Dave B

For the past year I've been heavily debating getting rid of my car for a used G35 sedan. Over the past month I remedied some ride quality and shifting issues I was having that continuely bothered me. Now my car drives so nice and smooth. A couple weeks ago I went to the track and laid down a new best. 3 weeks ago my son was born and I'm becoming well aware of the expenses with a new born.

So here's my dilemma. I really like my Maxima. It's like an old pair of jeans. It fits good, drives really well, it's quick for what it is, and I know it's quirks. Then there's the other part of me that wants something just for the sake that it's new and more refined. A used 03 G35 sedan is the only car I'd consider and a sedan is a must. If I got the G35, I'd have to take out a loan and start forming some sort of budget. Modding it would be nearly impossible in the short term so I'd basically have a really nice 14.6@95mph sedan. To go low 14s in this car would take some work.

Recently I started thinking about going all out and getting the SC and saving myself from needing to take out a loan for a new car. Basically I would mod my car to the extent I've always dreamed about. Boost, CF hood (painted black on the outside of hood bulge and CF down the middle), and AE headlights. This would be a sweet sleeper setup. If I did the SC, I would most likely keep the stock pulley to reduce reliability problems associated with using smaller pullies. I'd send my JWT ECU in to get the boost program and do a Waldro fuel pump. A boost gauge and wideband O2 would be my gauges. I'd probably keep the MEVI (after lots of debate). My goal would be ~280whp (is this possible with 7psi and the MEVI). If I'm doing 14.3s@99mph without boost, I'd imagine an additional 70-80whp would get me 13.3@105mph with a 2.0 60' which would completely fine with me. I'd even consider headers since they seem to do well on the SC applications.

What do you SC guys think? Are you happy with your SCs? Is it worth the $4000 price (including gauges and ECU update)? I'll be honest, it frightens me a little to drop $4000 on a "toy" that simply bolts on my car.

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

$4000 you could have a turbo setup and be faster than with an SC...

matty

iTrader: (54)

Go for it...

One thing I regret with going boost is Not Doing It Soon Enough...I wish I laid down the money before hand and did it right early on so I could enjoy it...for a daily driver defeintly stay with a s/c setup

With your goals of 280 with WideBand o2 sensor setup, I think youll be completely safe....I think you have your goals set right..

I was in the same boat but I wanted the G35 Coupe..I wanted it but, but then I thaught about the payments and such...two months worth of payments I could buy an engine if something happens....one month of payements, I have a set of 370cc injectors..


-matt

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

I would say to get the SC setup. Since you already have a JWT ECU, it won't cost more than $100 to get your ECU re-programmed and be tuned pretty perfectly. $4000 is a lot less money than youre gonna end up spending on the new G35. Reliability should be on par with what you have now. Driveability should be as good with the G35. If you don't mind, what did you do for your suspension and shifter to smooth the car out so much? I could use all the tips you have about improving both. Stay with the Maxima, and if you want to get a little smaller pulley, 12s might not be too far away.

vortechpower

iTrader: (1)

reliability isnt the issue here. GO with the 3.33 pulley and you be fine. I have had my sc for 97k and I just sent in the blower for a rebuild. I did alot of highway without oil cooler. I have factory injectors and have been using the 3.125. You will enjoy this setup much better than a G35 sedan. I am married as well and I wouldnt tell you this unless I was sure of it. Like others have said it will end up costing less. It can become your hobby to mess with this setup and maybe develope into a project. If not, atleast you will enjoy your drive. It can be very reliable.
That is 97k miles on a 99 with 6,500k miles to start with

meccanoble

iTrader: (22)

its amazing how you'll feel once u get comfortable with 3.33" pulley. You'll be very fast at that point due to the stuff u did to car before u go boost. imagine the feeling of being able to up the boost 20-40 hp just by replacing a 25-35 dollar pulley.....

I30tMikeD

iTrader: (8)

I think the SC is definately a good option over getting wraped up in anther loan. If your like me then half the fun of the car is messing with it, doing small mods, and trouble shooting. With the G35 you will just be driving it....not playing with it.

You could do it for much less than 4K, if your willing to buy used. A used kit for $2-$2.5, ECU retune $100, 370 injectors $300, gauges $400, z32 MAF $75.

