Project Maxima: Skyline Tranny?
08-04-2003, 09:26 PM
#1
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Project Maxima: Skyline Tranny?
Ok, first off: I only want constructive posts about what would be necessary to do this. I am going to be bringing my Max down to Florida sometime this fall/winter and it's going to be used as a project car. It's a 93 GXE. I have a lot of serious plans for it (And some not-quite-so-serious plans from the guy that's helping me... But I will NOT open that can of worms in this thread)
I'm trying to do some pre-emptive research on some of the mods I want to do... The first being is converting it to a manual tranny, which will be done. The question I have is, does anyone know if they made a Skyline tranny (The AWD Axxess version) that will bolt up to the engine? Fitment issues are none-existant, we'll get the biznitch in there, what I'm concerned with are teh bolt patterns and if it'll line up. I don't care about price or how much of a PITA it's going to be... I'm trying to find out if it can be done... If not, then I'll just look into something tamer...
That's mod #1 for me (So I can get it back on the road in case I need it while this is all going down
)
I'm trying to do some pre-emptive research on some of the mods I want to do... The first being is converting it to a manual tranny, which will be done. The question I have is, does anyone know if they made a Skyline tranny (The AWD Axxess version) that will bolt up to the engine? Fitment issues are none-existant, we'll get the biznitch in there, what I'm concerned with are teh bolt patterns and if it'll line up. I don't care about price or how much of a PITA it's going to be... I'm trying to find out if it can be done... If not, then I'll just look into something tamer...
That's mod #1 for me (So I can get it back on the road in case I need it while this is all going down
)
08-04-2003, 09:34 PM
#2
i was looking at the axxess tranny forever because i was thinking about making my car awd. i think it will bolt up since the ka24 has the same bolt pattern as our engines.
i dropped my idea because it will be a real pain to do the rear suspension. go look under an awd or rwd car and then compare those rear ends to ours and you'll see what i mean.
also, there is no way a skyline tranny would work since it's rwd biased. the axxess tranny is fwd biased so it would be much easier to work with. good luck!
i dropped my idea because it will be a real pain to do the rear suspension. go look under an awd or rwd car and then compare those rear ends to ours and you'll see what i mean.
also, there is no way a skyline tranny would work since it's rwd biased. the axxess tranny is fwd biased so it would be much easier to work with. good luck!
08-04-2003, 09:42 PM
#3
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Originally posted by mtcookson
i was looking at the axxess tranny forever because i was thinking about making my car awd. i think it will bolt up since the ka24 has the same bolt pattern as our engines.
i dropped my idea because it will be a real pain to do the rear suspension. go look under an awd or rwd car and then compare those rear ends to ours and you'll see what i mean.
also, there is no way a skyline tranny would work since it's rwd biased. the axxess tranny is fwd biased so it would be much easier to work with. good luck!
i was looking at the axxess tranny forever because i was thinking about making my car awd. i think it will bolt up since the ka24 has the same bolt pattern as our engines.
i dropped my idea because it will be a real pain to do the rear suspension. go look under an awd or rwd car and then compare those rear ends to ours and you'll see what i mean.
also, there is no way a skyline tranny would work since it's rwd biased. the axxess tranny is fwd biased so it would be much easier to work with. good luck!
I'm sure this isn't going to be an easy swap, or cheap, but since it's not my daily driver anymore, I can afford to take my time and do everything right... That, and the guy I have helping me is truly insane when it comes to modifying cars... I need to ask him if he has pictures/logs of some of the cars he's done Now, what is the KA24? I've seen that designation somewhere before, but I dunno where... Is that the engine you are referring to?
08-04-2003, 09:50 PM
#4
there's no way the skyline uses the axxess tranny. (unless it's an older skyline that i don't know about) the axxess has a tranny that is mounted on a horizontally opposed ka24e 4 cylinder engine. the axxess also comes with a front wheel drive tranny so therefore, it's fwd biased. if i remember correctly the axxess tranny is made by borg warner.
the skyline an inline 6 that is a front-back engine meaning it is set up for rwd. the tranny looks like a rwd tranny but has holes in the front for the axles for the awd setup. the skyline is therefore rwd biased and if i'm correct has a tranny made by getrag.
the skyline an inline 6 that is a front-back engine meaning it is set up for rwd. the tranny looks like a rwd tranny but has holes in the front for the axles for the awd setup. the skyline is therefore rwd biased and if i'm correct has a tranny made by getrag.
