A&Q about 350Z
Q:
This Saturday I decided to head out to the local drag strip with some buddies and their "faster than my Z" civics. Kumho tires sponsord the event so the turnout was awsome. Anyways, the mighty GTO.
Once the sun started setting I decided to go for a run. As I'm in the staging lane waiting my turn a GTO pulls next to me waiting his turn aswell. So, I start asking him how the car has been running and what not and replies "I don't know","This is my first time at the track with this car". He also mentioned that he has had the car for only two months but hislast vehicle was a lighting which was an auto. The GTO is manual he says. I wish him luck and patiently wait out turn. As the lines of 7 or 8 lanes move along I'm thinking to myself it be cool to run with the GTO.
(In my mind)
HHmmmm--------- I've raced my car many times but I just got some new 20" wheels with 285/30 in the rear and have no idea how they are going to react when compared to my stocks and the last 20" wheels I had. On the other had he has no racing experience with the GTO and his car is also manual so that about makes us even.--------
My fastest time yet on stocks is a 13.9 at 101 mph and about a 14.0 on my previous 20's. (I started at a 14.6 before mods.)
Usually when you want to race someone they'll pair you up. Luckily the guy paired us up without me having to tell him...... Its on like "Donkey Kong"
The Race
As usual I do my burn out (I unplugged the brake clips earlier) for an amount of time I thought would be sufficient. He on the other hand does not proceed with the burn out. I don't know why but I heard the staging guy tell him don't bother just go around! Anyways, we line up and wait for the tree to light up. Normally, I'll launch at about 2400 rpm with the stocks or my previous 20's and have and excellent traction but since I had some new 20's and wider tires I thought to myself maybe I should launch a little higher. All of a sudden the tree lights up not giving me enough time to get my revs to where I want so I just rev and dump the clutch. What are the first signs of over reving at launch? Yes, the squeeling of tires. So as I was in slow motion out of the hole he got a good 1/2 car length in front of me. Ahhh SH^% I said popped it into second with my lightning fast shifting and gunned it. I start gaining. I noticed him shifting and my bumber is now right at his door. Lighning fast shift to third and we are bumper to bumper. I notice he shifts and now I'm a bumper ahead.
(In my mind)
-----HHmmmmm A big V8 against my big V6 I'm dead. No replacement for displacement here. He is going to start pulling away once we get to fourth.
"It funny how much can actually go through your mind in 1/4 mile"
Race continued
so I'm in third and winning by a bumper and have one more gear to go before the 1/4 mi. ends and the winner gets a green while the looser or should I say "second place" gets a red light. I have to shift and if my lightning quick shifts aren't just a quick or quicker than my last two, I'm done for. I swear if someone was in the car with me he wouldn't have seen and actual shift..... theyed see a blurr. Now I'm in fourth and I still have him by a bumper. "Top End Don't Fail me Now"
Green Light on my side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!
Apparently, it became a drivers race.
I ran a 14.8 @ 98.7mph with a 2.4 60' one of my worst runs ever. Never the less a win is a win. I'm just glad I got a chance to do it at the track and not the street.
It was a good race and I'm glad that my top end was able to keep up with his.
Sorry for such a long post!
David
A:
Congrats!!!!
I enjoyed reading your post!
-Zanioed '03 Le Mans Sunset Touring Coupe w/ Nav.
A:
Thanks, I like to explain how it went down in order for everyone to see it through my eyes and understand both sides a little better.
David
A:
Nice. Good Job. I have entertained the idea of getting the new GTO. Now I am not so sure. I would think for sure the GTO would whip the Z. Enjoyed reading your post.