If your gonna use a boosted JWT program then I don't see the need to drop $300+ on a wide band. You won't be able to mess with the AF anyhow. A wide band would be needed if you were doing your own tune through e-manage.

For myself, the last straw was droping $800 on headers and $500 on a cat back and not running any faster times. Yhea, my car was still quick but NA mods were frustrating me. When I am done, I will be turbo with all the goodies..320-350 whp and probably high 12's for aboout $3500. Almost half of which was paid by selling my old mods.

Confused

iTrader: (4)

It sounds like a G is a little more than you are comfortable with considering you have a newborn and rightfully so. You never know what can come up with a little one.

FI would also be easier to undo and sell than a G if you change your mind.

I would recommend my previous setup which is almost what your saying.

Difference are:
3.33 (don't go 3.6, its a waste of time)
JWT - keep the a32 jwt setup, its easier for that amount of boost
aftermarket FPR with off-rail fitting
fuel pressure gauge with an egt, wide band might be overkill w/JWT
keep 2.5 exhaust if that is what you have
might need to evaluate your clutch - don't know what you have.

Worth it? Hell yeah. Once you get everything running well, it should be set it and forget it. I think you would definitely enjoy it.

BlackCat

iTrader: (6)

Go for it. At $4000 its cheaper than getting a new car loan.
Just be aware that even though its a bolt-on kit there are certain demands it puts on the owner.

I just switched from the 3.33" to the 3.125" and it feels alot better in the pull dept.

Dave B

Thanks for the input guys. I've always wanted a boosted car.

I really don't plan on going wild with pullies because it seems like once you start swapping pullies, the reliability suffers a bit. Now if I run the JWT ECU, keep the stock pulley, and run a Waldro fuel pump, I'm pretty much set on the air and fuel delivery tuning. Correct? Reliability is the key for me, more so that all out power.

I have enjoyed making my Maxima original compared to the thousands of them roaming KC. A SC would really set it apart. The G35 would be really sweet, but I don't know how happy I'd be driving mostly stock and making car payments.

A turbo would be sweet, but all the piping tells me there will be lots of vibration and pipes clanking around when the motor torques in it's mounts. Plus all the necessary tuning to keep the A/F happy just sounds like a little too much to deal with right now. I'm fully aware that a turbo setup makes a good bit more useable power, but when the turbo fails you're without a car. When the SC fails (bad blower, belt), you can quickly bypass the blower and put the stock belt back on in 20 minutes and be on your way.

Dave B

For improved ride, I sold my rear AGX struts and added Koni rear struts. This improved ride quality a lot. Then my son was born and my wife started riding in the back seat so I wanted to improve the ride quality even more so I raised the spring perch 1/2" (highest setting). This added 1/2" of wheel travel and unfortunately wheel gap. But holy crap does the car ride so good, even in 20 degree weather and on 17s. H&Rs, Konis all around, rear perches on highest seeting, and ME strut mounts.

As for shifting, I use to have a 1.5" cut stock shifter and alumnium ball shift ****. After 2 years, I got tired of the notchiness and resistance to go into 2nd. The notchiness was not near as bad as the STS's I've had in the past, but annoying none the less. Last year while installing an STS on my friend's 98, I noticed that the 98 shift lever had an additional bend in it, as if Nissan was doing something to improve leverage. I managed to find a 99 shifter (same bend) and I installed it (uncut). With my shift **** adjusted for height, the overall shifter height is only .5" higher than it was with the cut shifter, but the shifting is buttery smooth. I can flick it into 2nd with so much more ease. I love it.

Lonely Driver

I had the same thoughts as you about the pipes making all kinds of noises, but it hasn't yet. When the turbo fails, you can still drive the vehicle without doing anything. It will just have less power.

Dave B

Just to confirm, if I get the JWT ECU boost program, I'll have no need for the any other type of FMU or inline pump? Is the stock fuel pump up to the task for the 3.6" pulley or should I do the Waldro pump? Also, if I do get the Waldro pump, do I need to use an AFR?

I read over Potatohead's and Stillen's V2 instructions and it looks easy enough. Just time consuming.

matty

iTrader: (54)

You will need the Walbro but you will definetly not need any type of FMU...with the Walbro it is also a given youll need a FPR, even though JWT claimes you dont, your baseline Fuel pressure will jump up when you switch to your walbro and your FPR will be used to dial it down to 34....