08-05-2003, 07:31 AM
#6
What benefits would a skyline tranny give over another maxima tranny? If you really want 6 speeds, try and bolt a 2k2 tranny to your "project car". IMO, if you have all this money to burn, ditch the 93GXE, buy a 92-94SE 5-speed, and develop a turbo kit for it.
08-05-2003, 11:38 AM
#9
the axxess tranny is awd too and would be much easier to get in there since it bolts right on to the engine and since it is fwd biased meaning it is shaped like a front wheel drive transmission but has the rear drive shaft input on the back. for the skyilne tranny to work you would have to turn our current engine 90 degrees to make it rwd. then, you would have to make a transmission tunnel for the skyline tranny to fit.
08-06-2003, 06:41 AM
#10
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Originally posted by mtcookson
the axxess tranny is awd too and would be much easier to get in there since it bolts right on to the engine and since it is fwd biased meaning it is shaped like a front wheel drive transmission but has the rear drive shaft input on the back. for the skyilne tranny to work you would have to turn our current engine 90 degrees to make it rwd. then, you would have to make a transmission tunnel for the skyline tranny to fit.
the axxess tranny is awd too and would be much easier to get in there since it bolts right on to the engine and since it is fwd biased meaning it is shaped like a front wheel drive transmission but has the rear drive shaft input on the back. for the skyilne tranny to work you would have to turn our current engine 90 degrees to make it rwd. then, you would have to make a transmission tunnel for the skyline tranny to fit.
You think the Axxess would be a better bet then? I'll do some research on it, thanks!
08-06-2003, 10:58 AM
#12
no, its axxess
Originally posted by MAXMAN91
i think i know what he is talking about, it is the atlezza all wheel drive or something like that. atlezza is what the awd system is called not axxess.
charlie blimng bling nopi only 6m weeks away
i think i know what he is talking about, it is the atlezza all wheel drive or something like that. atlezza is what the awd system is called not axxess.
charlie blimng bling nopi only 6m weeks away
08-06-2003, 12:30 PM
#14
the sunny gti-r uses the sr20 and i've compared both bolt patterns of the trannies a lot. the ka has the same bolt pattern as the vg (from what i've seen). the sr20 bolt pattern is much wider at the top (kind of the the ca series engines). i've never actually taked a ka tranny and put it up to the vg. however, the tranny that came in the 87-89 300zx normally aspirated is the same tranny that came in the 240sx's according to drivetrain.com which also makes me believe the ka and the vg have the same bolt pattern.
i've been thinking about the swap forever and it appears that the driveshaft would fit perfectly down the exhaust tunnel but would require moving the exhaust elsewhere. you would need to get a different gas tank out of a rwd car or a fuel cell or something. then the hard part would be trying to figure out how to get a rear end in there. the r200 would probably be good bet since it handles good power and uses independent suspenion but then you would have to figure out all of the arms and the sway bar and such.
another thing that worried me was the steering rack. i think the could be a possibility that there would be fitment issues due to the steering rack but i could be wrong. it appeared that the steering rack was kind of in the way of the tunnel when my engine was out but i didn't really think to take a closer look.
if you try this, good luck! i've got some other ideas up my sleeve that are similar to this so hopefully one of use will figure something out.
p.s. the skyline tranny is the attessa ets
i've been thinking about the swap forever and it appears that the driveshaft would fit perfectly down the exhaust tunnel but would require moving the exhaust elsewhere. you would need to get a different gas tank out of a rwd car or a fuel cell or something. then the hard part would be trying to figure out how to get a rear end in there. the r200 would probably be good bet since it handles good power and uses independent suspenion but then you would have to figure out all of the arms and the sway bar and such.
another thing that worried me was the steering rack. i think the could be a possibility that there would be fitment issues due to the steering rack but i could be wrong. it appeared that the steering rack was kind of in the way of the tunnel when my engine was out but i didn't really think to take a closer look.
if you try this, good luck! i've got some other ideas up my sleeve that are similar to this so hopefully one of use will figure something out.
p.s. the skyline tranny is the attessa ets
08-06-2003, 01:31 PM
#15
you guys are all talk.
do the swap..show me it fits..and shut me up.
in the mean time all you clowns are all bench racers. all
sure there are a few insane people out there that are willing to drop over 10K in a car that's worth about 3K or less, i doubt many of you are it.
do the swap..show me it fits..and shut me up.
in the mean time all you clowns are all bench racers. all
sure there are a few insane people out there that are willing to drop over 10K in a car that's worth about 3K or less, i doubt many of you are it.
