I am old enough to remember the height of the car-forum days — before social media, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, automotive enthusiasts would connect one another through online message boards. There were seemingly endless opportunities for networking and collaboration, including do-it-yourself tutorials, photo galleries, meet-up announcements, and more.
It was around that time, in 2005, when my youngest brother acquired an eight-year-old 1996 Nissan Maxima from my grandfather. The car was a bone-stock Deep Evergreen “GXE” model with 3.0-liter VQ30DE V-6 engine (190 horsepower/205 lb-ft of torque), four-speed automatic transmission, and relatively few frills. It had been well-loved with about 80,000 miles on the odometer. Knowing grandpa’s driving habits, it had probably never seen redline up until that point.
That was about to change. My brother was 17 years old at the time. Most of us know how 17-year-olds treat their vehicles. At least, I know how I treated mine at that age. My car at the time was a 1989 Honda Prelude with aftermarket fog lights, cheap lowering springs, and a big Wings West spoiler on the trunk. Turns out, my brother had some of the same taste (or perhaps lack thereof?) in updating his car.
It’s no wonder the Maxima was such a popular platform for people to soup-up. After all, the third-generation (1989-94) model was called the “four-door sports car” and even bore “4DSC” window decals to that effect. The fourth generation (1995-99) carried on the tradition, and the motoring public loved it. Motor Trend magazine named the 1995 Maxima its Import Car of the Year.
My brother’s Maxima became a blank canvas for inside-and-out customization. In keeping with the modification trends of the import-tuner scene at the time, it received clear market lamps, blue bulbs, mesh grilles, body-colored headlight “eyelids,” lowered suspension, a windshield decal and, of course, a set of chunky five-spoke wheels on low-profile tires.
The interior wasn’t left alone, either. The tan cloth upholstery was swapped out for two-tone black and tan leather, with upgrades included custom under-dash lighting, aftermarket gauges, and a booming sound system with dual trunk-mounted subwoofers.
The finishing touches were inside the engine bay: a red-finished valve cover, Injen cold-air intake, and Optima battery. Now he was ready for The Fast and the Furious!
Where is that car today? We haven’t the slightest idea, because my brother sold it over 20 years ago, not long after adding his own personal touches. If I had the VIN written down, I’d run a vehicle history report to see if it’s still on the road.
Something tells me that even though the modifications my brother did to the Maxima weren’t to my grandpa’s personal taste, Grandpa still liked seeing his former car admired and enjoyed by a youngster.
