Grandma's 2003 G35 6MT
 

I had one of the first G35 coupe 6MTs in Los Angeles - picked it up right after New Year's 2003. Diamond Graphite, with wing. I loved it until the day I sold it a few years later.

Back then, well before I knew him, my buddy Jeff guided all car purchasing decisions in his household, and he talked his mom into buying pretty much the same spec Diamond Graphite G35 coupe 6MT back in 2003 as well (hers is Willow, mine was Graphite). [EDIT: I've since realized it was purchased from the original owner in 2004 with about 4K on the odomoter.] She's been driving it around Phoenix ever since. Well, actually, she hasn't been driving it all that much - it has just under 33,000 miles on it. She started getting tired of driving stick. We worked out a price and now it's mine.

Despite the low miles, there are some issues that I'll need to handle. I've only researched (what I thought was) the most important one:

Stereo broken (even back in 2003, that CD player SUCKED; got the Scosche kit; need to pick a head unit)
Drivetrain noise from rear (found this on the test drive; sounds like castanetas when changing momentum like on/off throttle or clutch in/out while moving; suspect diff or subframe bushing rotted)
Door locks do not operate reliably (using fob, you can hear it trying to un/lock; drivers will not work; passengers works sometimes - suspect actuator, but there would have to be one separate from a servo)
Drivers door detent failed (door won't stay open)
Passenger window intermittently has mind of its own (so I'm told - haven't seen it)
Window track smears window (I recall mine was scratched)
Perforated leather inserts in door cards failed (fronts partially, rears completely)
Backup fob battery dead (hopefully that's all it is; hopefully easy to replace)
Fluids other than oil likely not serviced (trans fluid, diff gear oil, brake fluid, coolant, power steering)
Serpentine belt recently replaced, but need check hoses, filters, brake pads, etc.

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Congrats on getting a pristine car that's now 16 years old with that mileage, what a bonus! You've come to the right place, this forum has helped hundreds of thousands of people through the years and remains the premiere site out there for all things G. Read, read and read some more as most of the questions you'll have will have been answered multiple of times here. I will say our search function is crappy so use Google as your main search function.

Welcome to our dysfunctional little family and enjoy your stay!!

Wow what a great site! Got most issues figured out. Don't worry I know how forums work from all the research needed for my cars, including my LS1-swapped 2nd gen Camaro build.

Confirmed typical rear diff mount failure - telltale drips on diff cover: DIY. Need to decide on Whiteline vs. Z1 vs. Energy Suspension.

I'd really rather replace the door lock actuators with factory units (assuming superseded P/Ns [80500-AM80A / 80501-AM80A] have addressed originals being prone to failure) than rig it, and am not scared of disassembling the doors: . Will set me back $500 tho for both sides.

Door detent looks simple enough given I'm already taking the door card off: DIY.

The rest will have to wait until I get a chance to inspect it.
Popped open fob and will replace the battery (C2025).

Beautiful car. Shame it never really got driven. I don't think you need to worry about the oem door actuators. Auto store ones have a lifetime guarantee typically!

Not a shame for me. :JAMIN:

I believe that only sedan actuators are serviceable - the white triangle in the pic below. It seems actuator and lock assembly are integrated in coupes, so you have to buy the whole thing including cables. Happy to learn if I'm wrong.

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I had the same door lock problem. It was the actuator.

I also believe I have the same window smear that you mention. Did you resolve this issue?
I opened my door up and found that there was an excess of grease on the window track. I wiped some off, but left some in order to keep the track lubricated. The smear is better, but still there. I am wondering if the issue is the angle of the window or something similar.

Yeah I had the actuator problem as well on my coupe. I did the cheap DIY fix, which worked great. The only thing holding the actuator in on my car is a hole in the styrofoam and a couple zip ties, but that's A-OK given what it is. One less expensive part to fail.

As far as grease goes, it should be pretty obvious that anything touching the window with grease on it will leave a mark - clean everything with degreaser and your problem should go away.

