Zveruga

You can also buy a second hand FOB for like $10 on Yahoo auctions in Japan and get it delivered. Then you need a blank key + outer shell if you want a brand new looking key, altogether around $10 from aliexpress plus get it cut in Bunnings/Mitre10 < $10. Not sure about what happens now but when I needed a spare key for the v36 I found a guy in Melbourne who did it for $150+GST, so altogether under $200 for a brand new key programmed.

Looks awesome!

Yes there is one and it's widely available on eBay and through many Australian importers, in essence if it's PV-series you'll need this and if it's KV-series you'll need that The same seller provides OEM looking controls in English and if you want to get rid of Japanese altogether - conversion for the instrument cluster. I recognise it's not cheap but it's as direct from the solution developers as you can get.

the mid-cycle refresh in 2007 introduced the VQ35HR engine, same as in the v36 that is delivering just 20hp less than the v8 with arguably better fuel economy (less torque though). I was looking for a recent model and pretty much all v8s are much older, and they are really hard to find in a good shape, so I got the 2009 v6 model. I'd say driving the Fuga does not feel like handling a barge, quite comparable with the v36. I had the car for circa 18 months so far (~20k done) and nothing failed as yet. The car was found to be picky about the tires, and I found it's cheaper to buy spark plugs and air filters from Japan than locally. As with the v36, the Australian conversion for the head unit removes indication of outside temperature and connectivity third-party front camera, a bit annoying and still looking for a decent electrician who would have a look to hook it back up. Very happy with the car otherwise.

I've been driving Y50 2009 for a bit more than a year, non-hybrid obviously. Previously had a v36 Skyline and would recommend the Fuga, it's a more refined car in many ways although based on the same drive train. If you have any questions - ask away.

hey mate, for the crossover you would not need a new unit, this can be done through software upgrade which is around $1k US. Reach out to this guy [email protected]

I can't comment on the link but I have this unit in my Fuga and it works fine. The only downside it does not show the outside temperature all good otherwise

In simple terms, the old gen tech (up to 2010) was produced only for the Japan market. So if you have a V36 2006-2010 then you need to replace the entire unit and screen plus some custom harness to get the "international" firmware. For the 2010+ cars, it's a firmware upgrade, but it's bootloader is locked with a key, that's why you don't have disks with this firmware floating around.

Give a call to Frank from Luxury and Performance Vehicles in Bayswater.

this one has been converted by xanavi

Yeap, my bad. 12/2009

That DB won't work for newer VINs As far as KV36-400983 goes it's 09/2012 produced with standard RWD (no 4WAS) type SP model with pearl white paint and black interior Non-standard options: ABAGS - Additional optional side curtain airbags COLD2 - Cold climate package LMPHW - Xenon head lights with Active AFS ROOF2 - Sunroof NAVIC - HDD based navi with side and back cameras, Steering switch (audio, navigation, hands-free phone, intelligent cruise control), intelligent cruise control, front seat emergency brake sensitive pre-crash seat belt, intelligent brake assist The above is from my FAST

I believe you can spot a difference between a quite primitive system in the V35 versus quite advanced one in the V36. The V35 conversion was for menu only and its development had been paid off by installations elsewhere in the world before it was available in Australia. The V36 conversion is a completely different from the complexity and feature set standpoints, as it does support Australian maps and other goodies. However because the Japanese unit has to be replaced, majority of the cost lies in hardware, the software costs are more or less on par with the V35. You can reach out to Fyodor and ask whether he is willing to make a cheaper option, but I have a lot of doubt - entire V36 firmware is on the HDD and half of this forum knows how to clone it including default Xanavi passwords, etc.

How much do you reckon should this CD cost, given that once it is released to the wild, it will be cloned immediately

Yes, the equivalent is FAST and it can be found on many random torrent sites. If you don't want to bother, go here: http://nissan.epc-data.com/ type the frame number (PV36-XXXXXX) and you'll get all non-standard options in the "spec code" field, hover mouse on each spec code and you'll get a description. For example, a not bad car was on auction yesterday, the 350GT PV36 Type SP under 25K kms, 4.5B grade with many options PV36-200841 So non-standard options were: 2WD/4WAS (2 wheel drive with HICAS(4WAS) ) TELV7 - BOSE (premium audio) SPOI2 - Rear spoiler ROOF3 - Sunroof LMPQ2 - AFS GLSSW - Privacy glass The AFS option is standard on KV36, but optional on PV36. However, it had some issues with ADR compliance and I heard some compliance workshops disable it anyway, but I can be wrong here The PV36 is the best value for money and KV36 2010+ is the best car you can buy if money is not a problem.

