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I have a 2004 Nissan Sentra. Still an issue no matter what? If so, then why do people drive without them?

I seriously want to take the back seat bench out just to save weight but it's technically my dad's car and he won't let me dick around.

I thought you drove a ferrari.. then it's no problem!

jokes aside..

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I have a 2004 Nissan Sentra. Still an issue no matter what? If so, then why do people drive without them?

I seriously want to take the back seat bench out just to save weight but it's technically my dad's car and he won't let me dick around.
What is it shielding?
 
Random gear head/car guy question.

I want to remove the heat shield that's on my hood. Just for aesthetic purposes. I've seen cars without but not sure if they're just show cars or still functional. If I drive without that material there, what will happen?
This heatshield material, is it on the engine bay side of the hood? If yes, I'm confused. It's a Sentra? And you think removing the heatshield will improve it's aesthetics? It's your Father's car? Leave it alone. It ain't yours to mod.
 
Random gear head/car guy question.

I want to remove the heat shield that's on my hood. Just for aesthetic purposes. I've seen cars without but not sure if they're just show cars or still functional. If I drive without that material there, what will happen?
Once while I was at work a customer said her car was smoking. I happened to go look at it just to see if I could help and I was told her friend just installed a sub but he broke the hood release while running the wires. Im guessing he also removed the heat sheild on the hood itself (the dark fire resistant pad) so he could fit a larger battery terminal for said new wires.

Long story short, it took me two fire extinguishers to keep the flames down before the fire crew arrived with tools to rip the hood open to stop the electrical fire. Battery was shorting on the hood.

But my AE86 never came with one, so I guess "its fine as long as you don't do something stupid". I always figured those were as much for sound deadening (nobody likes valve and fan noises) as they were for heat.
 
Hahaha yea, completely inconsequential, I know. It's just for when I have to lift the hood. Other things I want to do include using plastidip on the stock basic rims so they are solid black and possibly get a respray. Oh, and get out a little dent I made when a piece of angle iron fell on the left rear quarter panel. The paint job is silver and there are parts that have dried drips. It's so shoddy. Plus, silver is boring. I want it blue like I paint my GT6 cars. I've seen blue Sentras and they look nice. Maybe also move the license plate to the side so the front fascia is visible.

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Once while I was at work a customer said her car was smoking. I happened to go look at it just to see if I could help and I was told her friend just installed a sub but he broke the hood release while running the wires. Im guessing he also removed the heat sheild on the hood itself (the dark fire resistant pad) so he could fit a larger battery terminal for said new wires.

Long story short, it took me two fire extinguishers to keep the flames down before the fire crew arrived with tools to rip the hood open to stop the electrical fire. Battery was shorting on the hood.

But my AE86 never came with one, so I guess "its fine as long as you don't do something stupid". I always figured those were as much for sound deadening (nobody likes valve and fan noises) as they were for heat.
Good point. He added a larger battery and that did it. I would be doing nothing to the engine. I can check to see how much clearance there is to see if it's a lot/enough. Without sound deadening I can really hear if something is going wrong. That's a plus.
 
@DesertPenguin09 IMO, don't move the front license plate. You would only move it yo the side to open up airflow to an intercooler or radiator. Otherwise it's as purposeful as a fake hood scoop.

As for the under hood padding, the aesthetic part of it is only when your hood is up. Also, I am with @ConnorWolf on the added sound deadening it provides as well. I sure wouldn't let my kid mod my car!
 
Got it. No to the hood padding. Maybe for the license plate. I don't care about airflow, I just want it to look better. Cars in other states don't even need a front license plate. And that way you can see the actual front of the car.
 
Got it. No to the hood padding. Maybe for the license plate. I don't care about airflow, I just want it to look better. Cars in other states don't even need a front license plate. And that way you can see the actual front of the car.
I have to ask, where were you thinking of moving the license plate to?
 
Off-center like most other cars you see that have it somewhere other than center. I don't wanna be that loser that keeps it on the dashboard. Something like this. I'd probably have to get a new, euro spec bumper or something. Making new holes is easy, filling the old ones is something I don't know about.

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Look around on sentra forums. I'm sure someone has made or sells a bracket. Buying a new bumper just to relocate the plate is kind of expensive for the end result.

As for having the plate on your dash, that's actually illegal probably everywhere. If someone rear ends you, it can be very dangerous.
 
Off-center like most other cars you see that have it somewhere other than center. I don't wanna be that loser that keeps it on the dashboard. Something like this. I'd probably have to get a new, euro spec bumper or something. Making new holes is easy, filling the old ones is something I don't know about.

I'm disappointed DP, I thought you'd have something more creative for us, lol.
 
Off-center like most other cars you see that have it somewhere other than center. I don't wanna be that loser that keeps it on the dashboard. Something like this. I'd probably have to get a new, euro spec bumper or something. Making new holes is easy, filling the old ones is something I don't know about.

Keep the bumper you have and get one of these:

 
Look around on sentra forums. I'm sure someone has made or sells a bracket. Buying a new bumper just to relocate the plate is kind of expensive for the end result.

