Looking At Purchasing A V35

[Danny105]

Hi there,

I'm currently looking at getting a 03 model V35 coupe. I just had a few questions which hopefully you guys can help me out with.

Firstly, whats the safest, best and cheapest way of obtaining one? Self import, dealer ship, private seller etc.

Is it expensive/hard to find somewhere to service these cars?

Are they reliable?

I've read a few topics about the onscreen tv which doesn't work, is there any way to get DVDs to work on it? Or even TV? how much am I looking at?

I have a few more questions but this is a start, cheers guys.

[rs73]

they are reliable, make sure you service them every 10000km or 6 mth as per schedule whichever comes first.

normal Nissan dealers can do it for you as they're not much different from local 350Z mechanically.

if dealer service is too expensive, you can always take it to any shop that can service any nissan car.

self import may land you cheapest price but if buying something unseen and hanging by a thread while your car

is making its way through wharf and docks before being put on board a ship battered by high wind seas and wave for

around 2-3 months, it's probably not for you.

you do get dealer 2nd hand warranty but you pay of course the higher price. going private will be cheaper than dealer,

if not, the car would have quite some upgrades that dealers usually won't be bothered doing for you, for example

TV screen mods... a lot of us have gotten the 'chris rogers' treatment to get our tv and nav working with an australian

version hardware integrated to factory screen, which works nicely...

here's a video link that I took of my car, i'm happy with this current setup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGyiOfF2z8s

maybe wait till a private seller car comes up which has been converted like that or at least similar to that?

[fcruz3r]

so without the tv mods, all the screen is good for is displaying the Nissan logo when starting the car??

how much does it cost to mod this to display local satnav + play generic DVD's??? Is this a DIY???

[MILLOS]

Without the mods to the car, you get your trip computer, compas (out of range as we are in the southern hemisphere), and a few other bits and pieces, all in Japanese of course, but you learn to navigate through them easily enough.

Changing to local satnav, tv, DVD, etc is definitely not a DIY job, even for those with a little bit of understanding, as the electrics of this car are quite complicated and the car's Japanese nav system is the brains for much of the other systems of the car and thus you cannot simply remove it and replace it.

A fellow by the name of Chris Rogers (from this forum) is the expert at the electronics of these cars and can guide you in the right direction.

In terms of costs, it's not cheap. Be prepared to spend a few thousand to change it all over as per Rianto's youtube video above.

[Danny105]

Another question:

Alot of cars I have seen for sale don't come with the spoiler, how much am I looking at getting one + installed?

[rs73]

hm... u want OEM ? or aftermarket...

u can get cheap fibreglass aftermarket from a few hundreds.

if you want OEM... it's probably like $2k excl shipping out of japan...

plus install/painting depending if you get them painted or not...

I won't bother getting a spoiler... if the car you're buying don't have one.

they look sportier, but those that don't have also looks cleaner, so both have their wins.

[fcruz3r]

so I test drove 2 auto versions (both 2003 models). Sorry about all the questions but I have 3 nagging issues

1. Was there significant upgrades done to the interior in the 04 model?

2. OK, it satnav is an expensive conversion, what about changing this to play non-japan spec DVD's?

3. most crucial of all is ....on both cars i test drove...I guess I was expecting to feel a lot more of the 282hp 350nm torque....what I got was a laggy low end and constant gear changes when driving around the 50 - 70km/h (i.e: it was almost undecided and was like hunting gears)....but of course put my foot down (an I mean literally floor the gas pedal) and then the car takes about 2-3 seconds to think....then wakes up and surges forward. Is this normal?? are the gear changes and lag in power delivery to protect the g/box??

oh and a quick poll... given 2 choices

2003 - black all leather interior 48500km

2004 - cloth trim with 54000km

both cars are in practically the same condition and price is competitive...which is a better bargain?? ...unfortunately redbook doesnt show price difference between the varying models available.

Edited August 26, 2009 by fcruz3r

[Easy Tiger]

but of course put my foot down (an I mean literally floor the gas pedal) and then the car takes about 2-3 seconds to think....then wakes up and surges forward. Is this normal?? are the gear changes and lag in power delivery to protect the g/box??

It could suggest low compression in the cylinders.. check the oil for water and the coolant for oil or bubbles in the radiator. Might also be dirty air system eg manifold, dirty oil etc. Mine is a 250GT and does not take 2-3 seconds to respond to a little pedal encouragent, so yours shouldn't either.

[fcruz3r]

It could suggest low compression in the cylinders.. check the oil for water and the coolant for oil or bubbles in the radiator. Might also be dirty air system eg manifold, dirty oil etc. Mine is a 250GT and does not take 2-3 seconds to respond to a little pedal encouragent, so yours shouldn't either.

well I havent bought the car yet. Just test drove to find the best one for my budget. Strange how both the auto versions that I've tested so far had the exact same laggy feel.

