adamis

Been thinking for a long time on what to do with my car situation. In about a year I'll be in a position to either buy a car (new or used but probably used) or possibly just rebuild my current 92 maxima GXE. At the moment I'm thinking to just dump a few thousand into my maxima since buying another used car would be 5-10k anyway. I like the maxima, it's comfortable, get's good gas mileage, and still looks good.

So, I've been thinking, what could I get for about 5k into a maxima? I'm close to 200k miles right now so I'm thinking a full rebuild would be in order. I would probably hire someone or a shop to do the work so I'm thinking about a stroke and bore, plus cams plus all of the stuff it takes for a rebuild. Is this even doable on an engine with as many miles as mine or should I consider purchasing a used engine with lower miles? I would also be putting some of the money into new CVS joints, bushings, engine mounts, tranny overhaul or service etc...

So, question is, does it seem reasonable? This isn't a how fast can I go for 5k but rather is it worth rebuilding my car and expect another 100k+ miles? I know the car won't be worth the money I put into it, but if I could get another 100k miles out of it, it would pay for itself in the long run.

DaKeG

I feel ya. I will cross the 150K mark as soon as I stop posting and go back to work. I was thinking that a JDM and manual swap would be the way to go. Then you don't have to worry about as much down time. You could start looking, ordering, and building all the parts, have them all ready to go in as soon as you need them when something goes. 190 horse and 5speed. the engine would have really low miles on it as well. think about it.

unsprung

Looking to keep the car running in tip-top shape or are you looking to get it modded?

From what I've seen from the VGs on this thread, I don't know if you'll need to do any motor work. Some have hit 200k+ on the original engine (tranny, of course, is a completely different creature).

I'm also in the same boat as you, where I rather spend a few hundred to keep the car running in good shape rather than spending several thousand on a new car.

LQ91SE

I hear ya......My 91 SE has 198k and still has the original clutch,alternator and injectors. I get 28-30 mpg on the highway and have gotten close to 500 miles on a tank a gas.....What a great car.

bonzelite

iTrader: (2)

at about 150K i had the heads rebuilt.
i've had tranny rebuilt twice in seven years, a manual.
i thrash mine sometimes, so i incur more wear. but for
what it is, is not bad. cheaper than buying new car.

adamis

I thought about a tranny swap but wasn't sure about the cost. It probably would come close though to rebuilding my existing tranny... Guess I'll have to go back into all of the old posts and see what I can find regarding this stuff.

The goal here wasn't to get tons of power but rather get more miles out of the car. However since I was thinking about rebuilding the engine I would do some of the internals to get a little more juice.

If I rebuild, and do a port and stroke (which I believe is possible, maybe I'm wrong, it's something I really haven't thought about till now...) plus getting a set of cams and replacing anything that is overly worn then I could open the VG up a little bit.

I like this idea because in my mind it would get me a little more power for probably the same cost, granted on an engine that already has 200k on it. Would this get me a little more power over just a JDM swap plus eliminate the hassle of getting a JDM engine?

The first concern is getting more mileage out of the car since I gotta run it for another 10 years to justify the cost. The second is bringing the power levels up to what current similiar model cars are running at say 240-260, although I'll settle for less if it's cost prohibitive. The extra power is more like a bonus and to keep a smile on my face for the next 10 years.

Knight4

As long as I enjoy driving a vehicle, it's not "nickel and dimeing" me out of more money than a car payment, and it still looks and runs great, I'll drive a vehicle as long as it makes sense to keep it running.

Maybe that's the "green" in me and maybe it's just being stingy with my money, but I intend to run my Max for a long time yet...I'm with you!



I'd say don't do the engine until have have to (unless you're already experiencing problems). I would expect the VG to run a while yet. And, call me stubborn or call me stupid but, as much as the JDM engine is touted on this site, I'm leaning toward a re-build as well when that day comes for me. I pretty much know what this engine block has been through...not so with a swap.

bhunter

iTrader: (3)

Here's my two cents. Since you're not in a hurry I would look at all the ads and keep looking for a low mile ONE OWNER car. For five grand you can get a pretty darn nice slightly used maxima. I have two and am looking for a third-carefully.

Knight4

Certainly sound advice! Bhunter, have you thought about moving up to 4th gens at all?

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

Um why rebuild it? If the engine has 200k and still runs okay, don't mess with it.

adamis

The point is to stave off any potential problems for at least another 100k miles if not more. I'm pretty sure the engine won't have much problem getting another 30k but after that I'm not holding my breath.

Couple of reasons why I'm thinking about a rebuild is because my valves have started ticking in the morning for a couple of seconds telling me I have some internal wear. Second, I think I also have an intermittent fuel injector that likes to go on strike every once in a while. Plus I'm over due for my timing belt change plus water pump and everything else.

Individually these things aren't much but together if I pay someone to do it (cause I ain't got the time or the tools and shop to do it myself) then I'm going to be looking at a bill over a thousand bucks already.