All an FMU does is raise fuel pressure during boost but with the JWT boosted program you will be running at stock fuel pressure...If you do go with a smaller pulley, 370's are good to have programmed right into your JWT

-matt

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

Exactly how did you raise the spring perch? What were your impressions of the ME mounts? I'm thinking about getting Ben's with new Illuminas all around.
How does cutting the stock shifter make it harder to get in gear? I have a B&M and am getting tired of the notchiness. When you say aluminum shift ****, is it a Sola Luna by any chance? If not, how is it adjustable for height? What effect does the bent shifter improve? How do you think a cut 98-99 shifter would feel? What year did they put in that bend? I don't know if I could go back to the stock shifter and throw...
Sorry for all the questions, but I too am trying to polish off the rough edges of my car, and both of these areas are where I'm trying to focus.

Larry H

Dave, you read my mind with this thread. With my bonus coming in about a month, I found myself in a ford showroom last week staring at the new mustang. I'm not so excited about the thought of taking on payments on top of the 2 bills I pay for parking in my area though.

A reliable 300whp would probably cancel out my mustang envy...

MardiGrasMax

iTrader: (14)

The SC kit comes with an inline fuel pump that will work for the 3.6" pulley and even down to the 3.33" puller, perhaps even lower. No need to do the walbro, yet.

Dave B

I can use the inline pump without the FMU?

Dave B

The Koni rear struts have adjustable perches (two positions). One is the OEM height and the next setting (~.5" higher) is for towing/heavy trunk.


The ME mounts are great. Teamed with my Koni's and H&Rs, I've got nearly all the factory wheel travel and a 1.5" drop in the rear.

[QUOTE]How does cutting the stock shifter make it harder to get in gear?

Anytime you reduce the length of a lever, you decrease your leverage and makes it harder to shift.

Nope. It's just a plain-jane aluminum ball shift ****. It doesn't thread on, it has 3 centering bolts that dig into the shift lever. That's what makes the **** adjustable in height, to a degree.

From what I can tell, the additional length in the shift lever and the bend really helps overall shift feel and shift resistance. I think if I cut it, it would get notchy again.

I know for a fact that 98s and 99s have it.

I had the cut shifter for about 6 months, then went to the Pacesetter STS. I had that for 1.5 years. After a while I got tired of the notchiness and vibrations so I went with the B&M shifter. The B&M was the biggest POS ever. The shifter was way too short, the pattern was way to far forward, the throws were way too short and the gearbox let you know that, and I had no faith in landing high speed shifts. I pulled that out in a day and sent it back to Summitracing. I went back to the cut shifter and was happy because the shift pattern was back to normal. After a while, I wanted my car as refined as possible and I wanted smooth shifting back. On a hunch I sourced out a stock 99 shifter. I couldn't be happier. With the adjustable shift ****, the overall shifter height isn't near as dorky as stock plus the lower shift **** does reduce the throws somewhat. Now I can sit back in my seat with my elbow on the armrest and flick my wrist to shift. When it comes to racing, my timeslips reflect that my shifting is no slower with this shifter, a cut shifter, or STS.

Confused

iTrader: (4)

you have to use both unless you are going jwt w/ z injectors. stock pump should be fine with the jwt setup (according to jwt) if you are staying with the 3.6" pulley.

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

Thanks for answering all of those questions. Do you have any pics of how the 99 shifter and your ball look? When I had my Sola Luna ball shift **** on the stock shifter it looked pretty damn goofy.

to

Also, the throws on the stock shifter are so long I feel like I almost have more chance of missing a gear. However, if this will greatly reduce the notchiness of getting into 1st when not at a complete stop, or just shifting in general, I just might have to try this. You said you cut your stock shifter by 1.5". Do you think cutting the shifter any amount will make it a good deal notchier? I just don't know if I can look at that huge stock shifter any more. I would really like to see how a 1" cut effects it, but if it turns it back into what my B&M feels like, then that would be a no-go.