08-06-2003, 02:29 PM
#16
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Originally posted by DanNY
you guys are all talk.
do the swap..show me it fits..and shut me up.
in the mean time all you clowns are all bench racers. all
sure there are a few insane people out there that are willing to drop over 10K in a car that's worth about 3K or less, i doubt many of you are it.
you guys are all talk.
do the swap..show me it fits..and shut me up.
in the mean time all you clowns are all bench racers. all
sure there are a few insane people out there that are willing to drop over 10K in a car that's worth about 3K or less, i doubt many of you are it.
And in case you missed it, I asked for HELPFUL INPUT...
When I finish, I plan on having it shown off to all the haters, until then, either help or STFU.
Thank you, pull up to the second window.
08-06-2003, 02:31 PM
#17
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Originally posted by mtcookson
the sunny gti-r uses the sr20 and i've compared both bolt patterns of the trannies a lot. the ka has the same bolt pattern as the vg (from what i've seen). the sr20 bolt pattern is much wider at the top (kind of the the ca series engines). i've never actually taked a ka tranny and put it up to the vg. however, the tranny that came in the 87-89 300zx normally aspirated is the same tranny that came in the 240sx's according to drivetrain.com which also makes me believe the ka and the vg have the same bolt pattern.
i've been thinking about the swap forever and it appears that the driveshaft would fit perfectly down the exhaust tunnel but would require moving the exhaust elsewhere. you would need to get a different gas tank out of a rwd car or a fuel cell or something. then the hard part would be trying to figure out how to get a rear end in there. the r200 would probably be good bet since it handles good power and uses independent suspenion but then you would have to figure out all of the arms and the sway bar and such.
another thing that worried me was the steering rack. i think the could be a possibility that there would be fitment issues due to the steering rack but i could be wrong. it appeared that the steering rack was kind of in the way of the tunnel when my engine was out but i didn't really think to take a closer look.
if you try this, good luck! i've got some other ideas up my sleeve that are similar to this so hopefully one of use will figure something out.
p.s. the skyline tranny is the attessa ets
the sunny gti-r uses the sr20 and i've compared both bolt patterns of the trannies a lot. the ka has the same bolt pattern as the vg (from what i've seen). the sr20 bolt pattern is much wider at the top (kind of the the ca series engines). i've never actually taked a ka tranny and put it up to the vg. however, the tranny that came in the 87-89 300zx normally aspirated is the same tranny that came in the 240sx's according to drivetrain.com which also makes me believe the ka and the vg have the same bolt pattern.
i've been thinking about the swap forever and it appears that the driveshaft would fit perfectly down the exhaust tunnel but would require moving the exhaust elsewhere. you would need to get a different gas tank out of a rwd car or a fuel cell or something. then the hard part would be trying to figure out how to get a rear end in there. the r200 would probably be good bet since it handles good power and uses independent suspenion but then you would have to figure out all of the arms and the sway bar and such.
another thing that worried me was the steering rack. i think the could be a possibility that there would be fitment issues due to the steering rack but i could be wrong. it appeared that the steering rack was kind of in the way of the tunnel when my engine was out but i didn't really think to take a closer look.
if you try this, good luck! i've got some other ideas up my sleeve that are similar to this so hopefully one of use will figure something out.
p.s. the skyline tranny is the attessa ets
Exhaust *shouldn't* be an issue, I wanted to do a true dual exhaust, so we can pipe it around that... Good thing I know a couple machinists
The steering rack may pose problems, but we'll see... Duct tape and coathangers are wonderful inventions
08-06-2003, 02:36 PM
#18
It's a nice project if you know what you are doing. So you are going to learn as you go? IMHO, not very smart. But go ahead. What makes you think you can tackle this hard of a project anyway? How much do you think it will cost? How much better(than any other awd car) is this awd maxima gonna be when it's all said and done? You going to turbo this setup too? If not, how are you going to feel when someone in a mildly modded Mitsubishi Galant VR4 goes by you? Or after you've spent over 10 grand and a year in time, a stock GSX beats you?