As for having the plate on your dash, that's actually illegal probably everywhere. If someone rear ends you, it can be very dangerous.
I almost got that ticket for the dash plate. Let me off with a TTP warning
 
I ran without a front plate on my old car for a bit because I had a new bumper fit, and was waiting on delivery for a license plate bracket. A cop saw and asked where my front plate was, and was just joking around. He loked the car so he said it didn't matter lol.
 
Good point. He added a larger battery and that did it. I would be doing nothing to the engine. I can check to see how much clearance there is to see if it's a lot/enough. Without sound deadening I can really hear if something is going wrong. That's a plus.
Actually I think the way those pieces mounted to the inside of hoods are supposed to work is that the plastic attachment pins are suppose to melt in the event of an engine fire and that piece will fall of and attempt to smoother the flames. Its not really for sound deadening, but more for extra safety.
 
I have a 2004 Nissan Sentra. Still an issue no matter what? If so, then why do people drive without them?

I seriously want to take the back seat bench out just to save weight but it's technically my dad's car and he won't let me dick around.
if you really arent racing the car then i see no point in removing it. also removing the back seat is pointless as well if you arent racing it
 
[...] removing the back seat is pointless as well if you arent racing it


@DesertPenguin09 I agree. Unless your car is already 2500lbs or under you will not notice ~40lbs difference from the middle of the car even in 'spirited driving', but you will notice that now you can't take passengers.

Edit: Removing weight is great for race cars and all, but the kinds of mods you will notice the biggest effect from in a street car are things like good tires inflated to the right pressure**, a good alignment, brakes that are in good shape and bled properly (maybe with some slightly better pads and if the pedal is still 'mushy', braided steel lines), and if you want the car to sound better, a "cold air intake" (which likely will not give you any extra power or let the car breathe colder air than the stock airbox, but will let you hear that nice induction sound and make the engine seem more responsive). Poly bushings can make the car feel better as well but can be a pain to install yourself without good tools.

After that if it's still not handling to your standards, maybe better dampers like KYB's (or Konis/Bilsteins if you want really good ones) and a rear sway bar. If you're using street tires I wouldn't recommend going to different springs or a giant front sway bar, they will make the car feel faster and change direction more sharply but will not give you any extra grip, and the ride will be less comfortable for passengers or parental units... (although there may be some decent springs out there for street tires with a safe, mild dop. I found good ones for my AE86.)

Most of that stuff I recommended you can do yourself with hand tools (except the dampers, might want air tools, and you'd need a spring compressor, coil springs are dangerous), and if you did all of those things your car would look basically stock but would be a neutral handling, grippy driver's car. Well, basically. "Car guys" might give you crap for not slamming it, or putting a massive turbo on it, but when it comes to your only car (especially your parent's car) - "if it 'aint broke, don't fix it".


**try a slightly lower pressure in the rear in a front-heavy FWD, about 2-5lbs less. Use the wear indicators on your sidewall, the tire wear should stop at the point of the small triangles that are on most tires. That means you are using your full contact patch. Many times street cars driven aggressively will use more of the front sidewall than they should because of their lack of camber, and not enough of it in the rear. To get the balance feeling right you may have to use more pressure in the front than the what is recommended (often this is in your car's door jamb) but do not exceed the rating on the tire sidewall. If you increase it too much, the center of the tire can expand out like a balloon when it warms up and can cause unexpected understeer because of the reduced surface area.
 
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Well said @ConnorWolf, not much to add to that.

One thing not many people would think of when removing the rear seat is how much more noise you'll hear. You'll start to hear more from the rear tires and exhaust.
thats why im glad i dont have my s14 anymore, i had no backseats and all the sound deadening material had been taken out.
 
How could you win if you didn't get one of the first two picks?

I get what you are saying as some games out there weigh heavily on your ability to pick the podiums every race.

The F1 fantasy game (PFRL) I've been playing for the last few years is centered around building and improving teams throughout the season. You can actually perform horribly in a few races and still be very competitive. I am just curious what F1 fantasy leagues others are playing.
 
Now that the new F1 season is upon us, who here partakes in a F1 fantasy league?

If you like to play just for the fun of it and you have a dark sense of humor then there is one f1 Fantasy league that I like to play but it's a little bit different.

You can choose one team and three drivers and the way you win and get points is not by how many wins a team or driver gets or how you manage them. The way you get points is by the number of stupid things a team or driver does. For example, you get points if a driver you picked crashes, double points if there is a fire or if your driver runs over the mechanics at a pit stop.

Also you can get points if your driver does cool things outside the track, like having an epic moustache or mullet, declare that he was secretly gay, get divorced on a race weekend or start a fight in a bar.

As for the teams is more or less the same, stupid strategy, espionage scandals, or dressing the drivers in superhero costumes. This time I'm going to pick sauber, that thing with Van der Garde is going to give me tons of points! Even more if the team principal goes to jail.

The only thing is that the page is in Spanish and it's under construction (they say before Malaysia will be ready and maybe there is something similar in English but I don't know really ) but it's a ton of fun to watch the races expecting something stupid to happen. :cheers:

You can check it here http://www.ligasordidaf1.com/

And some of the articles here: http://vicisitudysordidez.blogspot.com.es/2014/12/premios-y-resultados-de-la-liga.html
 
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