MardiGrasMax

iTrader: (14)

If you go JWT, you can ditch the FMU. But do keep the inline pump and use the boost switch that turns it on under boost, but leaves it off in vaccum. This way when you are normally driving around the fuel pressure will remain stock. When you go into boost the pump will turn on to support the additional volume of fuel needed. However the best setup is Walboro in tank with an adjustable regulator and ditch the boost bump.

matty

iTrader: (54)

For $85 the Walbro is a better and safer bet...when you go for a smaller pulley, you wont have to worry...plus wireing up the Inline and tapping all the fuel lines is a pain in the a**...

-matt

MardiGrasMax

iTrader: (14)

But if the kit comes with the in line, why spend the extra if you dont have to. $85 buys allot of diapers.

Dave B

Ain't that the truth. $85 would buy me about 420 infant diapers or about a weeks worth

Dave B

One last question, with the 3.6" pulley, a CAI, and the 7000rpm limiter, will I see more Stillen quoted 7psi? And just for confirmation because I've done a done of searching in this forum, JWT does have a boost program using the stock injectors (not the 370s), correct?

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

7000rpm is 6% more than the stock 6600, so you would see 6% more boost.

SR20DEN

iTrader: (7)

Now that there are two local cars with S trim units I am going to try to get at least one of them upgraded to a T trim. The S trim Vortech is a toy IMO and does not make enough power based on what you have to put into it. There are other blowers on the market that provide much better results.

vortechpower

iTrader: (1)

look at the E trim...

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

Sure you can, the same way you can with the oem ecu. You just won't need to.

Blu

iTrader: (63)

tax time = T trim.

I30tMikeD

iTrader: (8)

you know what I was saying

Kenneth

iTrader: (8)

I would suggest keeping your car as is. It's pretty quick! If you don't drive like a madman, with the baby in the back, you won't be feeling the supercharger much in daily driving and it will only add parastic loss, reduced fuel economy, extra heat in the engine bay.

Nealoc187

iTrader: (23)

Dave is a track junkie though.

VQuick

iTrader: (17)

Exactly. My B&M feels so tight compared to the stock shifter. With Redline MT-90 in the tranny I have really no "notchiness" at least as I take the term to mean. It's certainly harder to put in gear but with the much shorter radius (pivot point to ****) there is more precision. The stock shifter is so long you have something like an inch of 360° play while in gear; it just feels sloppy. Further, while rev-matching at high RPMs, I feel safer with the short B&M; because you have less mechanical advantage against the syncros, you are more at their mercy and less likely to damage them. A STS will demand you learn to shift better. Regarding fit-and-finish, I would say the B&M is not a POS at all, it is more solid and better-fitting than stock. (Just my observations and opinions.)

The bend on the stock shifter just moves the angle back a bit; it doesn't change anything else. Some may be more comfortable with the shifter farther back and some with it farther forward. Probably depends on your arm length. (If you put a 2000-2001 tranny in your 4th gen it will push the shifter back about an inch which would put the B&M perfectly centered in the shifter cutout.)

Dave B

Just for verification, there is a JWT boost program that allows you to run the stock injectors? I've searched and searched and haven't been able to find a definitive answer here. I plan on running the 3.6" pulley for a long time. 270-280whp is the goal.

I told my wife what I was considering and her reply was, "how much will it cost? $10000-15000?". I told her around $4200 total and she said, "that's cheap. Far cheaper than a new car!. Do it if that's what you want.".

MardiGrasMax

iTrader: (14)

Awesome, $4900 and youve got 555cc injectors too!

Prodeje79

JWT has a boost program as you know.
You can them choose injector size and maf. So I am pretty positive you can choose stock, I do not think anyony does though? If you are going to pay for the ECU change, you might as well change the injectors, maf, and redline just in case
Well of course you do not have to, but if you have the budget, you might as well. Pretty good deal on 555s i see too. MIght as well prepare for the future just in case and save $100. I bet for sure you will not want to keep that stock pulley!!!! :>

It is good news you got the wifes OK! Good luck!

I30tMikeD

iTrader: (8)

Dave B

Here's a pic of how dramatic the bend is in my 99 shifter. My 96 shifter simply had a backwards bend. This one bends both backwards and to the left. The picture is showing first gear. The shifter height with the **** is a cross between your STS and stock. I wouldn't cut anything if you want the best shift quality.