Need mods!

[zacj3]

Hey everybody im new here and i want to fix up my 97 maxima and i need some help on finding some GOOD parts?

[jmanders]

What kind of parts performance or show or both.

[zacj3]

Lookin for a little of both.

[2K2WhiteMaxSE]

Like always, if I were you I would start with intake and cat back exhaust.

A ypipe for those cars is a huge improvement and costs about $400 from Cattman...if you can afford them, get headers as well.

http://www.cattman.com Ive gotten a majority of my parts from him, good service and parts.

[zacj3]

Thanks man thats where ill get my exhaust and headers from, have you ever heard or know where i can find a supercharger?

[flyboy367]

if you can find a supercharger its gonna run you a lot of cash. stay tuned over the winter im in a challenge to build a turbo system for under $1000. how good are you at building stuff?

also i payed $250 shipped for my headers and ypipe from stone mountain on ebay.

[zacj3]

Thats a good challenge and im pretty good at building stuff, i just recently replaced the knock sensor and i had to take off the intake manifold and unplug everything with it. If you need help i can surly do my best. Where you gettin the turbo from for under a thousand?

[tigersharkdude]

why did you take the manifold off, you can do it with it on. just reach in there and start working.took me 10 minutes

[zacj3]

well i couldnt get it to save my life and i needed to change those gaskets anyway, but the sensor was melted. How did you get it off?

[2K2WhiteMaxSE]

Before you buy headers you should have an idea if you want to supercharge or turbocharge your car since one or the other would require different headers...

Once you get some basic boltons to make it faster id focus on the suspension and build it so that it will handle the power a turbo or supercharger will make...

[zacj3]

well i think i will put a turbo on eventually instead of a supecharger but im gonna try and swap the engine next summer if i can, do you know where to get a turbo kit for the maxima or is it easier to get it customized?

[2K2WhiteMaxSE]

http://www.speedforceracing.com/

http://www.nwpengineering.com/

There are a couple places to start, they dont make turbo kits for your car but speedforce makes them for the VQ and either one of those places could probably recommend some good shops...

Check out the other forum sections, specifically VQ30s and forced induction, they will have better info too.

[zacj3]

hey thanks man that helps alot and you think you could help me on another problem, i dont like the way my gears are tuned, how can i change that?

[jmanders]

You should get these dropzone springs that I bought off ebay for $95 shipping included. Just search it. It lowers it 2 inches. If you can weld I would suggest buying 4 or 5 inch piping and having the exhaust come out the side if you are going to turbo it.

[zacj3]

Well waht do i do if i cant weld?

[2K2WhiteMaxSE]

If you want to buy ebay parts thats up to you, personally I wouldnt buy a set of springs for $95...a set of Eibachs or Tein springs run about $225...you get what you pay for...

Also, 5" piping is way to big unless you want to make about 1000HP...talk to people or manufacturers that have actually built turbos for these cars and tell them about your application and take your advice from them...

as for gears, not sure what you can do with them, ive never seen them sold...but whats wrong with them anyway??

[lightsout]

http://www.speedforceracing.com/

http://www.nwpengineering.com/

There are a couple places to start, they dont make turbo kits for your car but speedforce makes them for the VQ and either one of those places could probably recommend some good shops...

Check out the other forum sections, specifically VQ30s and forced induction, they will have better info too.

speed force kicks A**!!! i live here in East County San Diego, and was able to go check out their shop. The guys that work there are awesome and know wtf they are doing!! they've got crazy skills!!

[zacj3]

i guess the gears are ok but what i want todo is convert my car to a manual transmission, is that hard?

[2K2WhiteMaxSE]

not sure how bad it is on the Maximas personally, but overall its not that difficult of a process, as long as you find a good shop to do it since this is not something you want to try on your own unless youve done a few of them before...

[nj1sh]

Ypipe, intake, hi flow cat... headers are useless in 4th gens from what i have heard around here.

[jmanders]

If you are going for like four or five hundred horsepower than a four or five inch pipe is fine plus it will sound sick. I heard that our engines are able to take that much horsepower.

[jmanders]

For a total of about five hundred I got headders, y-pipe, pipe that replaces cat, and 2.5 inch catback exhaust off ebay. You will have to get gaskets for the catback though.

