SatinSilverTypS

iTrader: (1)

OK, so there's a local maxima that has taken to smoking me good several times over the past 3 months. it always happens on the local back road down by the hudson river that i take to go to work. it's a single lane (each direction) road. fairly quiet at the time i travel in the morning (6:15ish). he usually gets up behind me and passes me on the double yellow in the straightaways. whenever i see him cut over a lane to pass me i always floor it but he seems to go by me effortlessly.

this morning i had my wits about me. i saw him behind me. i looked ahead and the road was clear for about half a mile until it curved out of site, so i put the car in SS and grabbed 3rd gear at 50mph. he moved to pass and i wailed on the gas. he blew by me like i wasn't trying....again, although by the time we hit 85 he lost steam. he maintained about 1 car length of lead.

here's the thing, since it's cold here (about 15 degreesF) i know the exhaust is gonna show up more in the air, but when he went by me it looked as if entire rear end of his car was on fire! it looked the same as if billows of smoke were pouring out of the rear of his car. it engulfed the trunk, the bumper, everything.

so here is where i need your guys' help. this seems to me like he has nitrous (and quite possibly a leak), because even when i see other cars floor it i never see that much exhaust coming out to create that effect. what do you think? nitrous or no?

and my next question: should i have grabbed 2nd gear instead of 3rd? my thinking is that it would put me closer to VTEC so i would be making more power quicker, but then i would have to shift to 3rd shortly after anyway so i don't know if it would be worth it.

all in all i think he made a good kill out of me and i'm a good sport about it so i don't really care about losing or anything, but i just want to make sure it's not my driving skills (which it very well could be).

opinions? thoughts?

thanks!

Bob (SSTS)

THE TURBONATOR

you said it was an 06...sometimes you see cars in there break in phase that look like there burning off oil when floored..however what your describing (billows) sounds very wierd.

as far as passing you... he may be hitting the gas before your downshiffting...kinda of like what that 2.5 altima did to you..

I would of hit 2nd for the quick power then drop it to 3rd...

2003TL-S

Definitely grab second gear when you are at 50mph, thats the sweet spot in 2nd, I guarantee he won't be going by you with ease

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

By the time he's switching lanes, he's already laid down the hammer. Too late for you.

Next time, ask him to slow down and have an actual race.

F23A4

CL Platano

Yeah he already has a head of steam while you are trying to get going..Drop it in 2nd for a hot sec , then hit 3rd and ride that out as much as possible..Just be safe.

THE TURBONATOR

F23A4 ...
what do you make of the smoke...you ever hear of that with the new maxs?

SatinSilverTypS

iTrader: (1)

i second you on the break in period but this looked the same as if he blew out a piston ring and was burning every last drop he had in his pan. it was crazy. and i could swear it looked as if some of it was coming out of the trunk.

2nd gear it is. next time i won't roll over so easy. yeah i haven't seen that altima in the past 2 weeks either. i must be leaving at different times in the morning.

CL Platano - thanks man, i'm very careful about where i choose to let the car out. i have no desire to hurt myself or someone else. if there's any traffic in the wrong direction i wouldn't even think about doing something stupid like that. above all things you gotta be safe

SSTS

typeR

the smoke is proablly condensation and yes you need to be in second and still he may have as much as a 20 mph head start on you...next time keep him close enogh that he cant run up on you and then pass either slow down or speed up ...but if you cant do either as soon as you notice him hitting the gas you do to in 2nd i doubt he'll get by you

F23A4

I've only heard of that when Seafoam has been used as an additive.

SatinSilverTypS

iTrader: (1)

well it was definitely condensation but the amount was unbelievable. i think that someone could have really mistaken it for a carfire or something. i have a hard time believing it was all from his exhaust. i wish i could catch the guy at a gas station to chat with him or something. i'm very curious now....

SSTS

ResidualFreedom

good point.... The seafoam does do that after it is used..

2K2SilverTL-S

What the heck are you doing racing while in 3rd gear doing 50?

You need to be in 2nd gear!!!

SatinSilverTypS

iTrader: (1)

well most of the time i'm on the highway doing 65ish so it just makes sense :oP but yeah i was practicing on the way home last night and 2nd gear is definitely the kick in the pants the car needs to start moving

SSTS

juruki

iTrader: (2)

If you started in 3rd gear at 50 and he only pulled a car on you I think you might be able to beat him... Good luck

03CoupeV6

My cars put out billows of white condensation/steamy "smoke" out of their tailpipes when the engines aren't warmed up completely and I gun it (bad for the engine, I hear). Maybe his engine is cold and that's what is happening. Nothing wrong with the car.