Haven't started repairs yet. Should get the G up on jack stands soon. Want to take a look see for anything else awry, like rear strut bushings. Then order all parts and get to work.

If you take all the grease off, I would think smearing becomes scratching (which is what I recall happened with my prior G), but will advise what I see when I get in there.

Yeah man, let me know what you find regarding the window. I know it might seem obvious to wipe all the grease off the track, but I imagine that the window track needs to be lubricated and the window should not be rubbing against it.

Been focused on work, my Camaro project, fixing my wife's car (she got rear-ended...on the highway...by a semi [in bumper to bumper traffic so not too bad]), life, etc. but am starting work on the interior projects so I can drive the car regularly and not be annoyed by all the crap that needs doing.

Follow stereo install on this thread.

Stereo done. I had the center console professionally refinished. Turned out OK, but color match and finish could have been better. Backup camera was a big job, but I think it will be worth it.

In addition to the diff bushings, I'm doing all the front bushings. I decided on Megan Racing harder rubber over poly/sphericals.

Changing all fluids as I go. Also found a coolant leak. Radiator hoses were chalky and so suspect anyway, so they will get replaced.

Passenger side locking has been working so I just ordered the drivers' mechanism.

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That thing is a time capsule! Glad it found a great owner.

What drove your decision for the rubber over the polys? The Whiteline polys especially have a very good reputation on this forum wheras the rubber ones in the compression rod and inner LCA especially have a reputation for failing early. The harder ones are probably better but you'd get the same effect with poly and they'd last the life of the car.

Do you have any special plans for the car or are you planning on keeping it stock?

I saw pics of destroyed poly compression rod bushings and complaints about noise on G35/350Z forums. It's just a bad design, period - my Subie Legacy GT Wagon had a similar design and ate bushings too. BMW does it right - the mounting bolt is parallel with, not perpendicular to the ground, so the bushing rotates rather than flexes. I likely won't keep this car for too long (Camaro is at least a year away from being roadworthy, so at least that long), and was also worried about how poly bushings would impact resale. (For the diff, there is no choice - Megan's rubber diff bushing is indefinitely back-ordered, and I found no other rubber options, so I ordered Z1's poly bushing set.) I don't plan any other mods, again, primarily to preserve resale, but also because I think the car is great as is!

Front suspension is back together. Compression rod reinstall was tricky, and I swear that stupid bushing is already starting to tear. Oh well. Mevotech MS30500 ball joints are nice and stiff, though I could not get the boot to sit correctly on one of them, no matter how many ways and times I tried to get it right. Will need to keep an eye on it. Nice that they are greaseable.

Dropped the diff. Good news is that degreaser (the hardcore stuff sold near brake cleaner) takes off the silicone that leaks from the failed bushing. Bad news is that I was wrong about the source of the "tink" noises I heard on change of momentum. Front and rear ujoints are toast - major notchiness in both directions. Hard to tell if center ujoint and CSB are good - they seem to move nice but are helped by the weight of the assembly. CSB rubber shows some surface cracking. I've had driveshafts serviced before (albeit on much, much older cars), and the CSB is a no-brainer "while you're there" replacement part. But it's nearly $200! I'm looking at a $500-$700 repair, I'm guessing.

Also replaced the drivers door detent and door lock actuator with genuine parts. It was not the huge ordeal I'd feared. I'd watched the DIY linked above a couple times, but sadly there is a problem with it now and it won't play. From my memory of it, mousing over the progress bar (previews strangely still work?!), and reading the FSM, it was really pretty simple. Passenger side is acting up again so I'll be doing it too.

The source of the grease on the window is a furry pad in the window mechanism being subject to grease from the tracks. I cleaned it as best I could, but it still smears the window. Even if replaced I think it would just get grease on it again.

Trying to figure out if I can replace the failed inner window felt - started this post on that.

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Someone has a carbon driveshaft for sale on facebook for like $600 if you are interested. Makes a huge difference in power.