Like I said, it's an interesting project. But parts that are available, the time that it requires don't justify the end result to me. Especially when the awd tranny is coming from a na 4 banger that probably can't handle the power needed to justify such a project.
Like I said, it's an interesting project. But parts that are available, the time that it requires don't justify the end result to me. Especially when the awd tranny is coming from a na 4 banger that probably can't handle the power needed to justify such a project.
Originally posted by Taegost
Y'know, I had a really nasty comeback to this when I clicked on the reply button, but then I thought about it and I realized that what you said is true... A lot of people talk the talk, and don't actually put the money into it. I am, because it's my PROJECT...
And in case you missed it, I asked for HELPFUL INPUT...
When I finish, I plan on having it shown off to all the haters, until then, either help or STFU.
Thank you, pull up to the second window.
Y'know, I had a really nasty comeback to this when I clicked on the reply button, but then I thought about it and I realized that what you said is true... A lot of people talk the talk, and don't actually put the money into it. I am, because it's my PROJECT...
And in case you missed it, I asked for HELPFUL INPUT...
When I finish, I plan on having it shown off to all the haters, until then, either help or STFU.
Thank you, pull up to the second window.
08-06-2003, 02:43 PM
#19
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Originally posted by Jeff92se
It's a nice project if you know what you are doing. So you are going to learn as you go? IMHO, not very smart. But go ahead. What makes you think you can tackle this hard of a project anyway? How much do you think it will cost? How much better(than any other awd car) is this awd maxima gonna be when it's all said and done? You going to turbo this setup too? If not, how are you going to feel when someone in a mildly modded Mitsubishi Galant VR4 goes by you? Or after you've spent over 10 grand and a year in time, a stock GSX beats you?
Like I said, it's an interesting project. But parts that are available, the time that it requires don't justify the end result to me. Especially when the awd tranny is coming from a na 4 banger that probably can't handle the power needed to justify such a project.
It's a nice project if you know what you are doing. So you are going to learn as you go? IMHO, not very smart. But go ahead. What makes you think you can tackle this hard of a project anyway? How much do you think it will cost? How much better(than any other awd car) is this awd maxima gonna be when it's all said and done? You going to turbo this setup too? If not, how are you going to feel when someone in a mildly modded Mitsubishi Galant VR4 goes by you? Or after you've spent over 10 grand and a year in time, a stock GSX beats you?
Like I said, it's an interesting project. But parts that are available, the time that it requires don't justify the end result to me. Especially when the awd tranny is coming from a na 4 banger that probably can't handle the power needed to justify such a project.
I don't care if it's better or not, it's DIFFERENT. I don't give a flying f*ck about cars that truly are faster, everyone picks the "best" or "fastest" car around to work on... Screw that, I've never liked bandwagons. It is because of the uniqueness and effort that will make it truly special to me, and be a good conversation piece. I am also doing it because I love the Maxima, nobody does it justice... Even the people who call themselves Maxima fanatics...
08-06-2003, 02:54 PM
#20
I take that back. *edit* let me know when it's done.
Originally posted by Taegost
I'm not doing it myself, I have a friend of mine who does a lot of custom work like this as a daily job... What I'm proposing is actually rather tame from what he's used to. It's going to cost me a lot of money and time, which is fine, it's not my daily driver any more so I can do it.
I don't care if it's better or not, it's DIFFERENT. I don't give a flying f*ck about cars that truly are faster, everyone picks the "best" or "fastest" car around to work on... Screw that, I've never liked bandwagons. It is because of the uniqueness and effort that will make it truly special to me, and be a good conversation piece. I am also doing it because I love the Maxima, nobody does it justice... Even the people who call themselves Maxima fanatics...
I'm not doing it myself, I have a friend of mine who does a lot of custom work like this as a daily job... What I'm proposing is actually rather tame from what he's used to. It's going to cost me a lot of money and time, which is fine, it's not my daily driver any more so I can do it.
