I finally sold the older brother to my current '03.
Both Black/black leather, loaded, Manual Transmission.

Having alternated between the two cars for the past few months, I can't say it was very easy to let my 4th gen go. There are definitely a few things (besides not having a car payment) that I'm going to miss. I really liked the turning radius, and for the stock Bose system, the '03 has nice amenities, but the sound can't even compare to the stock '97 Bose. For some reason, I like the stock '97 handling better than the '03 handling also. I definitely love the 3.5 power, though! And having a car with 120K fewer miles on it is not so bad either.

Why do I gotta be so attached to my cars? Oh well, on to bigger and better things.......

 

congrats man your 97 have better handling? might be the 03 is heavier so it doesn't handle as good =/

 

I hate the turning radius on my '03 too. I don't think there's much to be done about that.

But I think a rear sway bar and front strut tower brace can go a long way toward improving the handling, and are mods that I have planned.

Meanwhile, just enjoy that VQ35!!

There are a lot of cars I've owned, and wish I could have back. Tops among them are (a) the 1972 Corvette convertible that I sold in 2000 after 8 years of ownership (and values of those took off immediately afterward) and (b) the modified and fun Porsche 914 2.0-liter that I sold back in 1990 to pay for a wedding to someone I'm now divorced from and also to finance a 286 computer I had to buy for MBA school. (how's that for futility?)

 

That's too funny succinct!
I'm not quite at the 2 dozen cars mark yet. I'm on my 8th. But then again, looks like you've had a few more years to run through the cars!

I of course have a list of mods I want to do. They will happen until practicality gets the better of me.

You know if I didn't like cars, I'd probably have other things like a house or a wife or something. Oh well...

 

I made the same move as you, but I have no regrets giving up my 4th gen 5-speed. Admittedly, it certainly rode better, felt more tossable, had a smoother shifter, and was quieter on the road. I did love the white faced gauges, better MPG, and the sound of the 3.0 running to redline. It sounded so comfortable and buttery smooth at high revs.

But my '03 is superior in just about every other way. After feeling the 3.5 VQ with the 6MT, I'd never go back. I also prefer the 5th gen styling, particularly the rear end, really enjoy the HIDS, and I love the 17's and revised interior.

 

Good to hear. It's like a new Girlfriend.... there are always some things about the old ride you're gonna miss.... but you've gotta enjoy what you've got!

BTW- Nice ride, and writeups on your website.

 

At your age, I was just getting started, so you are well on your way to two dozen!

I too am cursed by Car Love (all kinds) and have experienced trouble throughout life trying to mix that with house, wife, kids, etc., but it CAN be done, especially when you're talking about buying a house with a 2+ car garage.

And I knew I found the perfect woman for me when she helped me put a timing belt on my car. Before our kids were born she used to help me do everything, even down to rebuilding brake calipers and replacing valve seals on that '72 Corvette.

Of course the ideal thing (for you, I'm done now) would be to find a wealthy, attractive woman who also loves cars. And then get her to fall in love with you. As Songebob Squarepants told Plankton, "Well, good luck with that!"

 

Yeah, the mail-order-brides just don't come with those options. It's hard wanting the best of both worlds. I've been dating a girl for a couple of years now who just "retired" (at 23) from life as a ballerina.

Needless to say, the "shop" and "car" training really isn't coming along so well....

 

Make sure you're happy w/ your car before you get married. I'm a newlywed and the missus has already mandated that I can't get rid my current Max until it has 120k, even though it's been paid off for a long while. Thankfully I'm still very happy w/ the Max, so I'll patiently wait for a lightly used M35 in '09...

 

Funny! Although, you make a good point. I think she likes my car....

 

Being that both cars were stick, does the 4th gen shift better than the 5.5? Im just curious

 

I dont know what you mean by better.

But the 5 spd tranny inthe 4/5th gen is rated time and time again as a smoother tranny compared to the 5.5 gen 6spd.

 

i think an F250 has a better turing radius! oh well, still love the car though!

 

Agreed. My 4th gen's shifter felt much slicker.

 

im sorry I did not clarify by "better"...I meant smoother shifts, less notchiness...the 5.5 gen by far has the worse shifting I have experienced

 

I actually like my 5.5gen shifting better.

Although the 5.5 is definitely more "notchy", it takes less overall force for me to shift into gear, and once I get past the initial "notch", there is no resistance, so it's basically like you are just popping it in and out of gear.
The 4th gen took an initial amount of force to start it into a gear, (on my 4th gen this was a larger amount of force than the 5.5gen) and then you had to continue applying force until it was completely in gear.

The 5.5gen shifting may have qualities that others don't like. For me it results in quicker shifting because of my shifting style. I also don't race my cars. I haven't raced the 5.5 at all, and I only SCCA'd the 4th gen once in Tampa. If you are shifting hard, the added resistance may produce a more positive feel of gear engagement. I find that even during my "fast" street driving with the 5.5 gen, I can shift with my wrist only, requiring little to no arm movement.

 

congrats, i just made the move to an 02 last week. good choice.

 

I've looked it up and here are the numbers for turning radius on my two vehicles:
2006 Honda Odyssey: 36.7 ft.
2003 Maxima SE: 40 ft.

So does anyone here know WHY the turning circle is ridiculous on the Maxima? Is it to save stress on the CV joint boots? Whatever the reason, I'm inclined to think it's:

 

So you're saying that we're actually "forced" to run circles around minivans? Ha!

 

This is a non technical opinion but maybe it's just nissan sedans in general with the crappy turn radius'.
My 93 Altima couldn't hang a UTurn to save it's life. Nothing worse than making a illegal UTurn only to have to stop, back up, etc...

 

I asked Dave B (Parts guru in Austin, TX) about the miserable turning radius today, and he said it's because of the bigger (16" amd 17") tires and that the SE's with the seventeens (like mine) are the worst. He said the bump stops on the steering are adjustable, so there's opportunity for SOME turning radius improvement, but it's only marginal before tires start rubbing.

So the chassis design guys couldn't get the body design guys to give them another inch or two in order to turn the frickin front wheels?!?

Anyway, at least I now have a winter project - play with the adjustment in my steering to try to get more steering angle. Wherever it rubs, maybe I'll mark the spot and take it to a body guy to alter?

 

You are hardcore! There will be no altering of mine just for the turning radius. I'll just be reminded of it every time I take a screamin' U-turn (which I am so fond of) have to do the stop...reverse...like 707SE.

 

My 2005 Dodge Durango SLT AWD has a 39ft turning radius...

 

although our turning radius sucks, there are so many other reasons why i fell in love with the max.

 

I also hate the turning radius on my '02. My current '97 and old '99 turned on a dime in comparison & also felt lighter around corners. But the 5.5gen anemities & power make it a hands down winner for me.