HORSEPOWER JUNKIES IN HERE

[generic808]

What's up with all these people recently? Some have outrageous claims as to how fast their cars run, or how much HP they have at the wheels. Some claim an intake and exhaust will somehow magically turn a 270HP to a 300WHP beast, while others say their cars dyno at XXX HP and whatnot. Some claim their "family" coupe has outrun street-tuned turbo race cars. I think some of these guys need to do a little research BEFORE making these claims because it sure seems as if you really have no real-world knowledge about tuning. Maybe they've been reading too much rather than doing.

Now I'm not saying I know everything, I'm very far from an expert or professional. But, I've been in the tuner world for some 12+ years. I do know the difference between a torque wrench, allen wrench and a hex wrench. I'm pretty decent with a wrench and I love do-it-yourself projects. And I'm not going to make outlandish claims about my "family" sedan. Just wondering why or where do these guys come up with this info and all these magic numbers or outrageous claims? I'm just curious.

Please don't be offended by this post. If you are, you're probably one of them
Modified by generic808 at 4:30 AM 11/2/2007

[LongBeachCoupe]

I dont know who the hell you think you are!I know what a Torque Wrench, allen wrench and hex are as well!The only tuning i know about is how to switch btwn 97.1 and 103.5 though. Ive been using a radio for 15 years and i TOO do not understand how these nonsense claims are backed up...

[generic808]

I guess that's the beauty of modern technology. Some dudes will read a few forums and/or manufacturer claims online or in mags and suddenly, their cars become beastly race cars. Oh well, to each their own.

[windhaven]

I don't know who you guys think you are either. I for one have dyno'd my A/C @ 767 whp and does 9.7sec quarters.

All that on a stock platform, with an Injen intake.

So stop complaining and beleive me.

[LinkNuc]

WTF? Seriously our cars are quick but no where near a WRX, Mustang, Z or the like, crawl back in your cave, we have FWD N/A cars with a great engine not a super car or even a sports car...I am guessing this was a drunken rant..seriously a good CAI and a great cat-back won't even get you to 300 at the flywheel....ugh, go troll around the GT-R forums.

[SHIFT_2.5S]

Some people lead shallow lives and are rather insecure. They need to console themselves by making up this false information. In some ways, they are 'sick' and need to be healed by their own lies and self-deceit. It's one of those mysteries related to the complexity of mankind.

[SHIFT_COUPE]

Eric this thread makes me

[Smoktout]

i'm still trying to figure out why these people even TRY to make huge HP on an economy family sedan and then go street racing in it. I didn't want to say anything, but street racing threads on any forum should be automatically deleted and the user should be banned for at least a month.

on the other hand....Nissan uses the same engine between their sports cars, suvs, family sedans, and economy cars, so maybe the engine does have the capability...and i guess having a 400whp altima would be a sleeper, i just can't justify racing a FWD sedan.

[windhaven]

Wow ........ That was deep.

[leif927]

I beat a Corvette today in my base model 2.5 A/C with nothing done to it except debadging. We were at the light and I saw the racing gleam in his eye. I stepped on the gas as the light turned green and my car moved with such speed, it was amazing. I left him behind! His jaw dropped as I flew past. It has to be the debadging I did. It gave me like 400whp. Or perhaps it was the fact that we were on a residential street, no traffic at all, with a speed limit of 45 and he was only going 35... Nah! It has to be the debadging...

[jdshift]

But what if the ride had turbo? And why can't a ff family sedan get some respect? Plenty of honda civics,accords.......Eclispe......ff are they not? Altima is right up ther if not better for the simple fact of the package that is offered in the ride.

[jdshift]

I admit, there may be some people who sugar coat their ride...............but it does not give right to bash on FF rides. Just my .02 cents.

[GreyZone]

okay, okay, gotta say this (okay first, those outrageous claims are pretty whacked) BUT, that said, regarding doing modifications and "why" you would want to do them....

My last car was a 1996 Honda Civic with 130 HP stock....one thing lead to another, and by the time I was done it was a Turbo civic putting out 230 HP, which was lowered with Eibach Sportline, and camber kits, KYB 8 way adjustable shocks, blah, blah, blah, and multiple other mods, costing well over $15,000 over the several years I owned it. And yes, I know, my names David, I am an addict.

It was an incredibly fun car to drive. I am not a racer, nor did I "street race," but I sure as hell enjoy great exceleration and a fast car. Blow off valves are pretty cool as well. WHy do I love fast times going from 0-60? Becasue I am a fast car enthusiast and I love fast and powerful exceleration, especially getting onto the freeway and/or when needing to pass, etc. It's just DAMN FUN to drive.

My AC should be in (now scheduled for 11/16) soon. I am swearing to myself that I WILL NOT do the same things (spending crazy money)...but then I see a Turbo kit "available soon" for the AC, with 380 HP or more and I start thinking, utoh. Problem is, all kind of problems would occur with the AC with that kind of front well drive HP, specifically torque steer from hell...so then you'd have to put in a LSD (if one is even availabe (probably at a cost of $3,500 or more), and on and on it goes....and then theres fuel managemnt, and it never seems to end! (GOd this is giving me anxiety even writing about it!)

So, I think, and hope and pray I will be satisfied with my 270 HP AC, but mods and increased HP can be VERY exciting and very addictive, even for those of us who are not "street racers." My Civic was turned into a pretty damn nice (albiet little) sports car, and I know my AC coupe could be as well...but I must maintain abstinence from this insanity!! That said, I'm sure I'll get flamed by some hater...but I'll pray for you...may it not happen to you!

