Anybody here a convert from an american v8 sports car to the FWD 6 cyl 4 door japanese family sedan? What made you make the conversion? Do you miss the power?

 

I did, and I don't miss the power. Reasons were reliability, fuel economy, and a better ride for more then 2 people.

 

I had a Pristine '69 Mustang Fastback. 3 speed manual that could smoke the tires off the rim when you did a 3rd gear clutch dump, and turn you bass-ackwards at the blip of the throttle.
Yeah, I miss the raw power. I don't miss the lack of power-steering, no air conditioning, no radio, and only 2-doors...

I think my taste has become more refined...Lifestyle as well (2 kids may have something to do with it).

It's not exactly a straigt conversion from one to the other...have had several other cars in between (Honda,Porsche, Subaru, GM, Ford, Geo) in-between, but the end result is the Maxima.

 

the 8-12 miles per gallon I got (remember this was during the persian gulf war so gas was $2.00+/Gallon) got old REALLY fast.

 

First off, let me say any true "gearhead" must own a piece of American Iron just once in their life.

I traded in my 94 Z28, after 3 years, for my Max. My Z28 was a automatic with a handful of simple bolt-ons. It ran a best of 13.4@104mph. The Z was wickedly fast to 95mph and then 3rd gear kicked in and 6 speed F-Bodies would walk me pretty easily.....but I killed them off the line The torque was incredible, but putting it to the ground was the big problem. I could do a roll-on in 1st anywhere from 5mph to 40mph and completely shred the tires. It was fun to fishtail and steer while getting the rear end to drift (much easier to control than a Mustang). My biggest problems with the car were poor build quality, but I knew that when I bought the car. I got tired of having to make the car faster and faster. When you've got a car like that, it is never quick enough when you know there are thousands out there much faster than you. I got tired of having everyone and their mother pick on me for a race.

I grew up a little (26 now ) and I wanted something roomy, 4 doors, QUICK, fun, and had "potential". I had three cars to choose from: GTP, Impala SS, Maxima. The GTP was fairly new at the time and was (and still is) plagued with problems. The Impala SS was just too expensive. I fell in love with the Maxima 5 speed. The VQ motor and relatively deep gears make for a fun driving car. This car far exceeds the power and performance levels I ever thought imaginable for a NA V6.

Do I miss the torque? Yes, but every car I buy has to be completely different. I want to try everything.


Dave

 

Well said Dave. I was tired of my Camaro falling apart all the time also. It was super quick though, with a 355 and a TPI setup, and the 700r4 Vette Tranny. And like you said, EVERYONE wants to race you.

 

Well I had an American V8, but it wasn't a sports car.....

Sure was fun to rip those rear tires tho'

 

Wow, a built TPI 355. That thing probably had enough torque to change the earth's rotation Those TPI motors are probably the most "stout" Chevy 350s to date. They lacked higher RPM power, but I'm sure that was fixed when you built the 355.

The ONLY automatic I would ever buy is the GM 4L60E (ie revised 700R4). Teamed with a torque monster V8 and a ultra low 3.06 1st gear, those F-Bodies and Vettes just leap off the line. The shift feel was excellent and the tranny could take some pretty good abuse. I loved how the tranny was so smart that you could barely feel it shift under light load, but at high rpms the tranny would literally throw in the backseat on the 1-2.

I loved that car with all my heart, but it pissed me off. Only F-Body owners understand this statement.


Dave

 

My bros had mustangs, but I grew up on small Japanese cars. ie.. 1970 Datsun 510. Not alot of power(duh!) but no one short of a Lotus Elan could out handle me. I used to scare people all the time.

 

I have owned: '70 'Cuda 440, '70 'Cuda 340, '66 Charger 440, and a '75 Ram air 400 Firebird. The only thing I miss is the acceleration of those big blocks. My Max handles better, gets better gas mileage, feels better over 100 mph than any of them, can out corner them, and is absolutely built better. I ride in total comfort with my Wife (she loves that) and I can still out pull a lot of other cars and go almost un-noticed by the cops.

 

Hey dave. I still have the car. Just don't drive it any more, except around the block to keep it running, as I can't get it to pass inspection, and it always gets me in trouble The inspection part is my fault Its has 17x9 ROH wheels, and is flame red. Disk on all for, 86 IROC.

