This is my 1999 Nissan Maxima GXE, acquired in September of 2005. It's the first car that I've owned that I can actually call my own. The car itself is stock underneath all that sheet metal with the exception of a few minor exterior, and of course audio, modifications.

One of the first things I did to the car, aside from tinting the windows, was switch out the bumper lenses. I think the clear ones look better than the stock orange, seeing as the rest of the lenses (headlights, marker lights) on the front of the car were clear as well. In addition, with the help of my dad and E-bay, I was able to obtain a nice set of alloy wheels from another fourth generation Maxima. The wheels are like what would have been on the car, had it been a GLE model.

One thing I love about the 1999 Maxima is the instrument panel. It was redesigned for 1999, as in the 1995 to 1998 models, the needles were white and the odometer was mechanical. When the '99 models came around, they switched to red and included a digital odometer/trip meter.

The 190-hp V6 is both smooth and powerful, delivering lots of torque through the entire RPM range. This car is known by some as the "four door sports car" and it has a transmission that can support that claim. The Maxima is a far cry from the 140-hp 4 cylinder I had in the last car I drove, plus its a few pounds lighter.

I've had a lot done when it comes down to audio in the car. The stock radio/tape deck is out (as it wasn't a BOSE model) and I replaced it with an Alpine head unit. The four speakers were replaced with Alpine Type-S 6" speakers, which provide high quality sound. As of right now, I have crisp clear sound all the way around (from highs to lows) without a subwoofer. Four 6" speakers in such a small cabin can produce amazing acoustics. I'm still exploring the idea of adding more, but right now I'm content. The picture on the right (with me washing the car) is with the old wheels, before we switched them out with the alloys.