I don't care if it's better or not, it's DIFFERENT. I don't give a flying f*ck about cars that truly are faster, everyone picks the "best" or "fastest" car around to work on... Screw that, I've never liked bandwagons. It is because of the uniqueness and effort that will make it truly special to me, and be a good conversation piece. I am also doing it because I love the Maxima, nobody does it justice... Even the people who call themselves Maxima fanatics...
08-06-2003, 03:22 PM
#22
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Posts: 554
Originally posted by Taegost
I'm not doing it myself, I have a friend of mine who does a lot of custom work like this as a daily job... What I'm proposing is actually rather tame from what he's used to. It's going to cost me a lot of money and time, which is fine, it's not my daily driver any more so I can do it.
I don't care if it's better or not, it's DIFFERENT. I don't give a flying f*ck about cars that truly are faster, everyone picks the "best" or "fastest" car around to work on... Screw that, I've never liked bandwagons. It is because of the uniqueness and effort that will make it truly special to me, and be a good conversation piece. I am also doing it because I love the Maxima, nobody does it justice... Even the people who call themselves Maxima fanatics...
I'm not doing it myself, I have a friend of mine who does a lot of custom work like this as a daily job... What I'm proposing is actually rather tame from what he's used to. It's going to cost me a lot of money and time, which is fine, it's not my daily driver any more so I can do it.
I don't care if it's better or not, it's DIFFERENT. I don't give a flying f*ck about cars that truly are faster, everyone picks the "best" or "fastest" car around to work on... Screw that, I've never liked bandwagons. It is because of the uniqueness and effort that will make it truly special to me, and be a good conversation piece. I am also doing it because I love the Maxima, nobody does it justice... Even the people who call themselves Maxima fanatics...
Time and money is only factor to those who can afford only so much of each. Hence why some can't see the justification of spending $10 to $20k on mods (I have to admit that I fall into this category). However, when time and money is NOT an object then--as the old saying goes--the sky is the limit. We as a species would not have reached to vastness of outer space if it were not for the pioneers.
If you and your buddy can pull this off, then by all means go for it. Be the pioneer. After seeing some of the modified cars in Lowrider magazine, I beleive anything is possible with the right tools, time, money, and mindpower.
08-06-2003, 03:25 PM
#23
i don't really see this project getting into the $10k mark unless everything that is bought is custom made and bought new and at top dollar and all that crap. if you go the salvage yard and try getting the best deals this project won't be that expensive at all.
08-06-2003, 03:29 PM
#24
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Posts: 179
And I bid you good luck on your project. I too am amidst a project which is so far over my head I cannot see the top, but the reasoning behind it is one which we share. I can honestly say that after thorough research I have given up with the DIY approach and am contacting Unstable Hybrids here in GA. If you run into problems down the rd. I suggest you do the same as they specialize in Nissan platforms and engines.
08-06-2003, 03:42 PM
#26
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Thanks for the comments guys
Jeff - No need to take it back, I was just venting some frustrations I've had welled up for a while... I understand where you're coming from, I can't even fathom how many "I'm gonna turbo my Max!" posts I've seen... I don't plan on being that guy, but there will be results to show...
Even if the pictures just show duct tape (Not like I haven't done THAT before <cough> <cough>)
Jeff - No need to take it back, I was just venting some frustrations I've had welled up for a while... I understand where you're coming from, I can't even fathom how many "I'm gonna turbo my Max!" posts I've seen... I don't plan on being that guy, but there will be results to show...
Even if the pictures just show duct tape (Not like I haven't done THAT before <cough> <cough>)
08-06-2003, 03:48 PM
#27
i would take a look at the tranny first. i tried finding a manual awd tranny around where i lived but the only place around me that had one had already sold it. check out car-parts.com and they should have quite a few. you may have to look in canada for one too since they had the axxess longer than we did. they had it for like, 4 or 5 years to our 1 or 2.
08-06-2003, 04:14 PM
#29
i'm sure it could hold the power if not abused. cryoing wouldn't hurt though.
one thing i forgot to mention. the gear ratios are probably different and to make up for the lower power on the 4 cylinder that could mean it will put more power to the ground than the maxima tranny but it won't have as high of a top end.
one thing i forgot to mention. the gear ratios are probably different and to make up for the lower power on the 4 cylinder that could mean it will put more power to the ground than the maxima tranny but it won't have as high of a top end.
