Ignore Maxklinger, he is new to the board and doesn't represent the thoughts and opinions of the rest of us. =P That was a pointless post for a different topic.
BTW, the maxima is NOT known for it's good looks outside the max community..

My girlfriend just bought a 2k2 New Beetle Turbo S and lemme say, that sucker is FAST. That wooosh sound sure is addictive. When I was at the dealer I actually considered getting an audi a4 1.8t instead of the 2k2 max but I decided I'm going to stick with my nissan roots =).

I've spent some time on vwvortex and audiworld recently doing my research in deciding how to fix up my girlfriend's car. I must say vw/audi folks are amongst the most mature and receptive car enthusiasts out there. I was going to call BS on a lot of the misunderstandings in the first few posts but you guys did the job for me =).

My gf's car has been known to run 14.7-14.9 stock with the 180hp 1.8T. I'm thinking with a chip we could bump that up 20 hps or so and have her in the low to mid 14's. Luckily, my 2k2 max will do that stock .. so far fastest 2k2 ran a low 14.2 stockish!

I love audi's/vw's I think you guys got great engines and awesome build quality and interiors, but just remember maximas are no pushovers A lot of these 95-2001 5spd guys are in the 14's with our naturally aspirated overweight ***** hehe. Some of our forced induction guys are well into the 13's with one or two in the 12's.

My goal is to get the 2k2 into 13's with just boltons, wish me luck hehe.

 

So let me get this straight, Your Dad's in the Left(PASSING) lane and
when the UGLY Shoebox VeeDub tries to pass on the right(travel lane)
Your Dad does the Mature thing and "punches it to 100MPH"
to prove a point!! Who's suppose to learn something from this. Maybe it's me, but I think the VeeDub did the right thing and decided not to
teach your FATHER a lesson in humility...Just my .02
Everyone else seems very cool on this board, Too bad a few morons seem to screw it for everybody...Peace

 

You might want to look at an APR or GIAC chip instead of the Neuspeed. The Neuspeed VBL chip has had some serious issues for some people. Major surging and throttle issues...plus it doesn't make as much power as the other two I mentioned.

I have an APR (www.goapr.com) chip which took me up to 215hp 245ft-lbs. Torque peaks ~2000 RPMs and holds through redline!! The APR is known for it's buttery smooth power delivery and the GIAC is known for it's more agressive boost spikes (not fun for daily driving). The APR also uses a technology called EMCS. It allows me to switch between whatever programs I have loaded into the chip. I can switch from stock, chipped, race gas, valet (limits top speed to 40) all from the cruise control stalk! I can also lock it in each program (good for dealer visits where I like to have it locked in stock mode) with a security code. I can erase any and all fault codes thrown (max engine speed especially) and do a throttle body alignment...again ALL from inside the car via the cruise control. Oh and the normal cruise control functions also remain. No ther chip has this technology.

 

A new lurker here;
I myself owned a 240sx and an Altima. I respect Nissan's and more than that, I respect you guys and gals for raising the bar on playing nice. It's great to see people of different "religions" getting along.

I now own a 98 Passat 1.8T with a K04-16 hybrid upgrade. I love my Passat for it's looks, and think the Maxima is a great car also. I have yet to race one, but I am sure it will be quite a match when the opportunity arises.

Take care for now!!!!!!


Joe

Ps, Man you guy's have some cool smilies!!!!!!!!!! I'm jealous now.

 

Are there any guys gals that are big (tall will beef not fat) that can fit into a jetta comfortablly?

I'm not old but, it would be nice if we (true auto enthusiasts) could met and race like they did in the 60's without too much heat from the cops. For the most part healthy competition leads to road respect, safety, and it may sound funny, but community.

There are soo many punks who will do anything to win in traffic that it's not funny. They think they have won something, with that type of thinking a yugo and beat a 911 turbo. ....

sorry, that's one of my little soap boxes.

keep the sport alive!

later

 

Well my Father (6'7") can comfortably fit into my Jetta's front seats. He says it has ample head room, leg space, and knee room. The only drawback here is the back seat's leg room is compromised.

