A&Q about 350Z
Q:
I've decided to get an 03/04 350z and have a few questions. First, I was thinking the base model would be the best bet for someone who plans to modify the car. Touring has things I don't want like TC, stereo upgrades, etc, and the track model has upgrades that I'll be replacing with superior aftermarket parts anyways. Opinions on this? Second, is ABS standard, an option in all packages, or only certain packages? I don't want ABS on a sports car if there's an option not to, but I have not been able to find a clear answer to this question.
Last, I need to come up with a plan for modification. I have a general idea of what I want to do, but there may be mods considered "key" or excellent bang for the buck that I am not aware of yet. My general plan was to address LSD, sway bars, wheels, and tires on the first round of mods. Once I have those basic handling mods addressed I will probably look to extract more power. I am currently researching the options of NA mods, supercharging, and turbocharging. I have not yet decided which will be the most cost effective way to bring the car to a more fun level of performance, mainly because I haven't decided how far I want to go yet. NA mods are probably the most reliable and are cheaper in the respect that they can be done over a period of time versus 5k+ at once for FI, but I don't know if I would be better off waiting to drop the big money on FI. I also have concerns about the effects of FI on a daily driven car. Next, I plan to look into a coil over or possibly just a spring swap. If I decide a spring swap is all that's necessary I may include this in the first round of mods and get it out of the way. I will likely do fluid and lines early on, but a brake kit swap of the Brembo or Stoptech variety will come after the initial handling mods and power mods are addressed. After reading the 1.0g skidpad project in SCC magazine, I've decided the sway bars will be Hotchkis for weight reduction purposes, tires will be BF Goodrich g-Force KD, and while I'm not sure on the wheels yet, I'd like to stick with the 18x9-in. 42mm offset, 12mm spacer/18x9.5-in. 25mm offset front/rear combo or as close to it as I can to stick to the magazines template for what produced results. LSD will likely be KAAZ for the same reason.
My intentions are to make this a real performance car for spirited mountain driving and the occasional track day/autocross event. This is not a 2 fast 2 furious project, so there will be no body kits, cosmetic lowering springs, obnoxious exhausts, or other equally ridiculous mods. Not to step on anyone's toes, but I want to make my intentions clear before asking for opinions. Any input anyone can provide, brand specific suggestions, order to mod, or anything else productive is greatly appreciated!
A:
My favorite LSD is quaife gear type for street use and track. NISMO clutch type LSD is great for drag racing, but noisy for the street.
I have been doing forced induction for over 20 years and feel that APS is absolutely the best, most complete and safest kits for our 350Zs. It is the only forced induction kit with a complete fuel system for our 350Z including a fuel return system.
Go to this link on another thread for my opinions on the APS twin turbo kit if you are interested:
Do a search on my posts and you'll get all you could possibly want APS turbo systems and why I like them best.
Below is the kit I like. It is the best forced induction kit for 350Zs period as far as quality, safety, completeness, power/reponse, and price:
A:
APS 3" inch exhaust for APS TT 350Z kit. (The APS 2.5" test pipes into 2.5" exhaust is all you really need up to 600 engine hp, but the 3.5" test pipes into 3" exhaust really rocks but is kinda loud, he he.)
underneath view, APS 3.5" test pipes into 3" exhaust:
A:
APS twin turbos plus test pipes and exhaust run mid to high 11 sec. qrs. at approx. 120 mph, on stock engine 350Zs. Easily puts down 500 hp at the egnine but best to build the engine if going over that (400 hp at the wheels) The kit is not cheap though. Cost $7495 for kit itself but is so very complete. (exhaust extra) Including the best fuel system on the market (fuel pump, 500 cc fuel injectors and fuel return system) in a stock forced induction kit. Quality all the way. Even has a bigger oil pan with cooling vents and a shielded crank angle sensor wire. The APS TT kit includes the twin cold air intakes so you really get a lot in the kit.
Greddy (older technology turbos compared to APS) will do fine but get an upgraded fuel pump and fuel return system which are not in the kit for optimum safety (without the upgraded fuel pump you are almost guaranteed to blow your engine - I know of over 15 blown engines with Greddy w/o a fuel pump). You simply have to have an adequate fuel system period. JWT kit is good but get bigger fuel injectors (kit uses the stock fuel injectors at higher fuel pressure which is not AOK by itself, IMO) and a fuel return system for optimum safety.
It is hard to get a whole hell of a lot of extra power na, but it can be done. You will mostly spend a whole lot for not very much exta power in most cases as Nissan did a good job of setting the engine up na. Best way IMO to get big power safely is the twin turbos and you will be faster than Vipers and Z06s instantly with APS TTs, APS plenum, APS 2.5" exhuast and 2.5" test pipes. On a 350Z unbuilt engine you can get about 530 engine hp if you want to push the engine as far as it will take it. Best to build bottom end of engine with better forged rods and forged pistons if tune it for over 400 wheel hp. If you get stronger rods and pistons, with APS TT you can get 600 engine hp before you have to add even bigger fuel injectors even better fuel pump.-
APS dealers offer real time tuning of your car at over 170 engine load/rpm points on a load based dynamometer. Via the unichip in the APS kit that piggybacks the factory computer. Here is some info on why that is much better. Gets more power and much safer:
This will tell you why you need a fuel return:
Be careful as all the kits other than APS tell you their kit's fuel system is safe as is and they are not. Upgrade the fuel system if you get a kit other than APS and you'll be ok (up to a point). I would not run a kit that did not allow real time tuning (i.e., TN chip reflash).
