Need some insight from you veterans

[Invisibleh8]

Hey this is my first post, and I need some advice from you guys. I have a 02 XE with a 1.8(QG18DE) engine. I smashed the car in a snow storm and just finished putting a kit on it. Got the tints and the car is looking pretty good. However, the transmission is Auto and I can't stand it. So which route should I go. I can get a 2.5 (QR25DE) for pretty cheap, but also I can get a 3.5 out of a 02 maxima/altima for not much more. I searched but most swaps with the 3.5 involve a SE R so what should I do. I didn't buy the SE R because my insurance would be ridiculous, I can "fly under the radar" with any engine in the XE. Can the 2.5 (QR25DE) drop into a XE with little modification? How much more modding is needed with the 3.5 keeping in mind I have an XE?

Thanks for any help.

[nametakennow]

The 3.5 swap could be done on a 1.8 I think. Get in touch with Travis. I don't remember his contact info, but it's in the threads or his profile somewhere.

You could put a 2.5 in, but I wouldn't, at least not an 00-06 one. Since you're going through all the trouble of swapping, you might as well get an engine that you won't immediately have to fiddle with to avoid problems (butterfly screws, for instance). Now, if you got it and built it outside the car first, then dropped it in, that might work.

[VMPhil]

[Invisibleh8]

Ya I was reading about the bolt sucking goodness for over a year now. I'm not doing this to race the thing but I get real pissed when the little bugger can't get a carload of half naked girls up a hill without decelerating I'll look into the 3.5 and try to get ahold of Travis. It would certainly be dirty to get that engine in there :P

[VMPhil]

ya dont have to race the thing for it to suck in the butterfly screws. it just happens.

[nametakennow]

Honestly, if this is just a daily that needs to move a few girls, put intake, exhaust, and a header on before you dive in and do the whole swap mess.

[Invisibleh8]

I don't know how loud that would be :S I really just wanted it standard. Does anybody know the troubles of doing a transmission conversion?

[VMPhil]

it really isnt worth the cost, to me anyway.
Modified by VMPhil at 8:20 AM 6/12/2007

[nametakennow]

If you just want a manual, it'd probably be easier to trade this car in for an SE-R or manual 1.8.