# Spec V in last place?! (Car and Driver)



## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Anybody seen the May issue of Car and Driver? The spec v got it's ass beat by the other 3 cars they compared it too. (Mazda 6, Ford Focus SVT, and Dodge SXT-winner). I think they are somehow influenced (bribes, etc,  ). Any ways, I love my spec and that's all that matters.


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Oops, not a Mazda 6, but a Mazdaspeed Protege, my bad.


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2003)

Bribes... come on... do you really think they'd chance that. Hardly.

Consumer Reports gave the 02-03 Sentra an overall average rating but also put it in the "best buy" category...



FletchSpecV said:


> *Anybody seen the May issue of Car and Driver? The spec v got it's ass beat by the other 3 cars they compared it too. (Mazda 6, Ford Focus SVT, and Dodge SXT-winner). I think they are somehow influenced (bribes, etc,  ). Any ways, I love my spec and that's all that matters. *


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

*Re: Re: Spec V in last place?! (Car and Driver)*



bgriffey said:


> *Bribes... come on... do you really think they'd chance that. Hardly.
> 
> Consumer Reports gave the 02-03 Sentra an overall average rating but also put it in the "best buy" category... *


Hello, joking. Hence the smiley face.


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2003)

the dodge neon won out over the spec?!? ew! the neon is..... a ..... neon!! spec has much better styling, the base model sentra is better looking!


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Yeah, no kidding, but the neon is turbo charged and puts out 215 bhp. I guess dodge did a good job of making the car handle it and handle itself in the turns also.


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

PoinTHwerP said:


> *the dodge neon won out over the spec?!? ew! the neon is..... a ..... neon!! spec has much better styling, the base model sentra is better looking! *


this is one of those cases where a car that's over a second faster in the 1/4 wins, just because of that, not because of looks. I agree with them, the srt-4 is a much better car for the price IMO and if I were to pick between the 2 it would be a no-contest.


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

FletchSpecV said:


> *Yeah, no kidding, but the neon is turbo charged and puts out 215 bhp. I guess dodge did a good job of making the car handle it and handle itself in the turns also. *


Actually it's more like 230whp, or about 260+bhp (yes they underrated them)


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

sr20dem0n said:


> *Actually it's more like 230whp, or about 260+bhp (yes they underrated them) *


You seen dynos or what?


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

yeah there are dyno's but I forgot where, I'll look around


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## Silvspec86 (Apr 4, 2003)

anyone think there is a coincidence that the Spec-V got last place too in the Road and Track test with Ford Focus SVT, Civic Si, and the V6 Hyundai Tiburon. most magazines gave the spec-V bad reviews for some reason. The best review i've seen was from Sport Compact Car Magazine who placed it , i think it was like #5 or #4 or something, after the RSX-S, WRX and such... the car feels alot better than it is ever described in any magazine, so i dont give crap about those dumb articles......all a magazine should do is just give us the numbers and let the consumers decide if they like the car or not, and not let the magazine drivers (who have driven much better and high end cars before) express any kind of personal feeling or bias. because when you go from test driving a Proche 911 Turbo to test drving a Spec-V, you will be biased no matter how good you are.


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## blueboost (Jul 25, 2002)

Nissan needs a reality check. that SpecV is a car thats stuck in a relationship it don't want to be in and is longing for its real lover...


the SR20DET

I bet every single one of you would agree that with a DET in that car it would have placed 1st everytime.


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

blueboost said:


> *Nissan needs a reality check. that SpecV is a car thats stuck in a relationship it don't want to be in and is longing for its real lover...
> 
> 
> the SR20DET
> ...


yummy boost....

Actually I like that the spec gets bad reviews, want to know why?
All the dumb ricers out there base all of their judgement on the magazine reviews. If the magazines always praised it as being the best of the best, there would be ricers everywhere putting decals, washer led's, fart cans, park benches, etc all over our beautiful cars. I love the fact that the sentra isn't very known, pretty rare and always underestimated. Do you really want the spec-v to become the next civic?


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## Aggdaddy (Feb 6, 2003)

sr20dem0n said:


> *yummy boost....
> 
> Actually I like that the spec gets bad reviews, want to know why?
> All the dumb ricers out there base all of their judgement on the magazine reviews. If the magazines always praised it as being the best of the best, there would be ricers everywhere putting decals, washer led's, fart cans, park benches, etc all over our beautiful cars. I love the fact that the sentra isn't very known, pretty rare and always underestimated. Do you really want the spec-v to become the next civic? *



That is a good point. Let the non-sentra owners be ignorant of how great a car our Spec V is. It will make the Spec V stand out more when we dust them on the track and street scene.


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

before you jump to conclusions...look at the price of the Spec and then compare it to the price of the RSX or WRX or those others... Car and Driver has always been slanted to domestics... nothing new... I read an old old R&T from the 70's they were dogging the Z saying it would never be very popular in the US, becuase Americans will never drive a sports car from Japan......lol... guess they missed that one..


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

sr20dem0n said:


> *yummy boost....
> 
> Actually I like that the spec gets bad reviews, want to know why?
> All the dumb ricers out there base all of their judgement on the magazine reviews. If the magazines always praised it as being the best of the best, there would be ricers everywhere putting decals, washer led's, fart cans, park benches, etc all over our beautiful cars. I love the fact that the sentra isn't very known, pretty rare and always underestimated. Do you really want the spec-v to become the next civic? *


Good point. I just want Nissan to get a financial boost so that they can succeed as a company and make us more and better cars,  .


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

myoung said:


> *before you jump to conclusions...look at the price of the Spec and then compare it to the price of the RSX or WRX or those others... Car and Driver has always been slanted to domestics... nothing new... I read an old old R&T from the 70's they were dogging the Z saying it would never be very popular in the US, becuase Americans will never drive a sports car from Japan......lol... guess they missed that one.. *


If you go by price and not just the fact that it's a small sedan, then there is no competition. That's why I bought mine. I wanted a WRX for a long time but they are 1. Too expensive and 2. Cheap on the inside I think. I love the performance of the WRX but I just think that for the money I'm paying I should get a better quality throughout the car. Performance definitely goes first, don't get me wrong, but for 26K I expect a pretty damn nice car.


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## blueboost (Jul 25, 2002)

you guys certainly have a point... for the price its the one to have. no question.

but why no silvia? can anyone figure that out? now would be the perfect time to drop that bomb over here and shake the scene up dramatically. So Nissan stops making them. Nice.


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## Guest (Apr 12, 2003)

yea i honestly feel my car is better quality than the wrx, i test drove one too and loved it but the inside felt cheap or kinda poor, i feel my spec v is built and feels like a much more expensive car than what they sell for, where can you find a 16-18k car that has the same quality and craftmanship and even performance? (i doubt the longivity and craftmanship of the neon turbo)


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## Silvspec86 (Apr 4, 2003)

hey guys, i just got back from a little midnight raid and it was so funny: so me and my friend are racing Gas powered Radio Control Cars and we were goin back home...and on the way, this wolf pack of 2 integras, a civic, and an eclipse, surrounds my car... you know whats coming up next...so they all start reving their engines like a bunch of dumbasses that they are...feeling a challenge coming up....i couldnt resist showing the real power of the Spec-V and rev my QR25 and all you hear between bursts of fart can blasts is the deepest, loudest F%*#ing roar you've ever heard and me and my friend both are just like Oh sh*T!!!! then, there was just silence, all the Ricers just stare at the SE-R badge and head off. i know its off topic, but i just wanted to say that people have lots of respect for the SE-R and they know that it can burn half the hondas at most import gatherings. it takes lots of cash to beat Spec-Vs with hondas....which most ppl dont have... i'm proud of my Spec !!!!!


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Silvspec86 said:


> *hey guys, i just got back from a little midnight raid and it was so funny: so me and my friend are racing Gas powered Radio Control Cars and we were goin back home...and on the way, this wolf pack of 2 integras, a civic, and an eclipse, surrounds my car... you know whats coming up next...so they all start reving their engines like a bunch of dumbasses that they are...feeling a challenge coming up....i couldnt resist showing the real power of the Spec-V and rev my QR25 and all you hear between bursts of fart can blasts is the deepest, loudest F%*#ing roar you've ever heard and me and my friend both are just like Oh sh*T!!!! then, there was just silence, all the Ricers just stare at the SE-R badge and head off. i know its off topic, but i just wanted to say that people have lots of respect for the SE-R and they know that it can burn half the hondas at most import gatherings. it takes lots of cash to beat Spec-Vs with hondas....which most ppl dont have... i'm proud of my Spec !!!!! *


Hell ya spec's rule!


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2003)

hahah nice one man, what kinda exhaust you have, i assume its aftermarket if you blew them all away like that just by reving your engine?


