first... no a 99 intake will not work w/ a 00 or 01 model g20. the mass airflow sensors are different sizes.. sucks to be us newer primera owners huh?
now to get back on topic....
**tales of my suspension headache**
i have a 00 g20t and as soon as i got the car i wanted it lowered because i *hate* wheel gap w/ a passion!!
i didnt want to get eibach springs because i felt that a 1.2 inch drop was really just gonna look like 1 inch, which is basically un-noticable. so i went with intrax springs cause the drop was 1.75 inch which looks a lot more like 2 inches than 1 inch. also, i had read online that intrax had a "softer ride" than eibachs...
so i got the intrax springs put on my stock shocks cause i thought hey softer than eibachs, lower, and only $250 installed... perfect!!!
**WRONG!!!**
the car was lowered and looked way more aggressive, but as soon as i drove the thing.. OOOOH GOD!!!
every little bump (or micro-bump for that matter) in the road cause my car to begin bouncing. the car suspension would make these little bounces and wouldnt settle for about 20 feet or so.
at first the bouncing was small and i somehow convinced myself it was bearable, and that the springs just needed to "break in" cause they were a little stiff...
**WRONG!!!**
the problem just got worse and worse... the short quick bouncing became bigger and longer as 2 months went by....
i next decided to get some kyb struts put on because my stock shocks were now COMPLETELY DEAD!!!
this setup was definately an improvement but i was bottoming out in my wheel wells all the time when hitting big dips or bumps... perhaps this wouldnt have happened if the car rode a lil higher, ie.. on eibachs...
feeling the need to be able to "fine tune" my ride height AND suspension damping, i decided to scrap my whole setup and try something new...
Ground Control coilovers sitting on Koni struts, heaven at last!!!....
**ALMOST**
i heard that Ground Control was making "special orders" of P11 coilovers. basically this means they dont have them in stock but they can make them and have them shipped to you in less than a week... thier turn-around time has significantly improved...(kudos to them). the price tag is a little more than most of their other setups, being that they must custom make a new upper strut mount. ($450-499 us dollars is the going price)
meanwhile i ordered a P11 primera strut setup from Koni. the front assembly went very smoothly, however when i got to the rear a problem developed. with the new upper strut mounts that GC makes, there is not enough thread left on the shock to mount everything safely.. you can do it.. but BARELY!!
so the rear primera shocks were scrapped for a set of 95-98 maxima rears which have a longer threaded area. problem solved!!! the struts fit and allowed me to have choices in ride height adjustability...
what i've learned...
DO NOT LOWER YOUR CAR AND KEEP STOCK SHOCKS!!
and also...
i wasted a lot of cash when i should have just done it the right way the first time. dont spend $200 on springs and think you're gonna be happy, you wont!
i definately recommend going with this setup...
Ground Control Coilover kit for a P11 G20
Koni Front Primera P11 struts part # 8040-1127S
Koni Rear 95-98 Maxima struts part # 8040-1242S
the GC's go for $500 max and all the struts should run you about $450 to $500. total ballpark figure of $950 to $1000.
i also highly recommend spending the extra cash for a setup like this as opposed to $200 springs on $400-$500 shocks... the price difference is just not worth it.
lastly, in case anyone is wondering, yes the Koni's are adjustable but not while already mounted to the car. i set mine to the stiffest setting and then went two clicks back towards the soft side, mounted them.. loved it and never changed them.
happy lowering...
=)