SNOMAX

iTrader: (14)

...now what?

Well, in my short time here on the .Org let me try and help some of the other newbies that are starting to satisfy their urge to mod.

Above all else, figure out what your goal is. If you can, distill it down to a thesis, just like a well written paper.

In my case, I wanted to do a car that might have been offered by the factory as a limited edition or a dealer modified car. So, I went with body kit, wheels, suspension upgrades and mild bolt on engine mods. My decision was based on drive-ability, my own skill at installs and of course budget.

But, what are your goals? Drag car, auto-cross/time-attack, or perhaps show car? Is is a daily driver or a second car? These questions will help you with decisions like: Do I get rims/tires or a set of headers first?

You can answer a lot of your own questions if you keep you initial goal in mind. You would probably pick-up that Y-pipe sooner if it's a drag car than if the car was a show car or car-audio platform. In short prioritize.

One last thing to keep in mind: I suggest avoiding decisions based on these famous last words: "I want to install (Fill in nearly-impossible-to-install obscure part here, for example RB26DETT engine) in my Max because it's never been done."

Almost all incomplete projects and poorly executed installs started with that thinking. There's nothing wrong with pioneering mods--but it's difficult on a chassis that's 10 years old.

So, if you didn't want to read the whole post, here's the CLIFF NOTES:

Pick your goals before starting to mod your ride. Keep your budget in mind, plan ahead, research don't attempt the impossibile and you'll find the parts that are right for your ride.

I hope somebody will find this post useful,

-SNOMAX

ArcticW

Good Job.THis should cut down on useless and redundant threads. Y-Pipe anybody?

I guess I should mention my plan for da Max to start things off. Go from Y-pipe->CAI->F/R Sway Bars->Tranny Cooler->Supercharger->Dual Exhaust->'97 Bumper Conversion (Possible) Period.
The only cosmetic thing I'm gonna do is tint the windows and throw down a dual exhaust. She'll be the fastest sleeper of them all, a true "Q Ship".....

Tis my plan...what's yours?

deftflux

You know, the more I learn about the stock air intake on my 2000 Maxima, the more I'm impressed, except, of course, the VIAS problem sometimes encountered. In fact, someone tested it stock with a K&N filter against CIA and another form of intake and the stock with K&N actually came out on top by a small margin. In any case, my plan for my Maxima:

Thesis: I want to make my car sporty and powerful for my own driving pleasure.

So, I will start with 'simpler' mods that will make better use of the hps & help put more of the available horsepower on the street, like K&N filter, lightweight underdrive pulley, lightweight flywheel, LSD, maybe ECU, etc. Also drivability improvements like short throw shifter. Finally, I'm not sure if I'm going to go for the Stillen supercharger or a 'disco potato' turbo by JWT. By that point, I'll need a high performance clutch and some brand new tires to burn

By the way, I really want to get my clutch pedal to have less travel. I tried adjusting it, but it won't work that way with the stock cylinders. I've been searching for some 'performance' master / slave cylinders for the hydraulic clutch, but I can't seem to find any. Any ideas?

Fr33way™

iTrader: (23)

Not sure if all gens have this but the 4th gen forum has a very good intro section written by Neloc187,

Tatanko

iTrader: (34)

That is good. We should have something like this pop up and require people to read it the very first time they visit the .org after registering.

reyrey

If I may just add one bit of advice: Check with your insurance and make sure the modification complies with their policies.

We just had a big discussion up here in Toronto about what we can and cannot do due to insurance regulations. One of the DO NOTS was lowering your car. Some insurance companies will reject a claim if they find that a car involved in an accident was modified without approval.

They understand that lowring will improve handling, but it will also affect the bumpers impact point. This is their main concern and reason for frowning on lowering modifications.

Again not all insurance companies will deny you that modification. Just make sure and check with them first before doing it. In certain cases they will accept lowering mods, even if their policy says No. It will be handled on a case by case basis.

Metal Maxima

iTrader: (30)

I agree with 2 out of the 3 points there.

I am all for attempting the impossible. There is always a way.

Ambition > *

deftflux

Yeeeeaaaah... not to be rebelious... but the only reason I have insurance is because I'm legally obligated to! I'd much rather just save up a bunch of money and be self-insured. I have only made one claim on my insurance EVER and that was because the person was f'n stupid and called my insurance when I specifically told her to call ME. In any case, I've paid at least 100 times in insurance premium what I've claimed and probably ever will claim. It's stupid!

So let's see, option A: tell insurance about your turbo and pay twice as much in premium, or option B: don't tell them, pay a lower premium, and risk not getting covered when you'd never claim on your insurance anyway, you just pay out-of-pocket because you don't want your rates to go up. Haha, at least until I get older / married / etc., I think B is a slightly better option...

Disclaimer: I don't have my turbo yet, and my insurance company has never implied that I am under obligation to inform them about modifications to my vehicle. In addition, the above is nothing more than a hypothecial scenario, and I do not condone, advise, or encourage anything by it.

But in any case, yeah, I sortof agree with the bumper thing. Way back when I first got my license I got in an accident. I barely rear-ended the dude, but he was in a truck and I was in an '88 Toyota Tercel Wagon lol. His bumper lined right up with my radiator and smashed the coolant out of it. If our bumpers lined up, I wouldn't have had to tow it and spend $500 fixing it. So I think truck bumpers are definitely too high, and yeah bumpers shouldn't be too low either. There's should be a standard or something.

reyrey

Disclaimer: I don't have my turbo yet, and my insurance company has never implied that I am under obligation to inform them about modifications to my vehicle. In addition, the above is nothing more than a hypothecial scenario, and I do not condone, advise, or encourage anything by it.

Great disclaimer. You should have learned from your insurance though and made the font smaller....lol

deftflux

That's the smallest font size on the forum!

That's one of my nicer ones. Usually my disclaimers include "You have a brain, use it! Take everything everyone says with a grain of salt, except this sentence, because if you did it would create an infinitely recursive logical paradox."

GBAUER

iTrader: (2)

Don't go nuts on a daily driver. The more power you add, the less reliable the car becomes.

As for me, I'm retiring my car from sales duties and entering it into the relm of T/C'd and nitros. I'm paying mine off before any extensive mods (a couple of cosmetic mods are done) so I can go nuts on it and not worry so much when it breaks. In three months time, I'll be dropping around 5-10g's on it.

deftflux

I definitely agree that you should pay off your car before you do major mods to it. Unless you have a professional who guarantees his work do it, there are alot of things that can go wrong and you'll have only yourself to blame! And nobody wants to make payments on a car they can no longer drive...

However, there are some mods that will not damage or decrease the life of your car. Some may even increase it. For example, a high performance air filter lets your engine breathe easier, a lightweight underdrive pulley decreases the load the accessories put on your engine, and even a turbo, if driven lightly, will increase your gas milage and decrease the amount of energy your engine wastes on sucking air in. Alot depends on how you drive the car. A bad combination of the mods and how you drive is what will decrease the life of your car. The reason race cars barely last even one race is because they're constantly red-lining and being pushed to the limit, and the mods are designed to make the car as fast as it can regardless of how much damage it does, as long as it lasts one race. So just make sure you know what you're doing. Research extensively before you buy and apply. Trust me, I won't do anything to my Maxima before I know everything there is to know about it.