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## BlackSpec02 (Apr 12, 2003)

In the January issue of Sport Compact Car, they did an 8 car shoot out, and compared the Civic Si, Volkswagon GTi, Hyundai Tiburon GT, Sentra Spec V, Mini Cooper S, Focus SVT, MazdaSpeed Protege, and Dodge Neon SRT-4. and that is exactly the order that they were placed in, starting with the civic as 8th place and the Neon and 1st place. I've driven the Si, and mazda speed... the Si sucks... the mazdaspeed is pretty cool, but priced WAY more that our Spec V's are and they are pretty even in power delivery. The Spec V also lost to the mini cooper and the SVT focus because they are smaller cars that handle better and squeeze out a few more ponies in stock form, however the Spec V has a bigger displacement and is capable of producing more HP, in my opinion. Plus the Neon and Focus...are well...dodge and ford... and everyone knows that domestics just dont last as long as imports in most cases. 
ps- It is officially my goal in life to blow the doors off of every SVT focus in the world... I lost to one yesterday because my fuel cut hit... a mistake I will never make again!


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

BlackSpec02 said:


> *In the January issue of Sport Compact Car, they did an 8 car shoot out, and compared the Civic Si, Volkswagon GTi, Hyundai Tiburon GT, Sentra Spec V, Mini Cooper S, Focus SVT, MazdaSpeed Protege, and Dodge Neon SRT-4. and that is exactly the order that they were placed in, starting with the civic as 8th place and the Neon and 1st place. I've driven the Si, and mazda speed... the Si sucks... the mazdaspeed is pretty cool, but priced WAY more that our Spec V's are and they are pretty even in power delivery. The Spec V also lost to the mini cooper and the SVT focus because they are smaller cars that handle better and squeeze out a few more ponies in stock form, however the Spec V has a bigger displacement and is capable of producing more HP, in my opinion. Plus the Neon and Focus...are well...dodge and ford... and everyone knows that domestics just dont last as long as imports in most cases.
> ps- It is officially my goal in life to blow the doors off of every SVT focus in the world... I lost to one yesterday because my fuel cut hit... a mistake I will never make again! *


Haha, I'm with ya on that one. SVT's (especially the riced out one that drives around where I live) must be beaten at all costs, .


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## SilverSpec175 (Jul 22, 2002)

It's possible that they are biased, but chances are, so am I because I own a spec-v. I just don't understand how the focus did better than the spec-v and the Mazdaspeed Protege. It's slower, by far it's uglier, and Nissan has a better reputation for quality and dependability over Ford. Maybe there's something Car & Driver knows that I missed.


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## Silvspec86 (Apr 4, 2003)

superv said:


> *hahah nice one man, what kinda exhaust you have, i assume its aftermarket if you blew them all away like that just by reving your engine? *



actually, the stock one......i only have the Injen RD CAI and that thing is loud!.....plus the QR25 in the Spec-V sounds alot better than anything honda has to offer.


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2003)

I don't think Car and Driver are biased toward domsetics, they just don't have the same mind-set as the average Sport Compact driver. Their reasons for voting the Spec-V last seemed more like detail issues than overall performance. It's still better-handling than the rest of 'em, which means the SRT-4 gets a run for it's money on a roadcourse. They also aren't looking at the long-term considerations, i.e. reliability, resale, etc. I'll bet my '03 Spec V will be worth more in 4 years than a Neon with a body kit and an engine that burns oil like a 2-stroke. 

Furthermore, (and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone here) I bought the Spec for what it is, but also what it can be. C/D does not really look at modification potential when they rate cars. If the SRT-4's engine can be tweaked for more power without sacrificing what little reliability it (probably) has, I'll be amazed.


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## UpChuck (Jul 20, 2002)

Shane M said:


> *It's still better-handling than the rest of 'em, which means the SRT-4 gets a run for it's money on a roadcourse. *


With a competent driver, the handling is negligible when when the SRT-4 has that much more power.


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## theimportscene (Jan 29, 2003)

the focus has gotten good reviews in every magazine, other than having tall gearing.... the dodge, well...... i woud never consider purchasing a first year production vehicle.... and leasing probably wont be an option.... 

and as far as the mazdaspeed protege is concerned, mazda plans on producing that beast at a limited production count... good luck finding one of those at the claimed "under 20K"

id still stick w/ a spec V.... too many SVTs here in the motorcity!


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## anthony jackson (Jul 16, 2002)

i just have one question, why in the hell would nissan stop building one of the most popular engine platforms, literally, in the world. you can probably go to bum fukd egypt and say sr20 to an egyption street racer and hell know exactally what you are talking about. Mabe nissan is gonna pull a huge suprise on us in a couple of years and reintroduce the 240sx "spec-sylvia" with an all new redesigned SR20DVT. turbo twin cam with variable valve timing. a base 270hp at the wheels and all standard race suspension. hey a man can dream can't he!


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## anthony jackson (Jul 16, 2002)

hey, theyve been known for doing that. with the SE-R, the 300zx, the altima reconstruction (talk about saving a sinking ship). hey, i believe chevy is doing it. the did it to the vet for like one or two years. they just took the comaro off the line. i think its just for sales purposes anyway. but whatever works.


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## Cougs (Dec 4, 2002)

Its also really important to remember that a lot of the car magazines are looking at things from a different perspective

1) they get a beater car; the test cars they get are shared with the three or four other magazines that are all owned by the same pulisher...no break in time, hard driving, no concern for how its treated...of course the cars are gonna blow monkey balls by comparison (especially if it is a new car vs. the beater)

2) aesthetics are taken into consideration; most of us don;t worry so much about not haing leather seats, but that is already considered a sin by the writers of half these magazines who spend most of their time in BMW's, M-B's, and the like

3) the writers are looking at a car for its sale value; overall quality off the lot...not potential (its more about the family who buys the car to drive and do very little with)

4) the writers know nothing about car tuning...period...they assume (in general, as there have been a few that stand out as not being totally ignorant) they do from statements about "big wings and body kits" without knowing anything about the cars

5) most of the writers are late middle agers who have not spent their whole lives driving shit cars and then making them faster...only praying for the day when they can get their cadillac seville and pass slowly on into old age at the golf course


Remember, unless the writer of the magazine is you, they will never share your knowledge or your opinions...nothing can substitute for hands on experience (though i do love the Primedia collection :Super Street, Sport Compact Car, Turbo, Import Tuner, etc)


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## Guest (Apr 16, 2003)

All excellent points  

Here's the critical quote right at the start of the three Sedan comparo tests in that issue:

" We had to make some tough decisions. One thing is certain. We steadfastly refuse to call any of these cars a loser" A total of 11 Sedans were tested, in 3 categories.

To put it in perspective, go to MSN Autos or Edmund's and search for all Sedans. The marketplace of available cars is huge. They picked the very few best cars.

I'm a Honda owner considering the Spec-V as one purchase option. Why? Torque. 95% of real world driving never gets into the horsepower band or torque band in the case of Honda products. My current car is fast at high RPM but otherwise very boring.

I thought the comparsion test was good and the report was favourable overall. Over the past year, everything Nissan brings out wins or nearly wins comparison tests, yet pretty well everything they built prior to this, didn't. 

The Sentra B15 platform or its replacement needs the same TLC. I think they had to give the nod to the Neon even though its a garbage car, for putting that much performance into an inexpensive car. But you just know its going to break down, and often. 

Does anyone know when the B16 is expected?


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## V Dude (Oct 22, 2002)

Hey Doug good post. I also think things like torque steer and clunky shifter hurt the Spec V a lot in the eyes of reviewers. I bet the same thing will happen to the new Maxima.

2006 is the year for the b16. They might introduce it a little earlier though.


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## Guest (Apr 19, 2003)

Hey all...I just bought an 02 Spec V from a local dealer(couple hundred over invoice thanks to my cuz). I'm not new to the Nissan scene as I owned a 94 300zx, so I won't ask newb questions or anything like that...I know what the SEARCH button is. 
Anyway I thought I would put my 2 cents in on the subject.
Mazdaspeed Protoge...hmmm nice but those pesky "Market Adjustment" price increases get in the way (1500 made per year)

Dodge Neon....perky little car, but it looks like a turd on wheels. It'll break down just like a log.

Ford Focus.....ummm Fix Or Repair Daily

Subaru WRX....quick but for 3 or 4 more grand u can get a new Z or buy a G35 sedan

Honduh Civic Si...Those things are just ugly

Nissan SeR Spec-v...when I test drove mine I couldn't stop smiling...for one thing i was getting rid of a pos mistu eclipse and getting a car that was a cheaper car payment....cheaper on gas...and cheaper on insurance. All the other cars here are gonna be either more expensive in any of those category. 
I think i like my "Spev"


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## Guest (Apr 19, 2003)

> hey guys, i just got back from a little midnight raid and it was so funny: so me and my friend are racing Gas powered Radio Control Cars and we were goin back home...and on the way, this wolf pack of 2 integras, a civic, and an eclipse, surrounds my car... you know whats coming up next...so they all start reving their engines like a bunch of dumbasses that they are...feeling a challenge coming up....i couldnt resist showing the real power of the Spec-V and rev my QR25 and all you hear between bursts of fart can blasts is the deepest, loudest F%*#ing roar you've ever heard and me and my friend both are just like Oh sh*T!!!! then, there was just silence, all the Ricers just stare at the SE-R badge and head off. i know its off topic, but i just wanted to say that people have lots of respect for the SE-R and they know that it can burn half the hondas at most import gatherings. it takes lots of cash to beat Spec-Vs with hondas....which most ppl dont have... i'm proud of my Spec !!!!!


