Shoot me a PM with your cell, I’ve got pics/video I can send

 

Build Update:

Well thanks to @iCrap, I was able secure a used OEM Midnight Grill. Got it installed, and also took the time to dial in the fitment of my Seibon CF Hood (had to drill into it to fit the OEM stops). Definitely cleans up the front end quite nicely:



Over the coming weeks I'll be dropping off my new Gen 1 Bumper and Rear Spats to get painted KH3. I'll probably then let them gas out before installing so I can get the bumper PPF'd to avoid any future damage. With those plans in motion, my thoughts now turn to getting my AFS Headlights modded- as they are in desperate need of refinishing to modernize the front.

Currently my thoughts are:

• Brand new lenses- Alibaba sellers have recently started selling replacement lenses for the Gen1 Sedans for ~$200 shipped. Since I'll have the headlights opened up it feels like a more permanent solution to solve the oxidation on my current lens
• Satin Black Housing- Want to tone down the chrome, and since my car is already gloss black this would provide subtle contrast. I plan to delete the OEM Fog/Turn signal as they are quite ugly/dated.
• Panamera Shrouds with Switchback Halo- I've had Quad Halos on my previous build, so this will give a classy look and replace the ugly OEM turn signal. Not sure if I'll keep the shroud black or chrome for contrast
• Switchback LED Strip- Provides DRL/Turnsignal functionality and helps modernize the front
• STi-R Lense with Honeycomb Etching- STI mod is a must have IMO, and etching will provide a little subtle flair.

The below image is mostly what I'm thinking of. Definitely welcome any thoughts and opinions- it'll be a little while before I actually pull the trigger on this.

 

My grille lives on

On my lights I did satin black insides and hid a halo behind the stock shroud which i thought looked pretty cool (kind of looked like iron mans arc reactor thing)
STI-R lenses with shims & Switchback turn signals. personally i think the strip at the bottom looks cheap so I would skip that...

If i were doing it again, the only different thing I would have done is tint or black out the amber on the corner.

 

Your grille is in good hands! Thanks again!

I do like the "arc reactor" kind of look, I just don't love how the G35s shrouds look (I'm spoiled by years of having 2010+), so the thinking was the Panamera shroud will help liven those boring shrouds up. Definitely agree on tinting/black out the amber corner pieces. I don't love how the strips look unlit either, but they fill out the headlights nicely when illuminated. I've got time before I pull the trigger so who knows what I'll end up deciding to do.

Unrelated, finally updated the very first post with all the mods I've done so far. Quite a bit of progress for just shy of 2 years of ownership (Purchased March 2021). This year, I hope to (mostly) complete this build so I can turn my full attention to building my Z. Stay tuned!

 

Build Update:

Received my 07-09 Sport Bumper freshly refinished in KH3. Test fitted the OEM Sport Lip and OEM Midnight Grille to see how it would all look:



Me likey . Excuse all the kids toys in the basement.

I also purchased a set of clear lenses for my upcoming headlight refinish from Ali Baba. New AFS headlights are outrageously expensive, and I didn't want to purchase Non-AFS ones and deal with the hassle of attempting to sell them. This cost ~$160 for a pair, and should arrive in early March. Most likely will outsource the retrofit, as my job is starting to heat up again. Just can't wait to not hate my front end, the current busted bumper and cracked headlights are driving me nuts.

 

You should use that opportunity to:

Remove the fog cap (it wont blind anyone, it can add an additional positive look to the headlight with a badass LED bulb which you would then be able to see from afar)
Decide on the low beam shroud to a sexier one or try to keep some chrome around, It carries an Ironman 1 reactor look. Adding or keeping some of the chrome around it will help it match all of the other bulb areas in the enclosure.
Same with the top peanut bulb, this one has a more of a Tig handle/ Plasma cutter/ small ballistic missle look
Remove/ paint it black or find a clear replacement for the orange reflector

The fact that these are AFS I would do my absolute possible to focus alll of my might and attention to making the projector shroud look as amazing as possible.

I did custom headlights as my hobby 15 years ago. Many times I would paint only certain parts of the reflector to give off a different light and for those black housing I would try to incorporate some chrome in uncommon areas. Many folks forget to conceptualize that the headlight will give off different looks in daytime/nighttime and many fall short on creativity.

There's only been 2-3 sets of 08-09 headlights from folks that I have liked, there could have been more but the stupid LED strip ruins the look for me.

 

Excuse the crude work in paint but something along these lines.

 

@BULL - Always love when you chime in, and appreciate the advice. Definitely like the idea of removing the fog cover and replacing with an LED, and don't worry I'm going to pass on the LED Strip. Definitely hear you on the daytime / nighttime look differences, and I'm not opposed to leaving some chrome especially as that will help tie in the Midnight Grill and door chrome accents.

