My '99 auto is probably one of the more mint 4th gens you'll see. It now has only 54,000 miles on it and the original white pearl paint looks like a 1-2 year old car. The interior is spotless, and the floormats still look new. I bought it off of a senior citizen who drove the car only to bingo, the mall, and the grocery store a few days a week. Right now I owe $4K on it while the "estimated" value is between $7 and $8K.

The thing is though, it is an auto trans on the heavily emission controlled 1999 model. It seems from my own experience and with friends who have 4th gens that the 99 do respond worst to mods. So should I keep the slug and run it into ground, keep it and swap in a 3.5 for $2K (estimated), or sell it to my sister who wants to buy it (for what I owe) and then get a max with the 5 spd platform I want to start with? Just want something I'm not going to be bored to death with...

 

keep it stock and drive it til it dies. These cars are really realiable if you treat them well. Don't waste your money like most of us have on this site.

 

I have a 99...why do you say it responds worst to mods? I have quite a bit and mine drives beautifully...

 

Life's too short to be driving someone elses car. You know what I mean. I say sell it and get what you want. There are a ton of pre-owned Maximas out there.

 

I've already dropped $2K into the car. And yeah, it does drive/run beautifully, for a spin around the block or to get some groceries.

 

... and loudly

Just yankin your chain buddy! I like the tip!

 

I dunno, maybe because the 99s do respond worst to mods?

 

well then return the 99 to stock and take the mods you have and transplant them over to a different year 5spd 4th gen. That way you are getting what you want and will probably come out on top as far as money goes. youll be able to buy a cheaper 5spd if your auto is truly close to mint condition.

or just rethink what you want your car to do. if you want rwd/awd or something more autox/drag/track etc minded then go for that now.

 

Wow this is probably the biggest dilemma in the world right now.

It's your car.

 

Take the money!!!!

 

Do you have dyno numbers for your claim? I've read that the only other 4th gen which has a benneficial gain over the other years of the 4th gens is the 95 due to slight weight difference. If you've got some info please share, so I can get a different year 4th gen and transfer all my mods.

and yes renny I run around the tracks loudly.....that's why I custom the ECV to avoid the popos. But you know you love it Renny.

 

+1 on that

 

Mine went to $hit. So I sold it.

 

this is my quick assumption. The 99s respond "worse" to mods because the power stealing emission equipment are still in place taking away the power.

Pre-99'er throw on a y-pipe and get good gains, cause we are eliminating the pre-cats. 99's pre-cats are in the yeaders, so a y-pipe wont do the job like one would think.

Either drive and enjoy the car as is, or tackle the stricter emissions equipments that are limiting you from getting more power from the car.

Or Throw a DE-K in there.
Or Throw a 3.5 in there
Or Throw some Boost On
Or Throw a DE-K and some boost
Or Throw a 3.5 with some Boost
Or Throw in some Nitrous
Or Throw in a DE-K with some Nitrous
Or Throw in a 3.5 with some Nitrious
Or Sell the car and buy a faster one.

there all the options

 

if u want something that last u for a long time, get it, if ur getting the car for the fun factor and will be putting on major performance mods on it, then I say wait around and find urself a 5 speed

 

Sell it and get a 5 speed (especially the cool SE model). I waited quite a while before I found a 5 speed 4th gen in my area. Well at least within my price range.

 

Didn't know that....thought the precats were in the headers for the 5th gens....if its also in 99, then hotshots should be the next for my shopping list.

 

if your car is a 99 cali spec. you've got 'em in the headers. Hotshot would be a good route. or find some 3.0 headers from a non cali spec car, thats a cheaper alternative that would still help you gain power in addition to the y-pipe. Pretty sure a bunch of people have some spare 3.0 headers laying around collecting dust.

 

Ah, mine is not cali-spec. So I guess I'm lucky.

 

keep mechanics stock.. play with the appearance!

 

You seem to have the same mods as me. Actually, I have a HAI, so you are better off than me. I have a UDP too, but do not think it made much difference. I don't beat my car, but I will race on very rare occasions, like the other night I annihilated a Cobalt SS from 55-130 down a highway. (Not that it was a good decision, but anyway). I have an auto too, just keep it flushed (as recommended) and run Lucas trans. every second flush. Even though its Cali spec (am I correct?) you changed the Y-pipe and thats the worst power robber (even though the one pre-cat is still installed I am assuming). Maybe put on a high flow cat- a real one, not a straight through ebay crap. Then run the codes and check the Knock sensor and O2 sensors. maybe one is bad and you can be in luck. Also, try running at least mid-grade, if not premium gas, if you don't already. That Florida heat and humidity can eat power.
Other than that, either sell it and get a different one, or keep it stock. Yours is in such good condition, it would be a waste of a GC motor/ car to swap and start tearing apart.

 

sell it to your sis. Family is always better. But i've been fixing my car for like the past month and a half. Its getting to cold for me to diagnose my car right now. But there's still stuff wrong with it. Its a never ending job. I really wonder when i can drive this car for like a month n nothing seems to go wrong...

Then again, i have around 138k with 70 of it put on in about two years. so you do the math

 

It strikes me that you need to face reality and not spiral into the never ending abyss of car payments, upgrades and not being satisfied with what you have.

You have an excellent car now.

Why go further in debt to drive a car that you obviously can't afford.

Revisit your car priorities when you are in your 30s and are more established financially.

 

+1 Bobo. I agree 100% with your statement.

Sure, I like new cars and there are lots of them out there, but who wants the payments? I just finished paying mine off ($400/month) and I'm happy. Would I like a new car? Sure
Do I like the payments for a minimum of 5 years? Nope.
Am I gonna keep what I've got because it's a great car and I can modify it for far less $$$ than what a new car would cost? You bet.
And besides, every new mod makes the car feel like it's brand new again. Every time I get into my car and look at that b&m shifter I just put on 2 weeks ago, I have a smile on my face. Same with the chrome guage rings. Those have been there for almost 2 years now. If I bought a new car, would I want it modified? You Bet. After doing some of these things, you realize that some of the aftermarket products are just better than stock.
just my opinion.