 

What nobody mentions about the Golfs is their spotty reliability. I almost bought a used 2000 GTI VR6 a few years ago, but got scared away when I did a little bit of research on the web. Decided to wait and got a 2k2 Max a few years later.

My sister-in-law has a 2001 Golf with the 2.0L, and it is a lemon. The list of stuff that's gone wrong with the car is incredible. Not too long ago, they checked the oil and it was this beatiful white colour, which I believe is indicative of moisture in the engine.

More recently, the car simply refused to start and they had to get it towed to the dealership. I think its totally unacceptable for a 2 yr old car not to start. One of the car mags had a long term Beetle and they had similar reliability issues. I believe in their case the car died while on the road.

I think VW was reliable when it was German, but not now.

 

I think VW was reliable when it was German, but not now.
I don't know what this means...VAG Volkswagen Audi Gruop is still German since the last time I checked. I've had nothing but great cars from VW and for the money I prefer them to other Imports. Just my opinion.

 

Don' take this the wrong way, but what letter(s) does your VIN start with? I doubt its W. I more likely going to be 3 or 9, which means the car was assembled with cheap Mexican labor or cheap Brazilian labor. That's what I mean by not being German anymore.

The design may be done in Germany, but the cars are built in what are essentially 3rd world countries using locally sourced parts.

I seem to remember that when VW switched most of its production to Mexico, they were forced to offer a 10 year warranty a few years later because the reliability nose-dived.

VW's are very nice, the 1.8T is a phenomenal engine, but the reliability scared me personally. Having said this, my buddy has a 2000 1.8T which has been fairly reliable, with the exception of brakes and oxygen sensor.

My sister-in-law's VW is a disaster, however.

 

VW's are still German...what are you talking about?

I'm on my second MkIV VW. Both were totally issue free. Overall the quality of VW has increased leaps and bounds. If your in-law has a lemon you have to realize that isn't just VW. Lemons come from any manufacturer. Just because one car is bad doesn't mean the entire model line is. The 2.0L engine, although slow as a snail, is a venerable and solid engine. White oil residue near the oil cap is common on that car. The car not starting could be anything from blown fuse to a fried ECU. Until you know what the cause is you can't call it a lemon.

It's true some of the Bosch products that VW/Audi use are prone to failure (MAF, DV on the turbos, 02 sensor). There also was an issue with window regulator clips snapping. All of these issues have been resolved with new parts/programming except for the MAF. Those of you familiar with MAFs in general know they are an issue for many car manufacturers.

I guess my point is VWs aren't that shoddy. There are a few problem spots, but it looks like VW is stepping up and taking care of them.

 

I might be out on a limb here but where was the Maxima's
put together? Japan ??Does it make a diffrence in reliablity??
I had a 98 GTI that was made in Mexico and it was the most reliable Car I had owned in quite some time. My Uncle had an Altima that He finally turned in under Connecticut's Lemon Law.....So whats the point here a Lemon is a Lemon...Design is the Key element in a Car build...That's my opinion....

 

All Jettas are made in Mexico. The VIN begins with a 3. The parts are still 100% German designed and made. The majority of the assembly is in Mexico. However that means absolutely squat. The things are mostly robot assembled, not hand. I guess Germans can push a button better than the rest of the world

Edit: One more thing. The Golf your in-law has that is a lemon...it most likely was made/assembled in Germany.

 

Thanks for keeping this conversation civil.

 

Yeah a lot of people, even on VWVortex, would probably have blown things out of proportion about the build quality thing. I'm going to hang around here more often.

 

I thought most of the VW production shifted to Brazil? Maybe just the Golfs went to Brazil? I could be wrong.

I do know that the Golfs have not been made in Germany in quite some time. I think they were building GTI's and VR6's in Germany for a year or two after they shifted production, but the 1.8 and 2.0 L cars were sent to overseas production immediately. Now they are all overseas.

