Hello,

I’m headed out to buy a new (to me) car this Saturday and I’ve narrowed it down to four options. I’m looking for a balance of reliability and engagement. Here’s the shortlist:

1. 2008 INFINITI G35x Base

• Price: $8,495 | Mileage: 111,733
• Pros: Fairly clean Carfax; sway bar already replaced; features the VQ35HR engine (much better oil consumption than the older DE).
• Cons: Higher mileage for the price, oldest "G" platform on the list.
• Carfax Link

2. 2009 INFINITI G37x

• Price: $8,397 | Mileage: 103,712
• Pros: Newer model year; 3.7L engine; only two owners.
• Cons: Listed at a Mazda dealership with no photos yet, sight unseen for now.
• Autocheck Link

3. 2008 Lexus ES 350 Base

• Price: $9,000 | Mileage: 108,667
• Pros: Lexus reliability and comfort.
• Cons: Definitely the "boring" choice of the group, no Autocheck/Carfax available yet.

4. 2007 Acura TL 3.2

• Price: $7,500 | Mileage: 106,820
• Pros: Loved driving my wife's father's old '04 TL, cheapest option, solid Carfax, radiator replaced 30k miles ago. It's also red.
• Cons: No record of a timing belt change. I know this is a massive job/headache if it hasn't been done.
• Carfax Link

I’m pretty new to the platform, but i’m finally thinking about doing some stuff under the hood. I did some research and created this list of upgrades i’d want to do since getting it boosted is out of the question.

INTAKE
3 inch cold air intake (sound+throttle response)
or
K&N box filter (cost effective)

EXHAUST
1: 2.5-inch true dual exhaust with an X-pipe (cat-back)

2: High flow cats (combo with headers)
3: Headers** (Tune ASAP)

TUNE:
professional ecu tune/ecutek
(note: tune can improve transmission.)
z1 tune link

just wondering if you guys have a good suggestions for brands. any knowledge i might need to know would also be much appreciated too, as this is my first time ever modding a car. Also, sorry if i sound green lol I’m trying to learn though.

Hey everyone,

I need a sanity check on my cooling system issue. I’m driving a 2003 FX35 (AMD VQ35DE) with 191,000 miles on the clock. It’s basically the heavy cousin of the 350z/G35, so I’m hoping the VQ experts here can weigh in.

The Symptoms:

• Highway driving is perfect: I can drive for an hour at 75-100 mph (120-160 km/h) and the temps stay perfectly stable around 185-195°F (85-90°C).
• The problem: The moment I exit the highway, slow down to city speeds, or stop at a drive-thru/traffic light, the temp gauge spikes rapidly. According to my OBD2 logs, it hit 268°F (131°C) at its worst.
• Coolant boils over into the overflow reservoir and spits out.
• The temporary fix: If I rev the engine while idling, the temperature drops down to normal almost instantly. Also, if I bleed it and top the coolant off to the absolute brim in the morning, I can drive around the city all day with zero overheating issues.

What I have already replaced/tested:

• New Radiator (old one got damaged, replaced with a new aftermarket one).
• New Thermostat (OEM Nissan).
• New Radiator Cap.
• Cooling Fans: They work perfectly. Both fans kick into high gear immediately when the A/C is turned on or when it gets hot.
• Head Gasket Test: I’ve done the chemical block test (blue fluid) literally 10 times. Even right after a hard pull. It stays blue every single time. Oil is super clean, no milky residue. No white smoke.

My Hypothesis: Since the head gasket seems fine, I'm leaning heavily towards the Original Water Pump. With 191k miles on it, my theory is that the impeller is either heavily worn down by cavitation or slipping on the shaft. At 3000 RPM on the highway, it spins fast enough to keep the flow going. But at 650 RPM idle, it lacks the mechanical efficiency to push the coolant through the block, causing a massive heat soak, boiling the coolant into a steam pocket, and pushing it out to the reservoir. Revving it manually forces the pump to clear the steam pocket.

Before I open up the timing chain access covers to swap the pump for a new Aisin one, does this sound like a textbook VQ35DE failing water pump scenario to you guys? Has anyone experienced this exact "only overheats at low RPM" issue?

Thanks in advance!

Time for me to sell my G since I just don’t drive it anymore. Pretty early in the process and doing my research but not finding enough quality search results. Would like to hear opinions of Cars & Bids, Bring a Trailer (yeah, I did find their sub); is EBay or Marketplace … or even (gulp) Craigslist viable places to sell these days or am I going to get spammed with scam emails?

It looks like it’s not a problem in this sub to link my eventual sale or get some opinions on pricing (Mods: sorry if I got this wrong and please correct me if so).

The details if it helps:
2006 G35 coupe
Clear title
One, adult owner (me)
6MT
black on black
40k 41k on engine (replaced by dealer in 2008 as part of the oil consumption warranty)
49k on vehicle
Premium, aero, nav, & rear steer packages
Dealer installed tint (standard “legal” 35% IIRC) and clear bra

My mods:
“CX Racing” cat-back exhaust, CAI, debadged (still have badging), billet front grills