[jmanders]

The springs were a good deal the place that is selling them is trying to get rid of them, they are basically on clearance. Other people in these fourms have them and think they are good.

[2K2WhiteMaxSE]

Once again man, you get what you pay for...when you pay $500 for headers look at the headers you are getting, they are about the same size as the stock manifolds, they are not long tubes and youll leave power on the table...you will get lower grade metals which will rust faster, there is less consistency with build quality and fitment...

zac id call a tuner shop like speed force or other performance shops and get opinions from people who really know what they are talking about...if i were you id make an informed decision based on more then just "yea man a bunch of people have them and there good"...listen to people that build parts break down the differences then get whatever parts you think sound the best...

[zacj3]

yea thanks for the help man,i am gonna call alot of places but i got a little time. im gonna try and find local shops but if i have to travel i will. The first thing that im really tryin to do is get a new engine because with 122,000 miles i dont know how much this old engine can take, but if you got any more suggestions for places to call let me know.

[jmanders]

This is true and if you have unlimited money that is fine, all i am saying is that for the money the stuff that I got off ebay is worth it. It gets to a point where a few hundred dollars for a few more horsepower is not worth it unless you are trying to be the fastest. If you are trying to be the fastest then go here http://jime.f-sw.com/carinfo.html

[2K2WhiteMaxSE]

its not just about a few HP when it comes to parts, like i said its about overall build quality and reliability....so if I were weighing spending $500 on headers that might have to be replaced because they might rust and that means spending another $500 and doing the work all over again, or paying to have it done....or spend $200-$300 more and get the stainless steel (some stainless headers are of a different grade steel then others) headers that wont rust through, spend some more money and do it right once...I look at those crap intakes at autozone, knew someone that put it on his Honda, the glue that holds the filter on failed and it fell off...it sounds like you want to keep this car and build it, thats why I think its worth spending the extra $ on the parts you put on it...http://www.autopartswarehouse.com great place for OEM parts (brakes..etc)

unless there is something wrong with the engine 122K isnt a ton of miles for that motor...got a friend who has a 96 with 150K and hes got some boltons and runs it pretty hard and its still goin strong...that motor wont have any trouble handling all the boltons you can put on the car...its when you start adding boost or crazy amounts of power that you want to start building the bottom end...id just make sure your timing belt (think those are belts) has been replaced at some point, if not then replace it sooner then later...do little things like changing the coolant and fuel filter, change your trans fluid since you have an auto, make sure the plugs are good and run intake and fuel system cleaners (BG makes good stuff)...if you dont have to worry about that stuff, then id start moddin

Modified by 2K2WhiteMaxSE at 9:16 AM 10/17/2008
Modified by 2K2WhiteMaxSE at 12:36 PM 10/17/2008

[jmanders]

I agree you should be fine with the engine you have unless it was beat on. I have 130,000 miles and the engine runs strong. All of those ebay parts were stainless steel just to let you know. Also if you sign up for autopartswarehouse they send you deals all the time like 10% off depending on how much you spend.

[flyboy367]

i was sceptical of the ebay headers but for the price i said what thehell. when i got them they are very nicly constructed from thick stainless steel. all the welds were nicely done. i could have made a set the same for much cheaper but at the price i saved all the time i would have spent.

[AcMav]

Okay as a heads up, do NOT use pipes as big as 4' or 5', That is insanely overkill and WILL hurt your performance. The size of the exhaust effects your back pressure, which effects your power. Most factory stock cars have too much back pressure, Aka the performance gain from freeing up the exhaust by going larger diameter. However once you pass the 3, 3.5, even 4ish (On a Turbo'd V8 for the 4'), you're looking at damaging your power. I've seen a 4' pipe on a track only LS1 that was completely bored and stroked. My cousin's twin turbo evo putting out 800 whp has 3.5 inch pipes, you do not want bigger.

Stick with the 3 inch pipes unless your planning on swapping in a V-12 Cummings turbo diesel.

If you're serious about going FI, I'd wait till Kzoosho gets on, he has two FI'd cars, one Turbo, one Supercharged. I do know however he likes his Turbocharger much more than the Supercharger.