Thanks man- I'm super happy with how the headlights turned out. Really transforms the 07-09 headlights and gives it a JDM vibe (funny enough, clears weren't an option in Japan for the Gen 1s, only Gen 2 Headlights)

Yeah I'm torn on the fenders. I've been sitting on them for 2 years, so part of me wants to get them installed and other parts of me just wants to sell. If I do install they would be mostly painted black like this one below:




My current OEM fenders are trashed (only made more obvious by the newly painted bumper)- but I'll still be agonizing over this for awhile. The Seibon Fenders could help tie in the hood a little more, but I'm also not loving potentially sacrificing OEM fitment.

 

Build Update:

A minor mod, but one I stole from peeking through @Rochester 's excellent build thread- bit the bullet on a billet style oil cap from eBay. I was back and forth on this versus the updated Q50 Oil Cap- but for ~$24 I couldn't pass it up. Comes with a Nismo sticker that I ditched.



Clean, good weight and appears to be well made

Blends in seamlessly with Hybrid Cover and Z1 Intakes. Me gusta

The old Oil Cap was a little difficult to remove by hand- but as I was replacing it I went to town with some pliers. New cap was a perfect fit- very happy with the purchase for the price. Engine bay is starting to come together, but I gotta say dress up bolts are quickly moving up my list. These 14 year old rusted bolts are definitely an eyesore.

Next up, I've got some minor parts on the way to freshen up the License Plate Frame. The old black chrome frame I had on my previous G was showing its age- and the bolts were also starting to get stuck. I was able to remove everything this weekend, but one bolt was pretty stubborn and in the process of removing it with pliers I scratched up my license plate pretty good. New OEM "Slim" black Chrome License Plate, J-Brackets & Bolts are on order as well as new replacement license plate. Minor mods I know, but it's a bit of a relief to just tackle some small maintenance stuff after the front end overhaul.

 

That's a good looking engine bay. Very cool looking catch cans, P2M hose clamps, and the matte black intake pipes.

You'll probably find that removing this new cap is much harder than removing the OEM cap, which loosens easily with pliers... and that is not something you want to use with your new cap. In other words, just get used to the fact that you have to remove the engine cover first so you can grip it properly.

Even the little things are a compromise, LOL. Look at it this way, at least you don't have to remove a FSTB too.

 

Thank you! It's definitely been a journey slowly refreshing everything, but it's starting to come together. Good to know about the oil cap! Perhaps it's the fact the hybrid cover only has 4 bolts, I find that I can slip my hand under it without removing to turn the cap. I might make a reminder to loosen the cap every quarter or so- that way it doesn't get stuck. But you're right modding is a game of compromises- just have to find the tradeoffs you can live with!

 

Man those headlight covers are the truth. Came out amazing.

I do believe I had seen 2-3 folks in the past gotten successful with retrofitting a set of fogs to that bumper.

 

On another note look at this rear fog for the 35 bumper

 

^^^
That's a 2009, right?

I've never seen that before. The rear fog is kind of interesting, but boy would a North American license plate look silly on that.

 

Thanks @BULL , I agree nothing like a fresh set of headlight covers- it really brings out all the details in the headlight. I have seen some fog/DRL installed, but if I go that route I want to make it look as OEM as possible. While they look similar, the openings on the 07-09 Sport are a bit too small for the 2010+ Journey Fogs or even the OEM DRLs. The Q50RS LEDs do look like they could potentially work, and I think I found an old g35 forum post where someone used Mazda3 DRLs. I'll enjoy the current look for now, but this is something I'll look into after I complete other priorities.

I think that was standard for the Euro Spec V36s. In either case, I'd pass- I'm rocking a AutoKitsX diffuser that would obscure that lamp. I have thought about adding LEDs to it (to cover up the center "hole") or even upgrading to the Access Evolution diffuser. That's the best looking (IMO) and has space for 2x fogs, but requires a 2010+ rear bumper. Not really wanting to have to mess with that.

Unrelated, the bolts in the engine bay annoyed me enough... so I placed an order last night for a kit. More on that soon when it arrives

 

Build Update:

As noted in previous posts, the crusty bolts in my engine bay were really starting to annoy me- just really detracting from the work I've done to freshen the car up. After 14 years in service (most of that life spent in Maryland) it's to be expected:



Rusty bolts have got to go

I spent some time searching through various pre-made kits and researching options. Given my work schedule (and kids), I didn't have the time to pull bolts and size them up to source my own. Three options quickly emerged:

• Zspec- Most comprehensive kit available (nearly ~300 bits), and local to Ohio. But also replaces some grounding bolts that may lead to issues down the road
• DressUpBolts- Beautiful titanium bits, but at $300 it's a bit mouthwateringly expensive for a daily
• Downstar- I've seen these guys featured on many of the Throtl builds on YouTube. Reasonable price/coverage and contains 60+ pieces

After weighing my options I decided to give Downstar a try. Opted for Black Beauty Washers and Stainless Steel bolts. Packaged was shipped within two days and arrived last Saturday. Here comes a quick weekend project... so I thought.

All in all it took about 3 hours to swap the hardware in. Most of the challenges were due to the rusted out bolts being seized in areas (actually ended up having a strut nut catch my 12MM which added some complications). Had to also modify the radiator cover with a step bit to fit washers where push clips used to be. But all in all- fairly easy job. And the results are soooo worth it:



Much, much better!

I love the subdued nature of the Downstar Beauty Washers in black, and the Stainless Steel Washers compliment my P2M Clamps perfectly. Very happy with the purchase. Only complaints is instructions were a bit vague (literally have a package called fenders... like what) and I have some extra hardware for the stock airboxes (don't need as I have Z1 intakes)- but all and all it's a well thought out kit.

Cleaned up the bay a little bit while I was at it, and took a quick pick of the G prior to heading to work this morning. So much progress from where I started- and I'm having a ton of fun with the build.



It took me awhile to warm up to the 07-09 look, but man it looks proper. Almost coupe like.

Next up will be to begin stacking up parts to tackle the gallery gaskets/maintenance and prep for a tune. I also have a Z1 Metal Undershroud that needs installed (probably will outsource as it's way easier with a lift). Slowly getting there.

 

Very nice. Details like that make all the difference.

What are your plans for what to do about the "hybrid" section of the cover?

You know what? A new OEM coolant fluid bin would be all clean and white again. Same for the PS fluid bin. And that hood sensor bracket would look good primed and painted.

Also, try using Meguiars Tire Gel on all the black plastics under the hood. It's amazing.

 

Totally agree, it's one of those "sum is greater than it's parts" type of thing. For the "hybrid section"- it really depends on what I end up doing with the cover. Still unsure which way I want to go with it. I have a black and chrome vibe going on with the car- and I do like the silver breaking up the engine bay. Current thoughts: either I'd refinish in Silver or Matte Black (unsure if I want to sand the cover down for a smooth look or leave it textured) and then get the emblem sanded down and CF wrapped with an Infiniti Decal (Silver Lettering). But welcome thoughts here.

For the Coolant & PS Reservoirs- I'm torn here. OEM replacements are around $100, but definitely would freshen things up. There are also metal versions that could be had at similar prices (but you give up the ability to quickly see fluid levels, which I don't like). And definitely agree on the hood sensor bracket- good eye as always! I'd love to refinish that bracket in KH3 and get some new engine plastics for the side while I'm at it (my current ones are definitely showing their age).

 

And if you feel really ambitious, you could consider a blank plate for the back of the engine bay.

https://www.myg37.com/forums/g37-sed...nel-blank.html

 

@Rochester - ironically enough, I was looking at your thread earlier today on that mod. I've got that earmarked for this winter

 

Oh yeah, that's a good project for winter. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

Build Update:

Welp, after all the fun mods it's time to tackle some much needed maintenance- the dreaded oil Gallery Gaskets. I actually haven't noticed any issues with oil pressure, but I've noticed some coolant leaks from the water pump area so when replacing that I might as well future proof the engine for peace of mind.

Took advantage of some Labor Day sales to begin stock piling parts from both Z1 and ConceptZ. Here's the list:

• Oil Gallery Cover O-Ring
• VTC Cover Cam Gear O-Ring
• Crank Seal
• Thermostat Gasket
• Left VTC Cover Gasket
• Right VTC Cover Gasket
• Medium Timing Cover O-Ring
• Large Timing Cover O- Ring
• 2x Oil Gallery Gaskets
• Oil Gallery Cover O-Ring
• Main Timing Chain (long)
• Main Timing Tensioner
• Main Timing Tensioner Guide
• Main Timing Chain Top Guide
• Crank Sprocket
• Water Pump

Unfortunately the Right VTC Cover Gasket and Main Timing chain are currently backordered, so I'll have to wait for install. On that note, I found a local Infiniti mechanic recommended by the local G group to tackle the job- price should be around $900 for labor which I find very reasonable given the research I've done on this. Curious if there's any other recommendations on things to tackle while I'm in here. Already did the thermostat last year so that should be good.

I know not as exciting as some of my previous mods, but I'm looking forward to having the peace of mind. Once this is complete I'll get her tuned finally.