I get that alot where I live too. They all race next to me and then realize the big SE-R badges were not bought at the local Autozone. THey always turn or slow way down. I was doing 15 last night trying to get this honda to catch up and he just stayed back. I hate my town. However I did get to race a stock SVT Contour from a roll of 30, front wheels stayed right next to each other. He messed forth up so we both shut down, and pulled over and talked. He gave me props as did I. And we both bitched about how its hard to find anything to race because of the above mentioned quote.


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## Silvspec86 (Apr 4, 2003)

whoa, nice man.....you're from "midland texas?" where's that exactly? i'm moving to texas in june...to houston/galveston....hows the import scene down there? and how is the Law on aftermarket stuff?


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

Midland is far away from Houston, believe me. Houston has a pretty big import scene from what I hear, I'm just a couple hours away in San Antonio, all we have here are some really ghetto riced cars. I've never been pulled over for any aftermarket parts on my cars, so I guess the law isn't too bad...nothing like Cali


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

I'm in Indiana and the import scene here SUCKS. There are some imports, I could probably count them on two hands but none of them will ever race me! I pulled up next to a civic Si-R with a big wing and he turned off and then there is a black Celica GT at least, debadged with graphics, a wing, a fart can muffler and tint, haha, but he will never race me. He takes off when he's up in front of me and I pull up beside me and he suddenly slows down and turns off! He has 2 more cylinders than me and the graphics add like 40 horsepower,  , so why won't these damn people race me! Even if I get my ass beat, I just want to see someone show some guts. Any ways, sorry about the ranting.


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## BlackSpec02 (Apr 12, 2003)

FletchSpecV said:


> *He has 2 more cylinders than me *


Not sure if you were kidding about that... but in case you weren't, Celica's are all 4-cyl. engines.... but a GT....definitely a waste of money.... they have so little power... definitely slower than an SER unless he's got a turbo or something cool under the hood.


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

BlackSpec02 said:


> *Not sure if you were kidding about that... but in case you weren't, Celica's are all 4-cyl. engines.... but a GT....definitely a waste of money.... they have so little power... definitely slower than an SER unless he's got a turbo or something cool under the hood. *


Oops. You're right. I don't know why, but for some reason I was thinking it was a 6, haha. I guess I was thinking of a Tiburon, oops. Now I feel dumb,  . Thanks for correcting me. Later.


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## SpecVspeeD (Mar 29, 2003)

Silvspec86 said:


> *whoa, nice man.....you're from "midland texas?" where's that exactly? i'm moving to texas in june...to houston/galveston....hows the import scene down there? and how is the Law on aftermarket stuff? *


No laws that I know of, never been pulled over in city and I have a muffler on my spec, it's pretty loud. Import scene is alot of ricer's and posers, some are respectable but alot of civic ex's with fart cans and body kits. I know they are trying to make street racing into a class B Misdemeanor instead of class C, so its a higher crime.


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

oh yeah, street racing is now a felony in Texas, so keep that in mind....


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## BlackSpec02 (Apr 12, 2003)

I live in San Diego, California... and Street Racing is absolutely outrageous here.... this used to be the spot to come because there was tons of competition and great spots to race... but now its just scary...the police are cracking down.... there is a new law out that if you are caught street racing your vehicle they take it -permanently - no questions asked, you just fork over the title. Its called the vehicle forfeiture ordinance, I believe. Damned old people with no idea what its like to have the rush of racing... if there were young people and racers in there making these decisions I would stand by them... i even think street racing is a dangerous thing to be involved with, but san diego has taken things too far... shoot, what am i supposed to do now, wuss out when an integra revs on me at a red light?!?!?!!


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

BlackSpec02 said:


> *I live in San Diego, California... and Street Racing is absolutely outrageous here.... this used to be the spot to come because there was tons of competition and great spots to race... but now its just scary...the police are cracking down.... there is a new law out that if you are caught street racing your vehicle they take it -permanently - no questions asked, you just fork over the title. Its called the vehicle forfeiture ordinance, I believe. Damned old people with no idea what its like to have the rush of racing... if there were young people and racers in there making these decisions I would stand by them... i even think street racing is a dangerous thing to be involved with, but san diego has taken things too far... shoot, what am i supposed to do now, wuss out when an integra revs on me at a red light?!?!?!! *


That's pretty ridiculous. Damn, glad I don't live there, .


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## Guest (Apr 22, 2003)

> whoa, nice man.....you're from "midland texas?" where's that exactly? i'm moving to texas in june...to houston/galveston....hows the import scene down there? and how is the Law on aftermarket stuff?


Yeah midland is far from everything in texas. Dallas, 6 hr drive, Houston 6-7hrs, San Antonio, 6 hrs. Basically I'm out in the middle of freakin nowhere. Don't come here if you can. As for the racing scene where I'm at; Its the Fast and the Furious thing. Riceboys with fartcans and big wings, big stereos, lotsa flashy lights and nothing that makes a heap of beans for power on any of these cars. I have yet to lose a race, and I'm still stock. The fastest cars I've raced thus far here: SVT contuor(we stayed right next to each other through 3rd then he messed 4th up pulled over he gave mad props), a NOSed civic(it surprised me but just kept falling behind after 3rd, guy pulls up and shows me his Nos button and goes"the only way I was barley keeping up" he was cool too), some old hopped up 70 something Firebird or Camero(i dont know those cars well, but went from a 30 and stayed in front by my nose till about middle of 5th gear way more than a 1/4 mile race, they were cool and gave me mad props on my "four banger") its fun to find these cool people. Last night i had to put one of the oh so common riceboys down in his weak Civic Lx with Fartcan. Let him get a good car length on me before i put the hammer down and blew by him not once, not twice but three times. I tried to get him to pull over but the first time i pulled over he went by and reved. So I chased him down and beat him again. pulled over same thing, chased him down again, and leave him again, pull over and he revs again and goes into some nieghborhood, I gave up after that. Sorry for the long post.


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

For what it's worth, I thought the car magazine articles I've read were pretty fair. Both _Sport Compact Car_ and _Road & Track_ rated it in the middle.

So, after driving most of the cars in those tests (well, three of them) I bought the Spec-V. Why? Too damn much car for the money. The Ford Focus was the most recalled P.O.S. of 2002, no need to bother. The Neon is a grenade without its pin, the Cooper is too small and expensive, etc ...

The Honda was too tame (and too ugly) and the Mazdaspeed was a great car ... but for $4,000 more? No thanks. Not much more net power despite turbocharging (and using the stock shortblockl!!) and no 6 speed. You are paying for it being a "limited Edition." Big whoop. 

I didn't like the way _R&T_ rated the Civic Si better than the SE-R. That lil' bugger is ugly, slow and not that much fun to drive yet that magazine's staff actually liked its SHIFTER better than the Nissan's. That bent thing sticking out of the dashboard??

I just think that _R&T_ was biased towards Hondas ... like I used to be.


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2003)

No matter what we do or will do, Nissan it seems will always be the red headed stepchild to magazines.
We never get due respect.
But the facts are the facts....the shifter is a little tough to get used to, especially if you are used to a BMW or such, torque is great so that's a plus, but the rear suspension is a dog, if their was a way to gut it and install an indepedant set up with multiple links I would definitely do it....rigid axles are never good performance except in an off road truck, and even then it's only because of the strength they have.
This is a major reason we dance in corners the way we do.
But it doesn't change the fact that I Love my car anyway and with the money I saved on it compared to the $2000 market value adjustment on the others like the srt-4....it just looks even better for us!!! And just for the record, I sat in the srt-4 today at a dealer and the seats are pure crap...no way could I toleraate these seats on any kind of long trip!!!


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

I'm gonna have to go try out the SRT-4. A buddy of mine just got an 04 WRX and that thing is pretty sweet. I know it's a significant amount more than a spec but I just wanted to complement Subaru on a great car.


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

FletchSpecV said:


> *I'm gonna have to go try out the SRT-4. A buddy of mine just got an 04 WRX and that thing is pretty sweet. I know it's a significant amount more than a spec but I just wanted to complement Subaru on a great car. *


compl...I...ment, sorry, my bad,  .