I agree that the parts are german designed, but I highly doubt they are German made. It wouldn't make business sense to shift production to Mexico or Brazil and then continue to make all the parts in Germany and then ship them overseas. This would be an expensive proposition, expecially in this price range, and would really eat into their profits. For this type of mass production, you always try to locate your production facility close to your parts facility. For this reason, I'm pretty sure that many of the parts are made locally. The issue with this is that many of these local vendors are not able to meet to same tolerances that a good European/Japanese/North American vendor car.

I agree that all cars do have a certain incidence of lemons. But I think there is alot of variation between makes as your chance of getting a lemon. This doesn't mean there aren't thousands of very reliable Golfs with very happy owners.

 

I hear you. No matter where these parts are made, they are still German designed. Just because something is made in a country where labour is cheaper doesn't mean QC is compromised. I'm sure VW, or any car manufacturere for that matter, that moves operations has competent people working there to assure the quality remains and isn't compromised.

 

Maxima's are built in Japan for now, but will be shifting production to N.A.. I believe Altima's have been built in Tennesse for some time.

As for the impact on reliability, the only thing I can point to is that Maxima is one of the most reliable Nissan vehicles. If you go to Consumer Reports or JD Powers and look at the average corporate reliability, Nissan is not that good. Honda and Toyota usually fight for the top spot, but Nissan ends up mid-pack. (I'm going by memory here, so I might be off a bit).

But if you look at the Maxima on its own, its right up there with Camry and Accord for reliability. Now this could simply be due to the plant itself, or it could be other factors. After all, most Hondas and Camrys for the domestic market are made in Canada or the US, and their reliability is still excellent. But at face value, it would seem that being built in Japan seems to make a difference.

 

The restraint is killing me!

 

Actually, it tops them. I don't remember what source it was (JD Power?), but after 5 years (1997-2002) the Max topped its competitor in a reliability study. I cite the jewel of an engine.

 

comeon Horsepower, play nice! we have had many discussions about this, but overall it will come down to the driver. and the way you drive, guess I will be taking that win We will just have to see, once I get my car back from the shop. BTW I have a GIAC chip, and some other goodies. Later Joe, and get back to work, ya bum!

 

The Maxima IS very reliable and a great car.

FWIW, JD power also rated the MkIV Jetta best value in it's class several times since '99. Ward's also has put the 1.8T in it's top 5 the last few years.

 

On the reliability issue, the Mexican and Brazilian made VWs have drivetrain assembled in Germany, then shipped across the ocean for final assembly.

I'm an engineer at automation supply company, and I've been in VW plants in both Mex & Brazil, and I can tell you that these are all very high-tech plants where the Germans keep a tight lid on how things are done.

I've got 20K on a Brazilian made GTI with only 1 minor problem (rear defroster switch). Before that I had a Scriocco 16V that I put over 300K miles on. VW's are very solid cars mechanically, but they have bizarre little things that go wrong, like window regulators and door handles.

That said, my wife's '97 Sentra GXE has 70K and so far has needed only oil changes and a set of front brake pads. It's impressive how well that car has held together. I don't think that VW is on par with Nissan for overall build quality, but the VWs are very nice cars.

 

I can provide some info on this race since I have run one many times before........note that all runs were done before removing my cat, my local speed shop and I have estimated my gains to be about 15hp peak, if you would like more info of why, then say so and I will explain it.

