Need some new-guy advice

Oct 17th, 2002, 01:52 PM

I have a 1994 Altima GXE with 170,000 miles on it. I'm the original owner, and it's been a great car.

I want to get into this tuning thing, but I need some advice on where to start. I have a good idea about where I want to go on suspension, brakes, exterior, and interior. I need some help on the engine mods. I don't have the money to go crazy with the car, but I would like to get some more horsepower out of it.

My priorities are in order as follows:
1. reliability
3. cost
2. increasing performance

Thanks in advance for the help. You guys seem to be pretty kind to the new guy.

nismoprincess · Oct 17th, 2002, 02:01 PM

most people start with air intake or cold air intake and modified exhaust

LittlebittaContact · Oct 17th, 2002, 03:24 PM

new guy eh?

**pours water on you and throws you a open bag of flour...**

welcome aboard

for a cheap mod would be a K&N filter.

sorry im not really a Altima pro.

thats where i would start

happy modding...

zeno · Oct 24th, 2002, 12:45 AM

I really know next to nothing about Altimas but as far as cheaper, reliable, early mods, they are the following.....

1. The quickest, easiest, cheapest mod around is to set your timing. I'm not sure what the timing should be set on an Altima but you can probably set it higher which will equal extra hp. The only draw back is you MUST (MUST MUST MUST) use 91+ octane. If you have timing light you can do this mod. for free (you can buy a light for $50-100) or you can have a shop due it for about $30-40.

2. The 'breathing' of the car, i.e. air intake, headers, exhaust. The air intake will be the cheapest of the three followed by headers and exhaust. You can definitely go cheap but you really get what you pay for. Concerning reliability, I have really never heard of people having problems w/ the air intake. Headers are usually only a problem if the do not correctly fit (usually the cheaper brands). The same goes w/ exhaust (or having too large a pipe). None of these early mods. require much tuning or worry about breaking.

Additional items that I would research would be pullies, short shifters, and suspension.

Good luck