Have to disagree here, they are from another Nissan, not even Elgrand

Fair enough. Actually being in the first batch in Australia is not for faint-hearted and I was trying to make it very clear. Will definitely post a report on how it will all pan out.

Absolutely agree. People (Fedor and Ko, and his competitors, too) who found the way to make it spent quite some time with test cars and stands to make sure it all works. Any random guy buying stuff from eBay would just screw up his car with 99% probability. Just to say it again - it is not easy, but it is doable. The only thing I would disagree is the uniqueness of electronics - on the software/locale side, yes, it might be the case but this is not where changes are done. The approach we are discussing here works pretty much across JDM, USDM and even EU cars successfully. Many importers of US cars to Europe (the market whose size makes our tiny JDM import market cry) have these boxes fitted for years already. Yes, unfortunately many cars have to have their components replaced, however this had been done many times on a such widespread model as the V36, so it hardly requires any proof that it will work. The same solution successfully works for cars as complex as the R35, converting from USDM and JDM to other regions. The turn-key solution is expected to cost US $2.5k or some nearest number depending on car type, model, etc. It is not cheap, but brings all the goodies like FM frequencies, DVD playback, native Oz touchscreen navi, steering wheel controls, like in ADM models. One need to decide whether it's worth $2.5k or not. It is hardly can be done cheaper than that, though due to the cost of components involved. As of the E51 conversion, it has been already implemented, check this out: Pay attention to how's lovely the English controller buttons look like, too. The E52 conversion was known for years, as they as easily doable as the V36 Series 2, I believe you understand what I'm about. Like this

Okay, I need to clarify something. I am not in this business. I was sick and tired about all the BS about OEM swaps and decided to research this topic and found people in Europe who are capable of delivering what I need. They have a track record doing the same things with USDM and JDM models for much wider range of cars, not only V36, I'm still interested in this topic just because the same swap can be done on Series 3 E51 Elgrand which I have atm. Given the guys will come from overseas to do the work, you either need to trust them or not; any warranty will be useless here once they fly back. However, I'd imagine nobody would make hundreds of cars somewhere else and then travel for 21+ hours just to rip off poor V36 owners in Oz for $500 a car given the cost of replacement equipment circa $2k

IIRC these problems have been happening since v36 landed here. Many smart chaps bought random US gear from eBay and tried to replace the units and failed. Adding more story to the list does not change anything and this story has nothing to do with what we're discussing here. Hundreds if not thousands cars have been converted in Russia in the past few years, now we will have the same tech but with Australian-specific firmware.

Nope

Managed to drop the cost of conversion down to circa $2.5k USD (parts only!!!), need somebody from Melbourne with brave heart, not afraid of DIY to help our friends to make the first swap. Ping me if interested. I'd make my own V36 first but I've just sold it.

Xanavi.Ru have a firmware for the 08IT system (V36 Series 2, 370GT) which supports multi language interface. The 06IT system used in V36 Series 1, 350GT will not be converted, however there is an option to swap the 06IT to the 08IT and get everything in English. I was told recently that it will also support Australian navi besides normal stuff like time zones and radio frequencies. This discussion is here http://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/436316-japanese-to-english-conversion-for-v36-oem-swap/ Unfortunately due to high level of piracy here, authors can only do installation themselves, so no dealers in Australia at this moment and no cheap workarounds. They should have soon come to down under to convert some number of cars, I'll post a report when my car will be converted.

At least 4 people confirmed that they would like to do this OEM swap for $5k or less. I think we'll need 2-3 more cars to bring the conversion cost under $5k

Just a quick update on this topic. I have 4 more or less firm commitments and 2 more in upside case