JDM VIP

My buddy, Brian of JT Motoring, sent me these quick snaps of this bagged 2005 Lexus GS430 on which he has been working. This ride screams aggressive Japanese luxury and style. Outfitted with Volk Progressive DE wheels, an authentic Junction Produce body kit, LED taillights, Luxury Abstract leather pillar covers, JDM Toyota Aristo rain guards, a Fujitsubo Legalis-R exhaust system, and a Ksport AirTech Pro suspension system, this is one slick cruise ship...

My Z33...

I have mentioned my 350Z a few times up to this point and I'm sure I will reference it again in future posts. Thus, I thought it might be appropriate to provide a few pictures of the car that brought me so much enjoyment...

Before the modifying began...

After some modding...

Authentic INGS+1 Sport Rear Half Spoiler & Fujitsubo Legalis-R Exhaust

Mercury Silver TE37's & StopTech 4-Wheel Big brake Kit

Authentic INGS+1 LX Sport Sideskirts

Authentic Powerhouse Amuse Front Bumper

Custom set of Recaro Speed 'S' Seats

JL Audio Amplifiers, Speakers, and Subwoofers

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.

Project G37S: Suspension Upgrades

Coming from a 350Z, one of my first observations upon driving the G37 was a desire for tighter, more responsive handling qualities. After a set of 20" Advan RS-D wheels outfitted with 275/30 and 245/35 Yokohama S.drive XL rubber, my first purchase was a set of Eibach Pro-Kit springs and Stillen sway bars.  Here are a few pictures of the drop the Eibach springs provided:

Although the handling was improved over stock, I was not completely satisfied. I do not track or race this car, but I did not think that was a reason to limit myself, or settle for less than content, in terms of the performance characteristics of my suspension. So, I contacted someone who has not only come to be an extremely helpful and reliable resource in terms of my inquiries into aftermarket parts for the car, but a good friend as well, Brian Hung, over at JT Motoring in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. The advice and opinion offered by Brian stem from his personal experience, as well as his industry insider knowledge and expertise. Not simply out to make a dollar off of me and my project, Brian maintains a genuine and sincere interest in the project and the customer. Thus, he has most certainly secured me as a future customer with him, and with JT Motoring.

I related to Brian my desires and where I thought the current suspension set-up was falling short and disappointing me. He offered me a few opinions. Together, we decided to go with a coilover set-up that we have not seen on too many G's, as well as some frame bracing from GT Spec. We chose some Tein Flex coilovers and decided to utilize their Electronic Damping Force Controller technology, EDFC. We then got our hands on some GT Spec parts, to which I decided to powdercoat wrinkle red. Here are a few pictures of the undercarriage of the G with the braces and coilovers installed:

The end result, with all suspension work completed, is a drastic/radical improvement over the previous Eibach Pro-Kit set-up. The G sits considerably lower now, and handles worlds better. With tighter handling qualities, body roll has been virtually eliminated, I notice this most when entering or exiting the expressway. I do not feel every bump as much as I did with the spring set-up and the EDFC has proved to be quite a convenient feature. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this equipment, it allows the driver to control the damping force from inside the cabin. With EDFC, there are 16 levels of adjustability (0 being the 'hardest' setting and 16 being the 'softest'). You control the damping of the front, as well as the damping of the rear. So, hypothetically, one could have the front set to the hardest setting and the rear set to the softest, and vice versa. On top of that, there are three presets. They act much like radio presets, in that one does not have to adjust the control every time the car is started. Just simply push the preset for whatever you're feeling at that moment. And it can be adjusted on the fly, if so desired. Personally, I have one setting for a firm ride, or spirited driving on windy/country roads or something of that nature, one setting for highway driving - softer so I do not feel every bump, and one setting for "daily driving," a nice mix between the two (8 in the front, 10 in the rear is my personal preference).

Here are a couple pictures of the G, displaying the ride height after the coilover install:

  

2010 Northeast Holiday/Charity Meet

If ever there is a time of the year to exercise some benevolence, goodwill, and generosity, it is right around November and December. To that end, I thought it would be a great opportunity to get some car enthusiasts together one last time before the holidays and the first New England snowfall for some food, drink, conversation, and pictures of our cars. Each person in attendance was asked to bring one of three items:


1) Canned goods for a food drive
2) A small toy for a Toys for Tots/ underprivileged family drive
3) A monetary donation to go to The Salvation Army


This started out as a thread on a couple Nissan/Infiniti forums but spread to a few more. We had hoped for upwards of fifty cars, the bulk of attendees being members from the YuppieRacing community. Although the assemblage ended up being less than anticipated (and nowhere near the VQ population for which we had hoped), the event was still a glowing success. There were some great cars in attendance, some cheerful camaraderie, and, most importantly, we were able to do some good for some of those less fortunate. I am hoping to make this an annual event. With some experience in organizing this sort of thing under my belt, I am hoping the event will only grow and improve next year.


Enjoy some of pictures taken at the 2010 Northeast Holiday/Charity Meet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now for some of the Nissan love... (Big thanks to my friends, Mike Lee (Mike-Lee.org) and Thanh Huynh, for their photography.)

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This gathering did much to exemplify the generosity and warm-hearted, benevolent nature of some local car enthusiasts. The proceeds will certainly improve the holidays for some of those less fortunate.