Project: Maxipad

[SSlowBoat]

Well...this may not interest most, but it is a project in a few ways, so I figured I'd post it. A few of you may know, many don't, but life has been pretty crazy the past year for Ole tubbyformy/sslowboat here. Quick background:

I've had a few rwd v8 cars, ltx and not, over the past 11 years, mixed in with a few different other cars, as time, money, circumstance, etc brought about. One car I always liked was one my best friend had in high school. It was a 01 nissan maxima se 5spd. Cue japscrap comments. Well that damn thing was somewhat of a sleeper, rode super nice, had a great factory stereo, and we had a lot of fun in it. He ended up getting t-boned by a older woman on her phone and totaled it. For the next 6 years he would constantly talk about how much he missed it and wanted another one. Finally he got another one. 2000, sunlit sand se 5spd. Pretty good shape, heated sears, bose, etc Same car pretty much. He was once again in nirvana. Sadly, he passed away last year (I hate April fools day now).

Alot happened in my life besides that right around the same time, and no matter how much I tried to take a step forward with the impala, I'd get knocked 10 steps backward. Add on the pending divorce, and I needed a car bad to get my kids around when I had them, with very limited funds. The impala was gonna have to go at some point. I had said to his dad when he passed, if you're gonna get rid of the maxipad, let me know first, and I would try to figure something out. I know how much Craig loved it, and didn't wanna see some homie take it and destroy it. His dad wanted to keep it, but the pain of seeing it sit in the driveway was driving him nuts, so he offered we work out a deal.

I took delivery and began cleaning the car up and just basically driving it daily. 148k miles, everything was original except the Hurst the handle shifter Craig for some reason liked. I had told him when he got it that I was going to replace the exhaust for his birthday since it was rotted. I didn't get to do it before he passed, but last summer I did that and a short ram intake. Just the a basic 2.5" with a MagnaFlow oval muffler so it doesn't sound like the next Honda at a stoplight. New tires, had a coil issue that the factory coils are known for and replaced, plugs, synthetic every 3k, etc. The impala was sold to popo in this time, which almost mentally devastated me, but this car and my kids held me together. This was nissans top of the line in 2000, and it's not terrible, it's actually fun to drive for a v6 4dr fwd car.



I'm limited in what I'm allowed to do, since it was his and his parents don't want me turning it into a race car, but I'm also not going to do what he wanted and rice it out fast and furious style lol. The brakes on the 00-01 are shit, only 11.5", and I like handling etc so I decided to do a 350z track brembo 4 piston conversion on the front, but this meant new wheels to clear. 350z track edition 18's with 245/40/18 cooper rs3-a tires lightened up the rolling weight and will now clear the brembos, with 13" cobra rotors. Still waiting on parts/funds to finish that conversion. The 00-01 headlights also suck, so I converted them to 02-03 factory hids. Just put in eBay yellow hid fogs as well. Down the road I'm going to have blackbirdws6 retro 00 headlights with projectors. Next will be tint since it's very fishbowlish, and bc or fortune auto custom coilovers. Not slammed to shit, just to get rid of the unsightly wheel gap and 4x4 feel/look. Lowering springs reduce the already limited suspension travel, so coils are way to go to not bottom out shocks constantly. Thank God you can't camber the back of these cars. Just going to keep it classy and clean. Has some small rust spots in rear wheel wells they are known for, and the core support. Hoping to have that repaired over winter with a small front lip. Y pipe will be replaced when it fails with a 2.5", should net 18-25whp lol. Car made 181whp at dyno day lol. (I wasn't at bottom of list!). Maybe one day cams, or 3.5 swap (think 350z/g35), or turbo. But that's A LONG way down road.





That's all for now. Thank you anyone for reading. I will have another ltx in time, about 1.5ish years when I pay off all the Crap I gotta pay. But this keeps me sane for now. It's a great daily.

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[blackbirdws6]

Priorities come first and owning any potentially tempermental performance car can be a nuissance to say the least. It looks like you have a fun project to tinker with and maintain your sanity .

Tint will def help with the fishbowl aspect. It is nice the car has a lot of glass so you don't feel closed in.

With that said, is there sufficient room for a LTx swap?

[popo8]

With that said, is there sufficient room for a LTx swap?

Hahaa... love it.


Great write up Shaun... and ur Impala is in good hands.



LTXtech.com IS my drug...
OWNER/ADMIN

[SSlowBoat]

Shitty pic but I got the windows tinted 20% all around and the windshield strip too. Saving for long tubes, custom equal length y, and some coil overs. That'll pretty much be it to this car. Maybe a 4" intake/safc/pathfinder throttle body one day. But I can't go too far.

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[SSlowBoat]

Pic from last cars and coffee

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[popo8]

Shitty pic but I got the windows tinted 20% all around and the windshield strip too. Saving for long tubes, custom equal length y, and some coil overs. That'll pretty much be it to this car. Maybe a 4" intake/safc/pathfinder throttle body one day. But I can't go too far.

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Tint really changes the look!

LTXtech.com IS my drug...
OWNER/ADMIN

[SSlowBoat]

Tint really changes the look!

LTXtech.com IS my drug...
OWNER/ADMIN

Yeah it looks so much better now. Less fish bowl.

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[1QUICKZ28]

Great looking Nissan! I feel the pain of losing a close friend. Lost a life long friend a few years back in a motorcycle accident. It's great that you're keeping his memory alive.


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[SSlowBoat]

Great looking Nissan! I feel the pain of losing a close friend. Lost a life long friend a few years back in a motorcycle accident. It's great that you're keeping his memory alive.


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Thanks man.

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