Hi there folks, this week I got my first Infiniti, it's a 2006 G35x with high miles but still feels tight and strong.

I've owned several cars over the years, from 3rd gen RX7's to Mustangs to Corvettes to BMW's and an Evo8. I've done mild to wild mods on all of them (mostly power first, then handling) and, while I've slowed down a bit with age, I still want to do some stuff with my new toy.

Upon reading pages and pages of threads on this and other forums, I think I'm going to keep it down to a few simple things to get started.

• HKS axle back muffler
• A center pipe from another model (I forget which, need to find that thread again)
• 5/16 intake spacer
• Z tube
• Send out the ECM for a tune
• Grounding kit

If I'm understanding everything I'm reading, I don't have a high rev engine and would therefore benefit from a lower intake plenum replacement.

This should all equate to a noticeable difference in power throughout the rpm band, and not cost an arm and a leg. I'll be keeping an eye out for used parts as well.

Eventually I'll get around to springs and shocks/struts and sway bars as there's a lot of body roll. But for now I don't really need to be flying around corners, so no rush.

Oh yeah, I do all my own work so installation costs are pretty cheap!

Thoughts?

 

Welcome to DRIVER Sam, hope you're enjoying the warmer Seattle weather April thru August! You seriously need to read all the stickys at the top of the coupe page, there's valuable information in every one. Age shouldn't slow you down, you're supposed to make better decisions now that you have all that experience. Motordynes 5/16" spacer is the best mods you can make, corrects Nissan's design flaw and you'll notice the difference. Buying an axle back muffler is a waste of time & $$! Watch our MARKETPLACE under private classified for a used HKS "Cat-back Exhaust" then someone selling Fast Intentions high flow cats and Z-Tube. At that point you won't have any restriction in you exhaust system and the sound is way sweet! Somewhere in the Seattle area is a Osiris tuner, that's the best way to free up all the excess whp! Congratulation and enjoy the ride!
Gary

 

Gary,

Thanks for the reply. I'm enjoying this weather in the 15-90 minute increments it's nice!

I understand the axle back exhaust won't much help with power, but I hear the HKS is the best sounding on these cars. I've read many of the stickies, but many of them don't address the X model at all. Can you confirm that I don't have the high rev engine, and if that's the case would the lower plenum upgrade in conjunction with the spacer be a good idea?

 

I know a guy who's been trying to sell his nearly new hks axel back. He's local to me but I don't know his user name on here. To get some real power Gains from an exhaust you'll want to get a different y-pipe and mid pipe (the coupe mid and hr y-pipe are a good route to go with used.) or aftermarket exhausts. The hks has a nice tone to it.
Intakes on these cars don't do much outside of the z tube setup. I have enjoyed my injen short ram intake with a weapon r secret weapon filter.
As far as plenum upgrades I went with a kinetix v+ plenum and have loved it! It keeps my top end cool and sounds pretty cool in the meantime.
Hope you find a good setup that you like.

 

Thanks for the reply.

I've ordered my 5/16 isothermal spacer today, and after a couple more conversations, have been convinced that that's as far as I can go right now. I don't have the revup engine so there's no benefit to the lower intake plenum, and there's no sense in touching the exhaust until I can do the whole bit, and I don't have the cash for that right now. Maybe send out the ECM for a tune or find a local tuner, but it's been my experience that local tuners just want to charge you dyno time for a custom tune that's not a lot different than what I'd get just by sending the ECM out.

 

The best mod I did for my car was the upgraded wheels from boring stock 17s with chiping clear coat to fresh coupe 19s with a nice coat of Duplicolor Graphite paint. The middy, spacer, ztube kn and other didnt ever seem to make THAT much difference, but then they were spaced out over a year or so. Since you're an X, I think lowering is an issue, but look into it anyway. My .02 is to get wheels first!