I was just wondering if it would be possible to mount a 02-03 Maxima 6spd to an I35? I have never heard of it being done, but I THINK it could be done, and that would be the ultimate in luxury and sport!! Any comments??

 

Should be a farily stright forward swap.

 

Should be a fairly stright forward swap.

 

I think it would be too. The only place that would be difficult would be the manual stick shifter trim piece. The I35 might have a totaly different center console and I know for a fact that the wood trim used in the I35 is much much more upscale than the wood in the 02-03 Maxima. So maybe you would have to make a custom trim piece for the shifter. Also, since the I35 is automatic only, all have the gauge cluster transmission gear indicator lights. I wounder what would happen to them??

I wonder why nobody on the org has done this before??

 

Probably bacause their cars are still under warranty.

 

The center consoles are different, but not completely dissimilar.

From my experience, the area where the shifter would go is about the same size and in about the same position as the maxima. Really, all you'd need to do there would be to make a shift boot to fill in the hole, that is, only if the maxima one didn't already fit.

I'd be more concerned about the I35 having a foot-operated parking brake, rather than a handle on the center console. That could be fun during clutch operation.

As for the gauge cluster lights - not that big of a deal. Worst comes to worst, you disconnect the lights, remove the bulbs, etc. Other 5th gens have done tranny swaps and if I recall correctly, they either disabled that circuit, removed the bulbs, or swapped clusters.

As for why no one here has done it - well, several reasons. Max5spd nailed one on the head - no one really wants to undertake a project like that while they're still under warranty. Furthermore, I know I, as well as others around here love our cars, but know for the same amount of money or less we could put into them to get them to perform to amazing standards - we could have a much more fun, much more tossable car (read: better handling, rwd/awd, etc.). Add in the fact that there has NEVER been a 6 speed I35, and well, what little resale value we have now has just gone out the window. No way to even attempt to pass it off as a stock manual transmission'd car.

I'm sure it's possible, but feasibility, that's another issue.

 

9 years later, has this been done yet? I wanna know.....

 

There are two org members here that have done a 5 speed swap. I forget their usernames though

 

I think McSteve did a 5 speed swap...?

 

A 5-speed on a VQ35? You mean from the Altima? Why not a 6-speed from the Maxima onto an I35?

 

Yeah that's who it is!

McSteve and another org member swapped in a manual transmission from a maxima IIRC. Don't know if it was a 5 speed or 6 speed. Regardless it's a feat I respect ^__^

 

Neither of those cars qualify for the Op's question, the cars in question are McSteve's I30 and Essential1's I30.

 

^^ Aackshun might qualify.........................

 

Oh yeah

http://aackshunsgarage.blogspot.com/...i-aka-tha.html

 

Wow! That thing is gonna be a beast when done! Nice work! :-)

 

Aackshun, love the work man! Keep the Infinitis rolling...

 

Good progress man. I was gonna go the lazy route and just swap a 5.5 gen maxima engine + trans into the i35(almost 200K miles). I was lurking the forum for a while and just wanted to surprise all when complete.

Bought a 6-sp max that I intended to use as a donor(100 Kmiles) and when I went to pick it up it turned out to be a titanium edition. Gonna have to keep the TE pure, and my 6 speed i35 project will be shelved for a while.

Again, good luck with your project.

 

I'm about to start an I35 manual swap now. Just purchase one for $200 worth a great body and interior with black leather.

 

Search the forum, it's been done. Was always a dream of mine to do

 

Yes that's true it had been done, but not with an 78mm turbo and on a budget.

 

OK, now you've got my attention