I have an 2010 Maxima SV that I decided on keeping and modding. I'm wanting to make some minor mods to what I have though, to make the car a bit more enjoyable... I'm mostly considering performance mods, and I'm just curious about the array of what's out there for Maximas. Budget I have in mind is about $1,000 to $1,500. I was thinking:

• Intake (Looking for suggestions)
• Crank Pulley (I'm still open to whether everyone actually thinks it's worth it, and I would need to get a mechanic to install this for me)
• Lowering Springs (Looking for brand, ride quality)

What else would you recommend that's in the Maxima world? I'm open to Exhaust ideas; but, I would imagine that's a budget within itself (AAM Competition Exhaust is like $1,300)

 

I vote y pipe and springs.

 

Little more info on the Y-Pipe? Brand in mind?
Any recommendation (brand-wise) on the springs? I'm just going to keep the stock rims/tires, BTW

 

Racing line and Motordyne for y pipes. I think Eibachs are the popular choice here.

 

Motordyne y-pipe, eibachs springs, stillen rear sway bar, R2C Hex intake, UpRev tune

 

Agreed with the above. I installed a crank pulley on my 4th gen and didn't really feel like it helped much. The r2c intake and the y-pipe seem like the best mods to start with. A new grille won't help your performance but I put an aftermarket grill on my car and really like the way it cleans up the front of the car

 

I've read the air intakes are largely just drawing in hot air and can hurt performance. Do you think it's actually worth it, or is it more of a placebo since the engine is louder?

 

Well I haven't put one on my car ...yet...but I plan to. SO take what I say with a grain of salt. Possibly there would be a lack of performance from heat soak, but the shielding on the filter should help with that. Honestly I don't know if you will see much of a difference performance wise with or without the intake, but it will sound really nice! I want one for the sound.
AEM sells an intake part number AEM-21-712C that seems like it would eliminate most of the potential for heat soak. But it is also pretty pricey. They don't list it for the 2009-2010 Maxima's, maybe there is some modding required to make it fit in the early 7th gens or maybe it is just an oversight on their part, I'm not sure. It uses a modified scoop in the factory location (just above radiator) and has a nice heat shield around the filter.
2 cents....

 

don't bother with the pulley, we dyno tested it and only saw a couple HP gain.

your best bet for power is to do intake/exhaust/tune and then stop worrying about performance because you'll just end up spending money for no reason.

 

all the reviews and videos I have looked at don't justify an intake esp since we really have a nice design for the cold air. I doubt either a short or full intake would be able to mimic that.

 

Then it sounds like CAIs are a waste and a quality high flow filter in the factory box is the best choice there.

Subscribing...

 

Unfortunately, mods are like crack. Here's what my list grew to:

Performance:

• Jemini Racing Y-Pipe - $385
• Eibach Pro-Kit Springs + Alignment/Camber Bolts - $230
• Monroe Struts - $177.58
• RacingLine Rear Sway - $120

Non-Performance:

• BlackSys CH-200 front & rear camera system - $300
• Gun Holster for my XDM + Bits to Mount to my Left-Center Console - $40
• Brake Caliper Paints - $28
• Grounding Kit - $13

Considering/Maybes/On-the-Fence:

• Stillen Front Strut Tower Brace - $235 - I kinda opted out of this when people were saying it barely had an impact on suspension performance.
• UpRev Tune - haven't looked into it yet, and I don't know if there would be any worthwhile gains based on the mods I would be doing. I did find a reputable UpRev tuner locally, though. Cost would be $475-$600.
• H2C Intake - I've heard the stock intake is fine; but, curious about if people can tell the difference on-the-road vs a dyno. While the added engine noise would be great; I don't want to have a placebo effect and have the hot air eat up horsepower/torque gains
• U/D Pulley - considering this because it's right near the work required for the Y-Pipe ... probably won't end up doing this, though. Ghozt said he didn't notice much of an increase; but, other users have said it's an OK mod. I think I have to get an additional belt that's $45. So it would be $130 for the pulley + $45 = $175. Drawback would be my alternator turning more slowly. Since I'm adding electronic components, I'm not sure if this is a good idea... Again. I'm probably not going to be doing this mod.
• Throttle Body Spacers - while my car is a 2010, Ghozt has reported he saw some pretty nice gains on it. I'm curious about it, and it's about $180 shipped. Ghozt did an awesome write up on it (thanks, Ghozt).
• Block Off Plate - I'll be honest, I know nothing about this... Not sure of any drawbacks... it's an $80 part and the install straight forward. Some have said there's some low-end horsepower dropoff; but, a lot say they don't notice it. I'm not the type who is commonly going WOT

My only concern about doing an aftermarket Intake, Throttle Body Spacers, and Block Off Plate is there would be more air going in and I don't want to risk running lean... Should a tune be mandatory if I do these mods?

The most likely mods I'll opt for are the Throttle Body Spacers and Block Off Plate, as long as a tune isn't mandatory... The tune would massive increase my costs.

Any input appreciated.

 

Is this system hidden? Can you post a pic of this set up? I can't figure out a good way to mount a rear camera.

 

I haven't installed it/hard wired it yet. The box is small and the components are small as well... Not "hidden" by any means; but, not bulky. I'll definitely post some pics as well as document on VINWiki.

 

Ok thanks just link me that when you do. I can tell you for the front camera its easy to route the power wire from the rear mirror to the driver side pillar to the fuse box. Just tuck it in-no tools. Good luck.

 

For scale: