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I figured I’d start a build thread since I’ve been posting frequently about updates to my car. I’m going to start by pasting in bits of previous posts to various other threads and continue adding as I make new changes to my set up. I realize it’s a bit redundant but what is the harm? It’ll be nice to chronicle the build in one thread, and this forum could use a bit more activity if I’m being honest.
So, from my first post about the car, after I brought it home in January of this year:
I took a clay bar to half of the car tonight, plan to do the rest some time later this week (car stays in garage). 2013 G37S 6MT with about 62k miles. I flew to New Jersey and bought it about a month ago, drove it back to California through a snowstorm on 9 year old tires (definitely **** my pants more than once), made it back home in 2 days. The front end took a beating so I got the front 4 panels repainted and its given the car a few years back. Wheels are currently finished with Brass Monkey PlastiDip (2 coats black + 2 Brass Monkey), there are some imperfections in the original finish and I wasn't keen on spending the money for refinishing/new wheels just yet. I think it looks pretty good. I'm back and forth on whether or not to tint windows because I think this is a clean OEM look.
Since bringing the car home I've done the following: New tires: Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2, stock size -- relatively inexpensive, comfy, and will let me have some fun with the back end without too much effort. LSD fluid: Motul 300 LS 75w90 MT fluid: Redline MT85 Oil and filter change: full synthetic (not sure what, got it done at a local shop) New cabin and engine air filters New caliper bleed nipple caps - its a minor thing but really makes a difference in freshening up the car aesthetically Removed locking lug nuts Removed stupid New Jersey related windshield stickers
I've got some parts coming in the next few days so I'll be installing: Gloss black grill Beluga mid pipe back exhaust (coming tomorrow, install this weekend, stoked)
Then I'll probably be itching to get wheel spacers to address the chicken leg syndrome and give the car a more muscular look. I had ordered an R1 concepts brake kit (rotors+pads, front+rear) but while inspecting with wheels off I found the existing rotors and pads had plenty of life left so I returned them. I may get a brake fluid flush however since brake feel is a bit lacking.
Last edited by mad.cool; May 12, 2024 at 03:12 AM.
Here is a picture of the Beluga Y back exhaust during and after install:
And a few installs along with my thoughts from the last week of March:
- Clutch pedal return spring replacement with lower spring rate. It was an easy install and the improvement in feel was decent (10% - 20% if I had to put a number to it), I don't think I'll be itching for an upgraded clutch pedal assembly any time soon.
- ISR Y pipe. A few weeks ago I got a Beluga Racing Y back exhaust (~$530) that is originally made for the 370z, however it is offered for the G coupe with the addition of an extension pipe connecting the Y pipe to the mid pipe. Initially I was running the OEM Y pipe and this was somewhat hacky given the inlet diameter for the BR exhaust is 3" versus the smaller OEM Y pipe outlet. In general this exhaust is pretty modest, but with the OEM Y pipe I felt like it needed maybe 10-15% more volume for it to be perfect. With the ISR Y pipe ($250) installed the sound is both deeper and just a little bit louder, and I'm very pleased with this setup. With my butt dyno it also seemed like throttle response and/or mid range torque had improved making the car feel more responsive.
- OEM 370z front springs. I kept mulling over getting Swift lowering springs but I couldn't justify spending $400 on them given how much time/money I had been putting into the car since getting it (ask my wife). Despite this I wanted to do something about the front wheel gap and after doing a bit of research learned about the 370z springs. I found a pair of front springs on eBay for about $60 shipped expecting a drop between 0.5" to 0.8" based on what I had read, and I was prepared to cut the rear spring perch in case the springs dropped even more. Me being a cheap ***, I chose to reuse the front struts and spent a couple of days installing the springs. After one side was done I tried to compare it to the other side and couldn't see any difference... welp. I trudged along, got the other one done and was pleasantly surprised to see both fender gaps reduce by enough to make the front and rear fender gap difference virtually indiscernible, which was ultimately my main goal. As far as how it feels to drive... I would say the car feels just slightly more taut (in a good way) but ride quality really doesn't feel any worse. For $60 and being sore from the install, I'm really happy with the results. Note that using brand new 370z replacement front springs is also an option and inexpensive (~$40 each non OEM) but I opted to go with what folks have already reported on. I don't think an alignment is in order, but we'll see.