My buddy has a 2k2 Maxima with intake and exhaust.......we ran multiple times from a roll on at about 40mph.....as soon as we hit it, I would pull a 1/4 car on him, we would go into 3rd gear, he would pull even with me, we would go into 4th gear and he would put about 1/4 car on me, I went into 5th gear and he stretched out his lead to about a car and then we shut down. Oh, did I say that his car is an Auto !!! No doubt, the new Maximas are fast, his best time is a 14.2@96.XXX at the track, now that my cat is off I have no doubt in my mind at all that I could stay even with him if not pull SLIGHTLY. However, my passat is much faster than the ordinary ones, I think that I got a factory freak, my Passat is the fastest one recorded for the mods I have on pump gas. My engine has lower comp than the earlier models and I also have VVT which the older models also lack. When I was stock I ran a 15.301@89.55mph, I have not run my car since the cat has been taken off, but I was able to pull on my buddies stock S4, I put about half a car to a car on him from 40-110mph with the cat off, when the cat was on, he pulled just like the Maxima would. So all in all, much respect coming from this end of the ring, damn Nissan for making the new Max's so damn fast , I couldn't imagine racing a manual one...but it is cool for you guys, because you have fast cars even with an auto. Anyways, I just posted to show some info to Horsepower's response, and if you are going to race a 98 Passat, then you will stomp it, because they are much slower than my year. I did run a 2k1 5spd Maxima at the track the other night, he didn't put up to much of a fight, but hung with me decently I guess.......he had an intake and Y-pipe. Okay, later fellas

 

Hey all! Cool thread. It's nice to be able to talk to other car enthusiasts without having it turn into a flame war.

I've read all this thread and there is just a small bit of confussion here about the Passat 1.8T which is very different from the Jetta or Golf 1.8T. The Passat 1.8T is a longitudinal layout. Meaning the engine is in front of the transmission. Exactly like what is found in the Audi A4. Both the V6 and 1.8T Passats are like this. The Golf and Jettas are a transverse mount engine layout. Meaning the engine is to the right side of the car and the tranmission is to the left side. All three cars are still front wheel drive.

Starting in 1998 and going through till somewhere in mid 2001 the Passat 1.8T came with a 150HP, 155lbs/ft torque engine. After 2001 the 1.8T in the Passat got a bump in output, up to 170HP. Some with new ECU software and some of the increase in HP through the addition of Variable Valve Timing. The standard KKK K03 turbo is still used in both the 150 and 170HP applications.

I have a 1999 Passat 1.8T GLS with some go fast stuff on board.
Here's a list of the fun stuff:

-1.8T 20 valve engine, manual 5 speed trany,
-Light grey interior, Lux package,
-APR v3 w/second ECU,
-APR Snub Mount,
-mid "suitcase" resonator removed in favor of an inline glass pack,
-secondary air intake to air box,
-Custom made IC mist system,
-Audi S4 vented wheel well liner mod,
-Forge DV,
-6 disc changer,
-Kamei spoiler wings,
-Kamei sport grille,
-Kamei Eyelids,
-in-pro clear corners,
-smoked factory side markers,
-Eibach Pro-Kit springs,
-O-Bar rear sway bar,
-NB sunglasses holder,
-1.8T badge,
-20V badge on Kamei grille,
-K&N air filter,
-painted air box cover,
-painted Power Steering fluid Res. cover,
-PIAA driving lamps in lower grille,
-Momo RaceAir shift ****,
-VDO Vision Boost gauge,
-Custom Gas, Brake, Clutch and Dead pedal covers,
-2000 B5 rear tether hold down anchers for child seats,
-18% window tint all the way around

It's a mix of performance and looks mods.

Last time I dyno'ed my car I got a a reading of 178.2HP and 228.2lbs/ft torque at the wheels. And that was only with the chip and the K&N filter. I haven't dyno'ed it since the other engine mods.
I am wanting to finish the exhaust mods if a larger diameter system (2.5" piping) and a better rear muffler. I should see an increase in HP of another 8-10HP at the wheels. And that's not even counting a 2.5" down pipe or free flow cat. And while I am talking future mods, for another $800 a larger KKK K04 turbo can be installed and that would add another 25-30HP. This is the nature of turbocharged cars!

Check out this site and look around in the members cars section, there you'll see some of the nastiest Passats out there. Maybe even the car that started this thread.

www.clubb5.com

Have fun!

Just something to think about next time you think about jumping a rather stock looking Passat.