I seem to remember my friend's new Maxima having peeling paint on the hood. Not to mention the muffler was beginning to get rusty...you guys have to remember that Nissan was on the verge of becoming bankrupt not too long ago. Nissan will always play second fiddle to Honda and Toyota. Nissan knows that, and everybody else does too. Sure the Titan has more power than the Tundra, but for how long? Don't think one second that Toyota isn't ready to once again destroy Nissan. Last I checked, the F-150, Accord, Camry, and all of these non-nissan companies were constantly being placed in top honors. And let me tell you, those honors were given for a reason. Nissan is just trying to keep their heads above water with all of these new models, and their "sporty" appearance. That Sentra sure looks like an Altima to me from the front. They spent enough money on these machines. It may be a case of too much too late. This car market and economy is getting tight-throat. There will be many car companies that will not survive. I just don't see Nissan being in this survival category.

 

Quotes by Fonefiddy:

If you like going fast why drive rice? Just walk into the Ford dealership and buy a Mustang Cobra with a real V8 and get 390HP and 390LBFT of torque. If you really like doing engine swaps go to Ford Racing Performance Parts and get one of their 514ci engines with 625HP, now that will make your rice burn! Unless you are like all of those kids I see now-days driving little Toyotas, Hondas or Nissans with a 4ft tall rear spoiler, 20inch wheels, slammed suspension and a $6,000 paint job that their dad paid for running the stock 90hp 4-banger.

Will never see in a domestic? Sounds like you are describing Ford's 4.6L,5.4L V8's. Ford's modular V8 blocks have had these features since 1991, Toyota and Nissan took these Ford engines apart to learn how it is done, before building their copies.

As far as racing engines and championships go ahead and compare Ford's history with Nissan's. In short...Ford rules!

Nissan Titanic: Designed(copied) and built in America by a company financed(owned) and managed by the French with a Japanese name on it. Big deal.

 

Fonefiddy, do you not realize that there were very few 5.4 tritons that blew spark plugs? This problem was corrected within 6 months of the first on that did. If you want to see what trucks are trucks, look at the farms and the trucks they use. Around here I see many old (pre 1980) fords, a few 1997 or newer Cummins dodges, and a lot of 88-present chevies. It all boils down to what is cost efficient, if it lasts 200k so what. The chevy may have its problems yes, but it doesn't require a PHD to fix. The 5.4 had some early problems, NO engine is without them. Look at the cummins in the dodge, they still can't find an auto trans that will hold up to it. The PSD was the same way, when it came out in 94 Ford was losing E4ODs like mad. It's all boils down to what happens in the real world not the lab. You can do all the tests in the lab you want, they prove nothing. The lab is a controled environment that is nothing like the real world. Your engine is not going to breathe 70 degree sterile air all the time.....

 

Listen, I'm not flaming up Fords. I just listen to some of the things posted here and have to laugh. I dont know why it bugs me, But some peeps just dont get it right. Me included, at times.

The Nissan corporation is not only going to survive, it'll thrive. They out engineeer just about every other manufacturer out there. They are building great products and people will notice. They're very profitable and wont have a problem surviving.

Towboat,When i talked about Nissan engineering, I was describing the 80's model V6's that I've rebuilt, not 90's Ford stuff. Nissan has been building OHC engines since the 70's. Who's copying who?
They've been out engineering most companies since the beginning. The new V8 they have is an amazing engine, the 5 spd autotranny has been described as perfect.

I'd love to have a new Cobra engine powered sports car. I wonder how much the engine weighs? Did Ford get the exhaust and HP #'s worked out?

I'd like to see any domestic I6 that'll put down a TRUE 450 RWHP,ON STOCK INTERNALS, like the Nissan RB26DET will. I dunno bout you guys, but a dependable 450 HP out of a 2.6ltr engine. That's pretty impressive engineering to me.

Bashing Nissan, just because of it's Japanese origins. C'mon now. Some peeps need to wake up and realize. Designed(LOL, copied) built and sold in USA. Maybe we should start badmouthing DC, like we do the Japanese? Or maybe we should take a long look at where our rigs are born. Or look at where Ford corporate's money is invested. It's a global thang, now adays folks. Bashing the Titan because of it's nameplate is showing signs of.... ummm........ well you get the picture.

 

Hold your horses, Ford had an OHC engine in the 60's, the 427 SOHC, so now who's copying who???

 

lol, the more you live the more you learn.:-staun

 

That was funny or probably not funny to those that have the spark-plug blow-out problem on Ford's truck engines. This problem was fixed within 6 months of it being known by Ford - huh? No way. The first 4.6 engines were built in 1997, the first 5.4 engines were built in 1998. The head was not redesigned to prevent this problem until 2003 and it's not known yet if that redesign is effective. A long way from six months! The worst part of this problem is that the factory-installed plugs are blowing and if the owner is beyond 3/36 - no TSB, no support from Ford. If the owner complains loudly and works hard with their dealer, they can usually get some allowance on the approximately $2,000 per head repair. This problem apparently affects less than 10% of the engines built - but that is still a lot of unhappy customers that are not likely to ever buy another Ford product again. It's simply the kind of thing that should not happen and if it does, the manufacturer should fix it.

 

I like to bash rice as much as anyone here, but I think there's a lot of denial going on here. Like it or not, (most of you don't), the Titan is a real truck. More so than the Tundra, in many ways.

Is it ugly? Ugly sells. People want to be "different". Examples: Pontiac Aztec, Honda Element to name two. We'll give honorable mention to the entire current GM product line, as I think even Ray Charles can't stand to look at their crap. God they're makin' ugly *****.

