Swapping '04 I35 stuff into my 97 SE
07-29-2007, 08:06 PM
#1
Swapping '04 I35 stuff into my 97 SE
Well, I have had this 1997 Maxima SE for a while now, and I have been a bystander to these forums for a while also. But the time has come to refresh the Maxima and join in on all the fun around here.
I recently purchased a VQ35DE swap (full harness, ECU, Egas, Electroluminescent Cluster) from a wrecked 2004 I35 with 9800 miles on it. The guy I bought this stuff from threw in the leather interior also. So, I have swapped in the I35 power heated front seats AND the heated rear seats too. Took me about 10 hours to get everything mounted properly. The rear seats actually fit the car perfectly, it was the front seats I had issues with.
Soon I will be doing the FULL VQ35DE swap with the ECU, harness and electroluminescent gauge cluster. Can't wait to show those pics when I am done.
I recently purchased a VQ35DE swap (full harness, ECU, Egas, Electroluminescent Cluster) from a wrecked 2004 I35 with 9800 miles on it. The guy I bought this stuff from threw in the leather interior also. So, I have swapped in the I35 power heated front seats AND the heated rear seats too. Took me about 10 hours to get everything mounted properly. The rear seats actually fit the car perfectly, it was the front seats I had issues with.
Soon I will be doing the FULL VQ35DE swap with the ECU, harness and electroluminescent gauge cluster. Can't wait to show those pics when I am done.
Last edited by made in china; 10-07-2007 at 01:38 PM.
07-30-2007, 04:34 AM
#8
I took pics so I can do a write up if there is interest in it.
With our cars getting older and older, swapping in a much newer interior is the best way to breathe in new life to the car.
I was very shocked to see that the back seat fit so well. I expected it to be totally different, but the seat bottom fit the car perfectly and the seat backs, even though a different design, still used most of the same bolt in locations. The only difficult thing was the rear mounts of the front seats and the fact that the front drivers seat has a memory module in it that needed to be wired up. The front passenger seat plugged right into the stock power seat wire in my SE that had manual seats. So, all in all not too bad.
Thanks for all the props!
With our cars getting older and older, swapping in a much newer interior is the best way to breathe in new life to the car.
I was very shocked to see that the back seat fit so well. I expected it to be totally different, but the seat bottom fit the car perfectly and the seat backs, even though a different design, still used most of the same bolt in locations. The only difficult thing was the rear mounts of the front seats and the fact that the front drivers seat has a memory module in it that needed to be wired up. The front passenger seat plugged right into the stock power seat wire in my SE that had manual seats. So, all in all not too bad.
Thanks for all the props!
07-30-2007, 05:44 AM
#10
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Lawrenceville, GA
Posts: 689
Originally Posted by made in china
I will keep it AT. I have a bad daily commute (100 miles a day in stop and go). I will likely get the AT from that 04 I35 because this AT has 203K miles.
Dude that looks really good. How much was the engine and the parts along with the leather interior? Makes me want to keep my max and update it.
. I wasn't planning on swapping leather into my car...but now I might just have to down the road. lol.
07-30-2007, 06:52 PM
#13
Originally Posted by hiren_patel_83
Dude that looks really good. How much was the engine and the parts along with the leather interior? Makes me want to keep my max and update it.
Especially with only 9800 miles. you've got a brand new car now.
07-31-2007, 01:51 PM
#18
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Lawrenceville, GA
Posts: 689
Originally Posted by made in china
Only $1000 for the full seats, engine, ECU w/harness and electroluminescent gauge cluster all parts from a I35 that only had 9800 miles on it.
07-31-2007, 04:51 PM
#19
I don't have any pics of the gauge cluster lit up. Go to ebay and look at the I35's for sale and you can see in the interior shots what they look like. They are black when off, then light up bright white and blue with "floating" needles when the car is on.
I will do a write up soon on the seats. In a nutshell: As other seat swappers have noted, they needed to modify the seat rails. Some people welded on the Gen 4 parts, I was able to hack, drill, hog out and bolt my way thru it. No welder needed. The front seat front rail mounts line up with the Gen 4, but they need to be bent a little. Easy. The rear rails need the Gen 4 foot from near the B pillar, and the mount near the trans tunnel needs a hole drilled in a different location.