Pics: Top right is more zoomed in, makes the gap look bigger. Front still has a hair more gap vs rear, but it is much improved.
- OEM replacement pads and rotors (Callahan aka PowerStop). Since getting the car in January I've noticed a slight vibration during moderate/hard braking but it hadn't bothered me a whole lot since it was minor. Initially I bought an R1 concept brake kit (rotors, pads) for ~$500 but ended up returning once I inspected the brakes more closely and saw that they were in decent health (aside from the slight vibration...). As time went by I got more and more bothered by the worn and rusty looking rotors, and with the vibration rearing its head every now and then I decided to look into brakes again. Found this OEM replacement kit for around $260 and went in. I installed these right after installing the 370z springs and the install went mostly fine, except when one of the mounting bolts decided to cross-thread on the passenger side rear caliper. I was mad lucky that I had the right M12x1.25 tap and die from when I lifted my Accord a few months ago and was able to recover with a bit of reworking. Another snafu was that I forgot to take out some brake fluid and the pressure from calipers during the pad change caused it to spill from the reservoir. After a mild panic and frantic cleaning I think I'm good.
Last edited by mad.cool; May 12, 2024 at 02:58 AM.
RJM pedal and axle click fix from a few weeks ago:
I received and installed an RJM clutch pedal assembly. Super annoying to do because of the tight space, to the point that I doubted it was even worth it… well after the ~1.5 hrs I was able to test drive and was convinced that it was worth it.
On first impressions, it makes the clutch feel a bit lighter to disengage — a plus in my book. I also felt that the friction point was much closer to the bottom of the pedal travel, also something I prefer. I mostly followed the install instructions but probably have a slightly different result than expected due to the way install went for me (didn’t count clevis fork threads), however I made sure to heed all of the clutch safety considerations so I’m not too worried.
In short, it’s easier to shift more quickly and more smoothly, and for a car like this it’s a must-have for long term enjoyment. I could imagine falling out of love with the car simply due to how it can sometimes feel difficult to drive smoothly with the stock pedal.
Aside from the RJM pedal, about a week ago I attempted to fix my rear axle click by pulling the axle nuts off, pushing axles back and coating the splines/mating surfaces (per TSB) as well as I could with Honda moly paste. I had heard of other potential solutions such as the Kawasaki castle nut but in all of the installs that I saw online, each of them also used some kind of grease for the axle so I wasn’t convinced that the different nut was actually necessary. After all, it probably would have been called out by the manufacturer if it was. I was a bit lazy and didn’t disassemble anything else in order to get good access, so I was concerned that the click would still be there. Fortunately the click was fixed.
Last of all, I went and removed the Brass Monkey from the wheels. I liked how well it covered the imperfections of the factory wheels but ultimately I think I prefer the contrast with the Black a bit more. I’m going to ruminate about whether to get the wheels refinished or to get a new set of wheels with the proper width and offset in order to ditch the spacers. I’ve spent enough money for now though, so it won’t be for a while. 🙂
I just placed an order for a set of Enkei NT03+M in 18x9.5 +27 with the SBC finish (Special Brilliant Coating) and a square set of Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 in 255/45r18. I got everything for a pretty good price all things considered, though there is a 2-3 month wait for the wheels. With the NT03s weighing in at 20 lbs, the total weight up front should turn out 3-4 lbs lighter per corner compared to stock (despite much wider tires) and the rear should turn out about 5-6 lbs lighter. I imagine this will provide some improvement in driving dynamics all around and I get to stick with Enkei. I'm going to go on a limb and call it OEM+ (cosmetics aside). I don't really drift but I like to peel out every now and then, so I'm wondering how this setup will fare in regards to traction. Total diameter will increase but its negligible (<1%), although for a moment I kind of wanted to go a bit larger in diameter since my speedo seems to be reading fast by some 3-5%.
