I'm really at odds with myself about my car. I've been going back and forth about whether I should get a SC or if I should get a new car. Here's my dilemma:

96 Maxima:
Easily the best car I've ever owned. It's like a nice pair of jeans. It's decently fast (14.4s at almost 100mph) and apparantly looks good not only to me, judging from all the "rubberneckers" I see looking at my car. I'm amazed that 14 year-olds all the way to middle age men love this car. It's roomy, rides pretty good, is solid (rarely does anything rattle), and it's in great condition. If I keep the car, I'm considering the Stillen SC. No turbos because the setup hasn't been perfected. The SC will cost ~$4000 (pay off at once) which will include the gauges (boost, EGT) and a good BOV. I'd run the stock 3.6" pulley because it seems like most people never have problems with belts or melting pulleys and I'm concerned about having decent reliability. I figure I could get 13.7s@104mph at my track with the SC with a rather soft launch. That would be pretty impressive at my track.

New car:
If I get a new car it will be a 2004 WRX. I've driven a 2003 and loved it. It rode great, the seats and postion were great, the overall size was fine, and acceleration was strong (didn't have near the legs my car has). If I got the WRX I would have to get a loan for around $12-14K most likely. I really wouldn't be able to mod much because I'd have little money to play with. The WRX could probably be coaxed into some 14.4-14.5s with a 5000rpm launch, but launching like that makes me a bit nervous. Higher 13s@97mph are doable with a turboback exhaust, ECU, and revised intake, but then my warranty potentially goes in the gutter.


SC guys, honestly, what would you do? Do you really LOVE your SC Maximas or is it more trouble than it's worth. If I get the SC, it would mean I'd have my car for a couple more years at least (not really a bad thing).



Dave

 

I got to vote none of the above.

Dave, I would get a new car if I was you. I wouldn't get the WRX though. I would get a 6spd G35 instead. The WRX is definitely more easily modded than the G35. However, I think the G35 is much better overall. Also, maybe it's just me, but if it was me, I think I would only keep the WRX only for a few years, the G35 I can see myself keeping it for the long term. Seem to me, the WRX is more of a fun car to have for a few years, while the G35 is more of a "keeper". Just my opinion. The 6spd G35 is not slow either. Plus it looks darn good. Easily better looking than the WRX. The G35 is pretty quick, yet still has some luxury to it. Personally, I like a combo of luxury and speed. If I want all out speed, I would get the '03 Cobra instead. High 12s stock, no need to mod it. I wish I could get a new car, I would get a 6spd G35 in a heartbeat.

 

Dave,

How many turbo maxima's out there have blown their engines or have had problems? People may have problems with the SC kits but IMO they are much safer on the engine, and are tried and true. I just wanted to start off by saying that.

Remember when I asked you if I should go SC or Z28, and you said Z28? Well i'm glad I chose what I chose. Of course I regret it some times and will always miss certain things about the Z, but having a "supercharged" maxima is just soo unique. I get looks and inquries all the time and I love it. You are a gearhead so tuning would be no problem for you. Screw the "WRX". AWD and Turbo, that's fun, but it's just a new car payment for a pocket rocket. Keep your reputable "sedan", and whoop some ***. Be a sleeper. (or get a V1 like me and be a show off )

As much as I complain about the SC's power delivery, I really am impressed by it. Power at 10psi is incredible. Power with the 3.33" pulley was great too. While linear boost has it's negitives, I have found out a positive to it. When merging on the on-ramp to get on the interstate, I will floor the gas in second at around 3300rpm. Well it's like a roller coaster; feeling the car pull harder and HARDER as the RPM's climb. It's a satisfying feeling, I very much enjoy it. Now would I trade that for instant hard kicking boost? I don't know, becuase I wouldn't have the reliability of the centrifugel boost or the "roller coaster" acceleration effect.

 

Hi there.....
I decided to get the SC because 1.it's from an experienced seller/installer 2.it produces great power and make this family sedan more fun to drive.
after I got the SC.....the story changes. I was too optimistic. I thought once the SC installed, everything will changed. Yes, it did, in a good way and bad way (which I didnt prepare for the bad part). I did get the power I want. But on the other hand, it comes with some problems. I was not a mechanical inclined person (maybe I am still not) But I have to learn how to deal with all the troubles. I am glad that my seller/installer also taught me what I need to know and helped me numerous times on troubleshooting.
My life has changed after getting this toy. I spent more time on the car than before (because I have to). Weekends were never too short before....I always have plenty of time to spend with my gf, family. Even though I enjoy almost every moment working on the car. But still, now I spend almost 1/3 of my weekend time on the car..... To a person with a full time job, that's a lot.


just telling you my story.

