[View with PicLens]

12►

Maria is a 46 yr old who has been bitten by the car bug and we wanted to help give her the publicity she deserves for all her hard work.

Owner’s Name MARIA CHIERUZZI

Owner’s Age 46

Vehicle Info

(Year) 2008

(Make) INFINTI

(Model) G37 S

(Chassis code)V36

(Engine code)VQ37VHR with VVEL

(City)SIMI VALLEY (State)CA

Occupation: INTERIOR DESIGNER

Hobbies: flying a hot air balloon, traveling and experiencing various adventures

When and how did you get into cars:

my first car was a used 1976 280 Z and I was adamant, I had to have THAT car. I think I have always had a thing for cars – my father raced before I was born and I guess that’s where I got the bug. We used to sit in parking lots while my mom did her grocery shopping, trying to figure as people walked out – which car was theirs. My dad would say “You can tell a lot about a person by the car they drive, and even more in how they take care of it.” So – what does my car say about me?

Influences:

Speed Racer – it was my favorite cartoon when I was just an elementary school kid. No, Seriously I think from my dad, brothers, their friends and my high school boyfriends.

previous vehicles owned:

76 Datsun 280 Z, 89 Ford Escort (POS edition), 91 Nissan Maxima, 94 Pathfinder, 96 Infiniti I30T, oh no the mom mobile 2000 Nissan Quest (it was on a maxima chassis though!) 03 Infiniti G35 (my fav Till now) and a Honda Element (my funk mobile – for work)

other vehicles you own: _a slick looking ‘08 GMC Sierra 1500HD to haul my 04 Lindstrad 77A hot air balloon

Why did you buy this vehicle:

My son was driving the ‘96 I30 with 213000 miles on it and was in need of a new car – so he bought the G35 and I GOT the G37

what made you start modifying your vehicle:

The G35 was red and I loved it, because it’s a bold and sporty color – at the time I purchased the 37 there weren’t any red ones available. The Ivory pearl was nice – but it wasn’t quite the look or feel I’d hoped for. So I searched the web for ideas and subsequently joined the myg37 forum to check out what others had done to their 37’s …and the rest is history.

Purpose/goal of build:

to have a hotter looking car, with a throatier sound

what problems (if any) did you encounter:

only that there’s never enough money to do all I want – especially when my husband cuts me off!

How did you solve those problems:

I’m still working on that – now accepting donations!

what were the stages in which the car was built:

I knew the lights were a must the moment I saw them, so got in line for them. Started off with the grille, door pulls, and LED’s installed all that with my son, the overlays followed. Which was a dramatic change to the Ivory? It was then my turn for the headlights after reinstalling I got 600K HID’s to complete the look. Then got the Invidia exhaust.

Cost to build:

only $2158.00 and worth every cent! Estimated value:

Trophies/honors/awards: none

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of building a similar vehicle:

First off – join a forum! Take your time and check out others work, see what you like and don’t like. Go to meets, see what works and works well. No need to reinvent the wheel! Talk to people, ask questions and get referrals for upstanding, honest shops. Call them, ask more questions and be sure you’re getting a good price on a good product and it’s what you want. Sometimes it might be a bit of a drive. In my case it was worth the extra time, as those shops went the extra mile for me.

what are the most unique features about your vehicle:

the custom headlight conversion, for sure.

what did you learn from building the vehicle:

it’s enjoyable. I’ve learned a lot I didn’t know and I’ve met a lot of nice guys along the way. It’s best to have a have a plan. Try to stick to it. So you can be sure to get the items that mean ultimately the most to you. The looks and sound meant the most to me – lots of other mod’s caught my eye, but I wanted to be sure to address those first, before I’d spent my money on something less important on my list.

Future of vehicle:

it’ll be around the family for a while – I am not in any hurry to get anything new. But when I can’t wait to get the newest model, pretty sure my son will want to buy it!

any future project(s):

I’d still like a cold air intake – who knows maybe it’ll be a Mother’s Day present.

But then again a carbon fiber hood and new rims would definitely be a nice addition to the looks side of my mods vs. the performance ones. ????

any other stories regarding the build:

A lot of it I actually did myself with my son or husbands help– at first I was intimidated, thought I’d screw it up somehow, but it was actually fulfilling to be involved and say I did it. I particularly like it when I hear younger guys ask at events – whose car is that, it’s sick!? And someone points to me!

Modifications:

Ividia exhaust
Mid night grill
Custom headlights
6000K HID’s
LED’s interior and exterior
Tail light GTR overlays
Roof overlay
Cobb tuned
Eibach springs
35/15 ATC Tint
Washi door pulls
Eneos oil

please list appropriate Websites (URLs) for any applicable sponsors/thanks:

www.amplifiedmotorsport.com , www.jsdesignfactory.com , www.lmted.com www.riversideinfiniti.com, www.superbriteleds.com