1st & 2nd Generation Maxima (1981-1984 and 1985-1988)Learn more and share information about the 1st and 2nd Generation Maximas.
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Well, I guess the question is, are you looking for a fast street car, or a race car? The LS1/T56 combo is very streetable, but if you're just going to pop on some drag slicks and tear it up at the track all day, well, then SBC/BBC is going to make a pretty nasty car.
Just make sure you're straight with inspection. Since it's over 25 years old, you should be able to register it as a classic or something, but AFAIK some states require that the motor cannot be older than the car, i.e. you can put a DE-K in your 4th gen, but you can't put a VG30 in your 6th gen.
Here in FL it doesn't matter. People are running around with 460 fords in 00 Mustangs. I'll probably go with a 377 or a 355 I like small displacement with big power. Most likley a 377. Being I just sold the car I was getting ready to build thats a problem in itself but hopefully it should'nt be THAT hard to find another. But it will get done one of these days.
I've always been the fan of the opposite... some old beater with a LSx under the hood - have you ever seen the Civette? Guy got this 90s civic hatchback with a rattlecan flat black paintjob, looks kinda ricey, but he's got a C5 vette drivetrain in it.
BOR-RING When was the last time you saw a 82 Maxima with a blower sticking out of the hood?
Why would it be boring? Installing a domestic V8 is like playing with legos. So many people have done it with Z's, and with the 1st gen sharing a lot of things from the Z, it wouldn't take much to make it happen. Doing a VK45DE conversion would be like building that high skill model airplane. It's more of a challenge, and much more rewarding in the end. I don't know about you, but I would prefer the challenge and be far more unique.
Besides, when's the last time you saw an 82 Maxima that look stock, scared the **** out of you when the blowoff valves sound off? I like the sleeper look rather than some car with a detroit diesel blower sticking out the hood. (then again, if you can shoe horn a 8v92ta into the car...I would be VERY freaking impressed )
Yea, I'm not really feeling a blower either, but what's the aftermarket like for the VK?
Going with a LSx is nice because there is a huge and cheap aftermarket for it. You can get a PCM, there are lots of headers, cams, pistons, etc. available for it, so it's relatively inexpensive to get a lot of horsepower out of it. They're also relatively cheap to purchase, since they came in a lot of Camaros and stuff, and young men tend to wreck Camaros. It is pushrod, but it does have modern goodies like fuel injection, coil-on-plug ignition, all-aluminum construction, and even variable valve timing in the 2005+ ones.
It looks like a VK, stock, is in the low 300 bhp range. It seems to be mainly in large Infiniti cars/SUVs, so I strongly doubt that there's a big aftermarket for it. Also, I don't know how adaptable the drivetrain is - i.e. would it bolt up to a 350z drivetrain, or would you be forced to use a FX45 automatic AWD drivetrain? I would think the original engine purchase would be more expensive too, since it's a newer engine, and one mainly for luxury cars.
I know there's something to be said for keeping it all Nissan under the hood, but the VK just seems like an inferior engine to a Gen 4 SBC. If you really want all-nissan power, IMO the VQ, KA, SR, and RB engines all have a relatively good aftermarket.
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