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## BlackSpec02 (Apr 12, 2003)

Bror Jace said:


> *For what it's worth, I thought the car magazine articles I've read were pretty fair. Both Sport Compact Car and Road & Track rated it in the middle.
> 
> So, after driving most of the cars in those tests (well, three of them) I bought the Spec-V. Why? Too damn much car for the money. The Ford Focus was the most recalled P.O.S. of 2002, no need to bother. The Neon is a grenade without its pin, the Cooper is too small and expensive, etc ...
> 
> ...


I agree with all of the above... lots of good things to say.


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

I think that the car mags are usually pretty fair, but sometimes I think they are biased. Maybe not intentionally, but if someone really likes a manufacturer they are going to be biased whether they realize it or not.


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## Nismoist (Oct 18, 2002)

*RE: BlackSpec*

I live in Orange County, just above you. Can't say I've heard of this law, but I was curious. How do..police justify the use of this ordinance? In other words, what constitutes "racing"? Does it involve being at a street race gathering? Or simply speeding down the street with another car? You may not know, but I was just a bit curious. I've been harassed a few times in my Probe GT. I have custom mandrel exhaust and a Weapon-R intake. The thing is just too damn loud...which sort of leads me into the second part of this post: Does anyone have experience with resonators and the like? I'm all for loud, gutteral exhaust, but the cops out in California are anal about the decibals. Besides, I'd prefer to be more of a sleeper. I plan to purchase a Black '03 Spec V this summer and shave the emblems off before doing the three general mods. This time around, however, I wanted to make it a bit more discrete. - Thanks.


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## BlackSpec02 (Apr 12, 2003)

I'm assuming you mean the vehicle forfeiture law... well it's brand new... the way I found out about it, and the way I find out about most of the new laws are from www.sdstreetracing.com they usually post new laws on the home page and also have a link to a "law" page, that has the laws on lights, mods, basically everything... its all good stuff to know! This law may only be in San Diego county too, im not sure. They even have a "Drag-Net" here... specifically for stopping illegal drag races. And as far as racing, its usually not too hard to tell if one car is racing another, or just speeding around, but I suppose it is just the police officers call. OH YEAH BTW - I just remembered, this penalty occurs if you are caught and convicted of racing for a SECOND time.


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## Nismoist (Oct 18, 2002)

Ahhh. Thanks for the site and info. I might be moving to SD in a year or so for college, so while it's nothing immediate, it's good info. Thanks again.


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## BlackSpec02 (Apr 12, 2003)

You're welcome.


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Wow, I'm glad I live in IN where the cops are dumb and we don't have any laws against street racing (that I know of, haven't been pulled over...yet,  ).


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## rios (Jun 10, 2002)

sr20dem0n said:


> *oh yeah, street racing is now a felony in Texas, so keep that in mind.... *


wait, it only just became a felony?


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

a couple months ago, yes

it used to be a ticket, now they haul your ass to jail and impound the car (they could only do that before if you were going double the speed limit)


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## scopedog (Jun 15, 2003)

I don’t know how many of you actually worked around magazines. The truth is whatever car company shelled over the most $$$ wins the review. It’s the sad truth with just about every magazine out there. Please, don’t get me wrong, some magazines are truthful with their reviews. Sadly those are the ones that you never hear about though. Nissan does not need to sell the idea of the Spec V to the public. The sales of the Sentra are very high especially with the new B15 chassis. Other cars like the new released Mazda’s, the Ford Focus SVT, and the Honda Civic SI are struggling to hit THEIR OWN sales marks. Therefore, by shelling out a little extra cash, and gaining a good review in a magazine, they hope to increase sales. And it works. 

Once again I am not here to criticize the magazines. Some actually do fare reviews and articles. But the magazines I have dealt with in the past (will not mention names) definitely worked off of the $$$.


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

I don't pay attention to mag reviews anyway, I had never even heard of the 01 Sentra SE before going to the dealership and seeing it sitting there in it's beauty. Then I saw the price and was more impressed, then I drove it and was floored. That's when I bought it and started reading online about the chassis and engine and have been happy with my decision ever since. The moral of the story: don't listen to magazines, make your own decisions


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## Lazarus_023 (Jun 3, 2003)

FletchSpecV said:


> *Oops, not a Mazda 6, but a Mazdaspeed Protege, my bad. *


beaten by that silly little mazda?! now *that* hurts.

i mean, come on... SRT4 i can understand. SVT Focus? pshaw! but Speed-protayj? that's insulting!!


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## Silvspec86 (Apr 4, 2003)

I just arrived in texas(i mentioned that i was moving here before)....holy balls its hot!......i havent seen a single Spec-V yet tho i see way to many big SUVs and huge rims and lots of ppl with chrome hub caps....i saw a tuned Prelude the other day but other than that, it sux down here in Galveston... but one thing that got me was that i saw alot of people with Undercar neons, is that legal here? what about NOS and such? and one more thing...i'm aware that in Texas, you have to go get your car inspected every year...is that stuff strict? will Cold air and Catback Pass?.......for those of you still pissed at the car&driver ranking....go get last month's SCC.....Rally Spec-V!!!!


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## mycarisaser (May 17, 2003)

that spec kicked a-s . extra 35whp sounds like a plan to me


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

Silvspec86 said:


> *I just arrived in texas(i mentioned that i was moving here before)....holy balls its hot!......i havent seen a single Spec-V yet tho i see way to many big SUVs and huge rims and lots of ppl with chrome hub caps....i saw a tuned Prelude the other day but other than that, it sux down here in Galveston... but one thing that got me was that i saw alot of people with Undercar neons, is that legal here? what about NOS and such? and one more thing...i'm aware that in Texas, you have to go get your car inspected every year...is that stuff strict? will Cold air and Catback Pass?.......for those of you still pissed at the car&driver ranking....go get last month's SCC.....Rally Spec-V!!!! *


you must have moved here from Cali? 

yeah pretty much everything is legal, underbody neon is legal as long as you can't see the tube itself just looking at the car. Inspections are pretty easy, as long as you don't have black smoke billowing out then you should be fine (even if you do many places will still pass you for the right price). Intake and exhaust are fine, even a header if you still have one cat should be fine.


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## Silvspec86 (Apr 4, 2003)

nope, demon, i moved here from the great crab state of Maryland, where nothing is leagal but the cops are dumbasses and can't tell head from headers, so most of us just wing it out there, thanks for the info Demon, i think i'm gonna like it here without worries. say, have you guys see the road test summary from Road&Track for the Spec-V? the numbers are absolute BS. 0-60mph in 7.3 sec.? and 80-0 in 264 ft? BS!!


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## Guest (Jul 13, 2003)

if we supercharged our spec-v's we would dust them all


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

blbphillips said:


> *if we supercharged our spec-v's we would dust them all *


if you supercharged the spec V you'd have more low end torque than you'd ever need. 

Turbo is a different story.


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2003)

I've driven all of these cars, except the Neon. I bought the SER for the torque.
Everyone's doggin the Focus for being a domestic. The Focus is far from domestic. It was in Europe a year before it got here. As far as domestic automakers I think Ford is the only one with any kind of quality control. They've made leaps and bounds in the initial quality category. The focus has received nothing but praise since it's introduction. When I drove it I could find nothing "clunky, cheap, or domestic" about it. It was the extra "premium" that the dealers tried to add to the price for the "limited edition" SVT that turned me off the most. As far as the neon...time will tell. Chrysler has a long way to go before they can prove their reliablity to me (if the engine doesn't smoke the electrical system will, I'm sure)
Honda has proven themselves enough times that I don't have to defend them here.
If the Protege is like any other Mazda I've owned it will handle like a race car, the interior and exterior trim will fall apart and the engine and drivetrain will never die but will always be slightly underpowered for what it is. (anything less than 200hp for a turbo is lacking IMHO)
I love my V spec but I think we need to be a little more realistic here.


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## DiGaBLe (May 21, 2003)

I test drove an Focus SVT 5 door before testing & buying my spec. It handles pretty good, interior was nice, some cosmetic features gave u more of the racer feeling (like white odometers, alum pedals, racing knob, etc.). Too bad it is a ford. I ended up buying a spec because
1) Been wanting one for 2 years.
2) The other cars were over priced, even with a fully loaded spec, it was cheaper.
3) Specs aren't too common.

I am happy with my spec. I am not a racer, but if someone wants to bring it, it is good to know I can compete with them, stocked.


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## bm14582 (Dec 14, 2002)

I think that the main argument that all the magazines make is that the Spec V isn't snazzy enough. If I remember correctly, the Spec V still managed to impress both said reviewers when it came to its handling and torque delivery. They were just less impressed with the styling. I can agree with them there. While I love my Spec V to death, and have created a pretty comprehensive website dedicated to the Spec V, it isn't the greatest looking car in the world. There are tons of less capable cars that look way better than my Spec (such as the Tiburon.)