Is it worthy?
yes....I really enjoy driving this car. a lot of power, a lot of fun, love to hear the BOV, adding more accessories, etc. But the reliability of the car is reduced. I am now affraid to take her to a long trip.

 

well the WRX is a great car. My friends with only BOV (yes i know, no performance gains) and boost controller managed a 13.6@96mph on a very hot day. Now how long that car will last is another story. You literally HAVE to launch that car at 4K off the line to get any power, they are simply dogs under 3K RPM. That brings me to reliabilty which i dont see being good with a WRX. Not as far as trannys go.

As for SC'ing the max, thats a good choice, but your car can only handle so much. How many miles are on the 96?! I say just keep your money, save it for something else, and if you really WANT a new car, their are plenty of decently fast and moddable choices out there..

-Audi A4/S4 (both Gens)
-WRX (of course)
-STI (pricey, and no radio, wtf?!?!)
-G35 6sp Sedan/Coupe
-EVO (yes, overpriced, but fast nonethless)
-SRT4 (its still a "neon", but a fast one, and very well built)

i wont mention any two doors since you seems to want a 4 door...


I wish i was in your shoes, and that that luxury of chosing...enjoy...



Eric

 

While I don't have one, my buddy Iansw drove his S/C'ed max to Phoenix AZ and back (well over 2500 miles) over a week period without a problem.

 

Yea....I don't see why trips would be a problem? Cruising at 3-4k rpms....where's the stress? Probubly just as reliable as n/a on the engine...

 

Supercharge it and call it a day. Like Craig said, it sooo unique to have a boosted Max. I get so many heads turning when I pull into a lot of imports and they hear my blow-off. When I pop the hood in front of everyone, I get like the proudest feeling ever. Most people are just not aware of a Max being boosted so the audience's interest is very much there. I know the linear boost isn't as great as a turbo boost, but the sc is still proven. Keep the Max, lots of us on here can help you with the sc mechanical problems if you have any. Long trips shouldn't be a worry either, just carry a factory-sized belt if you think your blower belt will shred.

-Ben

 

there are two things that that make me worried to bring her for a long trip...the belt and engine heat building up. I will not take her to a trip until the oil cooler and water injection are installed.

 

Try not to boost on a road trip. An oil cooler is nice though.

-Ben

 

Supercharge it, it will add a whole other world of tuning to the car. And you'll love the power.

 

SC =

If you like your current car as much as you do, why spend that $4k on a down payment and then be locked into a loan for 3 years?

I was in a similar situation as you a few months ago. I decided I wanted a new car. I drove several, and keep feeling that I didn't like any of them as much as my current car. Supercharging it has made it even better!

 

The SCed route will put you 4K in the hole. A new WRX or G35 will put you @ over $24K in the hole plus the charge of insurance on a new car. With a V2 and stock pulley and a CAI you should be more then happy. The new WRX is nice but does not have the room you have now in your car. Hard decision if you ask me. I have not had any issues with my car etc.. aside from launching like an a sss. I would have to say SC the car

 

save your money and buy something faster to begin with... my .02

 

 

Well I've already owned a late model F-Body. That was fun, but a little a annoying. A 03 Cobra would be brutal, but the driving position sucks for a 6' 2" person like myself plus it's not cheap ($33K). An EVO or STi are options, but I'd be looking at waiting another one year+ for the car. A G35 6 speed sedan would be awesome and I know I can get one for $27500 ($500 over invoice) in Kansas City. The downside is this car would be slower than my Maxima and there really aren't any power mods available yet. I can't drive stock I've got to be able to tinker. Whether I want to deal with SC issues is my major dilemma. The owner of the dyno shop I go to worked for Vortech and Procharger (located in the town I live) so he's extremely knowledgable when it comes to blowers. I guess I need to make a true "pro" and "con" list.


Dave

 

After a couple of years with the SC I'm ready for something new, something faster!

 

I'm the exact same way!

After installing the SC, I don't think that there are any real "issues" until you want to start swapping pullies. If you were to leave the stock pully on there (which we all know we never do), the only real SC issue would be that it lessens your belt change interval.

I really think if its installed properly, it will be trouble free.

[EDIT]
Oops...I'm assuming you'd get steel ASP pullies to replace the stillen plastic ones...which I would highly recommend.
[/EDIT]

 

get the SC!

I will be jumping on the boost bandwagon eventually!

Gotta pay off the maxim..... errr college debts first....