08-06-2003, 04:30 PM
#30
You guys that are thinking of converting to ATTESSA awd should REALLY think long and hard about everything that would be involved. I've thought about simply modifying the drivetrain of my Maxima to rwd using a combination of z31, j30, q45, etc parts. RWD would be entirely possible IF you did some serious work. Here's some of the ideas I had:
-1st, the engine has to be mounted non-transverse so that is a huge undertaking by itself (rewiring, custom int/exh piping, mounts, re-arranging accessories, etc)
-2nd, cut/weld or use a sledgehammer on the rear firewall until you can actually jam a RWD tranny in there
-3rd, remove the gas tank and use a fuel cell in the trunk; this frees up space so you can do some serious chassis reinforcement for mounting a differential and redoing the whole rear suspension/brakes
-4th, you'll probably have to have a custom driveshaft made to the proper length and it would probably fit in the central exhaust tunnel, though some stuff would need to be modified so it's a straight shot back to the diff
-5th, redo the whole front suspension
-6th.......
See where I am going with this? Its a ton of work! Not impossible, in fact it is entirely possible with enough ingenuity, hard work and money though, is it really worth it to you? I had an epiphany with my Maxima. I realized it is my daily driver, I'm not modifying the drivetrain like that, and I'll be perfectly happy with 300-350fwhp on my turbo original vg30e (not an ET swap)setup(will be using a To4e .60 trim, forged bottom end and a ton of head mods and possibly a TecIII). I have a 240z for all the serious power mods! I realized I was trying to make my Maxima into a sports car and that I should just work on crazy engine swaps, etc using my 240z; which is a much better base of a car to start with when doing things like these. If I ever become filthy rich or win the lottery, I'll probably try to convert at least one 3rd gen to RWD or something but the cost of something like that just doesn't justify itself to most normal people. When it comes to stuff like this, I hate to say it but most people would just be better off buying another Nissan/Datsun that is a little more like what they want. Example - The Infiniti m30 has a Vg and is RWD. It looks kind of like a 2dr 3rd gen. They are cheap so why not spend $2-4k buying one, then you don't have to waste $10-20k on drastic stuff that's probably never been done before. Then you could spend money towards swapping a vg30et or turboing the existing vg in the m30. Or even better, swap in a vg30det, like the JDM Nissan Leopard (an RB swap would be entirely possible with an m30 as well). Just think long and hard before doing anything. Also try to figure out exactly what's going to be involved in completely a project of this magnitude. If you have the b@lls, time, skills, money and actually try or do go through with something like this, than more props to you!
-1st, the engine has to be mounted non-transverse so that is a huge undertaking by itself (rewiring, custom int/exh piping, mounts, re-arranging accessories, etc)
-2nd, cut/weld or use a sledgehammer on the rear firewall until you can actually jam a RWD tranny in there
-3rd, remove the gas tank and use a fuel cell in the trunk; this frees up space so you can do some serious chassis reinforcement for mounting a differential and redoing the whole rear suspension/brakes
-4th, you'll probably have to have a custom driveshaft made to the proper length and it would probably fit in the central exhaust tunnel, though some stuff would need to be modified so it's a straight shot back to the diff
-5th, redo the whole front suspension
-6th.......
See where I am going with this? Its a ton of work! Not impossible, in fact it is entirely possible with enough ingenuity, hard work and money though, is it really worth it to you? I had an epiphany with my Maxima. I realized it is my daily driver, I'm not modifying the drivetrain like that, and I'll be perfectly happy with 300-350fwhp on my turbo original vg30e (not an ET swap)setup(will be using a To4e .60 trim, forged bottom end and a ton of head mods and possibly a TecIII). I have a 240z for all the serious power mods! I realized I was trying to make my Maxima into a sports car and that I should just work on crazy engine swaps, etc using my 240z; which is a much better base of a car to start with when doing things like these. If I ever become filthy rich or win the lottery, I'll probably try to convert at least one 3rd gen to RWD or something but the cost of something like that just doesn't justify itself to most normal people. When it comes to stuff like this, I hate to say it but most people would just be better off buying another Nissan/Datsun that is a little more like what they want. Example - The Infiniti m30 has a Vg and is RWD. It looks kind of like a 2dr 3rd gen. They are cheap so why not spend $2-4k buying one, then you don't have to waste $10-20k on drastic stuff that's probably never been done before. Then you could spend money towards swapping a vg30et or turboing the existing vg in the m30. Or even better, swap in a vg30det, like the JDM Nissan Leopard (an RB swap would be entirely possible with an m30 as well). Just think long and hard before doing anything. Also try to figure out exactly what's going to be involved in completely a project of this magnitude. If you have the b@lls, time, skills, money and actually try or do go through with something like this, than more props to you!