It's funny, but in 2002, when the Spec V first came out, there were boat loads of positive reviews from everyone! I have all of these reviews on my website (which is listed in my signature.) I just think that the competition started to realize that the bar had been raised and promptly adapted. Now the Spec V is behind the power curve. I'm hoping that the 2005 Spec V utilizes a big-liter turbocharged QR25DE(T) that can perform at least as well as the SRT-4, handle better than the Mazdaspeed, and look better than the Renault it's based on. I can only hope at least.


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## BikerFry (Jul 31, 2003)

OK I haven't read all 70 posts, so I hope I'm not repeating anybody too much, but I wish those magazines would take into account the history of the model line a little more, specifically build quality. Sentras are damn near friggin bullet-proof, while it's been my experience that Neon's are cheap piles of dung that fall apart at 60k. I would never ever ever buy a neon because of this, even if they have gotten better (Hyundai either for that matter,) even if the Neon is a much better performer. A 180 horse Spec V will beat a 230 Horse Neon with a blown head gasket every time...


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## Bryan200sx (Jan 23, 2003)

*I LOVE SPEC - V!!!*

Ever since the car was relased ive had the magazine clipings of it hung up in my room. Ive always loved the car and i got mad when people who swear by hondas are so ignorant that they cant see that nissan makes awsome cars. being that i fell in love with nissans due to the very aclamied 180sx and the Spec my first car had to be a nissan ive had my 200sx Ga16de and ive ragged the hell out of it and even though its an underachiver i love that car and its still my little civic burner. hopfully i will move up the line and get a spec in the real near future ( im already look for a used one ) and no matter what people say i think nissan is the best jap brand out there or atleast in is in my opinion. It suits all my needs and more when other Hondas and Toyota's fall short. even though i cant take away from the fact they make good cars granted i think the Spec right now is the best bang 4 your buck out there and as far as being fast some times being fast is not the most importaint thing but if ur in 2 speed my buddys Mazda speed has a real hard time pulling away from a spec i think it keeps w/ it all the way if not real close ( not bad for a n/a )


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## timsyellowspecv (Aug 20, 2003)

look at 1/4 mile times in the back of car&driver, only the neon and wrx is much faster than a spec v, the protege, cooper , celica , and tiburon is about same speed, and all others are slower, all are at least $1000 to $10000 more base than a spec v, what can you do with the extra $$$?i used to own a 98 neon sport(2.0 dohc 150hp) it didn't last 50k miles before rod knock and blown head gasket, what a POS, i really would like a srt4 if they were reliable, its definitely more bang 4 buck car, but after that is definitely spec v, the protege could have more power tho (if you could find one) by raising the boost you would have close to the neon's output, but again turbo a qr25 for the money you saved and blow them all away......btw these are all cars i considered(money got in the way on the tt and wrx hehe)
0-60/ 1/4 mile times price
rsx 6.8/15.4$29030
audi tt 7.3/15.7$36395
gt cruiser 7.2/15.7$25540
srt4 5.6/14.1$19995
svt focus 7.7/15.9$21350
tiburon 7.1/15.6$19344
protege 7.1/15.6$20500
cooper s 7.0/15.5$24000
eclipse v6 6.7/15.2$26532
ser spec v 7.3/15.6$19066
wrx 4.6/13.2$31520
celica 7.3/15.6$24731
mr2 8.2/ 16.2$25726
vw gti 6.5/15.3$22000
civic si - no data


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

I've never seen an RSX-S cost anywhere near 29,000


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

hehe I didn't even notice that, I like how he has 15.4 for the rsx and 15.6 for the spec-v too


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## timsyellowspecv (Aug 20, 2003)

this is straight off Car & Driver, i didn't make these up, sorry, i should have posted where i got the info from, the rsx is listed as a rsx type s ftp whatever that is, not worth the extra $ anyway, and also the wrx is the sti version.....


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## MnilinM (Jan 23, 2003)

Silvspec86 said:


> I just arrived in texas....holy balls its hot!......i havent seen a single Spec-V yet... it sux down here in Galveston... Undercar neons, is that legal here? what about NOS and such? ... your car inspected every year...is that stuff strict?



wo0t ... yea ...  haven't seen mine then i guess ... yup .. as long as theyre not red or blue ... no clue on the NOS .. not really as long as it looks safe


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## Nismo21503 (Oct 29, 2003)

I love my spec. As soon as I test drove it, I fell in love! Mine was a 02 leftover so I'd say I got a pretty decent deal. I didnt think I'd be coming home with one the day I test drove it, but everything worked out in my favor and my fiance gave me $1000 towards it as an anniversary present. He drives a 91 MR2, which he loves but he seems to love my car more. He always wants to drive it. I tinted my windows and put an air intake in it, so far. 

I have yet to race anyone. I'm dying to though. There are soooo many rice boys in my area but I've never gotten a chance to race anyone. My fiance gets all the attention when he drives it, I guess b/c I'm a chick, they dont bother. 

I think the SRT4 Neon is cool, eventhough its a neon. I thought about getting a MazdaSpeed b/c its turbo and I like the body style, but isnt the Spec just as fast if not faster? I've been told that I could smoke an SVT Focus, I dont know if this is true or not and I havent gotten a chance to see so I may never know.

I may put a turbo in my Spec someday!


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## Nismo21503 (Oct 29, 2003)

I also forgot to add, and I may get made fun of for this, but I love my car so much, I had a shirt made (airbrushed). It has Nismo on the front and my car on the back, with Spec V underneath! 

If anyone cares to see it, I can post a pic of it!


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## simeronbugh (Aug 22, 2003)

LOL, yeah let's see some pics.


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## Nismo21503 (Oct 29, 2003)

Ok, I'll post some pics of it on Monday!


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2003)

Well one thing you have to remember, with exception of the Ford SVT Focus, the Mazdaspeed and the Dodge SRT-4 both have turbos. Currently I own a 2002 WRX, and what the guy said about the interior looking cheap is dead on. The way I look at it, is the SE-R Spec V with a nice turbo will easily end up outdoing a WRX. I'm actually looking at trading in my WRX for a SE-R Spec V... while most people probobly think I'm insane, I have my reasons.


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## 7SPEED (Mar 24, 2003)

acrylicmockingbird said:


> ........ I'm actually looking at trading in my WRX for a SE-R Spec V... while most people probobly think I'm insane...



I'm one of them, the Wrx has so much more potential. U'll miss the 4wd, when u see how hard it is to hook up a Spec of the line.


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

7SPEED said:


> I'm one of them, the Wrx has so much more potential. U'll miss the 4wd, when u see how hard it is to hook up a Spec of the line.


Not to mention turbos on the qr are a bitch and a half
In fact, are there any companies that have a turbo out for it that _haven't_ blown the motor? (Not counting Travis, the only one he's done has like 450whp and costs over 10k, lol)


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## caveman (Dec 20, 2003)

SilverSpec175 said:


> It's possible that they are biased, but chances are, so am I because I own a spec-v. I just don't understand how the focus did better than the spec-v and the Mazdaspeed Protege. It's slower, by far it's uglier, and Nissan has a better reputation for quality and dependability over Ford. Maybe there's something Car & Driver knows that I missed.


The Focus SVT and the MSP both have a better tranny and suspention. 
Also, I am not impressed with quality of Nissan anymore.


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## Marooka (Sep 5, 2003)

blueboost said:


> Nissan needs a reality check. that SpecV is a car thats stuck in a relationship it don't want to be in and is longing for its real lover...
> 
> 
> the SR20DET
> ...



I couldn't agree more.


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## 02bluespec (Jan 13, 2004)

Yeah, it's fun to smoke those little hondas, it's even better when a v8 dakota has to ask what is under your hood.


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## 02bluespec (Jan 13, 2004)

sr20dem0n said:


> Not to mention turbos on the qr are a bitch and a half
> In fact, are there any companies that have a turbo out for it that _haven't_ blown the motor? (Not counting Travis, the only one he's done has like 450whp and costs over 10k, lol)



If you're talking about a turbo for a spec, go to hpautoworks.com and you'll find one for about $4500. they also have a used one for around $2500.


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## Yamakasi (Jun 11, 2003)

*Honda Shops*

I live in Montreal Quebec. There's a lot of Sentras around here, but more Civics. However, seems like most people still don't know much about the SE-Rs and it makes me laugh pretty hard.

I wanted to shop around for Cold Air Intakes at one time, so I did about 5 performance shop around my place (Performance Improvements, Bill Motorsports, Laser Auto, RMR Autosport, Docteur Du Parbrise).