The rear seats are 5 pieces. Seat bottom, left side piece, left seat back, right seat back and right side piece. To my amazement and relief, the seat bottom lined up and snapped into the factory Gen 4 places perfectly. Also to my amazement, the left and right side pieces bolted into the Gen 4 locations perfectly. Only the seat backs require any work, you need to mount some latches and hinges from the 5.5 donor car because the 5.5 has folding rear seats, my 97 SE did not. Also amazing was the fact that all the contours matched. Nissan engineers must have been too lazy to change the rear body of the car when they were designing the Gen 5 in CAM. They must have just "cut and pasted" it into the new car.
Anyway, write up soon!
I will do a write up soon on the seats. In a nutshell: As other seat swappers have noted, they needed to modify the seat rails. Some people welded on the Gen 4 parts, I was able to hack, drill, hog out and bolt my way thru it. No welder needed. The front seat front rail mounts line up with the Gen 4, but they need to be bent a little. Easy. The rear rails need the Gen 4 foot from near the B pillar, and the mount near the trans tunnel needs a hole drilled in a different location.
The rear seats are 5 pieces. Seat bottom, left side piece, left seat back, right seat back and right side piece. To my amazement and relief, the seat bottom lined up and snapped into the factory Gen 4 places perfectly. Also to my amazement, the left and right side pieces bolted into the Gen 4 locations perfectly. Only the seat backs require any work, you need to mount some latches and hinges from the 5.5 donor car because the 5.5 has folding rear seats, my 97 SE did not. Also amazing was the fact that all the contours matched. Nissan engineers must have been too lazy to change the rear body of the car when they were designing the Gen 5 in CAM. They must have just "cut and pasted" it into the new car.
Anyway, write up soon!
07-31-2007, 06:51 PM
#21
Quickie write up here: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....=1#post5859892
yummy.
08-02-2007, 05:26 PM
#30
Originally Posted by maximadotorg
cant u just swap the leather ??
i swapped the 4th gen tan with 4th gen black...im wondering if u can just swap the leather without even doing the modifications
i swapped the 4th gen tan with 4th gen black...im wondering if u can just swap the leather without even doing the modifications
I35 which is the 5.5 gen.
08-02-2007, 10:07 PM
#32
Originally Posted by made in china
Well, I have had this 1997 Maxima SE for a while now, and I have been a bystander to these forums for a while also. But the time has come to refresh the Maxima and join in on all the fun around here.
I recently purchased a VQ35DE swap (full harness, ECU, Egas, Electroluminescent Cluster) from a wrecked 2004 I35 with 9800 miles on it. The guy I bought this stuff from threw in the leather interior also. So, I have swapped in the I35 power heated front seats AND the heated rear seats too. Took me about 10 hours to get everything mounted properly. The rear seats actually fit the car perfectly, it was the front seats I had issues with.
Soon I will be doing the FULL VQ35DE swap with the ECU, harness and electroluminescent gauge cluster. Can't wait to show those pics when I am done.
I recently purchased a VQ35DE swap (full harness, ECU, Egas, Electroluminescent Cluster) from a wrecked 2004 I35 with 9800 miles on it. The guy I bought this stuff from threw in the leather interior also. So, I have swapped in the I35 power heated front seats AND the heated rear seats too. Took me about 10 hours to get everything mounted properly. The rear seats actually fit the car perfectly, it was the front seats I had issues with.
Soon I will be doing the FULL VQ35DE swap with the ECU, harness and electroluminescent gauge cluster. Can't wait to show those pics when I am done.
08-04-2012, 03:13 PM
#36
does anyone have the i35 swap write up, the link is dead. Yes i google it and sorry for bringing back a dead thread. So before anyone makes any smart comments i did my research already. I have a 98 and wanted to upgrade the interior to an i35 2001-2004(especially the rear seat) any help or pics would be greatly apprecaited
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