Learn Me: 1984 Maxima

After watching the Chump Car race today, my father in-law mentioned his cousin had an old Maxima sitting in his yard. We went down and paid a visit, and I looked the car over.

It is a 1984 Datsun/Nissan Maxima 5 speed with an inline six. If I recall correctly, the engine, transmission and suspension on these are identical to those in 280z. On a lark, I asked him how much he wanted for it, and he said, "Well, it wasn't really for sale, city boy, but since you made good and married Misty, I'll let it go for $500."

Wait... city boy? I think he was joking.

The scary facts: 1. It is a North Carolina car so it is mostly rust free. However, there is some surface rust near the rear bumper, but a quick poke check seems to indicate it is just surface rust. 2. There is evidence of rodent activity in the engine compartment. 3. The early fuel injection scares me a little 4. Antecdotal evidence leads me to beleive that he didn't do regular maintenance on the car 5. Its been sitting for at least 10 years 6. I've not seen one of these on the road in the last 10 years or so.

If it shares enough parts with the 280z, it shouldn't be too hard to get operational, but I think this might be a big project overall.

What should I know about the car if I decide to jump on it?

I don't know much about them other then the diesel versions are sought after because the crank is used in the l28's to make a 3 or 3.1L stroker, usually in 240Z's and the Z family.

How ever the first gen max is very related to the later Z cars. An l28ET bolts in. As for the rest I'm not too sure, its the only RWD maxima and I owned 3 3rd gens and 2 4th gens. Maxima.org should be a good starting point to find info.

Your particular car sounds like a good starting car. Maybe offer him $400 for the wiring damage? But 500 isnt a bad price for what should be fairly rust free.

~Alex

the 84 max had an L24E motor, 2.4 liter version of the earlier 280Z. It's a real slug. no power worth speaking of. It's redeeming factor is that it is RWD. I had one of the very last ones off the production line. Not a particularly fun car.

L28 is a drop in. They are still around, and can be quite stout.

I'm using that engine - out of a 1982 Maxima - in my datsun replica.

The fuel injectors on the L24(e) have Bosche style electrical connectors, but they are NOT interchangable with normal Bosche injectors. (They are a different diameter.)

If you decide to swap the engines, and you want to part the L24 out, shoot me a PM.

What you should is that I was internet dreaming about the datsun 810/maxima two days ago and I really hate you for bringing this back up for me. Now, if you don't purchase this I may have to find a way to trailer it to NY and as I have absolutely no space for it, park it in front of my parents' place. So, I will be even more cash poor and my parents will have an eyesore in front of their house.

Seriously though, it is rwd and I believe that the l28 bolts right up. For bonus points, use the block from a 280z, the bettr head from the 240z and build a 3.1 stroker motor.

As mentioned above, it's not much fun to drive. Cool vehicle though. For $500, you could probably find a running 3rd generation Maxima ('90+, FWD) which is much faster, much more fun, and handles alot better, and is reasonably easy to get up above 200hp with the V6 (or swap in a newer VQ30/35 for even more power is fairly straightforward).

IIRC someone a while back actually took a 1st gen maxima ('83 IIRC) and swapped in a V6 from a 300zx, but I may be imagining things.

Good info. I think I'm going to pass on it for now.

One reason why you don't see a lot of these, is the same reason you don't see many other '80s Japanese cars...RUST.

It pains me to think that this is still sitting there, but I have no interest in it at all.

If somebody wants a Maxima, let me know. I'll get you in contact with the owner.

Brett

In reply to Brett_Murphy:

Post it on Maxima.org. While most of the energy on that site is devoted to the front-wheel drive Maximas, those 1st gen Maximas are pretty much your only option for a comfortable and driftable Nissan sedan weighing ~3000 lbs. They are the last in the line of the Datsun/Nissan L-series sedans and sport coupes, and as such share designs with the 510/610/810 240/260/280Z/ZXs. 1st gen maximas didn't handle too well out of the box, but better shocks, wheels and tires make a world of difference (rear shocks are identical to 280ZX units and 84/85 non-turbo 300 ZX wheels work well on it ). They can be upgraded to L28ETs which made about 200HP out of the box and are capable of up to 400 HP without mods to the long block and 600 HP at the extreme end. I've been told the B 5 speed found in that car can handle up to 600 HP. It differs from the 280ZX units only in the ratios (the 5th gear is particularly tall, something Z-car owners appreciate these days, as they never live in the junkyard for long).

Ray

or ratsun.org

Hard to believe, but the 2nd gen Maximas (the first with FWD) had a 300ZX engine rated at only 150 horsepower. I don't know what the 1st gens engine was rated at, but being a smaller displacement...I'd guess 125-145 at best.

When I lived in Memphis, someone who lived near me had one of these. It moved once or twice under it's own power, but I never saw it regularly enough for it to be considered a DD kind of car. The was also a early 810 here in Jax that was holding down a spot on a seedy used car lot. It looked like it had been painted with some leftover battleship paint. After appearing on CL for a few months, it "disappeared".

I'd like to own one, even this one, but sitting for an extended period?

Oh man would I love to have this!

sethmeister4 wrote: Oh man would I love to have this!

You're in Virginia. Brett's in North Carolina. How hard can it be?

Buy the thing. Let me know if you need some interior bits off a 1982 maxima wagon.

It's rated at 120 HP. From my experience, getting rid of the ridiculous muffler, installing the 5 speed, and using the 3.7 diff (stock 5-speed has 3.54, auto comes with 3.7) allows the car to move off the line reasonably. I've been told they really make 160 in today's terms under these conditions. I knew someone who dealt with a similar situation. I forget all he had to do to get the thing to run (it wasn't too hard), but I distinctly remember the fuel pump stuck and he had to bang on it with a wrench.

Brett_Murphy wrote: It pains me to think that this is still sitting there, but I have no interest in it at all. If somebody wants a Maxima, let me know. I'll get you in contact with the owner. Brett

Hey Brett, I know this is an old thread, but is there any chance you still have a line on this car? I am in VA and would love to get it. I tried PMing you but I am not allowed to do that yet. Could you possibly email at cardana24@yahoo.com Thanks

We had a '78 810 when I was in HS, and it was actually a fun car. Very easy to drift around corners and was OK quick for it's time. We also had a 240Z and 280Z, and truthfully the 810 wasn't all that much slower. Just like a Z, it's pretty easy to make power with these, and the suspension is shared with the 280 as well. It is the 2.4 as noted, but a 2.8 is pretty much a direct drop, with all the hp options that entails.

If it isn't rusty, it would be a good buy at $500. You could probably make money on selling it later if you wanted, as these are rare, rare, rare these days.

Of note these have the 280zx rear suspension. Not the better s30 chassis suspension.  Not bad, just not great. 

In reply to integraguy :

My parents owned two of those second-gen Maximas. Pretty cool cars, and at the time, 150 horsepower was a lot. Can't remember the last time I saw a first-gen, though. 

In reply to Uphigh69 :

Zombie thread?

It's still there, if anybody wants it. I suspect there are more mice than before.