I went to Performance Improvements first, I enter and I ask the clerk : "What do you have in Cold Air Intakes for an SE-R?"
- " A what? "
- " A Nissan Sentra SE-R "
- " What's that? "

I couldn't beleive the guy had never heard of the car before. Worst part is, two kids before me bought a cold air for their Integra. Here's how the conversation went :

- " That's be 200$ [CDN] "
- " So this'll make my car louder, right? "
- " Yeah "

They don't care about the HP and all that, they just want sound. I was laughing at them (from away) knowing if I'd see him on the street I'd smoke him 

After I explained to the clerk my car he gave me some prices, but too steep. So I went to Bill Motorsports. Another big Honda/Acura place (they all are). I asked the guy for SE-R parts, again, he didn't know what it was. So we actually went outside and he saw my car, that's when he got interested : "OMG, what's that car?" 
- "Um.. A SE-R"
- "Really? Can I sit in it?"
- "Um.... Okay??"
- "Wow... So, what's the engine like?"
- "175hp/180lbs torque"
- "REALLY? How much?"
- "21,000$ [CDN]"
- "Wow! That's cheap. Hmmmmm"

Then he got out of the car, but his prices weren't good either 

Just goes to show how some people don't know about SE-Rs, and how fun it is to show them what it's like, on the road


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

02bluespec said:


> Yeah, it's fun to smoke those little hondas, it's even better when a v8 dakota has to ask what is under your hood.


That's funny, cuz I used to have a V8 Dakota with a K&N Filtercharger, straight pipes, traction bars and hoosier GT's 275/50s and it was pretty fast. However, when I started looking at cars I was interested in the 3.5 Altima and I went to test drive one and saw the spec. I got in and drove it and I was sold on it. It's a 4 cylinder with twice the fuel efficiency and it would woop my truck's ass in a drag and on back roads, so I bought it! I've also beat a Ram with a 360. He jumped half a car length off the line but I caught him by third gear. The guy was amazed. It was pretty funny.


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## Yamakasi (Jun 11, 2003)

*Dodge R/T*

The Doge trucks have incredible engines though. One night, I was coming back home from a friend's house. The road was wet, so I didn't really want to race (I had the 4 season stock tires of my SE-R). But I was next to a Tiburon V6, and I wanted too see what he had, so we started racing a bit from light to light, just on the take-offs. I always let him have the lead, cause I didn't want to floor it on the light, I'd just spin. I know my car :\ Anyways.

We keep doing that for about 3 lights, till this one car was waiting at a red light in the middle lane (it was a 3 lane boulevard). So me and the Tiburon go at it again, I hadn't paid attention to the car in the middle. Ends up it was a 350Z  So he sees us go at it and floors it too. So now we were 3, of course, the 350Z just goes pass us, but there are lots of red lights on that boulevard. So we keep on meeting at the lights and go at it when it turns green. Eventually, we get to this other light where there's a pick-up waiting at a red light. At this point, we have the Tiburon on the left lane, the 350Z on the middle lane, the pickup at the right lane and I'm behing the 350Z just watching the Tiburon and Z go at it 

The Z and the Tiburon rev their engines, the ligh turns green. There goes the 350Z and the pick-up! Head to head for about 1/4 of a mile till the next light. The Tiburon in the back, me next to it.

Next light, we all floor it. We left the Tiburon in our dust, but the Dodge R/T and the 350z just went ahead like crazy. It surprised me how the pickup kept up with the 350z!


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Yamakasi said:


> The Doge trucks have incredible engines though. One night, I was coming back home from a friend's house. The road was wet, so I didn't really want to race (I had the 4 season stock tires of my SE-R). But I was next to a Tiburon V6, and I wanted too see what he had, so we started racing a bit from light to light, just on the take-offs. I always let him have the lead, cause I didn't want to floor it on the light, I'd just spin. I know my car :\ Anyways.
> 
> We keep doing that for about 3 lights, till this one car was waiting at a red light in the middle lane (it was a 3 lane boulevard). So me and the Tiburon go at it again, I hadn't paid attention to the car in the middle. Ends up it was a 350Z  So he sees us go at it and floors it too. So now we were 3, of course, the 350Z just goes pass us, but there are lots of red lights on that boulevard. So we keep on meeting at the lights and go at it when it turns green. Eventually, we get to this other light where there's a pick-up waiting at a red light. At this point, we have the Tiburon on the left lane, the 350Z on the middle lane, the pickup at the right lane and I'm behing the 350Z just watching the Tiburon and Z go at it
> 
> ...


Oh yeah, I agree. I was sure I was going to be a dodge man for the rest of my life until I drove my nissan and ever since then I've done a lot of research into the products and the company itself and I love Nissan like nothing else. Any ways, I really like dodge too. I loved my Dakota with a 318 and I still miss it a little bit, but every time I take my Spec on the back roads I remember why I traded my truck for a Nissan, .


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## 02bluespec (Jan 13, 2004)

FletchSpecV said:


> That's funny, cuz I used to have a V8 Dakota with a K&N Filtercharger, straight pipes, traction bars and hoosier GT's 275/50s and it was pretty fast. However, when I started looking at cars I was interested in the 3.5 Altima and I went to test drive one and saw the spec. I got in and drove it and I was sold on it. It's a 4 cylinder with twice the fuel efficiency and it would woop my truck's ass in a drag and on back roads, so I bought it! I've also beat a Ram with a 360. He jumped half a car length off the line but I caught him by third gear. The guy was amazed. It was pretty funny.


Yeah it is. I love pulling up to lights and watching those big trucks look at me like I got nothin on them and still whoopin them withput reving over 5500 rpms :thumbup: The look on there face is priceless.


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## 02bluespec (Jan 13, 2004)

Yamakasi said:


> The Doge trucks have incredible engines though. One night, I was coming back home from a friend's house. The road was wet, so I didn't really want to race (I had the 4 season stock tires of my SE-R). But I was next to a Tiburon V6, and I wanted too see what he had, so we started racing a bit from light to light, just on the take-offs. I always let him have the lead, cause I didn't want to floor it on the light, I'd just spin. I know my car :\ Anyways.
> 
> We keep doing that for about 3 lights, till this one car was waiting at a red light in the middle lane (it was a 3 lane boulevard). So me and the Tiburon go at it again, I hadn't paid attention to the car in the middle. Ends up it was a 350Z  So he sees us go at it and floors it too. So now we were 3, of course, the 350Z just goes pass us, but there are lots of red lights on that boulevard. So we keep on meeting at the lights and go at it when it turns green. Eventually, we get to this other light where there's a pick-up waiting at a red light. At this point, we have the Tiburon on the left lane, the 350Z on the middle lane, the pickup at the right lane and I'm behing the 350Z just watching the Tiburon and Z go at it
> 
> ...


HOLY CRAP! A Dodge did that wit a 350Z.


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## ch3ap b-12er (Aug 7, 2003)

keep in mind when you blast scc that they put the specv on the eight best rides for under 30 grand, true the mazdaspeed and srt-4 made it too, also good cars, but this is the list that also has cars like the evo8, wrx 350z, and the, rsx type-s (I know honduh, but it's still fast, and comfortable) there was another car too, but I forgot it, my point is that while many magazines do treat nissan as the ugly stepchild, a few appreciate it for the solid car manufacturer that it is


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## Estis Fatuus (Jul 17, 2003)

Although Car and Driver also placed the Sentra SE first over the Neon R/T and other Sentra's placed relatively high in other comparison test. I don't exaclty see the point of comparing the turbo for bangers to the naturally aspirated (sp?) ones. One issue I do recall them talking about was gearing on the Spec V, and the "bulbous body kit and front end". I think that the areas where the Spec was most held back, are the ones most willing to be modified by tuners. Sport Compact Car said that the car is "more confidence inspiring than the famed Integra Type-R" and to me that's all that matters. I loved my old 94 2-door Sentra 5-speed, and I loved how no one gave it any respect what so ever until they saw me stay door to door with a couple Integras, and beat a Civic Si (My Sentra was stripped of everything except the drivers seat... hehe) 

The reason I love the Spec is the same reason I loved my old Sentra and most built since. Understated perfomance. As far as I'm concerned the Spec is one of the best bargians on the market (so is the SRT-4, I don't care if you think it's ugly, it's fast as shit for the price and it handles damned good for what it is ((a high powered Neon with no LSD)) The Sentra can come with a kick ass stereo and a 6 speed gear box. To me, that's more than enough to start with.


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## BIGBULS (Sep 24, 2002)

Estis Fatuus said:


> (so is the SRT-4, I don't care if you think it's ugly, it's fast as shit for the price and it handles damned good for what it is ((a high powered Neon with no LSD)).


The 04 SRT-4's have even more power and now DO have an LSD............

 

I'd definitely snap one up (an SRT-4) over a Spec V, especially since they (IMO) ruined the Spec V's front end (even though they DID add in a nice brake upgrade)............they (SRT's) are just SO damn fast for a FWD compact.

If I WAS to get a Spec, it'd be a nicley broken-in 03 (no goofy gearing [the 1st gear on 02's was WAY too short, and they had HORRIBLE gear SPACING for 1-3], and a happier tranny, plus the older front end), and then switch to an 04 dash overlay (instrument cluster) and big brakes.


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## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

i love the 02 03 dash, wouldnt replace it for the world.... im not having any problems with my tranny, but im thinking of tryinbg to kill it just to get an 04 in there, what do you think??? :thumbup:


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## BIGBULS (Sep 24, 2002)

I'd try and kill it just to get the newer (03-04) gear ratio package in there.