Will it sell to traditional truck buyers? A few. It's no secret trucks are the hot sell. Expect their buyers to be more from the section of drivers looking to replace their Accords and Camrys. They're already foreign-car buyers, but now they want a truck.

Is it a threat to the F150? A little. Much more a threat to the Tundra, Chevy, and Dodge. In that order, as I see it.

It's amazing to me the arguements some of you guys are putting forward about how it won't sell, and I can remember hearing the very same stuff when Toyota rolled out the Tundra. Personally I consider the Tundra a pretender, but I think the Titan is more contender.

FWIW, I've seen an equal number of new '04 F150s as Titans, so they are definitely selling. I'm positive I'll be seeing more new F150s soon, but I'd bet there are a lot of savvy deals going on close-out '03 models still.

As I see it, it's a benefit to truck buyers such as ourselves. A worthy contender will keep Big Blue on their toes, and keep them in the cycle of continually improving the product. I think the competition has nothing but benefits for us consumers.

I got windy, so I'll sum up: I don't think it would be wise to underestimate the Titan.

 

The 5.4L was built in mid '96, my uncle ordered a '97 F-150 with a 5.4L in February of '96, and had to wait until August to get it, because the 5.4's were all going into Expeditions, and only 4.6's were being put in the F-150's.

 

Wisky......Yep! The money still goes to Japan, no matter how many are made here in the states!

Note: We all saw the CART indy league destroyed by foreign money.....Wait till Toyota gets into NASCAR in a month or so! I have been a loyal fan and follower of NASCAR since 1971. Not a diecast collector, but other rare NASCAR collectibles. The foreign money will ruin and change NASCAR forever. Just like the front engine, front wheel drive cars of GM did in the 80's with the Lumina.

 

You need to take a fresh look at things. Just saying all the money goes to Japan doesnt tell the story.

Take a trip down to Canton, Mississippi where the Titan is built, or to Decherd, Tennessee, where the VK56DE Endurance V8 is built.
Tell the 4-5000 people working on the Titan that their paychecks must go back to Japan. They cant use the money to build a new house, buy a new car, or feed their kids. Tell the Electrical company that makes thousands of dollars a year selling the plants electricty, that they should send their profits back to Japan. Tell the truck drivers, driving parts in and vehicles out, that they have to send all their money back to Japan. Tell all the government agencies, to send all the tax dollars they collect, back to Japan.

"All the money goes back to Japan", doesn't cut it anymore. Just as saying all Fords, Chevy's, Dodge's are built in the USA, doesn't, either.

All the old skool bigotry is amazing. It's a new era in the automotive game. ALLL the manufacturers know it, and are moving forward. Maybe it's time the automotive consumer did the same?


bigotry

\Big"ot*ry\, n. [Cf. F. bigoterie.] 1. The state of mind of a bigot; obstinate and unreasoning attachment of one's own belief and opinions, with narrow-minded intolerance of beliefs opposed to them.

 

I thought bigotry was short for big oak tree.

 

I didn't know people were calling opinions...bigotry now! I am entitled to mine, as you, to yours. Opinions that is.

If the automotive consumer does move forward....do you think by 2005, I could go out and buy A chevtoyforvolnisdodmazkiaporbenzimportexportsubcom pactfullsizeawd4wdsuperturbochargedcomputercontrol ledfuelinjectedsuvluxurysportpickupsedansportscart ruckminivanheavydutydutyramstroke vehicle of some kind?

I do my part each and every day not to buy foreign if at all possible. If that is bigotry, then I feel sorry for you. Support this country...and it's citizens.....FIRST.....not others.

 

Here is a tidbit of info on the whole where stuff is made. Currently 90%of GM, Ford, and Dodge cars are made over seas. They are assembled in the USA. If you would take the time to look at forgein news you would see that China's manufacturing plants are losing as many workers are we are. It's not because people aren't buying "home" products, it's automation. The more the robot(s) do the less people are required. So buying american products ensures that jobs will be taken away, as demand and profit go up so does the number of automated systems.

 

pfogle........Know all about percentage of foreign parts in vehicles assembled in USA, longtime ago from the early to mid 70's. Like I said, I do my best to buy american. WHY. Foreign robots making foreign cars and foreign workers repairing foreign robots. How long do you think it will take before you and I will be out of a job like a foreign worker is? Are money will be truly "foreign" to us, because we will not have buying power. I'd rather see american robots making american cars and american workers repairing american robots.

So where will the good jobs be if the trend continues? My bet is on healthcare! Why? Greedy execs layoff american workers because they have to make more profits, driven by GREEDY stock holders. Instead of them going long term, they want instant results in 24 hours. LOL! They went to college...ha ha. So greedy exec tells american worker get lost, you have no job, no buying power but always an option to move to a pig sty of a third world country.

Exec. gives lame excuse that he had to layoff to keep profits at a certain level or raise them or he would be toast. American worker has and still has highest productivity rate in the world....no time for senseless exercise on lunch breaks, etc. If Exec. laysoff any more factory will go from being efficiently run to a nightmare. So what is the next thing to do. Cut benefits. Hey everyone, your healthcare insurance just went up by 50%!. Execs. keep cutting cost and benefits, Healthcare Companies get greedier and have useless networks of healthcare set up to bilk the american worker or the american laid off worker out of money. American workers stop buying, factories stop producing. Leaves you and I to stowaway on a slow boat to a filthy third world country.

I have been to too many places in the world. I am very opinionated when it comes to living in the USA. The other second & third world countries do not even rate.