08-06-2003, 04:33 PM
#31
no, the attessa awd system would be way too hard to do. it would require what you are talking about on the rwd stuff. the Axxess van awd system is mounted on a horizontally opposed engine (just like ours) so it would be much easier to do than the attessa drivetrain.
08-06-2003, 04:43 PM
#32
Still way to much work for AWD. If I was going to undertake a project of that magnitude, I'd strip my Maxima out of the whole drivetrain, ecu/wiring, suspension, etc. Then I'd see if I could jam a Rb25det in there with the gts-t tranny (still tons of cutting/welding). Then at least it would be worth the trouble when it was finished. Of course, there is the less drastic and more realistic approach of keeping the vg and remounting everything so it isn't transverse, then taking various parts out of different drivetrains like I suggested and modifying it for RWD. An m30 might be the best bet for donor parts, with a custom driveshaft since it is a vg30e rwd tranny (unlike z32's, j30's, etc which are vg30de tranny's and probably don't have the same bolt pattern).
08-06-2003, 07:04 PM
#33
what you're talking about would be much more work than the axxess tranny. the major thing you need to worry about is the rear suspension. there are many more custom things involved in what you are talking about.
08-06-2003, 07:55 PM
#34
More work??? Yes you wouldn't have to mess with mounting the engine/acc. differently with a transverse tranny but, using something along the lines of an m30 RWD drivetrain would be a lot easier overall IMO. The fact is that even if you did successfully do that Axxess AWD modification you'd just have a heavier Maxima that is still FWD based and would bias towards understeer. I'd rather have RWD with a little bias towards oversteer. Though, I still haven't figured out exactly what you could do with the exhaust if you were to use the central exhaust tunnel for the driveshaft. The Y pipe could probably be lengthened at each part of the "Y" so the whole exhaust would sit lower, but it would probably be a good idea not to have the car lowered too much if that was the case! 
There could be lots of clearance problems with the exhaust though, so a custom one might be the only alternative.
I basically thought of custom making yet replicating the rear drivetrain setup like Nissan/Datsun has used on most of their RWD sports cars for the last few decades (Datsun Z/Maxima, z31, z32, s13/s14, etc). It would be lots of cutting, welding, chassis reinforcement, etc. Though, if done right, it would open up a whole new area of upgrade possibilities (r200/r230 LSD, stronger axles, etc). Basically it would be like re-engineering the 3rd gen and doing it like Nissan would have if they didn't decide to use some cost-cutting measures. This would ease repair/replacement of parts in the future since they would be directly replaceable with parts from all those sports cars and removable in a similar fashion, rather then being some custom ghetto-rigged setup that you could never fix if it broke. Although, all this is easy to talk and think about, however the reality is that any of this stuff is going to be one big PITA and not simple. I'm just thinking out loud and throwing ideas out there. Enough talk from me. I could go on all day about the modified cars I've thought about creating.
There could be lots of clearance problems with the exhaust though, so a custom one might be the only alternative.I basically thought of custom making yet replicating the rear drivetrain setup like Nissan/Datsun has used on most of their RWD sports cars for the last few decades (Datsun Z/Maxima, z31, z32, s13/s14, etc). It would be lots of cutting, welding, chassis reinforcement, etc. Though, if done right, it would open up a whole new area of upgrade possibilities (r200/r230 LSD, stronger axles, etc). Basically it would be like re-engineering the 3rd gen and doing it like Nissan would have if they didn't decide to use some cost-cutting measures. This would ease repair/replacement of parts in the future since they would be directly replaceable with parts from all those sports cars and removable in a similar fashion, rather then being some custom ghetto-rigged setup that you could never fix if it broke. Although, all this is easy to talk and think about, however the reality is that any of this stuff is going to be one big PITA and not simple. I'm just thinking out loud and throwing ideas out there. Enough talk from me. I could go on all day about the modified cars I've thought about creating.
