20Specv12's 2012 Nissan SER Spec V

[20Specv12]

So I guess I'll use this thread to show the progression of my car (she still has a long way to go).

I used to drive a 2006 Civic 2door that I bought from Ottawa. She truly is a Southern Ontario vehicle as she didn't even come with a block heater:

that's my fiance's 2012 Chevy Avalanche beside her.

Then I decided to increase her HP with I/H/E, but as she was only a 1.8 it wasn't enough for me. I tried to trade it in for a 2012 Si but the local dealership wanted me to remove all the aftermarket parts and return her to stock. I laughed at the dealer guy's face and left. I then talked to a friend of mine from Halway Motors and he said to try out a Spec V. He had to bring one from Quebec for me to test drive. After first drive I fell in love with it, and they allowed the trade in for the Civic without removing the aftermarket parts (bonus!).
Here she is when I first picked her up:

and here's her beside the only white GTR in Thunder Bay (the owner picked his GTR the same day I picked up my Spec V. And no he did not let me drive it...bastard...):

Then the mod itch struck and I started doing little cosmetic mods to her. First was painting the chrome piece on the front grille and painting some of the engine bay plastic things and painting the brake calipers red:


I then bought some blue LED bulbs to replace the stock ones on the inside, trunk, and rear license plate:


Then I took apart the interior centre stack console and painted it black. I also got a NRG weighted shift knob:


Then I got bored again and bought a Razo weighted shift knob and wrapped the interior with carbon fiber vinyl film:


I wanted more of a yellow fog lights so I bough some Lamin-X fog light film:



Then the performance upgrades started. First up was 2JRacing lightweight pulley in anodized red, a D5 Concepts 3" cat back exhaust, and Kartboy polyurethane exhaust hangers:


Then I got a used Megan header and M2 Performance downpipe from a member of the Allsentra forum. Painted it with ceramic header paint to make it look brand spanking new (just a note for everyone: DO NOT BAKE THE HEADER IN THE OVEN AS PER INSTRUCTIONS. IT STINKS UP THE HOUSE AND YOUR FIANCE WILL YELL AT YOU):


I will be installing the header/downpipe this weekend with the help of the soon to be dad-in-law. Will post pics then.

[tinma88]

Nice progress. Subscribed for updates

[Yota]

Keep the pics comin!!

I love mods!

[neeman77]

Nice work, I like the modifications thus far

[20Specv12]

Thanks guys. My goal for the car right now is to have I/H/E and an Uprev tune, making close to 220WHP. Then just suspension and cosmetic stuff until boost. Brrrrmmm phish! lol

[Clutched?]

Welcome, I test drove a 2007 SER with the CVT... The CVT ruined the car. Happy you got the manual!

Also, is this you in the photo or the owner of the GTR?

[neeman77]

No those are the owners of the car, he is an ICU doc.

[TougeSpirit]

Nice car and work on the header/downpipe, what brand of paint was that? It came out nice!

[20Specv12]

Welcome, I test drove a 2007 SER with the CVT... The CVT ruined the car. Happy you got the manual!

Also, is this you in the photo or the owner of the GTR?

Yeah the CVT is total garbage. I'd never go back to driving automatic.

No those are the owners of the car, he is an ICU doc.

Correct. He is an Intensivist that works for the Regional. Here's a picture of me during the 2011 Bachelors for Hope Auction. Try to guess which one I am.


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Nice car and work on the header/downpipe, what brand of paint was that? It came out nice!

Thanks man, I'm actually in love with your RX-7 (Initial D fan here). I used VHT Ceramic Header paint that I got from Canadian Tire. Just baked her in the oven after three coats and she looks brand new.

- - - Updated - - -

And I also picked up my summer tires from the dealership earlier. I was going to paint the rims gloss black but I kinda like the way they are at the moment so I'll leave them for now.... until I get bored . Now we just need to wait for summer to get here and they'll be on (hopefully I get my Sickspeed red extended lugs for my birthday and that'll be that)

[TougeSpirit]

Yeah the CVT is total garbage. I'd never go back to driving automatic.
Thanks man, I'm actually in love with your RX-7 (Initial D fan here). I used VHT Ceramic Header paint that I got from Canadian Tire. Just baked her in the oven after three coats and she looks brand new.

OOHH so your advice comes from experience about baking it inside lol! I actually just started watching Initial D now and then after I saw that it came out on netflix, there was 80 something episodes! I want to pick up a low mileage white FC (Previous series rx7) from the states that hasn't seen snow or winter in the next year or two.. Maybe it can be my track whore haha.

[Clutched?]

I used to work with Nicole, I can't believe she withheld this information from me.

My guess you are one of the back two or the dude in the middle.

Keep yourself busy and don't paint the wheels.

[20Specv12]

I used to work with Nicole, I can't believe she withheld this information from me.

My guess you are one of the back two or the dude in the middle.

Keep yourself busy and don't paint the wheels.

Yup I'm the one in the middle (the only brown skinned dude in the picture lol).

So we replaced the stock header and downpipe yesterday with the Megan header and M2 downpipe. All I can say is WTF is Nissan thinking when they created the stock parts. First, the heat shield was a major PITA to remove:



Second, the goddamn top two O2 sensor won't come off! The two bottom ones were easy, but damn did they loctite the shit out of it before install? We tried heating the sensor to get them out but no luck, and by the time we managed to finally get them out we stripped the shit out of the threads:


So we left the two O2 sensors out and put the new parts together:



And the only thing now missing is the two O2 sensors at the top:


So I tried to price two new ones and from courtesyparts.com they're around $165 US, so I'm assuming if I get them from the dealer they'll rape me with the inflated cost. I managed to find then in ebay for way cheaper for only $91.99 US each: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tchlink:top:en

So now we play the waiting game and my car is out of commission for a while.

[20Specv12]

So after waiting almost a week the new Denso O2 sensors finally came through the mail this past Saturday, but was not able to finish installing it until today. When we tried to install them, one of the threads for the bung was slightly stripped and the second one there was not enough room to use the O2 socket. So we had to remove the entire header again. But after many cursing and a few cuts on my hands we finally managed to install everything. And the best part is NO FUCKING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT!!! This has got to be the most PITA mod I've ever done to any vehicle by far



She now pulls a lot harder than before (looks like she's finally awake) and sounds amazing (without the silencer) but is a little louder than I like, so I might weld a resonator on the exhaust. I did not have my car for one week, and that one week was hell (I didn't know how much I needed the car to get around). Plus the weather finally improved here so on goes the summer tires. After a quick wash, photoshoot!





So the Toronto Maple Leafs (my team) beat the Ottawa Senators (my fiance's team) in the regular season standings so my fiance has lost the bet and had to buy me a K&N Short Ram Intake. Will be installing that when it comes in the mail next week. Plus I do hate that wheel gap and might do something about that sooner than later...

[Nabs]

How long did it take to remove the stock manifold and put in the headers approximately?

I'd be slightly wary of a short ram intake unless it had a heat shield. I've seen a lot of people with M3's lose power due to heat soak with those, although you will get a more aggressive induction sound.

[Steeldon]

Second, the goddamn top two O2 sensor won't come off! The two bottom ones were easy, but damn did they loctite the shit out of it before install? We tried heating the sensor to get them out but no luck, and by the time we managed to finally get them out we stripped the shit out of the threads

Sometimes O2 sensors are tack welded from the factory