Photo: The Detail Geek | YouTube
The owner of this 2005 Infiniti G35 has been living in his car for the last year and has collected everything he can find that is useful off the road. It looks like a giant garbage can on wheels and is in desperate need of a wash.
This Infiniti G35 is far from what the Japanese automaker designed it for: a compact luxury sedan (also available as a coupe), packed with technology and comfort. It's not age that makes it look bad, even though it's almost 20 years old. The compact sedan has aged gracefully. That's what it was used for this year: a house with a garbage can design.
The model we're reviewing is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine. In the early 2000s, the 3.5-liter unit was billed as one of the most reliable on the market, and that was quite something. It generates 280 horsepower (284 metric horsepower) and 269 pound-feet (366 Newton meters) of torque, sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission.
His brother-in-law asked for his help right after the car owner got home. He realized the Infiniti owner was having trouble, so Mitch from YouTube channel The Detail Geek offered to explain it to him for free.
Photo: The Detail Geek | YouTube
The driver's door is left half open, so the cleaning expert will have to fill the gap with tape to avoid flooding the passenger compartment and all the dirt turning into mud and other things that accumulate and float there.
An open window and some duct tape to keep the cold out
That's probably what the owner did: He taped it up to keep the cold, bugs, and prying eyes out of the car he slept in night after night. But the glue is now stuck to the A-pillar, so the expert, Mitch, will have to get it off somehow.
Pressure washing reveals the navy blue paint and multi-spoke wheels with black finish on the right side and a different design in silver on the other side. Mitch, however, has some work to do on the front end, which is, as he says, a graveyard of dead bugs that may have permanently damaged the clear coat.
The owner is said to have worked as a tree planter near Jasper, Alberta after the wildfires that hit the area. Mitch is known to have planted over 6,000 trees in one day and traveled in this Infiniti. Seems like a guy who deserves a helping hand.
Photo: The Detail Geek | YouTube
When Mitch starts working on the cabin, he struggles to unscrew the seats because he can’t easily find the bolts under tons of clothes, plastic bags, and trash. The rubber floor mats have collected dirt and debris and have gone from their usual beige to brown. As for the carpeting… it’s just as ugly.
“Don't throw anything away!”
Mitch has been specifically asked not to throw away anything he finds in the car, even if it is junk, because the owner believes he might need it at some point. He complies because he doesn't want the anger of a serial hoarder to be directed at him.
Also, the owner's father shows up at the studio and tells him to take care of the stick and feather that are resting on the dashboard.
Mitch doesn't know what to expect. He finds pocket knives and junk in the door storage spaces. But he has to keep everything. He also finds six pairs of nail clippers and a large collection of rocks stored in the center console.
Finally, he has four plastic bags full of items that the owner insists on keeping. The carpet looks like it has had a few drinks spilled on it. The stain extractor and steamer should do the trick.
Photo: The Detail Geek | YouTube
The perforated beige leather on the seats has turned brown from dirt, so Mitch has a lot of work to do on those as well. Also, the leather on the seats has been worn away by time.
12 hours of work later
Mitch uses an adhesive remover to remove the glue left by the tape on the driver's side A-pillar. However, it will take more than one application to get it off.
Photo: The Detail Geek | YouTube
After 12 hours of work, more than he expected, Mitch welcomes the owner's brother-in-law and his wife into the shop. They've come to take a look at the car they brought in the day before. They can't believe their eyes when they walk in. Once a rolling garbage can, the 19-year-old Infiniti G35 looks like it just rolled off the assembly line.
“It's not even the same car!” they say. They're sure the owner will be happy with the transformation. Unless Mitch lost some of his items instead of putting them in plastic bags as requested.