Proud New Owner With Some Questions

[SenorCole86]

I just bought a 2005 G35 Sport Coupe in perfect condition. Had a little more miles than I wanted (51.5k) but like I said, it was in perfect condition. I'm not new to autos, but am relatively new to working on anything newer than 1985. I've got a few questions for you guys.

1) What oil should I use and when should it be changed. I'm considering royal purple with lucas additives. I know it's expensive but I wanna take really good care of this car . . . really good care.

2) What about gearbox and diff oils?

3) What kind of tires should I run. I plan on autocrossing this car, so I need soemthing that grips well but I also make very long trips (Indiana to South Texas). I know that's a tall order, but I need some ideas.

4) The car came with a clear bra. Can I wash, polish, clay, wax, seal, etc. as normal or does the bra require other care to make it match the paint?

5) Anything else I should be aware of or check for? Anything at all guys? Please let me know. I want to keep this car in tip top shape from now to Kingdom come.

I also have one concern. I've always been more into tighter tracks, but I could not help but take the car onto some deserted backroads and see what it could do in the right half of the speedo. The redline shift from 3rd to 4th was strange. The clutch couldn't hold the engine to the wheels. We were still accelerating, but the rpms were slowly dropping until it meshed up correctly. This is with the clutch pedal all the way out. Is this normal and something I should plan on fixing down the road with a stickier clutch or do I have a problem. Other than that, the car seems to drive fine, but I've no other G35 to compare it to and no other comparable car. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated in any of these matters. If this is in the wrong forum, feel free to move the thread. Thanks a lot guys, have a good one.

[smockers83]

1) Royal Purple without Lucas additives. With Royal Purple, you won't need them and may have no benefit. Regular oil should be changed every 3000-3750 miles. With Royal Purple you could possibly extend it out further depending on where/how you drive.

2) You could switch those to Royal Purple as well. Not sure on the exact weights though.

3) Why not have a set of used tires set aside just for autoXing? Seems like people really like the Toyo Proxes and Kuhmos.

4) You can just wash it, there really is no need to wax it. You could clay it as well to get embedded contaminants out.

5) The only other thing I'd watch out for with your model is oil consumption. Check it often for the first couple of months to make sure its not consuming a ridiculous amount of oil.

The G MTs have some safety feature that will do that. Someone with an MT will tell you for sure how it works. G_whizz seems to be pretty knowledgeable about it if I recall.

Welcome aboard!

[smockers83]

Here's some info from Royal Purple regarding change intervals and additives.

Royal Purple recommends following the manufacturer’s maintenance intervals while the vehicle is under factory warranty. In clean engines that are no longer under warranty, oil change intervals may be extended up to every 12,000 miles or annually, whichever comes first. Oil filter changes should be done as recommended by the filter's manufacturer and oil should be topped off as needed.

In dirty engines, Royal Purple recommends the standard 3,000 to 5,000 mile oil and filter change interval until the engine oiling system is clean and free of deposits left by lower quality oils and / or poor maintenance or mechanical problems. This will allow time to gradually remove existing deposits without overloading the oiling system.

We strongly recommend against using any oil additives as do most automotive manufacturers. Engine oils are formulated with a fine balance of additives (anti-foam, corrosion inhibitors, anti-wear, detergent / dispersants, oxidation inhibitors), and more is not necessarily better. The use of an oil additive could upset the balance resulting in reduced performance.

[SenorCole86]

That's great bud, great info. Thanks a lot. Keep 'em coming please.