I figure find a good engine shop that knows their stuff, have them pull the engine, rebuild it and at the same time work to get more power out of it. At that time I'll get my frame straightened (from an accident the previous owner had) and possibly repaint the car or at least get my front bumber fixed (from some guy backing into my car...).

Like I said, this isn't about I wanna have the fastest maxima but since the engine is going to be worked on anyway by a shop at a shop price then why not get the extras done at the same time?

Looking for a low mileage maxima is an idea but then I have the cost of buying it I would have exactly what I have now with fewer miles.

You could say I'm attatched to my car and that's why I'd rather spend money on it then buy something else. I've spent the last 6 years babying it and cursing everytime I found a new scratch or ding. It's gotten me through college without a complaint and with minimal cost in maintenance (this means a lot when you can hardly afford textbooks let alone fixing a broken down car). I figure the car deserves another 10 years considering how well it's treated me.

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

I'd probably elected just to swap in a lower miler used engine with all the preventative maintanance(t-belt, water pump, exhaust studs etc..) done before paying someong a few thousand to rebuild mine.

anaximander

iTrader: (1)

Too much money for too little reward. You won't have any significant power increases on an auto vg through port/polish and cams. You could sell that one and get a dohc manual spending maybe $500 more and it'd still be faster than your rebuilt auto vg. Or just do what jeff suggested and walk away with ~1k in expenses. Having a potential accident after you flushed a few thousand down the drain would bury you financially.

cheatham

I think I would probably set the money aside, invest it, or at least collect some interest on it as long as possible. The money will be there when the engine finally fails one day. Not to mention the nicest stock 3rd gens can be had for $5000.

For the record, mine has 245k on the original engine, and I am about to drive a 4000 mile round trip to Reno next month. I'm not the least bit scared of a break down (I have an old habit of carrying my tools anyway.) I would be willing to bet this engine will make it to 300k+.

-JP

adamis

If you look in my original post I said stroke and bore, not port and polish. On top of that I was going to throw in cams and then replace anything worn. Going the DOHC route still requires me to buy another engine and deal with the headaches of trying to swap it in. Sure, it might not be that hard but it's not as easy as just rebuilding the current engine and putting it back in. Plus, will a DOHC engine really be able to beat a VG with the internals worked over? From what I have read on this board that is a definitive no (but maybe I'm wrong).

As for letting the money sit around as an investment and waiting for the engine to blow what's the point? Then I'm completly out a whole engine, and will be looking at buying an engine and on top of that paying for any upgrades I would want which I probably couldn't afford cause I'm paying for an engine...

What would change my mind is if an engine with 200k on it is even worth rebuilding. If not then I'll just keep changing the oil and coaxing the injectors to keep it happy until it dies and then weight my options. I just don't want to go to far down a path and have an engine that is completly beyond the point of a rebuild option if I can do it now and not have to deal with the hassle of finding an engine.

nismo-max500

i checked out a max w/ 400k on the original engine, nothing was done to it except oil changes and regular maintance. I would jsut keep saving up for a new car and drive your max till it dies. you shouldnt have to do much to an engine. just worry about the axles, tierods etc. if that goes wrong. these engines should last a longtime w/ out much done to them.

CamryKilla

i would keep it, and not touch anything until something appears to be going wrong. or you could dump the 5000 into a new car that maybe you could squeeze the mileage you want out of it.

I've always wondered, though, how much it would cost to have Nissan build a 3rd gen brand new....that would be nice....never gonna happen, tho

maximagxe90

Hi,

nissan is done with the 3rd gen,

so the brand new thing i don't think it is not going to be happen,

thumpyls

I Would Also Drive The Car Until It Dies,,then Do A Jdm Swap..were Talking About A Ve30 Right?if So Im For It.. My Max Has 176k On It, And Its A Great Daily Driver.keep The Car And Drive

bhunter

iTrader: (3)

Obviously you love this car. Something really memorable happen in it???? I don't think you can let it go.

boosted3rdgen

my car supposedly has 103k on it, but i think its more because i notice that when i go on long trips and im at a steady speed for a while, the odometer doesnt move, so hopefully the previous owner never went very far on it, but anyways, i drive the hell out of my VG, then just kick it into drive (auto sucks) and i can cruise the streets at 20 miles an hour and pick up some friends...i love my car....keep the max!!!

maximagxe90

Hi,

do you mean the vg30e,

anaximander

iTrader: (1)

I was talking about buying a dohc manual, not swapping. Even with bore/stroke, you'll come equal to the ve 5spd at best since the stock 1/4 mile difference between the two is around 2 seconds. You're right in questioning if it's even worth rebuilding as it may accelerate the wear on the poor vg auto transmission, which is much costlier than a used engine. If you were to do the labor yourself it might be worthy, but that's not the case so that's why everyone is advising against it.

adamis

How will a stroke and a bore plus cams not come out to more horsepower then a swap with a VE? Everything I've read seems to point that such work would get well over 200hp (from the top of my head). A VE would require a whole lot more work then just dropping it in, I'm going for what's easiest and cheapest cause I would be paying shop labor. I don't want to pay them 60 bucks an hour to figure out how to swap out a wiring harness.