I still have my MEVI sitting on my floor, I need some help installing. :>

 

The SC adds an incredible fun factor to what I consider to be an already fun car.

But the headaches are miserable... but then again I blame myself for most of MY headaches.

My advice to you Dave, in all seriousness, and it may be more expensive than you had originally thought out, get the SC, and the guages, toss the stupid inline pump, get the walbro, if you want to keep the fuel pressure down, I would eat it and buy the Z injectors and send your ECU back for a recal. If you go with the Z injectors you won't need the FMU, makes tuning alot easier right off the bat. Buy the 3.25 pulley, and an ACT or Exedy clutch, and go to town. You will prolly need the pullies from ASP if you go the V2 route. 3.25 will net about 10-11 PSI, and with the ECU and such I think alot of the BS problems alot of members have will go away, I know it worked miracles for Confused. He put down 325hp with a 3.33 pulley and the ECU/VI. No major trauma involved. He has also been on the same belt for almost 2 years.

If I had to do it over again, I would still boost it, (had I bought this car from the get go) I would have just thought about alot of other decisions better, but I would definitely still boost it, not a doubt in my mind.

My suggestions will probably run you about 4500 to 5k. but it should be a one shot deal. You may chew through some belts until you get all the V2 shimming figured out, but your a smart guy, I have no doubt you'll figure it out.

 

Delio and others,

Do you ever get sick of the linear boost curve? I mean, sometimes it's just a real bummer. I'll floor it in gear around 3000rpm and it just doesn't pull as hard as I want sometimes, doesn't feel like my engine is "supercharged". It seems the real power doesn't get there until 5k, which is really annoying.I guess my butt dyno is getting adjusted to the power change, I just wish our blowers made more low end torque to improve fun factor and get the car "up and going" better.

Ho-hum...

 

I forgot to answer this question,

I love my SCer, I would not sell it. There is no trouble and is worth it. Your mechanically inclined unlike others you should not have any trouble or run into much trouble. You know alot so youll get lots of enjoyment out of been boosted. Good luck if you go SCer route and removing your foot off the gas pedal.

 

What was your old sig again? Something about one thing owning another?

 

Really. Just get your mom to buy you a turbo.

You (and every other SC owner here) knew what the SC would do to the power curve. Matter of fact, that's the reason I decided to get the SC. Makes the car much more driveable "around town".

 

The "other" thing is just as driveable around town as the SC.

 

Good to know.

 

Craig, how clean is your SC filter? I just cleaned mine last weekend and I've noticed more jump and smoothness when accelerating. I've also noticed that my lumpy idle has disappeared as well. Dang! I should be cleaning mine more often!

 

Dave instead of spending $4000 On a new stillen kit you should just buy mine. My blower has less than 1000 miles on it. I also have a GReddy type-s bov, apexi egt, fuel pressure, and autometter boost guage. I have a 3.12 pulley along with the stock unit.

 

Dood I'll give you my se-r + $$ for your maxima! That way you can go crazy with it if you want. The setup on your maxima is pretty much exactly what I'd do if I had one.

 

I honestly don't know. It's a huge K&N filter via a CAI setup. It was clean when we installed the SC. I don't have a lumpy idle though. Do you think a dirty filter would make a significant difference? Sometimes it just feels like my car hits a brick wall when I accelerate, especially on the highway. For example, a 5-4 downshift @ 70mph doesn't really feel much different then when I was n/a. A downshift into third at 70 is almost the same way. I get that nice burst of initial speed, but It honestly feels like my car runs out of breathe almost instantly after. 9 times out of 10 it just doesn't feel right. My blower has 60,000 miles on it so that has me worried, but there are no symtoms of a worn blower.

To EJJ and others, i'm not trying to b!tch here, i'm trying to figure out whats wrong and how my car is supposed to operate. Sometimes spilling the beans is the only way to do that.

Still trying to find a dyno in my area. I really need to make that a top priority...

 

Buy a VI as your next mod, no more loss of breath.

 

STI cant be bought for less than 40k prolly. way overpriced

however I dont think the EVO is overpriced. minor mods and mid 12s for less than 30k...cant beat it. dont know how they'll hold up though over time.

Neon -->PLEASE

G35=VERY NICE car...but an old mans midlife crisis car IMO

WRX is nice. but as its been said the 5spd wont handle the launches needed to get the 1/4 times.

 

just messin buddy.

 

EVO a year??? My dealership has about 10 sitting at their place.

I love the vote count...haha. Very interesting. Maxima site=Maxima following...weird.

I am going with no opinion. Either the WRX or the SC Max would be awesome IMO. Good luck man!