08-06-2003, 08:00 PM
#36
that show rocks!
i still think the rwd thing would be much more work than the awd. it would take a lot longer and cost more than the awd setup. i don't personally like driving rwd cars around corners and stuff. i don't really like fwd for cornering either, lol, so that is why i would personally do awd. the next car i would buy would be either a wrx or r32 skyline so i could take corners like a **** and retain grip.
i still think the rwd thing would be much more work than the awd. it would take a lot longer and cost more than the awd setup. i don't personally like driving rwd cars around corners and stuff. i don't really like fwd for cornering either, lol, so that is why i would personally do awd. the next car i would buy would be either a wrx or r32 skyline so i could take corners like a **** and retain grip.
08-07-2003, 12:51 AM
#37
get an S14. and do an RB25DET swap. you'll have your skyline tranny, then. it makes more sense for the money and time. and that car is balanced. the maxima generally is not compared to the S14 chassis. there comes a point when you come to a point.
08-07-2003, 07:52 AM
#38
Originally posted by Taegost
Y'know, I had a really nasty comeback to this when I clicked on the reply button, but then I thought about it and I realized that what you said is true... A lot of people talk the talk, and don't actually put the money into it. I am, because it's my PROJECT...
And in case you missed it, I asked for HELPFUL INPUT...
When I finish, I plan on having it shown off to all the haters, until then, either help or STFU.
Thank you, pull up to the second window.
Y'know, I had a really nasty comeback to this when I clicked on the reply button, but then I thought about it and I realized that what you said is true... A lot of people talk the talk, and don't actually put the money into it. I am, because it's my PROJECT...
And in case you missed it, I asked for HELPFUL INPUT...
When I finish, I plan on having it shown off to all the haters, until then, either help or STFU.
Thank you, pull up to the second window.
if you're going to do it..then do it.
if you need to ask questions then it might be more work than you think. i know i know you're getting help.
i made that post because i want people to prove me wrong. most can't..that's the problem.
if you can do it...then more power to you. like everyone said you'll need to cut A LOT of sheet metal out of the floor to get stuff fitted right. you're basically rebuilding the entire car. you need to know all the gearing, how the diffs work, drive shaft and angle, position of engine, suspension and related parts, even the exhaust needs to be rerouted.
WHEN you finish take pics and show us the work.
08-08-2003, 11:02 PM
#39
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Tampa Bay, Fl
Posts: 605
Originally posted by DanNY
pleaseeeeee...
if you're going to do it..then do it.
if you need to ask questions then it might be more work than you think. i know i know you're getting help.
i made that post because i want people to prove me wrong. most can't..that's the problem.
if you can do it...then more power to you. like everyone said you'll need to cut A LOT of sheet metal out of the floor to get stuff fitted right. you're basically rebuilding the entire car. you need to know all the gearing, how the diffs work, drive shaft and angle, position of engine, suspension and related parts, even the exhaust needs to be rerouted.
WHEN you finish take pics and show us the work.
pleaseeeeee...
if you're going to do it..then do it.
if you need to ask questions then it might be more work than you think. i know i know you're getting help.
i made that post because i want people to prove me wrong. most can't..that's the problem.
if you can do it...then more power to you. like everyone said you'll need to cut A LOT of sheet metal out of the floor to get stuff fitted right. you're basically rebuilding the entire car. you need to know all the gearing, how the diffs work, drive shaft and angle, position of engine, suspension and related parts, even the exhaust needs to be rerouted.
WHEN you finish take pics and show us the work.
So, either help, or don't crowd my threads with useless bullsh*t, it's been said before, so if you don't like it, ignore the damn thing.
In the next couple of days, I'm going to talk this over with my buddy and show him everyones comments/concerns/HELP, and we'll see where we go from here.
When I finish, pictures won't be necessary because ya'll will be seeing it around... The question really is, how long it will take me to finish.
08-08-2003, 11:30 PM
#40
if the tranny fits you could actually get it running in no time by plugging the rear drive shaft socket thingy. this would also help show any problems prematurely and will show you if everythign will work out so far. from there you could start designing the rear end to finish up the project. i wonder what the rear end of the 1st gens maximas look like... hmm...