Infamous93Max

I know I am kind of new to the forums, and I have been asking some beginner questions and troubleshooting (if some of you read my posts) but I am just getting the hang of the mechanics of a car. Well I want to make my Maxima run well and look well, since it is my first owned car. Lately I have been getting ideas of what I want to do to upgrade my car since it is completely stock (besides the rims and face unit in the car). Some ideas include: intake (dont know which brand is best HP gain/performance), cat-back exhaust(also dont know what I want), e36 headlights look awesome, clear corner lights look nice also, and a body kit (what brands are there?)

What I am asking in this topic I want to know how much of you invested money onupgrades not repairs or anything. I want to get kind of a consensus of what I am looking to spend in the near future. You guys can include details (or brands) of what you installed (intake, exhaust, body upgrades, interior work, sound system, etc.) Also you guys can leave tips, I can appreciate that.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. Poll is optional but it's there

aminus21

iTrader: (14)

The first thing to do before "investing" any money on mods, is to get everything in the car fixed. I mean if your car has a slipping tranny, rust, bad injectors, busted exhaust studs, etc. get that stuff fixed first. Also make sure that your're up to par on maintenance: timing belt, w.pump, drivebelts, brakes, etc. You wouldnt want to spend money on mods, and then your engine goes kaput cuz the t.belt broke. Or, its's time for new brakes but you've got no money because you spent it all on your mods..IMHO, since these cars are kinda old, always keep some $$ on the side for some unexpected repairs that may come up.
Also, as you fix things, you also get the experience you need to install mods you will be getting.

As far as mods go, i think the best bang for your buck performance mod is a Y-pipe. Also you should look into replacing your struts because they are probably worn out/blown on a 14 yr. old car.

hope this helps...

DigitalMaxima90

i have spent like 540. i just got it a lil over a month n 2 weeks ago. i put on tires n bought new rear deck n door speakers. and about to put couple hundred more in it have to buy axles n lower control arms. and then i am buyin a rear caliper conversion kit from an org member for 150. and then i am saving for an VE motor n auto tranny(temperary til i get more money and have time for a manual swap). Then its a stillen kit and paint job.

Tom

I spent money for maintenance and repairs, but as far as upgrades, this is what I added:

Sony CD player
Sony 6-disc CD-changer
Kenwood Speakers
Infinti Tweeters
Sound insulation
Window Tint
Fog Lights
Leather steering wheel cover
License Plate frames

The most expensive item was a 6-disc CD-changer, and even that was less than $300.

goon9

iTrader: (13)

It's just a car ppl, not a way of life.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

I can include my cars purchase price and the cost of all repairs and still make it to less than a grand
3 injectors
Fstb
Window reg
JVC KD-G210
Infiniti 6012i
infiniti 9612i

Cliff Clavin

iTrader: (11)

honestly, I don't "invest" money in my Max. It is more of a hobby that I know I won't get even what I paid for out of it.

There is also kind of a grey area where something needs to be replaced or repaired, so it is upgraded. For instance, if your exhaust is rusty and you buy a GReddy exhaust. Your flex pipe is bad so you get a Warpspeed y-pipe. You need new struts and you upgrade to Konis. Same for better brake pads, rotors, etc. Even the stereo. Lots of people have blown bose amps/speakers and upgrade to an aftermarket HU and some better speakers.

I have spent several thousand dollars on my max. Some of it was for mods I wanted, but sometimes it was for upgrades, too. I needed a new clutch, so I upgraded to an ACT and added a Fidanza flywheel while the tranny was out.

Hectic

iTrader: (20)

regarding maximas i'm up about $1,800 since buying my car in october 04. i t-boned a lady and the car was totalled out by her insurance. they paid me about $300 more than i paid for the car after salvage, so i kept my car, did a quick fix and eventually bought a black se for $500. so at that point, i had 2 3rd gens for just $200 out of my pocket. bought a used injector for $20, new plenum gaskets, a few hours labor and sold the black one for $2,000. plus i still have my original max. which as of now has only 112,000 miles. so i've had a little luck. of course my car looks like junk now opposed to looking brand new when i bought it. i plan on painting it pretty soon here though.

MrGone

iTrader: (30)

Where's "More than you can afford, pal"

basically about 24-40 "Brian" cars

Phoenix

I would have to go with Cliff Clavin. I havn't "modded" anything but as things go bad, I tend to buy upgrades. I haven't had much go bad yet, so I'm still in the <$1000 catagory. $1,000-$2,999 if you include the purchase price since the car itself was an upgrade from a dead '90 Plymouth Laser.

mtcookson

iTrader: (2)

I'd say the majority of the money in my Maxima is all mods.

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

At least 12-13 grand

MrGone

iTrader: (30)

It's a good thing they are good cars hunh?

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

You just wish you could buy cars like I do.

I'm a car pimp

meccanoble

iTrader: (22)

mmm, this max i invested about 3 grand or less....but other maxima's i did so much more....i messed up on the survey and put less than a grand, my head unit alone is 50% more than that.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Fixed....