According to my research, I'll have to run a ~5 mm spacer only up front to clear the brakes but its a big improvement over the 25 mm spacers I'm currently running (all around) with the stock setup, haha. I'm still not sure whether I want to lower the car any further, with the 370z springs up front I think it looks "factory perfect" but sometimes I itch for a slightly more sleek look. The Tein H-techs are pretty inexpensive, I might just swing for a set of those to try out even before the new wheels. I just made an order for Tein H.tech springs. I realize they have fairly low spring rates compared to swift and stock. In theory this would provide more grip at the expense of handling feel, but I’ll give a review once I get them on the car, let it settle, and do an alignment.
Once I get the new wheels I'm going to move my original sport coupe 19s with the new Hankook Ventus2 Concept2 I got in February over to my 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid. Not sure what I'll do about the center cap but it'll be a massive upgrade cosmetically to the EX-L hybrid wheels...
I’ll be getting the Tein H.Tech springs in the next couple of weeks and will try to install them before the end of the month. Tangentially, I’ll be picking up a 52 x 21.5 inch Husky tool chest with top box set up from my father in law around the same time, which works out since I’ll have the family car out of the garage for the lowering spring install and can move it into place (as well as start organizing my tools).
On a different note, I have been thinking about how my silver sport calipers will look with the new wheels. Part of me likes the idea of an “illusion royal” blue caliper finish. It’s not very high up in my priorities list at the moment but I’m going to keep this in my pocket for later.
Last edited by mad.cool; May 12, 2024 at 03:16 AM.
@mad.cool How many miles are on the car? The finish looks brand new. Even the chassis looks good. Must have been stored in a garage most of its life.
How much of a drop from the Z springs? Ride is still good? That and the Z midpipe were common OEM+ mods on the prior generation G35 (I did both on my 2004.5 G35S Sedan)
@mad.cool How many miles are on the car? The finish looks brand new. Even the chassis looks good. Must have been stored in a garage most of its life.
How much of a drop from the Z springs? Ride is still good? That and the Z midpipe were common OEM+ mods on the prior generation G35 (I did both on my 2004.5 G35S Sedan)
The car has about 63K miles. Indeed it was garage kept however I bought it from the upper east coast and drove it home to California, chipping the front end pretty good in the process. So the front fenders, bumper, and hood were all refinished.
I didn’t measure it but I’d estimate it was about 0.4-0.5 inches of drop in front. The main point for me was to make the wheel gap even with the rear. The ride still feels OEM but in an AB comparison you can tell it is slightly more firm than original.
Originally Posted by Rochester
That center-piece for the Helmholtz resonator on the Beluga exhaust is such a cool design. Love that look.
Your coupe looks exceptional.
I appreciate the compliments. I’m doing my best to do right by the good G owner’s, where ever they are.
p.s. I am becoming increasingly aware of the theft risk these cars have. I have begun looking into options for making it more difficult to steal, but my main defense will be that its garage kept and that I avoid leaving the car parked anywhere at night in obscure places (e.g. on date nights).
Last edited by mad.cool; May 12, 2024 at 02:47 PM.
Garaged most of the time as well, so the only time I worry about theft is when I travel and leave the car in a parking garage near the airport for a few nights. I wish there was an ECU hack that required an authentication PIN to be entered in the HU display each time the car is started.
@MotorvateDIY and his VxWorks SW Engineer could probably figure this out.
Well, I wasn’t able to get the Tein lowering springs in time to install them before June came. The vendor I purchased them from gave me a 4-6 week lead time and I purchased on May 11th.
Fortunately I received the springs today but much to my chagrin, they were Tein S.Tech springs. I was writing an e-mail to the vendor and as I went to look up the part numbers on Tein’s website, I realized that they actually have two different S.Tech springs for the G37 coupe, which are SKP30-S3B00 and SKP30-C3B00.
I was happy to find that the ones that I received were the SKP30-C3B00, which have the same exact ride height change and spring rates as the H.Tech springs. The only physical difference is the color. I think I’d have preferred gold, alas I will settle for these since they’ll never be visible anyway.
I had waited long enough to get the part, so at precisely 8 PM I became determined to install the springs, replacing the 370z fronts and the OEM rears. I got it done in about 4.5 hours.