1st gear isn't so stupidly short, and the gear spacing is way better for the critical 1-2 and 2-3 shifts.


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## Jas'02SpecV (Oct 13, 2003)

I have an 02 with the 03 engine and tranny. Doesn't seem any different from the 02 that I had. Is the 04 really better? If so, I think I may try to blow this one too hehe. Anybody have the specs on the tranny's from 02 - 04 so we can compare? That would be an interesting post.


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## BIGBULS (Sep 24, 2002)

Here are the differences in gear ratios from 02-03/04 Spec V's.

02:

1st 3.417
2nd 1.944
3rd 1.258
4th 0.947
5th 0.773
6th 0.630
Axle 4.429

03/04:

1st 3.154
2nd 1.944
3rd 1.392
4th 1.055
5th 0.809
6th 0.673
Axle 4.087

Notice the 03/04 tranny has amuch tighter overall ratio spread than the 02's (less rpm drop off each shift), and really cures the yawning ratio gaps between 1st-3rd that the 02's had.

Also, the longer axle ratio makes 1st gear much easier to launch at the dragstrip without taking away from the Spec's amazing off the line ooomph, AND, combined with the shorter high gears, keeps 5th and 6th gear in almost the same place as they were on the 02 (for fuel economy and top speed).


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## Jas'02SpecV (Oct 13, 2003)

So you're saying basically that the 03 tranny that I have is the same as the 04 tranny? Guess I misunderstood. Good post though. Thanks!


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## Harris (Nov 11, 2002)

Yes, that's what BIGBULS is saying. The 1st gear, for example was a little too short in the '02 tranny to be able to work well with the kind of power that the QR25 makes. That's why they made a few changes to the gear profile in '03.


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## Jas'02SpecV (Oct 13, 2003)

I wish Nissan would get even smarter and come out with a turbo SpecV for around 22-24K or so. Then we'd be in business.


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## Marooka (Sep 5, 2003)

oh man that would be freakin tight... and would obviously SPANK that srt-4.


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## Jas'02SpecV (Oct 13, 2003)

Hell yeah!!! I wish Nissan would check out these forums for ideas ya know.


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## pdx_specv (Feb 2, 2004)

*'02 gearing*



BIGBULS said:


> I'd try and kill it just to get the newer (03-04) gear ratio package in there.
> 
> 1st gear isn't so stupidly short, and the gear spacing is way better for the critical 1-2 and 2-3 shifts.


I hardly ever use 1st, and when I do it is for crawling in traffic.

I always start in 2nd now, even starting at 2000 RPMs the car wants to spin the tires, even in the dry. In fact, it takes a decent set of DOT-R tires that are already warm to get a no-spin launch (I *melted* my first set of DOT-R tires! I simply wasn't used to a car with this much torque).

2nd to about 48 MPH, then 3rd when I need it. As long as I keep the car above 35, I don't have to shift again in an autocross.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

you're gonna burn thru the clutch so fast.........


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## Jas'02SpecV (Oct 13, 2003)

I've heard of a guy that swears that starting in 2nd gives him a faster track time. I've personally never tried it. Too scared to stall out or burn up the clutch. Anybody know about this track time myth???


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## Zmonk (Jan 11, 2004)

*Indeed they do look *



Jas'02SpecV said:


> Hell yeah!!! I wish Nissan would check out these forums for ideas ya know.


Nissan has been developing a Mitsubishi powered water cooled turbo producing 260 hp. It appears the rumors are valid. I still have yet to see a dyno and it is currently under CARB review from the latest news. This isn't like a SSR or FIR turbo with larger injectors either. The entire ECU is flashed with new programming and another 65lb injector is added near the throttle body. In fact they are offering a 3 yr / 36000 mile warranty when installed by a "participating dealer" and will be covered by Nissan. The price is $4300.00, but I gather that's just for the parts... Next time we'll take the Z ... :thumbup:


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

Zmonk said:


> Nissan has been developing a Mitsubishi powered water cooled turbo producing 260 hp. It appears the rumors are valid. I still have yet to see a dyno and it is currently under CARB review from the latest news. This isn't like a SSR or FIR turbo with larger injectors either. The entire ECU is flashed with new programming and another 65lb injector is added near the throttle body. In fact they are offering a 3 yr / 36000 mile warranty when installed by a "participating dealer" and will be covered by Nissan. The price is $4300.00, but I gather that's just for the parts... Next time we'll take the Z ... :thumbup:[/QUOTE
> 
> Too bad they didn't have this when I bought my spec, .


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## darkelf (Jul 24, 2003)

Hi guys, here in Australia we are petitioning Nissan to import the Spec-V as RHD for our roads. It's shocking here, we have nothing performance wise between the qg18de powered N16 4 door Pulsar and the new Zed, then we have no G35 either  . Thats a huge gap in pricing, hence our petition. Feel free to join our forum as well to lend us the support we need to show Nissan we are keen. I've even been looking for second hand QR25's to import to install in my N15 Pulsar but have found nothing that isnt already blown or missing parts.

Here's the petition, you'll need to register if you want to post though.
http://forum.pulsar.org.au/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20051

cheers
Mark


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

darkelf said:


> Hi guys, here in Australia we are petitioning Nissan to import the Spec-V as RHD for our roads. It's shocking here, we have nothing performance wise between the qg18de powered N16 4 door Pulsar and the new Zed, then we have no G35 either  . Thats a huge gap in pricing, hence our petition. Feel free to join our forum as well to lend us the support we need to show Nissan we are keen. I've even been looking for second hand QR25's to import to install in my N15 Pulsar but have found nothing that isnt already blown or missing parts.
> 
> Here's the petition, you'll need to register if you want to post though.
> http://forum.pulsar.org.au/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20051
> ...


Hey man,
Good luck!
Fletch


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

Zmonk said:


> Nissan has been developing a Mitsubishi powered water cooled turbo producing 260 hp. It appears the rumors are valid. I still have yet to see a dyno and it is currently under CARB review from the latest news. This isn't like a SSR or FIR turbo with larger injectors either. The entire ECU is flashed with new programming and another 65lb injector is added near the throttle body. In fact they are offering a 3 yr / 36000 mile warranty when installed by a "participating dealer" and will be covered by Nissan. The price is $4300.00, but I gather that's just for the parts... Next time we'll take the Z ... :thumbup:



ONCE AGAIN, it is NOT nissan who is doing this. it is a company called DREAMWORKES. The warranty is NOT thru nissan, but thru another company, and will be honored at Nissan dealers. a 5th injector setup isn't all that great...eitehr.................There was a lot of talk about this 2 months ago or so, but the company has stopped updating people and we haven't heard anything since.

they also told us if we sent them our ECU they'd reflash it for whatever n/a mods we had............well, that turned out to be BS..........................so don't hold your breath.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

darkelf said:


> Hi guys, here in Australia we are petitioning Nissan to import the Spec-V as RHD for our roads. It's shocking here, we have nothing performance wise between the qg18de powered N16 4 door Pulsar and the new Zed, then we have no G35 either  . Thats a huge gap in pricing, hence our petition. Feel free to join our forum as well to lend us the support we need to show Nissan we are keen. I've even been looking for second hand QR25's to import to install in my N15 Pulsar but have found nothing that isnt already blown or missing parts.
> 
> Here's the petition, you'll need to register if you want to post though.
> http://forum.pulsar.org.au/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20051
> ...


you don't want the QR25. Petition for the SR20VE in the Primera................far better.


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## Zmonk (Jan 11, 2004)

chimmike said:


> ONCE AGAIN, it is NOT nissan who is doing this. it is a company called DREAMWORKES. The warranty is NOT thru nissan, but thru another company, and will be honored at Nissan dealers. a 5th injector setup isn't all that great...eitehr.................There was a lot of talk about this 2 months ago or so, but the company has stopped updating people and we haven't heard anything since.
> 
> they also told us if we sent them our ECU they'd reflash it for whatever n/a mods we had............well, that turned out to be BS..........................so don't hold your breath.


I know about Dreamworkes. The bottom line is getting a 3yr/36000 mile warranty with a turbo setup producing 260hp - that is ok in my book! And if I can get get this honored at a Nissan dealer if the engine blows up - damn even better! Also, Dreamworkes has the ECU codes - having bigger injectors to compsenate doesn't sound appealing to me.. I've read some horror stories - I'll take the 5th injector thanks.. Peace of mind is something you can't put a price tag on.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

Zmonk said:


> I know about Dreamworkes. The bottom line is getting a 3yr/36000 mile warranty with a turbo setup producing 260hp - that is ok in my book! And if I can get get this honored at a Nissan dealer if the engine blows up - damn even better! Also, Dreamworkes has the ECU codes - having bigger injectors to compsenate doesn't sound appealing to me.. I've read some horror stories - I'll take the 5th injector thanks.. Peace of mind is something you can't put a price tag on.



horror stories about 4 larger injectors? So, what happens homeboy, when the 5th large injector gets clogged under boost, and you still have the stock injectors in there which are past 100% duty cycle at 230whp. That=boom.

