I was talking strictly about the coupe. I thought op was talking strictly about coupes. 2nd gen sedan definitely are a better platform (imo).

 

Yes! Like a hot chick with no booty..like.."what happened..?"

 

haha oh my god I was literally going to use those exact words when I typed up my previous comment but didn't want to be "that guy" and all. lmao

 

Always trust your instincts.

 

not true. If I trusted my instincts in class my future grandkids would be expelled from school. .

 

What's wrong with that? School is merely an indoctrination into a class/order system. School just teaches you to follow rules. Following rules keeps you from trusting your instincts. Deny society, stay true to thy self.

 

Deny 03-05 spoilers
Go spoilerless

In fact
Go trunkless

 

***** it, just porky pig it

 

Its strange to see G's going at this price range. I bought my 04 in 04 for close to $40K. I like my 04, but a newer interior would be nice. I think we all get to point that sometimes we just want to change things that are not necessary though. Overall, I'm still happy with my 04 coupe as I have 220K miles now and its still going strong. I've had oil consumption since I've owned the car, but that could be due to daily use on the German Autobahns the first 5 years of ownership. For me, I'd go with the model that you like the best that requires the least amount of investment to change. For example, if you like a black car, then find a black car. Projectors, wheels, and even brakes can be added, but changing the paint could cost more money for a good paint job. If interior is important, then go for the upgraded interiors. The interior is a bit more difficult to swap out for a new version.

 

I have an 04 coupe, and my buddy has an 07 coupe. I prefer my spoiler and brembos (even though they make finding wheels that fit a PITA) but the new interior is a little nicer. Obviously since I have lame tan interior and he has black, the black just looks more refined. Also worth mentioning the newer coupes have electric reclining passenger seats whereas the older ones have manual reclining passenger seats. You also lose the tape deck in 05 (even though the radio's circuit board is still cutout for one) which kinda sucks if you dont have aux already, but overall more appealing. 05's clock was moved from the dash to the info panel in the dash, and their nav units automatically open and retract. I believe only 06/07 had the option for factory aux and rca's/usb in the glove box. 03/4 have stupid square cupholders that dont hold cups very well (but a Lipton Pure Leaf tea fits PERFECTLY) 03-05 use the fog light for brights (D2R HID's) and 06+ have bixenon HID's (D2S).

All in all I'm happy with my 04. Brembo's are kick *** and have better feedback than my friends 07. I paid $11,8 for it fully loaded here in the NW where cars seem to be the most overpriced in the entire country. At 117K miles it's still running great with zero oil consumption. As far as interior goes I will eventually get some brushed metal to replace the door handles, but I already did a custom dash for my tablets, so I dont have a boring interior anymore (aside from the fact that it's tan... ugh)

For your price range, get an 04. you wont even miss the 10 hp an hr has unless all you really care about is numbers.

 

id go 03 04 jus for the brembos. 06 if int is important to u. that should be really the only deal breaker. projector lights can be sourced easily and 10 supposed hp is not worth bragging about at all

 

That's the best advice so far.

Get the year/model that you like the best. Some things are easy to replace/upgrade if you wish. Get the color combo that you like; I prefer the black interiors and the 05+ dash.

Brembo's are nice, but a brake kit can easily be added to the 05+. For regular driving, the standard brakes will do just fine.

 

All Good Advice here.

Simply look into the a G thats the best bang for your buck. I have seen some coupes in the 11-12K range with about 60K-70K miles. You gotta hunt around for them but they are worth the wait.

Aim for 05 - 07 for the Coupes. The CD009 6MT tranny is the one to hop into. The earlier versions had some issues with Grinding I believe.

For brakes, the standard brakes are pretty good. If you really want, Brembos can be had second hand for under a grand if you can source the calipers and components from a Private seller or a Donor Car.

Some things that may need replacing:
-Compression and Lower Control Arm Bushings
-Rear Diff Subframe Bushings
-If you plan on going lower, Rear Camber kit is going to be needed.
-Plan on getting lifetime alignment plan lol.

Other than that, not much!

Good Luck on the Search

 

I got an 04 G35 with 79k that I am looking to get rid of. I'm currently in SC.

 

In terms of 03-04 Brembo's vs 05-07 Brakes, it's debatable if the Brembo's are in fact superior.

Yes, they look great, but the main advantage of the Brembo brakes is resistance to fade during heavy repeated stops...ie open track racings. In everyday street driving, there really isn't much of a difference between the two systems.

Maintanence-wise, the 05-07 brakes will be much cheaper to do brake jobs to.


Plus, you could always add the Brembos to an 05+ if you found a good clean car you liked. Figure an additional $1K to purchase a set