Team Hybrid's Sean Sheppard Shows Off His Customized 2010 Nissan Maxima

Sean Sheppard's 2010 Nissan Maxima received 1st place at the K&N 1st annual car show in Victoria Gardens
Sean Sheppard's 2010 Nissan Maxima received 1st place at the K&N 1st annual car show in Victoria Gardens
When it comes to brand loyalty, Sean Sheppard stays true to Nissan and he does not plan on changing brands anytime soon. Sean started custom building cars in 1990 when he bought a Nissan Sentra and installed a set of Dayton wire wheels, along with a suspension lowering kit. Because he loved that car so much, he felt why take a chance with a different auto manufacturer, and decided he would continue to stay with Nissan. Over the last 13 years he has purchased 1998, 2007, and 2008 Nissan Maxima models, succeeded by his current 2010 Maxima. Sean says he has gained a lot experience from his builds, however a lot of his knowledge about the Nissan Maxima came from his membership with the online car forum Maxima.org.
Sean Sheppard's 2010 Nissan Maxima
Sean Sheppard's 2010 Nissan Maxima


When Sean first started customizing cars he lived in Atlanta, Georgia where the custom car scene, in his eyes, was nothing compared to that of the car craze that was out west in California. Sean decided that if he wanted to be a serious part of the custom automotive scene, he had to move to California. Once Sean moved west, he became quite a bit more involved with the Maxima.org community, and soon had new friends that were more than willing to help him with his builds.

Since purchasing his 2010 Nissan Maxima, Sean has added various exterior custom products to his car including Lorenzo wheels with purple lug nuts, an E&G Classics grille, and a coil over kit. In addition, he has also added a number of performance products including a K&N air intake system, big brake kit, cat back exhaust, lightweight engine pulley system, a front lip kit, and a rear diffuser. Besides the cosmetic and performance modifications he has also added a race line strut bar, halo headlights, and a set of custom LED taillights. But even with all of these modifications, Sean stated that his build will never be completely finished. He mentioned a new set of Savini wheels he already had on order that he couldn’t wait to show off.
Sean Sheppard showing off his win for his 2010 Nissan Maxima
Sean Sheppard showing off his win for his 2010 Nissan Maxima


Explaining where his inspirations for this car came from he said, "The inspiration for my ride is a beautiful woman, Marlene Celina. She is my greatest love to date, and my soul mate. Cars and women have a lot of the same characteristics when you really sit down and think about it. I love a woman with nice curves, and beautiful cars always have nice flowing curves. That's why I love the 7th generation Maxima; I just get caught up in how beautiful its curves are."
Sean Sheppard's 2010 Nissan Maxima with a K&N air intake system installed
Sean Sheppard's 2010 Nissan Maxima with a K&N air intake system installed


When asked what he does to get his car ready for a show Sean answered, "To make sure my Nissan Maxima is ready, I use high-quality car care products on my ride the night before the show. Once we get to the show, my son and I give the car a once over to make sure we get all of the dust and dirt off from the drive to the car show. I want to ensure that anyone that is looking at my car will at least say it's clean, if nothing else."
The side profile of Sean Sheppard's 2010 Nissan Maxima demands attention
The side profile of Sean Sheppard's 2010 Nissan Maxima demands attention


As far as shows and magazine features go, Sean told us, "My car hasn't been featured in any magazines yet. The K&N 1st Annual Car Show was my first win, and my second car show, so I feel pretty good about what I'm doing. My first car show was the Extreme Autofest in Anaheim, California. I didn't place or anything, but in a way I still won because that is the place where I became a member of Team Hybrid. The only thing I can say about Team Hybrid is that it is one of the best things to ever happen to me as a person. They really treat their members well, and I love being a part of their team. I have been into cars for most of my adult life, about twenty years, so for me to get a spot on this team validates me as car guy."

When asked why he chose a K&N 69 Series Typhoon Air Intake, Sean told us, "The reason I went with K&N’s products instead of any other brand is that when it comes to air and intake, I want to go with a brand that only works with intakes, not any other aftermarket stuff. Because I think that getting air to your car is so important, I chose K&N products over everyone else. This is my first experience with a K&N intake system, and I have to say that I love it."

It is easy to see that Sean has taken a great amount of pride in his build. When he was at the K&N Open House in Victoria Gardens, the car was immaculate and deserving of his win at the event. K&N is looking forward to seeing more of this car. From the looks of the way Sean is going, this car is on its way to receiving many more awards.
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