st-3rd gen owners still out there?
Cause they are good cars-
So if you want a comfortable car- put your stock shoes back on
and sell me your rims!
:D :D :D
P.S. If u want a return on your investment try real estate- I just
bought a new house and its making me money by the day! You wont be
saying " whats the point? its only a house!!" when u are hanging
a flat screen on your wall:p

my experience with modding cars is that eventhough it is a great experience, in the end you are loosing money with it

i am happy with my stock maxima, and the only mods i will be doing to it is simple bolt ons which i can then take off and sell when i change cars a couple of years down the road

but i am a different case, i have another vehicle which i mod heavily so my max is a daily driver

For me, it was a decision I had to make before I bought this car. I got my 96 SE in black, when I originally wanted a 97 white SE that I couldn't afford. After getting my 96, I realized I loved the car, detailed it, kept it clean. I didn't have money for modding it cause insurance, payments, and trying to live day to day didn't leave me much money to mod. After lowering it, putting intake, clearcorners and a small stereo in it, I realized I wanted something that wouldn't age or get played out in the next few years so I got the Z.
Since then unfortunately, I've probably spent atleast $10K into it and have about anothe 20K until I'm done. =o)

I doubt mods are a true way to "express yourself". You can pierce your nose, brows, or balls, and that way you will stand out from the crowd. After getting the stereo, and 18"s for my car, I realized that this money could have been invested and brough me a bigger pleasure down the road. As a proud owner of 2k GXE 5 spd, no more mods for me. If at some point I'll have more dispensable income, I'll just get a nicer car.

this is exactly why i really dont mod. i dont mod to make other people happy, i mod to make me happy. which means a system was put in because i like quality music. i will never lower my car because it will make it less comfy and less practical for me.

It's very simple, simple people like to mod and some people don't see the use... Either way, you gotta an awesome car.

As was said before:
To each his own....

I can related though.
I would love to mod my Max, but I think to myself "should I pay to mod my Max, or pay for a new car (HINT, HINT G35coupe)?"

Personally, heavy modding doesn't quite fit into my bugdet for future my plans....So I'll settle for $200 (total)bolt-ons...Besides, servicing the car (later own/now) is expensive enough!

Modding is a hobby/career, and a GREAT one at that, but its when modding interferes with future plans (family, marriage, buying a house/moving out, etc.) when it becomes problematic....

Me, I don't have any mods!! If I spent my money on mods I wouldn't have enough for beer and clam!!!
Ahhhhhhhhh.............beer and clam!!!

Re: Re: Maybe I shouldn't.........do you guys ever feel this way
 

Now I get it: My wife wants mods for the house (i.e. "home improvements") and I want to mod my Max! It all makes sense now!:laugh:

YUP! I just got married and bought a 3br house in a great area(low
crime) all within the last two months -and since I havent put one in the oven yet, I have a few mods to go- I have an intake/FSTB and
plan on changing my b-pipe/RASB and stopping there- (and a few cosmetic changes like tint/dashkit) But the purpose initially when I bought this car was to get away from the ricer stuff and move into the most comfortable 4dr vehicle with the most bang for the buck-
After being in a few lowered maxes w/bigger rims I'm not sure
I want to change my rims(if I do in the future, It will be 17")
cause i dont think I could stand commuting everyday like that-
the stock SE suspension is not great to begin with- to get a harsher
ride-
Another thing is that most of us here have to come to the realization-
that although our cars are faster than most sedans/coupes on the road-Spending thousands in performance mods-to the point where the car
is no longer passing emissions- for what an extra 15hp -that u can hear but cant feel-is pointless- cause there still be faster whips out there- it never ends- thats why people dump
40k-50k $$ in M3's/vettes- cause they are 12-13sec cars not cause they could be faster-
So lets be happy that for $24K we cant hang and bang with just
about anybody who doesnt have forced induction/blown and that
we have a phat 4dr- not an exotic RWD coupe-

The boy in me wants a supercharger/rice juice some day:nx: :mardi:
but the hard working adult wants a 350Z convertible/M3convertible
just to keep clean and shiny :mardi: :cool:
Hello? Hello!!? Damn sorry for the buzz kill- keep on ricing!:ben:

Your Max is ur baby. gotta make it pretty & gotta make it fast. its a hobby. its fun. if the thought of dropping al this cash makes u queezy in the wallet then just do mods little by little. dont go drop a couple grand and do the whole thing ova at once. then u have nuttin to look forward to u know. i cant wait to begin doin my car up. of course the wallet area is gonna hurt but just to b able to take that b4 and afta pic is gonna b soo sweet. impressing girls with the style and impressing guys when u leave them in the dust is the shiznit.


MaXiMa PriDe 4 LyF