Chrome around the projector/parking light is definitely uncommon, I'll have to think on that. I found this old pic from 180 Customs that's somewhat close to what you are talking about:




This one was painted blue slate (I would choose gloss or satin black) but shows off how the chrome could look. Not sure on the "Iron Man Orb"- might be a bit too on the nose, but I don't totally hate it either (other option would be straight Halo). The more I think about it, I'm not sure I want to go ahead with the Panamera Shroud as much as I love the look, it might cause issues with AFS. Oh well, gives plenty of time to agonize of lighting options

In other news, I snagged @iCrap 's Z1 HR Intakes and got them installed. This was definitely a mod I didn't NEED, but I do prefer the aesthetics of this setup over my Alibaba knockoffs. interestingly, the silicone is much thinner, and the wrinkle powdercoat is far superior to the Alibaba intakes. Install was a breeze as I've already done trimming, and there was no need to drop the bumper. The only challenge with the install was getting it to cooperate with my ADDW1 Catch Can setup. The tubes on that were 3/8" ID, and I was able to stretch the rubber to match the PCV inlets on the alibaba intakes. The Z1 Intakes require a 5/8" ID Hose, so there was no way the heat gun trick would help me there.

Amazon to the rescue! I found an aluminum 5/8" to 3/8" adapter for ~$8, and snagged two of those which arrived today. I cut the Z1 PCV hose in half and mated to the 5/8" end of each adapter, and then fed the ADDW1 hose to the other end. Worked like a charm.





Subtle change, but I love it!

I still need to install the 3D printed holders to keep the larger intakes up (will tackle this when I swap bumpers), and also source some filter socks for these intakes. But the engine bay is slowly starting to come together. There's a ton of rusted bolts that need replaced, need to replace engine/radiator covers, and I'll probably add a strut bar at some point.

 

Looks good. The intakes are so floppy stock, it bugged me a lot. When you install the brackets I sized the hole for a standard m6 bolt, just line it up on the crash bar, drill and tap (or if you're feeling lazy I guess a self tapper works too...)

 

Looks nice ! great build keep it up

 

Build Update:

AliExpress clear lens arrived today! Extremely fast shipping considering it came from China, and I'm very pleased with the quality of the replacements thus far. Of course we'll need to see how the fitment quality goes once they are retrofitted, but early judgement is that these are an excellent buy.



Finally us 07-09 guys have an option outside of buying brand new headlights

With the Z1 Intake install completed, I figured I'd reinstall the old engine cover to get it out of my basement. The original hardware was trashed, so I ordered a ZSPEC Titanium Engine Black bolts set (~$30) and mocked it up. Also purchased some black caps from amazon (thanks @Rochester for the idea/thread) to cover up the ugly rusted strut mounts. While a minor mod, I think it really helps clean up the bay and will help prevent water from building up there (especially important as I have a vented hood):



Love how the ADDW1 and Z1 Intakes complement each other for a sleek OEM+ Look

Of course, this reminds me that I need an engine cover emblem . Sourcing this will be a pain as you either have to get one off an old cover or get a CF replacement. Also will start noodling ideas to paint the cover too. This will most likely be a spring time project, but I've thought about Satin black (a la IPL cover to match the other engine components) or Burnt Copper to match my brakes.

 

Here I go again

I like 180s design, if i would change it I would go with a more circular LEDs on the ring and for paint I would try to match it to the midnight black's pearl flop. With those new lenses they should be perfectly see through.

As for the bay, since you most likely need to buy a new cover just to take the emblem, have you thought about cutting the front skirt parts of the front cover so it looks closer to the Z?

It will show your valve covers and possibly other nice areas in there that could compliment the bay as well. I know you already have a Carbon one however unlike the Z where it's two pieces with the strut bar cut out the Infiniti is straight and can be customized for a unique look. The issue is that type of cover will have you spending money on the bay

 

@BULL That's a great idea on trying to get the shrouds to match the Midnight Grille look. I'll try to see if I can get the paint code, or at least see if the retrofitter can add flakes for a close enough match. I like 180's design, it seems like they masked off and painted parts of a halo which is why it looks rectangular. I'm still exploring to see if the Panamera Switch 2.0 is compatible with AFS.

I do like your trimmed cover, but as you noted that would require quite a bit of work on the bay. My valve covers are pretty worn, and even the timing cover has seen better days. Worse yet, I checked my coolant overflow tank and noticed it was near empty- pointing to a potential leak or perhaps even a worn head gasket. I had been contemplating grabbing VQ37VHR block and building a Frankenstein motor (or sourcing a low mile JDM VQ35HR if I wanted to just refresh)- and if I did that I'd probably powder coat the timing covers and dress them up. This would make the trimmed engine cover make sense. Looks fantastic on your build though!

 

Notice all the P2M clamps in pic. He's already comfortable spending money on engine bay bling.

I think he should just buy an engine cover off ebay or craigslist or whatever, so that he has one with the Fuji still on it. Then he can experiment with painting his old engine cover before he comes to a final decision on what to do with the new one.

 

Exactly. I'm not worried about spending money, but I'd rather not spend it twice. There's a few more pressing mods to complete first so I've got plenty of time to wrestle with engine bay bling decisions