Maybe I'm getting a little confused here. What exactly is the JDM engine? Guess I'll go read up on it. I thought it was just a low mileage import from Japan but same design as what's currently in it.

If I actually went through with the trouble with ripping out the engine I might seriously consider changing over to manual. Would have to see how the tranny is shifting at the time to see if it's even worth it. Currently it shifts fine, although it seems to hickup once in a while.

MrGone

iTrader: (30)

I believe "probably" is the incorrect term for this statement.


edit: and the tense

MrGone

iTrader: (30)

oh, and I want your screen/gps

89badmaxse

iTrader: (1)

i woudl move up to a 4th gen for 5k they are nice and fast and woudl be more practical then dumping that kin dof money into a 3rd gen GXE the only way i woudl use 5 grand on a 3rd gen was if it was to rebuild and mod a ve 5 speed thats my 2 cents but i see everyone else is lookin out for you too might not be a good idea to do that as much as itd be abetter idea to move up to a new one...

bonzelite

iTrader: (2)

unless the car is belching out white smoke, don't rebuild the engine.
if anything, do the heads. get fresh valves and clean out the ports.
that's it. if you want some performance, then do all the standard mods that
we all post about. the y-pipe, CAI, check out matt's goodies. getting into
internals and all that crap is just not practical or realistic. you will spend
8 thousand dollars on the VG to only get about 35 extra hp, max. unfortunately,
as good as that engine is, was not meant for serious modification easily.

if i were going to go for serious gains, i'd strip the car down and eliminate about 800 pounds. then boost it. but then you'd have a tin can that goes fast. who cares.

adamis

Yeah, the 4th gen thing has also been on my mind a little to. It's probably the best idea yet really. In a year or two when this option possibly comes up I will have to seriously consider it.

Of course all of this is probably gonna get put on hold since some things that have been happening recently might dictate that any money that was gonna be used on the car might have to be used on a ring.

Thanks for all the input guy's, gives me something to chew on for a while.

anaximander

iTrader: (1)

Once again, I suggested selling the current car and buying the ve manual, NOT swapping motors. Jdm engines are the ones used in japan, imported here, and said to have 30-40k mileage.

Where did you read the "well over 200hp" statements? That's highly improbable. Remember that with even slightly more power than the ve, your car has the disadvantage of not being a manual and lacking lsd. Also, instead of gaining engine reliability, you'll be actually compromising it because a bore/stroke job would increase stress on the block and its components (cylinder walls, wrist pin, conrod, crankshaft), let alone the fact that the motor has already 160k on it. In addition, how will you know how much to increase either one? There's a point where a too big of a bore or stroke would be counterproductive and damaging. And I already wrote above that the auto tranny would be worn out quicker with a more powerful engine. Switching to manual would require another major cost since you wouldn't be doing labor yourself and would have to spend money on additional parts such as axles, master cylinder etc.

Knight4

Yep, first it's the ring, then a wedding, then the house and yard, then the kids...

If you're like me, you won't have the money for playing with cars again until you're middle aged and empty nesting...

But I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Good luck and be sure to keep your priorities straight! Cars can be fun but, if you get right down to it, aren't really much more than something to get you from point a to point b, whereas investing your time and money in an understanding spouse and family can be eternally rewarding!

bonzelite

iTrader: (2)

in all fairness, all other good advice provided notwithstanding, it IS probable. you can mod the VG to pump out over 300hp n/a. but it is not
worth it, imo. paeco (or at least at one point they did) offers the VG this way.

you'd have to thereafter, once you uncrated the engine block, figure out how to fuel map it and all of the other nightmares. you'd spend about ten grand for an impractical, barely streetable, high-maintenance monster. all for what.

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

You could get 200hp out of a VG. With all the basic intake/exhaust crap, you would need all the other bolt on accessories + JWT cams, JWT ecu. I think that would do it. 40hp is quite a hurdle though. And it wouldn't be cheap

unsprung

Thanks to the 3rd Gen VGs being pretty cost effective in terms of maintenance, the little lady might get to see that ring faster than she thinks... wait, is that a good thing?

The best advice is to just leave the car alone & just keep the maintenance up. It basically breaks down to dropping a few Ks on an engine rebuild or waiting for the engine to die & getting a low mileage used one (JDM or not) installed for ~$1-1.5K (estimates from what I've seen from others posts). While there's always an issue of whether the used engine is good, if you already know a good engine shop, they should be able to tell.

And let's face the facts: once you need that used engine (if that need even arises), then it might be years from now where you'll have money to finally spend on a better new car OR you replace the engine & it'll be the last engine you'll need for your venerable "antique" car

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

Don't do it!
you'll regret it,

anaximander

iTrader: (1)

Agree it's possible, but it requires other additions to the ones he proposed, which would greatly increase the already high cost of the project.

Bonze, at least paeco specializes in it. Who knows if the adamis' shop ever even dealt with performance modifying of a vg. It's an unnecessary gamble in my opinion.