I'm hoping that the shifting will loosen up on my G35....I can't imagine that the 350Z would be sold with the same balky shifter.

I've never driven a 350Z so I'm not sure. I'm used to precise shifters- my 95 stang had a Pro 5.0 shifter and arguably the best shift feel of ANY car EVER. My 99 miata has the stock 6 speed with very short throws, although not as solid feeling as the stang was.

The G shifts are good, but not up to par. I am hoping the Z would have a better factory shifter that I could get and bolt on. Or are there aftermarket shifters?

I posted this question on the G35 boards and got zero responses. I am a racer at heart...just needed a back seat for the daily driver....

MQ

 

Seeing as it takes a few "bumps" for people to actually respond.. I'll give you some valuable input.

The shifter on the 350z is very short. I've never driven the G35, but on the Z... many people have complained that the shifts are very notchy.

This is, until you break it in. After about 1000 miles of driving the shifter becomes noticeably smoother, and much more friendly This is the only input I can give. If you don't have many miles on your G35 yet, give the shifter 1-2k miles to break in, then see if it still bothers you.

I love my shifter right now.

 

The G35 shifter is short as well....it's the notchiness that bothers me.

My car just broke 700 miles....I'll let it break in (hopefully I dont break it first)....

I may swing by the Nissan dealership today to see if I can shift a 350z...

MQ

 

A number of people have changed the tranny oil to a 50/50 mix of Redline MTL (70w80) and MT-90 (75w90) (be sure it is GL-4 tranny oil) and that seemed to reduce or altogether eliminate the notchiness. Also some have changed the differential to Redline 75w90 gear oil (GL-5 Diff Oil). Haven't checked it out yet myself and not sure if the change would impact the warranty. My shifter is a little notchy, but so is the driver. Look for the threads.

In Jan. the Infinity dealer near me indicated you couldn't get a manual tranny in G35 'til about August. Presume you have an MT though?? If not, ignore the change above - haven't seen anything posted about difficulties with the AT shift. Didn't get to see a G35 MT shifter, but presume they are the same tranny. Will check info at home.

Enjoy it.

 

the g35 coupe has a 6spd manual option
i have one
ive got 4k miles on it and the shifter feels fine at first it was notchy but not anymore
the g35 boards suck i visit occasionally
all they care is how much they payed for the car

 

I THINK they are identical, Id bet money that they are near exact.

with that said, break it in, about 1200-2000 miles is where I noticed my shifter and clutch(the throw got much much shorter) to finally settle in.

try out a new 350Z, but it will most likely feel notchy, your best bet is to try out a new one, and then find a meet in your area and try someone elses shifter with a few more miles on it. then youll know what to expect.

the oil should only help with the 3rd gear grind that some have mentioned. I hadnt heard it helping with any shifting woes. that has always taken care of itself in the stories Ive read.

one way to speed up the process is to drive more.

 

its tons better than it was when i first got it, but still kinda notchy. not really suited to hard shifts. i may try to change the tranny oil like someone mentioned earlier. oh and btw ares, beautiful sig......


Doc