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I bought the car CPO in April 2016, with 36k miles on the odometer. This is my DD and I try my best not to spend too much of my money on my car hobby, so this build will probably move slowly. My goal with the car is a good balance between comfort and performance. Aesthetically, I am going for a more tasteful build, trying my best to avoid tacky mods like blacking everything out with plastidip, covering the windows w/ stickers, etc.
Only mods so far are:
- Dealer-installed Stillen catback exhaust that was on the car when I bought it
- Tanabe front strut tower brace
- DIY grounding kit
I have a Hotchkis rear sway bar coming in. If anyone is local to the Bay Area and can help me out or loan me some jack stands, that would be great
Otherwise, feel free to share your opinions, comments, and questions.
11/11/2016: Installed the Hotchkis rear sway today.
11/23/2016: washed and removed some paint overspray today (thank you Infiniti dealership...)
There's a large enough aftermarket for these cars, particularly the 6MT. If you want recommendations on how to go about a slow hobby on a low-mile daily driver, there are a few of us here who've gone that route. I think it's an old-man-thing, because some of the youts here go big and do it all in one season. And while that might be a rush, it doesn't give you the time needed to really appreciate each mod. That might come across as psycho-babble, but everything is a hack in the end, so give yourself the breathing space to enjoy things.
My advice... list everything out, even the little bits, because the little things are what keep you involved in-between the larger mods. Figure out maintenance and wear parts, and how they would integrate into a modding schedule. Set up a calendar and spread goals out over the years. Then as the years slip by, fine tune things to the month so that they fit your budget, as well as your goals. Items will certainly drop off your list as new ones find their way on to it, and you'll probably change your mind a million times, about things like which brand to research, which mod to prioritize and in what sequence.
In other words, planning can be as much a part of the hobby as the car itself.
This is excellent advice Rochester.
I'm going to adopt it more now that I see it written out specifically than I had been on my own already. Makes perfect sense.
Originally Posted by Rochester
Slow build, FTW.
There's a large enough aftermarket for these cars, particularly the 6MT. If you want recommendations on how to go about a slow hobby on a low-mile daily driver, there are a few of us here who've gone that route. I think it's an old-man-thing, because some of the youts here go big and do it all in one season. And while that might be a rush, it doesn't give you the time needed to really appreciate each mod. That might come across as psycho-babble, but everything is a hack in the end, so give yourself the breathing space to enjoy things.
My advice... list everything out, even the little bits, because the little things are what keep you involved in-between the larger mods. Figure out maintenance and wear parts, and how they would integrate into a modding schedule. Set up a calendar and spread goals out over the years. Then as the years slip by, fine tune things to the month so that they fit your budget, as well as your goals. Items will certainly drop off your list as new ones find their way on to it, and you'll probably change your mind a million times, about things like which brand to research, which mod to prioritize and in what sequence.
In other words, planning can be as much a part of the hobby as the car itself.
Took my car out to the canyons today. Still haven't installed the Hotchkis sway but it gave me a good opportunity to baseline the car's handling feel on entirely stock suspension, tires, and brakes.
In the twisties, I cannot keep up with my friend's stock FR-S (he just got new summer tires too).
I am very impressed the G37 sedan's power and steering feel. Brakes are good too. I always criticized the light steering weight but it was the perfect weight when pushing the car a little harder. The car has plenty of power on tap and I rarely found myself flooring the car to redline.
Areas of improvement:
- The tires. The stock Bridgestone RE050s on this car seem mediocre. I'm hoping better tires will improve the grip for this car. It seems to break traction quite easily, even for the power. What are the more affordable alternatives to Michelin PSS?
- Body lean. This is probably a function of the car's weight, but I think it will be drastically reduced once I get my sway bars installed, and upgrade the suspension to a decent coilover set, I was thinking the entry-level Tein Basis. The center of gravity is quite high compared to the FR-S, it's almost hilarious how low the boxer 4 sits in the FR-S, and how high the V6 sits in the G37.