You will pay a little more with APS but it is a complete kit. By the time you upgrade the other kits, in almost all cases you will have spent more than the APS kit. I like APS cause I do not like mixing and matching different components of differing manufacturers in order to get a complete kit. Sharif has a Greddy kit upgraded with all the right stuff and his 350Z is a fire breathing monster! Either way works, but get your system complete one way or the other if you want to give your engine its best chance to hold up with forced induction.
Pardon if any redundancy in my posts here as I did some cutting and pasting from my previous posts and don't have time right now to edit it all and quality check for typos.
Post Edited (Jul 3, 2:46pm)
A:
<Cool, so now that you have installed your APS kit, what sort of dyno numbers
< you got? Any photos of your engine bay?
Oh ye of little faith (ha). Good things come to those who wait. And sometimes there are good reasons for that. Rest assured, I did not spend over $2000 on getting my transmission stronger for just a cold air intake. But a wait and see skepticism is cool with me. And you will.
Post Edited (Jun 29, 1:52pm)
A:
If you wanted to go with a supercharger, I would think the ProCharger supercharger would be a great kit. They are the only one that claims you do not need a new hood and strut tower bar to fit it in. It's also self-contained and intercooled to run 7psi. One of their main test subjects was the 350Z, so their package should be very well designed for the car. They also claim higher dyno power than Stillen and Vortech.
I have no experience with this brand. But I ran across them a while back and they sounded very interesting, so I thought I'd mention it.
'04 Daytona Blue 350Z Enthusiast - B-Stock #34
Tanabe Sustec 36mm chromoly front sway bar
K&N drop in air filter
Hawk HPS brake pads
Pioneer Premier CD/MP3 head unit
18% tint rear and sides
A:
If you go with the procharger centifugal supercharger, make sure you get an ignition retard system when under boost system. As the ATI procharger kit did not have that included and I think that such as system is still not included. Many engine blew and there was great weeping and knashing of teeth. You can add one though. Vortech centrifugal supercharger does have that ignition retard systmem under boost.
Given your goals, I'd still go single turbo if I were you. Centrifugal superchargers don't really get full power till right at the very top of the RPM band. And Stillen supercharger you have to replace the hood. Stillen has a reputation for horrible customer serivce, IMO. But both types of superchargers have real issues with belts being contantly tightened. Stillen does have the warranty if you do stay at the low stages of power.
If your goals are low like that, a good alternative is the HkS centifugal supercharger which does have better low range power and torgue than procharger or vortech, but for the price, you might as well buy the APS single turbo. Which is a far better setup on many levels. I do not like the turbonetics single turbo much. If interested in my reasons, do a search on my posts as there are many. Including poor placement of turbo, lots of underhood heat, incomplete fuel system.
I think if you ever rode in an APS twin turbo, you'd forget about the others and consider them crude as model Ts. Stump pulling grunt on the bottom end and lots of mid and top range Atlas booster type acceleration. Serious giggles. All others are comparativley model Ts, except for the JWT twin turbo and then you need to get fuel injectors and a fuel return. Good luck with whatever you decide. Remember, only APS single and twin turbos have a fuel return system which you really need with any forced induction for 350Zs for optimum safety for your engine. Does little good to save money on the front end and blow an engine.
Post Edited (Jul 3, 9:13am)
A:
I have a built racing auto tranny in my 350Z so I have not researched the clutch much. My thinking is eventually you will need to get a better clutch.
APS recommends you go to stronger rods and pistons if you go over 400 wheel hp which is about 482 engine hp.
If you go with the test pipe and the APS exhaust for the APS single turbo, you will be very very pleased. Most of the other aftermarket exhausts do not work well enough for forced induction. I have known guys with the single turbo having trouble getting full boost till they went to the APS exhaust and test pipe and then no problemo. It is engineered for boost and tested to work with the APS single turbo.
Having said all that, many are running the APS turbos at well over 400 wheel hp with good reliability, but stay at 400 wheel hp for best reliability.
That Garrett GT series turbo used in the APS single turbo (and twin turbo) is a blast though. Dual ball bearing, oil lubricated and water cooled. The newest technology. Garrett bills these GT series as the fastest spooling tubos on the planet.
Get the APS dealer tuning as you will get a little more power that way and fine tuning specific to your car. If you are in an area with 93 octane gas like I am, the APS dealer fine tuning can tune you with a 93 octane tuning map which will result in more power. (The default setting in the kit is 91 octane map and running a bit rich for max safety.)
If you go to the base model 350Z, you definitely will need a limited slip differential (I mentioned the quaife earlier). If you go enthusiast or above, our 350Zs have a viscous limited slip which is ok at those power levels. These are all the things you will need. The drive shaft is good up to 800 engine hp. The APS kit already has the upgraded fuel pump and 500 cc fuel injectors and a fuel return system. You are all set.
If you are near Chicago, Genesis Racing Development (GRD) is the premiere APS installer/tuner around. Tuan is the best installer and fine tuner in the U.S. in my opinion! That is where I'm going for my install and tuning even though it is a hike from where I am in MD.
Good luck!
Post Edited (Jul 3, 2:49pm)
A:
Thanks for all the great info. I've been doing a little research on shops and have been looking for a link I lost for an installer advertising the APS single kit installed, tuned, and a dyno sheet provided for ~6200.00. Can't seem to find the link even after a few hours of searching though. I may end up looking locally for an installer first and see whats available before I drive half way across the country. A lot of it's going to depend on whos offering the best deal, of course.