One of my biggest pet peeves of my Minima is sometimes it lags a bit in acceleration. I don't know why, but It doesn't have the same 'go' it usually does.

Today I was at a light, and when it turned green and I was just normally (slowly) accelerating off the line when I decided to gun it for fun. Well I was at about 10mph when I floored it and man it pulled like a B!TCH! It pulled like a lesser version of my friends SVTlightning. Or at least it felt like it. I let off the pedal at 50 (speed limit), looked back in my rear-view mirror and everyone was like 20 cars behind me.

All I could say was WOW. Throttle response felt really impressive. Every time it accelerates like this it makes me less eager to convert to 5spd. I am only a stock exhaust and subwoofer system away from having enough $$$ to convert, and me and Chaz got pretty much everything worked out.

I heard somewhere that when torque multiplies (is higher), that the difference between automagics and manuals gets slimmer. Since I have CAI, Y, Catback duals, I am sure my torque has increased significantly.

I'd like to know if converting my car to manual will make it "That" much faster. The reason I ask is becuase I can't really imagine my car being a whole second faster becuase the speed would just be insane.

What do you guys think?

 

ummm....thats because they didn't floor their cars!

 

 

he's right ya know...lol

 

5spd 4th gen = 6.6 0-60mph
auto 4th gen = 7+ 0-60mph

 

If you think your car is "that fast" already you obviously havent been in a fast vehicle (be it car, or motorcycle). Its also not about straight line speed, its about going around the corner in a certain gear, being able to quickly downshift doing the heel-toe, so in short a stick is much more fun to drive.

 

when u drive stick you drive your car, your in control of the gears your in...this is especially useful in turns and such, i feel like i am part of the car because without me the car can't do squat!

 

Yes..I know all this and one of the reasons I want to convert is for the fun...i've driven manual and it's really fun!

But, my original question was will it really make it "that" much faster?

 

overall...the difference in acceleration will definitley be noticable and the power you can put through a 5spd tranny is much better than the 4spd auto...if your getting a hookup on the parts and such i say go for it you will be VERY pleased.

 

Does $1000 for the whole thing +$180 in misc. parts sound like a pretty good deal? Plus I could sell my auto and access. and only be out like ~$400 with a 5spd tranny.

Sound like it's worth it?

 

When I had my Accord V6 I really missed the responsiveness of a manual. When the torque converter came out of lockup in 4th or 3rd when accellerating moderatately I could almost feel all of the extra power being sucked away in the damned converter. But I thought it was "good enough" for me and that it was okay.

But then I got my Maxima 5spd and it wasn't until then that I realized how much I missed a stick shift. You have so much more responsiveness and control. You can hold gears when you want to going around a turn and then nail it at the apex instead of fiddling around with an auto hoping it downshifts. You can also use engine braking, and the short overdrive gear keeps the car nice and peppy on the highway and it still gets good gas mileage.

Auto = Nice car to drive YOU.
Manual = Nice car for YOU to DRIVE

I love cars and I enjoy driving, not "being driven", and part of that formula is a stick shift. A modded auto may be close to a stock stick in terms of performance, but you're still only having half the fun

 

Lets see, Harold did his 5spd and said he'd do it again in a heartbeat. I second that. The car is way faster in 5spd than auto. Unless you have a high stall tq converter and sc or planning to get a turbo id get the 5spd. My 5spd cost me 1500, yours would cost you 400, and i thought it was worth it. What do you think?

 

All the posts i've seen you post have been good ones. Thx for your input.

You are a true car and maxima enthusiast Steve

 

The 5 speed is all good but what can anyone say about the team of autos hitting 15 and high 14's in the 1/4? I'm staying auto.

 

Yes the 5speed is all good. I was a foolish auto preacher back in the day just like you

Just playin'

 

Thanks!

 

Alright Craig.... you got me on looks but come on man, I don't even have the Y-pipe on yet and I am in the 14's (O.K. I ran a 14.89 but hey it's in the 14's)

The only way to really tell is to take her to the track and see what kind of #'s she will run. I would love to know...

Their are 100's of na max's in the 14's but I don't think their are many n/a pre 1999 autos out their running in the 14's.

Besides I just like the response when people get in my car and say "I didn't know these came with 3 pedals"

Later
-Jeremy

Still lookin for Red/Clears...

 

They're either:

A) not stock, or
B) a 2k2

and...

C) a 2k2 6spd runs low-14's...mwahahaha

 

I would say there are more pre-99, N/A autos breaking into 14's or soon to do it.

 

dont get too set on the idea of selling your auto tranny unless you already have a buyer.. I have tried to sell mine, and it has about 6K on it and nobody wants it. My tranny is brand new and i havent been able to find a buyer for about 3 months.

any 5spd anything is better than this auto crap.

 

dude i just wanna say u got one of the tightest 4th gens on the .org imo!

 

unless u live in manhattan where there it becomes a biatc _h

 

unless u live in manhattan where there it becomes a biatc _h

a 5spd is never a biatch. not to me at least, stop and go is the best part about a 5spd....you stop then you GOOOOO, then stop, then GOOOO again....really its fun...

 

Off the line a modded auto will be almost as fast and fun - but from a roll, around turns, on the highway ect ect ect there's no comparison to having a five speed! I sold my 2K1 auto SE and got a 2K1 5-speed GXE and have not regretted it for a sec. I was out about $1300 when it was all said and done. If you can do it for $400, man, go for it! Get a STS, MT-90 in the tranny .... you'll be smiling all day long!

 

Thats insane how are you getting it done so quick? Id pay either of those prices in a second in the NY AREA.

 

I thought a 5-speed would tear an auto off the line!? My friend has a '95 SE 5spd w/pop charger and he would destroy me off the line, with all my mods...still as easily.

And I thought from a roll an auto would have a better chance because the manual can launch so much faster

 

I have a hookup.

 

A 5 speed should beat a auto off the line, but it's hard to leave the line with minimal spin in the 5 speed that's why autos can usually put up a good fight from 0-30mph. After that, it should be all 5 speed. From any kind of a roll, the 5 speed should have the upperhand assuming both cars take off at the same time. Gearing and poor tranny efficency take away from the auto.

The 2k2 auto seems to do very well though, but when you add 40+fwtq and 30+fwhp to a car that's only 150lbs heavier, you can understand why the 2k2 auto does so well.


Dave

 

I know the auto has better chances of hanging w/5spd off the line becuase you guys have traction problems, but the actual power of the 5spd is significantly greater than an auto off the line, correct? The only automatic car i've driven that punches as hard/harder than any 5spd is a lightning.

Now Dave, If I got a 5spd my 17x8 wheels should help out with traction problems significantly right? So in fact I should kill an auto off the line given I didn't smoke/spin out correct?

 

those could be high 13s and low 14s with a 5spd its all good... I just enjoy having the extra control over my car..

 

learning to launch is probably the biggest key...either too much spin or too little...I could beat my friend's 5spd Eclipse GST (when he was stock) off the line easily in my auto VG by just stomping it, of course he'd wipe me all over the road byt about 50 car lengths after about 15 mph, but thats not the point!