I scored this car 2 days ago off my local Craigslist. I had just sold my daily driver Porsche 944 the evening before I saw the ad. Wish cash in hand, I jumped at it and started texting the seller.


Too good to be true.


2003 G35 Coupe, 6 speed, leather, loaded. With mods.. carbon fiber hood, new grille, D2 coilovers, K&N Typhoon cold air intake, unknown maker stainless headers and looks like an Ebay/OBX exhaust but it sounds decent.
Sitting on later model 19" forged Rays 19/8 225/40 fronts, 19/8.5 245/40 rear Hankook Ventus V12 evo that are brand new.


The car passed my pre purchase inspection.. it also has Brembos that do need some new pads, the body is decent, the paint is pretty rough but will look pretty good once cleaned up. small scratches and the front bumper is cut from the same accident that replaced the grille and hood with a CF hood, he explained it well.


The car also comes with extras, a set of front cloth z33/350z seats. The seller was honest about the shortcomings, so I pulled the trigger.


So for $4800, only $300 more than I had just sold my 1985 Porsche 944, the car was mine.


Can't wait to look around here and learn about this car. Several interior pieces I want to change out that are not up to par, consoles..etc..so I'll be hitting up the marketplace. Hopefully since this car is my DD and I already have several projects in the working stages, I won't get in too deep. I always do.


About me, I'm a former speed shop owner, engine builder, forced induction fabricator, drift event organizer..that now works in surgery. I still work on cars obviuously, just not for a career.


Currently ground up rebuilding a 1988 Porsche 944 with lots of special touches and top of the line 944 OEM option parts, and a cruiser 1994 Lexus GS300 with the Aristo 2jzgte from my previous GS300 drift racecar.


A 2004 Durango Limited pulls it all together.


looking forward to learning here, and should be able to contribute some too once I get my "G" legs.


Jeff
Myrtle Beach, SC

 

Pictures as delivered




























And on the 18/9, 18/10 Volk GT7 that I was saving for the GS300 project. This car will eat up some wheels. Needing spacers to flush them out. Coming soon.

 

Spacers ASAP
Color match those lip pieces

 

Ordered the spacers last night, should be rolling flush by the end of the week.

The lip is not actually on the car right now. It was ripped off traversing a flooded street before I had a chance to raise the car a little

Not sure when or if I will put it back on, or which color if so.

 

For $4800, it seems like a pretty good deal! Congrats!

 

Dig the emblemless grill. Pretty decent starting point, but all the mods would have scared me off..people like to do some dumb a$$ shib to these cars.

Anyway, is your 944 a turbo (I'm assuming it is). Always wanted one. Post some pics of that!

 

Keep in mind, it was dirt cheap. It's not like he was dropping ten racks on a beater with a bunch of Mickey Mouse $#!+ done to it. Most of that stuff had no real impact on performance or safety.

 

True (other than exhaust), but at that point it would depend on owners age. Even tho some of the parts are legit, you and I both know the more parts we put on the harder we drive em.

Dude seems like he knows his way around cars tho, so I'm sure he'll be fine. I would just be worried some kid was trying some fast n furious maneuvers.

 

That's true. Kids do beat the pi$$ out of them. But even rep exhausts are fine. It's just piping. As long as the diameter is correct and there aren't leaks, it's no big deal. Sure, it may not last as long, but it won't hinder anything else. Hell, I have a rep exhaust. That being said, I had to modify it a bit to get it to fit and sound the way I wanted it to, but for $300, it was worth a shot. Besides, it's all going to have to come off to go FI, anyway. Then I'll drop money on a nice exhaust system.

 

I was a little wary of the mods, that is why I checked the car over pretty well in person, test drove it, then scanned the obd2 codes, then checked it over again.. then made the offer.


I forgot to add there is also an ACT st3 clutch kit and possibly a lightened flywheel too. The D2 coilovers were only on the car a very short time, barely even dirty, the suspension was tight.