I'll post some pics one day.

"I loved that car with all my heart, but it pissed me off. Only F-Body owners understand this statement. "

You are soooo right! I love it, but hate it! Only F-body owners know how this feels. Its a craxy love-hate relationship. So crazy, I almost got a 98, fully loaded, brand new z28. All those years of torture didn’t teach me a dang thing I guess, but then again, I didn't get it. With my Max, its was Love/love but could use a lil more speed, and more so with the I30T. Have a blast with it so far.

Talk abount ticket city in the Camaro though. You could be hind a pack of wild imports racing, driving normal, and only YOU would get stuck with it.

 

I want to bring this thread back up to see if anybody else has things to say.

 

have the best of both worlds--->


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eb...tem=1823849144

 

what...the...?

 

My sig says it all..... I won 3rd place at the Knotts Berry Farm 5.0 Liter shootout in 1999, for Best Street-Show....I live and die V8 ! ..No rice for me.... I consider my 2K2, an Import with HUEVOS !! .. It's my first import purchase, and i'm PROUD of it ! My Maxx handles great, is FAST, and transports me in comfort, and luxury !

 

A better question is who used to drive an I-6, because anyone who did would see the well, shortcomings of the V6 design. There seem to be some people who actually believe that motors were made to be installed sideways. A person would have to have fallen on hard times to go from an I6 to V6 ie divorce, bandruptcy, foreclosure, lawsuit, laid-off, etc.

 

I was a convert (from a 96 Mustang GT)... to a 2000 Maxima SE. Couldn't stand the it though (the lack of power/performance, not the car) and traded it in 5 months later for a C5 Corvette. I have no idea what I was thinking... but I was driving a lot (25k miles a year) and just engaged and thought I would like something more comfortable. Ended up buying an eco car too, to put miles on. I'm looking at the new Maxs and Altima SEs now for a dailer driver.

 

No regrets. The only thing I missed about that car was the tighter and more precise steering.

 

What shortcomings? Yeah there are technical differences but you don't see the Audi and 300z V6s having much problems. The VG series and VQ series Nissan engines are VERY stout and well thought out. Besides, when over 90% of the cars today are FWD, it would be pretty hard having a I6 FWD. Plus I6 designs tend to hang the engine in FRONT of the front axle. Not too good for handling. Maybe they finally figured it out in the IS300 but then again it's RWD.

 

I'll just tell you that American cars are a ***** to trouble shoot. If you think the Maxima is frustrating to work on, just wait until you get an F-Body/Stang. You'll be working on the car going "WTF, we're these engineers thinking!!?!?". If you think cost cutting is bad in the Max, take a look at your average late model American car.

I always referred to the interior panels inside my 94 Z28 "as flying in a tight formation" rather than actually being clipped and secured to one another. GM actually Velcros much of the F-Body interior together!!! I'm not making this up.


Dave

 

I have often owned Nissan sedans,since 1969, and currently have a Lincoln,Pathfinder,C5 Vette, and a 02 Maxima. The Vette is the most fun and least practical so for me it would never be an only car.

If I could have only one it would be the Maxima in that it is best all around car.
It is practical,reasonably priced,comfortable,powerful and fun to drive. As much usable horsepower as most V8s and a 6 speed sedan, which is hard to find.

 

I had a 1979 Ford Fairmont Futura all through high school--it was the best car I ever owned besides the max

other cars were a '95 Taurus, '9? Celica, '97 S10

 

SELL YOUR DAMN CAR.

 

OK and this has to do with the original post how?

 

Honestly, not much. Sorry, but I'm tired of hearing you try to compare the maxima with something that it just is NOT. It can't really be compared to a v8 RWD sports coupe. I didn't mean to bash, but it seems like you're just fishing for excuses to hate your car everyday. Either live with it or sell it, you're young and should be happy to be driving anything. You've got a bike for speed and handling, enjoy the maxima for what it is, a sporty family sedan.

Sorry for coming down on you hard, you have contributed much to the maxima community, and used to have a lot of very interesting and informative projects to post about. I may have to consult you for LSD info soon.