Any intelligently designed turbo kit uses 4 larger injectors and is able to manipulate and control them. 5th inject leads me to believe that they aren't actually controlling the 4 injectors, just the 5th add-on unit.

Also, there are no definite numbers, but seriously, DON'T count on 260whp. The turbo they're using is small and well suited to a stock QR. I'd say 240whp might be a little high. 

You need to be a bit more familiar about turbo kits and this particular setup before making any claims.

I suggest you go to www.b15sentra.net and read every thread having to do with Dreamworkes. You might become a bit more skeptical, as you should be.


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## darkelf (Jul 24, 2003)

chimmike said:


> you don't want the QR25. Petition for the SR20VE in the Primera................far better.


Thanks Mike, I am familiar with the wonderful world of the SR20VE, and have been asking my local Nissan dealer if it's possible to ship a brand new one over from Japan (as they are still produced for the top end X-Trail over there) but, they asked over AU$10 000 for just the short block (no gearbox, clutch, ECU, loom or hoses) so I'm scouring Japanese websites to see if I can find a written off XTrail with that SR20DVET to buy the whole thing. If I can find one of these very rare babies, then I'd sell a kidney to get it over to Australia and have it installed. As I see it, that is the holy grail of front wheel drive engines. [darkelf bows down in reverence to the killer torque steer qualities --- hehehehe] 

Still, in the meantime, while hoping for that wonderful SR20VET I will still try to get the QR25DE for all us neglected by Nissan in Australia. 

cheers
Mark


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

haha yeah. Heck, have you been over to sr20forum.com ? They've gotten 196whp out of an SR20de with some work done.........n/a mind you....and more to come! even the SR20VE is capable of over 200whp with stock cams!


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## Zmonk (Jan 11, 2004)

chimmike said:


> horror stories about 4 larger injectors? So, what happens homeboy, when the 5th large injector gets clogged under boost, and you still have the stock injectors in there which are past 100% duty cycle at 230whp. That=boom.
> 
> Any intelligently designed turbo kit uses 4 larger injectors and is able to manipulate and control them. 5th inject leads me to believe that they aren't actually controlling the 4 injectors, just the 5th add-on unit.
> 
> ...


I'm not making any claims and I'm not going to argue stock injector limitations because you say 230whp.. some say 300whp.. I'm just going by the figures they have "suggested". Who would you go with? AAI, FIR, SSR? AAI looks really good .. FIR is gaining ground and looks reliable with good figures.. I want to see the dyno's for DW just as much as you do before I plop down 4g. Anyway - if the 5th injector cloggs (within 36k), it's not my problem. If the warranty is solid it's a sure win. You're right about the whp could be low, but it could be high as well. Who knows! Let's see what happens..


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

Zmonk said:


> I'm not making any claims and I'm not going to argue stock injector limitations because you say 230whp.. some say 300whp.. I'm just going by the figures they have "suggested". Who would you go with? AAI, FIR, SSR? AAI looks really good .. FIR is gaining ground and looks reliable with good figures.. I want to see the dyno's for DW just as much as you do before I plop down 4g. Anyway - if the 5th injector cloggs (within 36k), it's not my problem. If the warranty is solid it's a sure win. You're right about the whp could be low, but it could be high as well. Who knows! Let's see what happens..



SSR is gone
Here's how it happened

SSR comes to b15 and introduces themselves, saying they'll be making a turbo
local turbo gurus ask details
SSR gives them some info
lots of arguments go on about reliability, other locals get made at the local turbo guys for pissing off SSR
SSR finally comes out with pics and a dyno
everyone cheers, turbo guys keep their mouth shut
SSR blows their engine and mysteriously disappears from b15
turbo guys silently smile


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

some say 300whp with stock injectors? who's THEY???? You know what the cc of the stock injectors is? it's 310cc. On the SR20, using 370cc injectors, people run near the limits ar 240-250whp.............so, 310cc's will be right around 230whp. 

I know FI-R, and he uses 4 larger injectors, not a 5th large one. In order to maintain a warranty it will have to meet emissions, and be lower powered so as to not press the limits of the engine. 230-240whp is going to be the range you're looking at.


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## Jas'02SpecV (Oct 13, 2003)

All hail CHIMMIKE... If he tells me that putting bleach in my gas tank and gum in my oil will give me more power, I'm not even going to ask this guy questions. Obviously, he knows his shit and wouldn't lead us the wrong direction. :thumbup:


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## darkelf (Jul 24, 2003)

chimmike said:


> haha yeah. Heck, have you been over to sr20forum.com ? They've gotten 196whp out of an SR20de with some work done.........n/a mind you....and more to come! even the SR20VE is capable of over 200whp with stock cams!


havent been there in ages.... I'm in too many performance and automotive photoshopping forums as it is .... 
Engines cost so much here unless you get front cuts direct from Japan through friendly importers. I am not seeing many people in Australia pull figures like that but those who I have seen have always gone forced induction. How much more does it cost to go N/A and aim at those same figures? 

I can't decide if I'll go QR25DE or SR20VE/T or GTiR but while I'm straying off topic is there a general concensus as to which really has the best potential for power while retaining a daily driver setup?


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## sr20dem0n (Mar 19, 2003)

darkelf said:


> I can't decide if I'll go QR25DE or SR20VE/T or GTiR but while I'm straying off topic is there a general concensus as to which really has the best potential for power while retaining a daily driver setup?



definately not the QR


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## darkelf (Jul 24, 2003)

sr20dem0n said:


> definately not the QR


thanks, it's sure looking that way. I'm just going to blame the Renaut MoCo for this one  Nissan abandonded the SR format in Australia as of '99. The QR is all we have under the size of the VQ35's in the Zed and the Maxima here now that can produce anything half decent and we only get that in the XTrail with a 4WD gearbox. Hmmm... 4WD N15 Pulsar.. LOL


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## XpLiCiT (Feb 14, 2004)

yeah like u guys were saying about the dodge with 230 hp , but it has a turbocharger stock how much better do u think the spec v would be with a turbo charger , i think it would take the dodge easily


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## XpLiCiT (Feb 14, 2004)

like u guys were saying about the srt4 putting out 215bhp cause it comes with a turbocharger and is a more expensive car, but what if u put a turbocharger in the spec v, owned


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

XpLiCiT said:


> like u guys were saying about the srt4 putting out 215bhp cause it comes with a turbocharger and is a more expensive car, but what if u put a turbocharger in the spec v, owned



obviously you know very little about the strength of the QR25DE. 

Lets just say with the stock turbo the SRT4 can make more power than the spec v engine can handle without a full rebuild.

Hell, there's an SRT4 making over 500whp on the stock internals.


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

chimmike said:


> obviously you know very little about the strength of the QR25DE.
> 
> Lets just say with the stock turbo the SRT4 can make more power than the spec v engine can handle without a full rebuild.
> 
> Hell, there's an SRT4 making over 500whp on the stock internals.


That is true. I've heard a lot of bad stuff about the QR25's internals' strength.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

XpLiCiT said:


> like u guys were saying about the srt4 putting out 215bhp cause it comes with a turbocharger and is a more expensive car, but what if u put a turbocharger in the spec v, owned



also, you buy a new spec v, then 5k to turbocharge it, and you've exceeded the cost of the brand new srt4...............................so the purpose of buying the spec to boost it is a dumb idea unless you completely rebuild the engine for another 5k.


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## FletchSpecV (Nov 26, 2002)

chimmike said:


> also, you buy a new spec v, then 5k to turbocharge it, and you've exceeded the cost of the brand new srt4...............................so the purpose of buying the spec to boost it is a dumb idea unless you completely rebuild the engine for another 5k.


That's why I'm just gonna wait 2 years and buy a used 03 350Z which makes more power at the wheels NA than a turbo'ed spec or SRT-4. Then I'll turbo charge that, .


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## XpLiCiT (Feb 14, 2004)

yes i do know very little about the qr25 geez, but would it make a huge improvement if u put a turbo in it?


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## XpLiCiT (Feb 14, 2004)

and i would really like to know the differences of the qr25 and the sr20 engines if anyone wouldnt mind explaining


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

XpLiCiT said:


> and i would really like to know the differences of the qr25 and the sr20 engines if anyone wouldnt mind explaining



it's been covered before. I suggest you search this forum and Nissan Performance Mag and you'll get all the info you could ever want.

huge improvement with turbo? well, depends on how hard you push it. the engine can't take more than 280-300whp, period. SR20s with stock Nissan turbos can get 280whp without blinking..............................they're two totally different engines.


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## tekmode (Feb 22, 2003)

ok guys...this is not a thread to talk about about turboing a specV.


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