I'm perfectly happy with the car's power. Sound is good too, I feel no need to install an intake. Brakes are fine. Now I know that my priorities are:
- Sways and chassis bracing
- Coils, maybe even air suspension down the line (?!)
- Tires, but I want to wear through my existing stock tires.
Might look at Bridgestone S0-4 Pole Positions, BFG Sport Comp 2, and Hankook Ventus V12 Evos. Sometime at tirerack.com you can find some nice deals w/ rebates. Bet your buddy in the FR-S is feeling quite smug
Body lean. This is probably a function of the car's weight, but I think it will be drastically reduced once I get my sway bars installed
Very much so. The first year that I had my car, I participated (as a total noob) in a local Auto-X event. Timed runs through a cone track in a huge parking lot. The next year I participated again, with the only significant changes to the car being a set of PSS and Eibach Swaybars. The difference from one year to the next was eye-opening, particularly in running the slalom. Body roll and understeer were no longer a problem.
Take that with a grain of salt. I was an Auto-X noob then, and still am. These days all I do is barnstorm back roads and pretend I can drive as well as the car is capable.
My point being, it sounds like you will appreciate aftermarket sways on your car more than most. You won't be disappointed.
Might look at Bridgestone S0-4 Pole Positions, BFG Sport Comp 2, and Hankook Ventus V12 Evos. Sometime at tirerack.com you can find some nice deals w/ rebates. Bet your buddy in the FR-S is feeling quite smug
Thanks for the recs. I think we both knew from the beginning that the FR-S would wreck me in the twisties, haha. He thoroughly enjoyed listening to my exhaust when driving behind me though
Originally Posted by Rochester
Nice, objective review.
Very much so. The first year that I had my car, I participated (as a total noob) in a local Auto-X event. Timed runs through a cone track in a huge parking lot. The next year I participated again, with the only significant changes to the car being a set of PSS and Eibach Swaybars. The difference from one year to the next was eye-opening, particularly in running the slalom. Body roll and understeer were no longer a problem.
Take that with a grain of salt. I was an Auto-X noob then, and still am. These days all I do is barnstorm back roads and pretend I can drive as well as the car is capable.
My point being, it sounds like you will appreciate aftermarket sways on your car more than most. You won't be disappointed.
Looking forward to it. BTW, did you install both F+R sways? Or just rear sways? Because I'm about to install rear sways only, wondering if you have any experience running that type of setup and whether it is...safe on the road?
Nice to see a new project from the beginning. What part of the Bay are you from? I might be able to help recommend a few mountain/canyon roads you can use to get more comfortable with your car, and to test new mods as you put them on.
Depending on your budget I usually recommend suspension mods first. You keep any warranty you might have on the car, and for someone who enjoys the spirited twists and turns of a canyon road, you will get more out of your mods. My stock hp Cruze can put a number of cars to shame, stock or not.
Nice to see a new project from the beginning. What part of the Bay are you from? I might be able to help recommend a few mountain/canyon roads you can use to get more comfortable with your car, and to test new mods as you put them on.
Depending on your budget I usually recommend suspension mods first. You keep any warranty you might have on the car, and for someone who enjoys the spirited twists and turns of a canyon road, you will get more out of your mods. My stock hp Cruze can put a number of cars to shame, stock or not.
I am in the Daly City/San Francisco area. My friend in the FR-S introduced me to the CA-35/92 roads in San Mateo. Where do you like to go?
I agree with you on the suspension mods. I might hold out on installing my rear sway until I can find a matching front sway for a good price...that way I don't double spend on labor for what are similar jobs. Either that, or take the plunge and purchase the equipment I need to do the job myself :/
Labor charge for front and rear sway bar shouldn't be over a one hour minimum. With the car on a lift, and an experienced mechanic, this is a very easy project. Probably the most cost effective mod you can do for this car, and something you will certainly appreciate.
10-19-2016, 06:20 PM
bsanalyst's 2013 G37S Sedan Build Thread