My initial impression was that I was slightly underwhelmed as the drop seemed so small that it was hardly noticeable. Okay, so at the brisk of half past midnight I went for a drive to see about the ride. I was pleasantly surprised to find that ride quality was also difficult to notice a difference in. Waste of money? Maybe. As I carried on with my 20 minute drive I started noticing maybe a slightly bouncier ride, which makes sense given the lower spring rates compared to the previous springs. On smooth pavement the ride was really nice, on rougher pavement the ride was only a hair bouncier. On a couple of quick turns I heard a faint scrape/rub sound. Oh.
I get home and park the car in the garage to have another look before calling it a night. Boom, all fender gaps eliminated. Ride quality notwithstanding, this looks GOOD.
I figured I’d pull out the tape measure for, well, good measure. The rear fenders were a consistent 26.125 inches from the ground and the front fenders were 26.5. This is probably about as low as I would ever want to go, though I expect the springs will settle a bit and these numbers will drop slightly. Tein says they warrant against more than 5 mm, let’s see what happens.
I don’t know if I mention it in this thread but my CV36 is wearing 25 mm spacers all around, and I think this is just a hair too much to avoid any rubbing whatsoever, which I’m okay with for the time being (won’t take the spacers off, can’t hang with the look of tucked wheels). I’m not sure how the wheel and tire setup that I’m waiting on will fare with these springs but I’m hoping for the best. In the worst case, I’ll pony up and get some decent coilovers to be able to raise the ride height a bit and address the bounciness, if it gets to that.
Part of me wonders what if I had gotten Swift springs instead. I think those have a slightly milder drop which I might also consider switching to. I had them on my 2013 Journey sedan and enjoyed them. I’ll give the Teins a fair chance though. They were <$200 before taxes after all.
The things we do…
edit two days later: I’ve driven around a bit more and I haven’t rubbed again yet so maybe the fitment is just right. As far as the ride quality second impression, it’s really tough for me to tell a difference compared to stock (before the 370Z front springs) so I’m pleased with this setup. Alignment seems to be fine as well but I will get an alignment in the next couple of weeks to be sure.
Yesterday I went to get an alignment after nearly two weeks since installing the lowering springs. I certainly didn’t feel like it was super necessary as far as driving impressions go, but after getting the before/after sheet, I saw that the toe at the front was a bit too out of spec beforehand so I’m telling myself it was necessary and worth it.
Oh and after about five months I finally received my vanity plates. 🌚
I recently installed LED turn signals both front and rear. These cost me about $48 for each pair from Lasfit. As of this afternoon I’ve also installed 6000K HID bulbs from Diode Dynamics. I am hoping these match up better with the LED foglight’s in white mode (they’re switchbacks).
Also, after about three months of waiting I received the NT03+M in SBC. I had my usual shop do the tire mount and balance and asked them to throw on some TPMS that I bought used for a cheap price, though they didn’t have the tool to do the programming. Fortunately I was able to find another shop that took care of it free of charge.
Here are a couple of pictures. I removed the 25 mm spacers that I had on with the original wheels and installed 3 mm spacers up front for clearance. I think it looks pretty great, despite the car being a bit dirty and lack of tire shine.
As far as driving feel, it seems maybe a little more light on its feet although turning requires just a hair more effort. I also find the tire noise to be noticeably worse but not a big deal, I guess going from 225/245 front/rear to 255 all around could have contributed to this.
Overall I’m really happy with how the car sits and drives. I installed about 2/3s of a grounding kit as the factory grounds look a little worse for wear. No obvious improvement in anything but its peace of mind.
The other day I purchased an Injen throttle controller (from a fellow forum member) to see how throttle response might be improved, as this has always been somewhat lacking. Beyond this I don’t expect I’ll be doing much else with the car but driving and staring at it.
Stance looks fantastic in those pics. Nice meaty tires without being too fat. It's a good look.
When you say "installed LED turn signals", you mean the bulbs, right? How did you avoid the heat and the hyper-flashing? Or is that no longer an issue with today's turn signal LED's?