Thanks for the headsup on compression tests...I will definately put that in the conditions of purchase

btw...any hints on how to get rid of that "JDM" smell from inside the cars??? had the exact same thing in my stagea and left it out in the summer sun a couple of times to try "dry" it out ...but the smell stayed from the day i bought it till i sold the car.

[rs73]

what the heck is JDM smell... my car is not smelly... I dunno what the previous owner did to those 2 you test drove...

the cars with oem nav has a DVD rom drive that only read japanese navigation rom disc, it won't work with dvd. fullstop.

definitely no go, and beside the thing is the brain controlling the whole a/v network in your car so you cant remove it.

the only way around it is to install a proprietary dvd player in the car. either get the audio swap out for a double din unit that is able to play dvd,

which requires a new facia if it came with bose, if it's std double din, then you just need to swap it over. or there are a few dvd changer you can

mount in the boot that can have its av routed to the screen.

but either way, you can't really watched dvd while driving, huge fine, and you could easily get into accident...

when stationary, it's also not very convenient at times unless you wanna keep the engine running, if not, you might run out of battery

after watching 2 hrs of movie on ACC power.

[rs73]

oh, imho if you got 2 cars in same condition, go the one with leather and less km (the 2003 model)

[rs73]

auto will always be laggy... you should get a 6sp if that worries you.

the purpose of buying an auto is so you can commute in traffic jam in comfort.

that is the main reason why I bought mine auto. or you can buy a grounding kit which also grounds the transmission point.

i have those but haven't got the time to install it on the car. they said it will make the engine and gearshift feels more responsive...

will need to find time for install then i can tell you if it's a gimmick or the real deal.

[fcruz3r]

I've had the grounding kit on 3 cars now and I can't say it makes a difference in any...so I doubt that it'll be any different.

the "JDM" smell I was referring to seems to be unique to all japan spec cars that have sat in the yards for a couple of months...If you look into a jap auto yard...all cars smell the same. Not to say it stinks...just peculiar.

and you're right about the auto's being laggy...it was as I suspected. Guess its just different coming from a smaller inline 6 BMW where its quick off the mark but has a gutless top end.

[rs73]

go drive an auto R33, and you'll find the V35 auto is actually 'responsive' compared to what they've built 10 yrs ago...

either that, or the car you are looking hasn't had its auto trans fluid flushed and replaced.

I got mine done at 50,000km by Nissan dealership, no issues since. Make sure whichever workshop you go to, they put in the Nissan J-Matic

transmission fluid for the 5sp AT-X... I assume you're getting a coupe, so there's no need for special order from Japan for one of those 8sp CVT

transmission fluid that would cost around $1100+.

The 5sp AT-X J-Matic is the same one they use for 350z and Maxima, basically any Nissan auto trans. so you'll be looked after.

[skygo2xs]

He fcruz3r,

The JDM smell you mention may be relieved by changing the in cabin air filter. Alot of guys in the forum have changed this in the V35 as they can get a carbon build up from the smoggy Japanese environment. Its an easy DIY and the filter can be purchased at Nissan dealers for 40-$50.

I would too go for the all leather 2003 over the cloth seats in the 2004 your looking at, just my choice, otherwise keep looking, theres bound to be another one pop up with the specs youre after.

[Danny105]

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/privat...id=11E82BB0DAE5

What do you guys think of this one? And where would I look at getting a cheap spoiler for it?

[rs73]

so u decided not to buy an auto anymore? that's a manual... cheap cos higher 88,000km

go to ebay and search for G35 spoiler and get one from usa - lots of options lying around.

hope you are brave enough to drill a hole in your boot lid...

tv/nav not converted yet, so look at spending 3k on top to get it full blown to aust tv/nav capability

[Danny105]

so u decided not to buy an auto anymore? that's a manual... cheap cos higher 88,000km

go to ebay and search for G35 spoiler and get one from usa - lots of options lying around.

hope you are brave enough to drill a hole in your boot lid...

tv/nav not converted yet, so look at spending 3k on top to get it full blown to aust tv/nav capability

Never said I was going to get a auto, always had in mind I was getting a maunal.

I'll look for spoilers, cheers.

Yeah might just leave it, can't really afford to get it fixed. I probably won't buy this car, I'm still looking around, and need atleast 2 more months till I have the money.

[fcruz3r]

fark thats cheap as. Cars here in Perth are ridiculously more expensive for no apparent reason

[rs73]

Never said I was going to get a auto, always had in mind I was getting a maunal.

I'll look for spoilers, cheers.

Yeah might just leave it, can't really afford to get it fixed. I probably won't buy this car, I'm still looking around, and need atleast 2 more months till I have the money.

cos you've been test driving autos... hence my assumptions.