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KEN'S 2001 INFINITI G20 4AT
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COMPACT COMMUTER FOR THE NEAR LUXURY IMPORT ENTHUSIAST
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Last Updated 7/04
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FACTORY FEATURES:
Luxury Edition
Ebony Leather Upholstery
Premium Bose Stereo System
Ultra smooth shifting 4 Speed Automatic
Factory Fog Lamps
AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS:
TEIN NA Height & Dampness Adjustble Struts
Kosei (TRM) Snipers 17x7 Wheels with 215/45/17 Tires
FIAMM Airhorns
K&N Drop-in Air Filter
Arospeed Dual Outlet Muffler
PIAA 192, H3 Ion Crystals
WingsWest Front Lip Spoiler
Nakamichi MB75 6CD HeadUnit
Levoc Pedal Covers
Took delivery 12/2000
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I. VEHICLE IMPRESSION:
1. In factory form, the G20 suspension was very soft although cornered well with its multi-link beam suspension.
2. The stereo (OE'ed by Clarion) sounded decent, BOSE component speakers are well matched to the acoustics of the vehicle.
3. The 4speed automatic with overdrive shifts very smoothly, but gears are a bit tall.
4. The electronically adjustable leather seat is plush and well ergonomically designed.
The lack of decent cup holders may be stressful for those with large coffee mugs in the morning...
5. Considering its size, the G20 has ample trunk space and folding rear seats for extra cargo space.
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II. MODIFICATIONS
1. SUSPENSION
The very first modification that came to mind was to rid the ugly factory 15inch wheels and tighten up the suspension.
I went with the TEIN NA strut kit (imported from Japan) and chose the soft S-Tech springs package. The struts
are height (perch) and dampness adjustable. Installation was a breeze, no difficulties. TEIN currently offers a new
coilover kit "SuperStreet" for those who are looking for a more aggressive sport/street setup.
The NA's ride is much more solid and nimble. Unlike the TEIN HA's I have used on other platforms in the past, the NA's
are virtually silent. Damping capacity is probably about 1/2 the HA's, but since I am riding on soft springs there is no
problem with the spring-rate/damping balance. You will want to cut one of the humps off the front bumpstop in
order to provide sufficent stroke for the NA's. The rears are okay.
Handling is dramatically improved to a point it can hang through the corners with some of the fastest FF platforms
out on the market today (Integra's, Civic Si, Focus SVT, VW Golf GTi)
2. EXHAUST
It was very difficult to understand why Infiniti went cheap on the muffler exhaust tips. The car looked great
inside and out, but the steel muffler bores made the car look unfinished. Since the bores come out from
the muffler canister bending downwards, it made it virtually impossible to install aftermarket exhaust tips
unless extensive cutting and welding were to be done.
I decided to change the entire muffler with a T304 stainless steel muffler by Arospeed. I had it custom fitted onto
the factory piping. The Arospeed compliments the interior with a Remus type exhaust note.
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Suspension tuned by TEIN NA
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3. LIP SPOILER
One of the must-have's in styling. After lowering the car and finishing the
muffler, the G20 was begging for a small lip spoiler to completethe styling.
A WingsWest poly-urethane lip spoiler was my choice and painted the lip in
my garage.
Some sanding and prep-work was required, but it was a quick install.
Since the trunk lid on the G20 has a slight lip at the top, I prefer my G20
wingless on the rear.
4. STEREO
The final item I changed on my G20 was the stereo headunit. I tried some
MBQuart's in the car for about a week, but I went back to the factory Bose
speakers. What the system needed was not new speakers, but a better
headunit. I was one of the few lucky people that were able to get their hands
on the Nakamichi MB75's before it was discontinued. The MB75 features a
6CD in-dash changer in a 1 Din size. It has all the in/outs any car stereo
enthusiats would want. Installation was a little tricky as the MB75 is
somewhat larger (deeper) than most 1 Din unit. I made my own brakets and
fabricated a CD 'cup' from one of my earlier Honda cars. Installation looks
factory finsh.
The sound quality is very elegant, smooth tight lows to crisp highs with no
harsh bass or treble. The kind of smooth stereo performance craved at
rush hour traffic.
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Shown with LEVOC Pedals and Nakamichi MB75 HeadUnit
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Shown with TRM Sniper 17x7 with Yokohama ES100
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Arospeed Muffler Shown
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III. NEWS & FUTURE 'TO BUY'
1. I may purchase a set of TSW Apex in 16x7 running quieter tires in 205/50/16 size.
2. No other current plans.
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LINKS
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