Peace

 

I traded a 1995 Mustang GT for my 2K1 SE. I got tired of the bone racking ride and droning exhaust in the Mustang.

 

BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!! the sound of a nicely tuned V8 stang exhaust is one of the greatest sounds in the world...I'm serious that deep growl is unlike any other!

 

Actually, one of my coworkers was one of the lead designers on the 4th gen Camaro/Firebird. I can ask him what the hell he was thinking...

Two systems that I know he was responsible for are the water pump on the LT1 and the exhaust system on the F-body, among many others. He's given me a lot of insight about car design and construction.

Incidently, he'll never own another American car in his life after working at GM for 13 years.

 

I agree that a dual exhaust V8 Mustang with Flowmaster mufflers, which I had, sounds the best but only to those people OUTSIDE the car. To those inside there is a horrible drone.

 

Ok, all you guys with 94 UP stangs, ( unless its a COBRA ) .. should promptly return your car, because it is a GIRLIE piece of GARBAGE !. Those of us with 5.0 laugh at you, all the way down the 1/4 mile.. Now to Z28's and T/A's..both LT1's..God forbid you have to do a TUNE UP ! ...or the CLUTCH ! ..My only respect is for the 1987-936 stangs with the 5.0.. a piece of cake to work on, and the late model Cobra, or a Camaro SS...but im married now, NO KIDS, but must have 4 doors....so MAXX RULES !

 

Hey, the 94 and 95 stangs were 5.0L, they just had the new body style. It was the 96 and up that had the new 4.6L SOHC, hard to work on engine. It was a piece of cake to work on the 5.0L engine, to bump up the timing using just a timimg gun, etc. It still was loud and rode like sheit though.

 

In theory HP is HP, be it V, inline, or boxer. In the real world, weight and friction go against performance. Not gonna get into a big debate but an obvious advantage is inline always has 1/2 the number of cams of a V. You want 255 hp out of a 6 and 3 liters you can get it any which way. You want 340 from the same displacement you're gonna have to start using the thinking cap.

 

LOL. I already know the technical reasons thank you for sparing me the lecture.

BTW: The hp of the engine doesn't come from the orientation of the pistons, it comes from the heads. You can easily get 340hp out of a 3 liter 6 cyl V6. NA, SC or turbo. Just because you don't see it done in a production car, doesn't mean it's not possible. It has to do with marketing and packaging.

Back before 1989, Ford contracted Yamaha to design the heads on their upcoming Tarus sho line. In production it came out with 220hp. Preproduction versions rated at close to 300hp. The engine was detuned for drivetrain realiablity reasons and marketing reasons.

Porsche has also put out some high hp opposed 6 xxx liter engines also.

Perhaps you are the one that should be fitted for the thinking cap??

How many inline 6 FWD drive cars do you see again?

Exactly why SHOULD a car maker push 340hp out of a 3 liter V6 anyway??

 

I had a 92 Mercury Cougar 5.0 with mostly performance mods. I got that thing when I was 16 drove it around and I didn't like the 12mpg so when I turned 18 I got my Max cause I always had a thing for 4 door cars. And yes I do miss the power but it makes up for it now that I don't spend my WHOLE paycheck on gas, and I can drive my car in the winter too.

 

I agree with the best of both worlds comment! Get a 300z, drop a Grand national engine in it...

 

Not V8, V6.

Here's some nice videos from some V6 competition



The 'Boeing' Edition Turbo
http://www.gnttype.org/media/gnxvette.MPG

Traction anyone?
http://www.gnttype.org/media/Rudbeck2.mpg

Guess what this means?

 

and an 89 Mustang GT convertible before my Max. The Cuda had a built 340 with Holley 750 double pumper, that ***** sucked down some gas. The only reason I got rid of her was at the time in 87 it was almost impossible to find parts for her, and if you did they were sky high. I had wrecked the front end and couldn't find a complete grill for under $1200.00. The 5.0 was fun for awhile, I had it lowered and some other parts, it was pretty fast, not as fast as the Cuda but the Cuda had 10 inch rims in back. Some ******* knifed my convertible top once, which set me back a grand.

I love the Max, it is so much more refined. It's a great 4 door sports sedan.