 

Um, more like 35-38K right now... and MSRP come August isn't out of the question.

Anything can be modded to go fast. And they'll probably hold up over time the way ALL modded cars hold up over time.


What exactly is wrong with a NEON?

Wow, you got some nice stereotypes going on in this post.

And you know this how? Based on your VAST experience with launching modified WRX's, no doubt.

Way to go with a post that tells people nothing and makes yourself look stupid

Okay, back on topic. Dave, I've been tossing and turning at night with almost the exact same decision. Initially, I was thinking of selling the Max and getting an STi. Unfortunately, I didn't get a deposit in anywhere, so trying to find one around MSRP is... well, kinda silly right now.

So now, I've been playing with the idea of a WRX and maybe up to Stage 3 mods. Possibly even buying a lightly used one (~10-20K mile WRX's selling for $18-$19k), which would bring the total with mods to ~mid 20k's. But a WRX that heavily modified is gonna be no more/less reliable than a Gen4 w/SC.

The way I see it:

Stage 3 WRX:
Cost: $3300 (uppipe, turbo-back, UTEC, TMI) + WRX ($17-$25k)
Power: ~240awhp (325 crank), nice spanky turbo powerband
Weight: 3140lbs
Pros: New (or newer) car, AWD, better stock suspension/handling, Could get a wagon (this is a pro for me--though 100lbs heavier), there's always the possibility of an STi drivetrain swap
Cons: A Lot more money, no factory warranty, ugly front clip

Stillen Max:
Cost: $3500
Power: ~245fwhp (275 crank), linear powerband
Weight: 3085lbs
Pros: A lot less money, familiarity with car, the org
Cons: FWD, Its still the same damn car, uncertain reliability, cosmetic repairs still needed, did I mention FWD?

I haven't gotten very far on the decision. I've got plenty of time to mull it over though, and maybe by then the STi will be more of a realistic possibility

 

Dave,

judging from your posts in the past, I can only deduct that you drag race your car on a regular basis. Will, I can say that immediately eliminates the WRX STi. It's gearing is so short, you'll be at 5th gear by the end of the quarter mile. In fact, I'd recommend the Evo over the STi anyway. Unlike the STi, the Evo's handling was actually tuned for the street, not dirt.

And it's true, the 5-speed WRX's gearbox is notoriously prone to failure when subjected to repeated hard launches with higher than stock horsepower levels.

I agree with the others, the G35 is a nice car. Sure, the Neon may be fast, but it's still a Chrysler product with questionable reliability (oh and it doesn't have mufflers ).

When it comes down to it, it depends on what YOU want to do with the car. If you drag race more than anything, I'd say either boost your Maxima or get a G35. If you intend to attack the twisties, hands down, get an Evo.

 

dont know where you are but at my dealer they sold their allotment already for about $42-$45 a piece. MSRP come August will still be the same IMO because they arent goin to make all that much and they will be rare.

I agree. cept for the fact that Mitsubishi turbos for ex. on ECLIPSE GS-T and GSX where never known to be reliable from what i know.

I respect it like a Mustang. Nice looking, fast, I would never drive one. Just my opinion.

just my opinion.

you obviously dont know anything about 5spd WRXs if you typed that.

i gave my opinion. if you or Dave dont like it...you dont have to listen. i was just giving my 2 cents. and you are rippin me a new a$$hole and it hurts.

stop being so mean

 

I think the SC and the WRX are out of the equation right now. The SC setup is simply too expensive to do right. I'd be looking at ~$5000 for the SC, an intercooler, high quality gauges, JWT SC program, and 300ZXTT injectors. Even with that setup, the daily reliability is always an issue. The WRX would be awesome, assuming I don't race it from a standstill. Sorry, but I like to drag race and I like to modify. Neither go over well with the WRX's tranny and Subaru's dislike for any type of modification.

I've pretty much decided I'll be keeping the Maxima and I'll be getting the rest of the Stillen body kit, Pathfinder throttle body swap, B-pipe work, and chrome Cefiro mirrors. Then come winter I'll be looking at getting a 95-97 Miata for a 3rd car which I'm going to add suspension, SCCA-legal rollbar, 15" light rims and sticky tires, full intake/exhaust, and chassis lightening. I should be a low 15-second car in the 1/4 mile and great on the auto-x, but it will be a whole lot of fun for cheap. The wife would also enjoy it.


Dave

 

You could always supercharge the Miata later.

 

I can say I had a lot of fun with mine as well..so I would say get the SC...in fact mine is for sale if it helps...let me know if you have questions as I can put in a package deal for you if you want...