I forgot about the meme quality of this thread.
Got up to move my g35 out of the street at 2:30 am in the rain so it doesn't get flooded (again), and I've been up since.
Anyone want a POS G35? 2004, auto, aftermarket exhaust, shiatty coilovers, and more leaks than it's worth.
Might try to trade it in for something else idk. I still love driving the damn thing.
After further testing, it seems the fan clutch was a contributor but not the main cause. As soon as I got on the highway the temp gauge jumped up. Oh well.
I replaced the fan clutch this morning as suggested in the dumb question thread. Took her for an aggressive spin with the AC on full blast for about 20 minutes. Temperature gauge never budged and a mystery engine noise disappeared... I'll be taking her on the highway later when it's 100 degrees...