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Have you got a Maxima or any other imported auto? If you do, send mail
to us about it. Please include a picture (jpg or gif format), information, your name, and any
performance upgrades you may have done.
Please visit my site for more pictures:
This is my Maxima which I've affectionately named my "MX-R" as I am unable,
as are most of my fellow stateside Nissan fans to obtain a Skyline "GT-R".
My interest in Nissan and in Maximas started back when I bought my first
Maxima a 1994 GXE (Sedans are lower on insurance :). However it wasn't until
I began corresponding and chatting over the internet with local friends and
friends on the west coast that I caught the "import performance bug". At
the time I wasn't too familiar with what parts were available for my Maxima
and unfortunately the sport continues to be dominated by Honda products
(particularly the Civic and the Integra) so I didn't have much done to that
car-rims and an upgraded sound system.
When the A32 body style came out in 1995 I began to anxiously watch for the
reviews of the new 190hp (+30hp over the 94 GXE) Maxima. As time shows, in
October of 95 I was finally sold on the idea and my girlfriend and I both
acquired 1996 GXE 5 speed cars, her's in the Superblack and mine in Arctic
Pearl White. (Perhaps we'll send in pictures of her car as we build it
up!)
Modifications came slowly at first then in bursts. At first I added some
Prime type 33 rims (15x7) of the 3 spoke polished variety to save some
money as I was able to reuse my stock Yokohama 205/65/15s. Next I was off
to the Alarm shop to get my custom alarm installed: the basics e.g. ignition
kill, entry switches, but also a few other extras that I keep to myself,
but one I will mention here is my alarm pager by SecoPage systems capable of
tracking and transmitting zone violations of my car for a range of up to 2
miles. After that I did a basic upgrade of my stereo system and then off to the window
tinting shop (for a good deal in Chicago go to Majestic Auto Glass at 1708
S. Ashland and tell them Ty with the white Maxima sent you :), initially I
had the front windows done in "medium" and the rear done in "limo" but
after numerous Cook county traffic court appearances I went ahead and
switched the front two windows to "light" tint.
By this time I had helped start an import car club called "Team Hentai"
and was beginning to get involved with more modifications to my car.
First to go in was a set of Pilot PL2020s in the ionized blue color-
sorry to you PIAA fans out there but unless you're getting the PIAA 990
HID system, amber and white I found that *boring*. Next to go in was a STILLEN
exhaust system and a little while later the complementing STILLEN
adaptor with the K&N cone filtercharger intake was added. I went drag
racing in fall of 96 and I was pulling mid to low 15s-unfortunately that
was my first time out to the track and my times were showing that--if my
memory serves me the 5speed Maximas should be pulling low 15s *stock*
according to the various magazines. Oh well I guess that letting your
engine rev up to about 2500 rpm before dropping into first will
make a difference...
That was all the modifications I had for a while until my girlfriend gave
me the much appreciated gift of 1.75" drop InTraX springs. A few months
later I went on a bit of a shopping spree and picked up a Stillen strut
tower brace, and a Wings West Super style wing. Christmas was fairly
unventful in terms of upgrades to the car as Chicago winters tend to make
most of us hibernate indoors-but by that time I had made some minor
additions: aluminum-titanium look mesh styled pedal covers from Riken, red
colored interior lights, and Nissan seat belt pads on all four seats.
In early 1997 I was sent "home-home" (the Philippines for me) by my
company to do some networking and email things for our branch office
there. While I was there I was able to go car parts shopping (e.g. the
Japanese compass, head rest pillar covers, and the black/white Nissan
badges that now adorn the front quarter panels of my car) and get a
glimpse of the cars we can only wish that the Japanese would bring here
to the states, e.g. the Nissan Cefiro which happens to be available with
a turbo (Cefiro is the Japanese/Asian market Maxima-available with the
same VQ30DET engine in the Y32/Y33 Cedric/Glorias of Japan)! While I was
in the Banawe street area of Quezon City, Metro Manila I stopped by
several rim shops... again some dissappointment to me because most of the
rims were geared towards a four-bolt pattern (typical to Hondas and
smaller Toyotas)... however I finally found some Rota Formels (mesh style)
in the 17"x7.5" size with a 43mm offset (the only way I got fitment
measurements for my car was to tell them to try and fit the "new" Nissan
Cefiro-it was a bet that paid off because the "old" Cefiros had a 4 bolt
pattern). I paid about $450 for all four rims-someone email me how much
they go for over here.
After I got back to Chicago I had the new rims put on along with a Stillen
short throw shifter as well as some ionized blue headlight bulbs. Again a
few months and an accident passed until the next set of modifications came
in June. As a result of the accident I was able to custom make the
headlight covers (the body shop had some extra paint so I custom fabricated
a pattern myself and had them painted in Arctic Pearl White to match the
car) as you see on my car today-my personal tribute to the Maxima's "big
brothers/sisters" in Japan: the Y32/Y33 Cedric/Gloria Gran Turismo Ultimo.
In late June/early July I added a Carbon fiber dash kit from Stillen and a
semi-matched Carbon look Momo Shadow shift knob, as well as a custom mock
mini-Fuba style antenna for looks (I figure the integrated antenna in our
Maximas' rear defroster pattern and the power antenna are enough for radio
signal reception needs). My most recent modifications included: a switch
to a DTM/Super Touring inspired 1 wiper conversion (24" blade) and a custom
front end design incorporating a Stillen chin spoiler and a homemade
"touring grille" to cover my Pilot driving lights.
My future plans include some aftermarket shocks and when it is re-released
the Stillen upgraded ECU/computer and chip or a JWT ECU... and maybe just
maybe one day after the warranty is gone... a new VQ30DE*T* engine instead
of the VQ30DE will be in my engine bay. In the meantime wish us luck out here in
Chicago, us being the all new Chicago area Nissan *only* Import Car club:
Rising Sun Racing (we already have 3 Maximas, 1 240SX, 1 200SX SE-R,
1 300ZX, 1 Pathfinder, 1 Quest and growing...) Happy V8 and Honda hunting!!!
I once read in Super Street Magazine something to the effect that,
"When Integras sleep they dream of being the Skyline".
Nissans represent: Enjoy the ride.
View July's '95 Max
View June's Awesome Ride
View May's Convertible Maxima
View April's "Maximized" MOTM
View March's "M-Spec" Maxima
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