2003 G35 Coupe
RIP 5-17-2008
"The Oarsman"
Click Play to hear Graham's "Music to Row By" - Drive In Drive Out by The Dave Mathews Band
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I've admired each of the Nissan Z car generations since that first 240Z found parked in our neighbors drive way. In part because it was so cool in the way it looked, but as a teenager leaving High School, it seemed so un-attainable. Everyone and his brother or sister had a Mustang or Camaro, all with a 6 cylinder (hey - most of my friends Moms & Dads weren't rich, or stupid!), but that 240Z was different, and wouldn't you know it - it was RED!
The US Navy followed shortly thereafter, and my next encounter with a Z car was in Hong Kong on a cruise with the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club. Hong Kong was a British Colony at the time, and during a brief visit in August 1972 as a US Government Tourist - after a pint or four of Guinness - I casually attempted to purchase a blue 1972 240Z from a bar owner with the alcohol induced delusion of having it shipped back to the US. Lets see, I was young, dumb... and poor! Much less possessing a clue as to how I'd explain the RH driver to my Father should my purchase have ever made it back to the States. Even though you could almost get a (real) Rolex for the same price in Hong Kong, my effort at borrowing enough cash from my buddies failed (I believe they felt they had better use for their hard earned pay at the moment). For all intents and purposes, the 80s, 90s and early 2000s were focused on reproduction, inducing prudent choices in vehicles and the seemingly never ending focus of getting the fruits of that occasionally questionable choice out the door! It also meant eventually falling over this G35. After going through the process of restoring my Father's 1970 Karmann Ghia to a reasonable shape, I really coveted something with power and finesse, and ..... I needed to go to the track! In 2003 the new Zs appeared and I was bitten again. But an employment change meant that more time would go by. Fortunately that set the stage for this car to pretty much fall in my lap in a price range that begged for the car to be modified to play with its 350Z siblings (among others). I might have liked the 6-speed manual transmission, but the hybrid 5-speed automatic has been surprisingly adequate for track use. As the more elegant (sort of) twin sibling of the 350Z, it does not initially feel as nimble as the Z, but that very same soul is there. While I haven't yet spent enough time behind the wheel of a 350Z in its intended environment to really say I like one over the other, I can tell you that the G35 and its nearly 50/50 front & rear weight balance and longer wheelbase is wonderfully well behaved and predictable, especially when pushed into its heritage as a sports car. This car will drive a corner! And that is why you find me here! The Ladies & Gentlemen of the Carolina Z Club get it! It is about the drive! Each generation of the Zs and (yes- even) the G35s are wonderful cars to drive. We all look as good as we can look (some better than they deserve for sure) and then there are the cars! Specs: Year: 2003 Color: Laser Red Engine: VQ35DE 3.5 Litre V6 Transmission: 5 Speed Hybrid Horsepower: 247.4 RWHP @ 6400 RPM (SAE Corrected) Torque: 239.51 lb-ft @ 4800 RPM (SAE Corrected) Modifications Power:
Braking and Suspension:
Future Mods:
Awards:
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