PenancE

U JUST SUCK LOL

fuckin wit ya.... yea those 06's r what 3.5 285hp?

reloaded

next time you see him behind you..and it's a clear road ahead of you, switch it to 2nd. And cruise in second until he tries to pass u.. Why wait till you see him switch lanes (illegaly) to shift to second..get ready for that crap man. I duno man..but since he's gonna hammer it down before you, and there's a lil lag in the downshift, you may as well prepare for it way before it actually happens.

TheAcAvenger

Definitely get to 2nd earlier. I dont see how he'd get you in 2nd. Do they come with available 6 speeds? if not, there's no way he should do that to you. Get in 2nd and lay the smack

F23A4

the 3.5SE has an available 6MT. That said, there are a couple of stock 3.5SE ATs that have posted low 14s....one was a rental IIRC.

THE TURBONATOR

what kind of times are the 6mt posting? seems like the torque steer on that would be scary

SatinSilverTypS

iTrader: (1)

nah, the 06 maximas are 265hp SAE Net. keep in mind this isn't reflective of the new SAE standard, which would cause the numbers to go down. they have alot of torque though. 255lbs.

SSTS

ed99

Maybe if you put it to 2nd gear, you will have a better result.

WdnUlik2no

How did you know it was an '06? Aren't 04, 05, and 06 the exact same body style? Just wondering if there is anyway you could tell the difference.

F23A4

The torque steer in my 02 Maxima 4AT is scary sometimes.

I havent witnessed any 6G Maximas making runs at the track but it seems that the typical 6MT is running low to mid 14s ...not unlike the 5.5G Maxima 6MT (2002-03).

lifetimeofwar

I raced a friend of mine that has the 06 maxima, and from a light to about 80ish and i was about a car ahead i used SS too!! soo when you see him dont even give him the chance stomp on him!!

THE TURBONATOR

A car length? what are you driving? modded?
A full car length at 80 is pretty significant for a race against an 06 max.

SatinSilverTypS

iTrader: (1)

good call. i forgot they were all the same. in that case i honestly wouldn't know if it was an '06 or not. ::shrugs:: maybe some day i'll find out.

SSTS

lifetimeofwar

Not modded.... yet, but i said about a full car length= (not full) and anyway he used auto (thinks its faster)

2K2SilverTL-S

I'll verify brownie as well. I've ran my old roomates 04 maxima 5-speed auto many times in my 04 TL auto, and I can put about 1.5-2 car lengths on him to 110 mph. From 0-50 mph though, its pretty neck and neck since we both loose a lot of traction off the line.

reloaded

u talkin about the 3.5SE's?

F23A4

I was JUST going to post that ^^^^

THE TURBONATOR

why?
is there a difference in power between trim lines in the 6 gen Max? 5.5 gen?

F23A4

EDIT: He said 5AT so, it must be a 3.5SE.

SatinSilverTypS

iTrader: (1)

so i saw the guy yesterday morning again. i was doing about 65 in 3rd in SS and he went to pass so i dropped it to 2nd, of course the car won't shift to 2nd at 65mph so i rode out third. he didn't pass me nearly as dramatically but there was nothing i could do since it took so long to get into VTEC. once VTEC hit he was literally just in front of me but couldn't pull on me.

so i guess i either need to start from 50mph in 2nd or 70mph in 3rd....or get some more mods put in.....since there seems to be a bit of a deadband from 55-65.

the more i see that car the more i'm beginning to like it too....except for the nose. hate the nose.

SSTS

TLsu

Agree, I don't like teh front end either.

Y.O TL

I think you should swerve in front of him, lol. All kidding aside, if you know this guy or see him at the light, ask to run him sometime. By now he's thinking he can always do this to you so i guess you should show him its not as easy as he thinks it is. By the way, if this is a one lane road, then you guys are playing a very dangerous game with the oncoming traffic. Be careful.

reloaded

nah i just thought that the maximas were faster than that. I mean 1.5-2 car lengths? I know those are heavy cars..but I was always under the impression that it was able to give the TLs a better challenge.

Monte TLS,MAX

They are, you go to Maxima.org and they say the same thing...........Maxima pulls harder low to mid more torque (02-06 Max), TL slightly better up top due to better gearing.

CBR1100XX

You could consider trading for a 06 6spd 3 G. Might be alot closer race with a real stick.