Project G37S: Winter Makeover 2011

The Project Mu brakes are on! With all the snow over the past couple weeks, I have not really had a chance to get a feel for them, but they did perform nicely on the short ride home from the shop after the install. I'm looking forward to a nice day that will allow for a ride in the G to test them out a bit more. An interesting fact: I received confirmation a few days ago that these Project Mu brakes are the only set of their kind on a G37. So, in that sense, we have pioneered an installation of a truly unique, one-off set of brakes. JDM Rarity. (I would not have been able to pull this off without Brian's efforts and assistance. So, BIG 'Thank You' to him, as well as JT Motoring.)

Brian and I have been e-mailing daily for the past couple weeks discussing the path this project is taking. I have a certain theme in mind for this car; one that is not always easy to convey to others. Rarity and quality of parts is a substantial element to that theme, but having the rarest parts does not always mean the best end result. I try to be cautious in the decisions I make in regards to parts for this car. "Clean" is a priority. The challenge is tying everything together smoothly.

Brian offers his advice and opinions, all of which are greatly appreciated. Every useful piece of knowledge, as well as every suggestion of his, is taken into consideration, but, ultimately, the decisions are mine. That can be good or bad. I sometimes second-guess myself or question my judgment, but overall, the car is coming together. It is a project, as well as a learning experience. We're having fun...

That said, we have come up with some ideas set to be put into motion at some point over the next few weeks. These modifications will likely elicit mixed reactions. Some will like the changes, some will not. Nonetheless, the G will certainly be unique... We are going to outline these one-of-a-kind big brakes with a new set of wheels that have never seen a G37S. We will be downsizing from the current 20" so as to provide a bit more sidewall rubber, while losing a few pounds in weight. I will not reveal the make and model of these new JDM wheels, but I can say that the offsets will be a bit more aggressive than the current (+25, +35) set-up, although hardly in line with the recently hallowed Herrafrush trend.

We are also going for a more aggressive exhaust note. I am going to swap out the current Fujitsubo Legalis-R set-up for another JDM system that will truly provide a more aesthetic appeal to the undercarriage of the G. I don't think I'm going out on a limb when I say that it will be gorgeous! We will mate that system with a set of MXP Double-Resonated Test Pipes, and possibly a new Y-Pipe (brand undecided at the moment). The tame, mild note of the G's exhaust of today will be exchanged for a far more mean and aggressive growl, although far from obnoxious in nature.

MXP Double-Resonated Test Pipes

Other than that, a Stillen short shifter will be installed, as well as a start button from a Nissan GT-R. I think that will flow nicely with my interior.

GT-R Start Button

Updates to follow.