[generic808]

David, I wasn't questioning why people mod their cars, I was just wondering why they made these outrageous claims. Trust me, I was totally addicted to modding my old S13 and SE-R. Both cars were pretty much slammed every which way possible, including a fogger NOS set-up. I ran slicks at the track trying to get my car into the 13's to no avail

I thought the same way as you are thinking right now; not modifying this car. However, the bug catches on and you feel the urge, or shall I say, NEED to do something. Now every weekend it seems as if I'm working on my car. Something I swore NOT to do when I first bought it. Trust me, if you stay on this forum, you're going to modify whether you want to or not.

Anyways, congrats on your new car purchase! And welcome to NICO!!

[Hussain]

a V6 mustang can't touch a 3.5se and the 99-04 GT Mustangs that are automatics do 14.4 in the 1/4 mile and pretty much everyone on this forum can tell you the 3.5se stick shift can do 14.2 in the 1/4 mile which means the 3.5se IS FASTER THEN SOME MUSTANGS! 99-04 GT Mustangs that are stick shift can run a 13.9 so if the mustang driver knows how to drive his car right, no STOCK A/C could beat it. i know our cars would never be able to touch the GT-R (unless someone got that turbo from the SEMA show with more mods and then MAYBE if you got lucky) but the A/C is a fast car and the VQ35 is a excellent motor with plenty of potential... so i don't know why people in a Nissan club would be talking so badly and negatively about it. 92-95 Honda Civic cx hatchback has 70 horsepower but people drop K20's and b18's in them and turbo the **** out of them and there are hatchback civics hella faster then a mustang (maybe not the cobra) and the Z and WRX. we all know we're not going to get 50 WHP from an intake but we already have 270 horsepower (3.5se) and if 1 mod leads to another you'll have a fast sports car. it has a sports car motor, it has practically the same body as a sports car (skyline 350 GT AKA G35), only difference is that it's a FWD but the main reason people tend to not race FWD cars is because of the torque steer but i've only felt slight torque steer with my car 1 time!..... i've seen more positive comments about the NISSAN A/C in HONDA forums!
Modified by Hussain at 10:46 PM 11/2/2007

[generic808]

None of us are speaking negatively about our Altima's. Why would we have bought them if they're so bad that we have to talk doo-doo about them? If you read the post, I was just stating that some people tend to give some outrageous claims.

e.g. An intake, header and exhaust will bump the Altima to an absolutely amazing 300WHP?!!

You have to take into consideration the power lost through the drivetrain, axles, wheels, tires, etc. The Altima's 270HP is the power at the crank, not at the wheels!! HP loss through the drivetrain typically is around 15%-20% depending on the type of vehicle. So basically, the 300WHP would mean our Altima's will gain about 75-90HP off of an I/H/E combo? I think not!! I'm not an expert at this subject, but if anyone knows the formula to figure out HP vs. WHP, please respond.

Anyways, Hussain, I'm not pointing the finger at you. I'm just writing about what I see. That's the beauty of these forums; for us to express our opinions, help each other out, and to learn something new everyday. I just think it's pretty funny for some to come on here stating these beyond believable things. Why not just come, learn, share and enjoy? That's what I'm here for

[Hussain]

ya thats what i heard before, 15-20% horsepower lose from the crank to the wheels. who ever said 300 WHP either meant regular horsepower, didn't know the difference between WHP and HP or they're just stupid. 300 horsepower sounds about right (not wheel horsepower) after putting an intake, headers and exhaust. but ya i see what you mean and you're right...... what i was talking about is how people on here talk about the A/C not being able to beat anything. like 1 guy in another post actually said the only thing a A/C could beat is a RSX (not even type S) and a regular RSX would even be a struggle.

[GreyZone]

Trust me, if you stay on this forum, you're going to modify whether you want to or not.

Yeah, here's the thing...I was trying to decide if I was going to get the AC...was "almost there" but hadn't made that for sure decision. What made up my mind? Believe it or not, it was when I found this forum, starting reading through some of these threads...and Ii thought, hey, this is really cool.

I liked the threads from Honda-tech.com where I fed my forced air induction addiction. But the thing was, that car never really fit me...I am in my 40's driving a Turbo Civic and it was kinda silly. People would ask me all the time, "Woa, this your son's car?" Made me wanna punch em in the nose. Never planned on doing all those mods, but like you said, you get the bug, or disease, or disorder, or whatever in the hell this thing is we get when we can't get enough of what we can't get enough of....guess it's kindof a more-onic kinda disorder huh? Hahaha, I love it...anyway, this forum did it for me, with a car (the AC 3.5SE 6 spd manual) as a car that defenitely fits my 40 something year old self....and I'll betch NO ONE asks me, "woa, that your son's car?" And I like that a whole lot.

Anyway, yea, I'm cursed, found another forum for my car...and here I am....thinking hmmmm.....what do I want to do first....hmmmm...sure love the sound of an intake....hmmmm.....drop an inch with 19's or go 20's and leave it alone?.... and I can tell...my addiction is alive and well....

[generic808]

Anyway, yea, I'm cursed, found another forum for my car...and here I am....thinking hmmmm.....what do I want to do first....hmmmm...sure love the sound of an intake....hmmmm.....drop an inch with 19's or go 20's and leave it alone?.... and I can tell...my addiction is alive and well....

Most definitely go with the INJEN, you won't regret it!! Your 3.5 will sound like a G/Z, trust me on this one!!

[windhaven]

Most definitely go with the INJEN, you won't regret it!! Your 3.5 will sound like a G/Z, trust me on this one!!

Ditto here. Just yesterday I was on Hwy 121 and decided to take mine to top end. A guy in a Mustang pulled up at the next light and said: "holy S@&$, what's in that thing.

The sound at WOT is breathtaking.

Enjoy.

[GreyZone]

And my excitement grows...!