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

I've paid for 90% of the cars I've gotten or at least offered to

xx-Marshall-xx

iTrader: (15)

i just decided on keeping it and i have been saving for a new car/bike!!! and gah ill just get a bike (cheap) and mod my max! almost up to a grand... man i cant wait till it looks better and faster!

Niku-Sama

iTrader: (1)

~$2100 in fixes and what not but then again, mines quite a bit older than most

AmySuzukiSX

1300 on mine..just some easy fixes

Dysfunctional

uhhh ...
i think im at or around $22,000 ... why am i so far ahead of you slow pokes?

hahahha


this doenst include buying the car either ...

doublea

iTrader: (7)

I've spend around 10G canadian so far, but this winter I'll be putting another
5-7 G +for the S/C, new wheels, chromed parts, new paint jobs & what eles.

I just figured it was for 3rd gen max, mine is a 5th gen if that matters.

shavedmax

iTrader: (6)

i'm about the same.................. and its just sitting in my backyard rotting away.

GRNMAXDMON

iTrader: (1)

i lost track but heres a small list:

stillen kit - $650
warpspeed y-pipe and magnaflow cat - $210
arosh!t lowerin' springs - $300 (when they first came out)
kyb shocks - $260
rims - $400
tires - free
E36 headlights - $180
E36 headlights with angel eyes - $110
clear corners - $30
AE shift **** - $45
sony radio - $300
panasonic radio - $250
exedy stage 1 clutch kit - $110
low mileage engine - $450
parts for new engine - $500
fogs - free
window regulators - $200
'92 - '94 SE tails - $30
5-spd tranny - $110
JDM 350Z horns - $45
'04 Nissan Murano HID's - $100
Intake - $30
Control Arms and ball joints - $210
Rack and Pinion - $225 installed
Control Arms and ball joints from Brian - $160ish
Suspension Techniques Front Sway bar from Brian - $146 or so
Energy Suspension rear parallel bushings - $45
Rear parallel link - $75
300ZXTT calipers - $150
'06 Maxima front rotors - $180
Big Brake Kit hardware from Matt - $225
R33 Skyline tails with centerpiece - $200
HUD conversion - $50
time, blood, sweat and patience to do everything stated above by me with my dad - priceless

i've spent a little over $6000 just in upgraded parts and modifications and thats not puttin' the $8000 that was put into my car when i crashed into an old ladies Honda Accord. good thing her insurance company paid for my damages and about $220 in broken suspension parts when i lost control of my car a month after i did my 5spd conversion. and im still not done. i just c this as a hobby just like what Cliff said.

Pervis Anathema

iTrader: (8)

@ "investing."

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Dumping $$ into cars is not an investment...You NEVER get your $ back out of mods to a car..It's all about achieving the "look" and performance you want...

N34JZ

iTrader: (1)

exactly, if I was to sell my max for 10k today, I would still lose close to 20k. Thats how I choose to put it, but I dont regret it, it was fun to do, gave me something to do and Ive met some cool people along the way.

N34JZ

iTrader: (1)

nice picture, I think I can take credit for killing your car. me and your house.

shavedmax

iTrader: (6)

you were the spark, the house was just the fuel to the fire.had to have 20's right?


invest at your own risk, past performance does not guarantee future results. please consult your financial advisor prior to investing.

N34JZ

iTrader: (1)

you had 20's you just wanted to lay it on the ground, it ok though bigger and better things, or at least more maxima's.

shavedmax

iTrader: (6)

they rubbed on the back strut spring perch, went to change the struts and do a rear disc conversion and ended up with what we have now. dont tempt me ill fix it just to **** u off

KeithD

I'm under a grand so far, but the Max is not on the road yet....by the end of this month I'm aiming for a decent daily driver for about 2000 Canadian, including the purchase price. 2g for a car that has 190hp, leather, low mileage, 17 inch rims and a 5 speed seems like a pretty solid deal to me. I was really lucky to find a great deal on my car that is a really solid platform with the exception of "some" rust...

Infamous93Max

Thanks for feedback everyone (so far)!

About the "investing" word, I didn't really mean investing as in getting a profit back, but also investing could mean you can lose money also... If it happened to offend some people that I used that word, what word should I put there instead?

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

It's just the internet dude,nobody got offended...This thread actually is a good teaching tool for some members who may think that dumping $$ into a car will make it worth more,for some cars it does,on these cars...Nope.

Hollywood!

hahah zero dollars so far. the only upgrade ive done is steal the rims off my parents fifth gen max. tee hee

maxmaxima91

My thoughts exactly.

shavedmax

iTrader: (6)

DUMPED, LOL

Brudda Bob

iTrader: (3)

that the result of this poll is extremely inaccurate because of the chosen incremental increase.
Someone that's spent $1100.00 on their car is in the same category as another who's spent $2900.00. The difference is HUGE and the results are defintely not an accurate or even close to an accurate representation of the question.
MAYBE (my 2 bytes) it should be redone in $250.00 or $500.00 increments.
eg 500.00
1000.00
1500.00
2000.00
..............

It's a personal consolation knowing some have spent upwards of five grand. It makes me realise that the $3500.00 I've invested is a small pittance.

N34JZ

iTrader: (1)

sunk works well too.

Infamous93Max

Thats why I said the poll is optional LOL