In fact the only real issues I found other than normal wear and tear are the parking brake needs adjusted (or replaced), pads all around, probably new rotors too while I'm in there. And one oxygen sensor needs replaced. The transmission has a small crunch if you force it into 5th too quickly, but I can work with that until a replacement is needed.


Other than the wheels sink like a lead boat, but that has been handled...spacers on a the way from a member in the marketplace here.


Plans: Not knowing the history of the car, full tuneup. Valve cover gaskets/tube seals, intake gaskets, spark plugs, oil change, and diff and tranny fluid. Recommendations on each appreciated.


clean up the interior, replace some broken or scratched console and dash trim pieces.


drive it. that's it. really.


since you asked, no, the Porsche is not a turbo. not yet. It was bought as a na/auto with a beautiful body in a rare color, and due to recent work on the oil cooler by the PO and not doing the rod bearings too, the engine blew shortly after I got it. Full ground up rebuild under way, coming back as a manual transmission, top OEM optioned, technologically advanced turbocharged 944. Lots of period correct custom touches lined up too.







and what she looks like right now



then there is the Lexus...

 

So I dug into the G the last couple days. Yesterday (Wednesday) I cleaned it from the inside out. Since the PO was a smoker, I pulled the interior, wiped it all down with a mix of dawn and simple green, and then treated the seats and dash with leather/vinyl conditioner. Also pulled the driver door window switch and cleaned the contacts and some corrosion from the pins. Pulled the door panel off the passenger door and figured out that the lock/unlock solenoid is bad. buttoned it all back up in time to wash the filthy outside. I also figured out the Pioneer double din navi/Bluetooth etc and got it sync'd up. Good productive day on Wednesday.

 

now today.. Thursday.. I ran around in the car a lot. I'm appalled at the mileage. barely 100 miles in a 1/2 tank. I need to do something about this. I knew there was a bad O2 sensor (bank 2 sensor 1) and figured that I may as well replace all 4. That's gotta help right?
So.. while I'm pulling the engine cover and harness to disconnect the driver side upstream sensor, I decide to pull a coil and spark plug and see what the plugs look like, what part # etc. I removed #2 and I think that I found my loss of mileage. These have GOT to be the original plugs..at 113k miles. They are the NGK 6240, but the platinum electrode is gone, and the base electrode is the largest gap I have ever seen and have a car start and idle so well.
I got the job half done before dark and will be finishing it up tomorrow morning. I also did an oil and filter change today. Considering the plugs.. I can't wait to drive this car again now.


*side note.. Chinese headers suck. Going to swap the O2 sensors and using the Bosch universal, the larger snout wouldn't fit in the O2 bung. I felt in there and found that the hole cut in the header wasn't centered when they welded on the bung. Damn. Luckily I have a small right angle air die grinder and it just fit in there. I had to clearance both upstream sensor holes, and I haven't gotten the downstream 2 off yet, but I am expecting more of the same, just with better access down there. Again.. all OEM sensors I'm sure they were never changed either.


Tomorrow's drive will be fun

 

How are you measuring fuel economy? The early model years are known to have issues with the fuel level sensor. I've run mine below the empty line and only put in 16 gallons. The tanks are 20 gallons. 100 miles on 10 gallons would be extremely awful. Lol

 

that is exactly the info that I need to know, the 03 having a faulty sensor..etc. I guess I'll hold off on judgement until I top off the tank again and do the math. 20.0 gallons even?


I changed the plugs today, changed the o2 sensors, and disconnected the negative terminal of the battery to reset the ecu. now the car is idling low, even stalled on me once. sitting at idle it is even sputtering a bit at times. I have only driven it about 12 miles round trip since then. Is there a number of miles that the ECU takes to re-learn? Considering how bad the plugs were that I took out, I figured that this car would be rip snorting and smooth.. confused now.

 

The tank is actually 16 gallons. Total capacity is 20 gallons. From F to E is 16 and then the reserve is 4. If you drive around with the light on for awhile, the light will go off and the needle with go back up to ~1/4 tank. I've done it.

This is why most people can only fit ~15 gallons when they're empty.