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DocsZ
03 Touring
DC Headers
Injen Cold Air Intake
Underdrive Pullies
Invidia True Duel Exhaust
A:
The reason the GTO didn't do a burn out is becuase with street tires you aren't supposed to. Go to the track often enough and talk with pros and you find out that you are only supposed to do a burn out if you have slicks. People who do it with street tires do it to look cool or becuase they don't know any better. Also something you may not realize is that by going to 20's you may have just made your car slower. I've seen several people go up 1-2 wheel sizes and then end up running .1-.3 secs slower. Same goes for your wider tires, honestly do you really need them that wide or are you doing it for looks? If for looks fine just realize that you are just spending extra money on tires when you don't need to and that it's making you slower. Also had he actually driven his car properly you would have been toast, then again had you been able to launch right you would have been faster too. What was your best run of the night? Hope it was better than a 14.8. You are right though, running down the 1/4 mile it's amazing how much time seems to slow down for you to think so many things.
1977 280z: Intake, exhaust, high flow cat, header, euro damper, cam, MSD, adj. FPR, 3.7 lsd, F+R sway+strut bars, 2580lbs
1984 300zx: intake, exhuast, high flow cat, headers, JWT ECU, F+R sway bars, F strut bar
06 WRX TR
A:
they should both have duals it's just that one of both of the pipes are on one side rather that both sides of the car... right?
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Chrome Silver '03 Touring -MT-
C.F. Nismo Wing
Shorty Antenna (Stolen!!! Thanks alot!)
Kicker Solo Baric L7 1200w
I don't think, I know...
Well, I don't think you know either
A:
Nope, the retards at Pontiac actually only gave the 04 a single pipe sticking out the back bumper.
I feel sorry for anyone who rushed to get the 04 with so many positive changes done for the 05 model.
Speed TV recently did a show on the GTO and pointed out the many complaints people had.
2003 Nissan 350Z Enthusiast Coupe (Fast)
2003 Mercury Marauder (Faster)
1996 Ford Ranger (Don't ask!)
A:
I wanna say it was an 04 with 340 or 350 hp. Not the 400hp. The reason I choose to go with the 20's is just for looks. I've run many times with my stock 18's and my previous 20's and my times have been the same believe it or not. I don't like runing with slicks but I do like doing burn outs with my street tires before the run. I feel I get my tires hot enough and stickier I'll have less traction problems. Just my .02 with my car. I've ran without burning out and with and have seen better results by doing a good burn out. I know I messed up in first gear and I'm sure he probably messed up in first and part of second because once I trounced to second I gained on him quick. What amazed me the most was that in third and fourth gear neither his car or my car was able to secure a lead. Meaning his car wasn't pulling away nor was I pulling away. we were neck and neck for most of third and in forth he couldn't take that bumper lead away from me.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to talk to him after the run to get his side.
From my little experience there is not much you can do in third or forth except press the gas. So IF his gas was pressed and mine was pressed the two cars performed identical.
The hard part is launching and getting 2nd gear to hook. After that it is just mashing the pedal and shifting. Then again, I'm no pro.
By the way I'm not stock: Injen Cold Air Intake, Crank Pullie, No Cats, Injen True dual exhaust, Kinetix Plenum V4, and lets not forget about those "Grounding Wires" heeehe
After the Sh^&^, run I didn't want to possibly embarass myself again with another high fourteen plus there were too many cars waiting in line.
I'll be dynoing pretty soon just to see where I stand in whp.
Laitzzz
A:
ahh... my mistake... i did alot of prelaunch research for the GTO and found that it had the dual exhaust and they made it a BIG DEAL that it had TWO lengths of piping that ran the full length of the car... they had a link to hear the sounds of it and everything... how pathetic that they went for the single outlet...
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Chrome Silver '03 Touring -MT-
C.F. Nismo Wing
Shorty Antenna (Stolen!!! Thanks alot!)
Kicker Solo Baric L7 1200w
I don't think, I know...
Well, I don't think you know either
A:
Even though it has 400HP it still is a 4000lbs slug IMHO. I want that LS2 motor for my Formula Firebird however and some twin turbos !!!
Oh, Yes it will be mine ........
"Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting"
Quote - Steve McQueen
'04 350Z Silverstone 6spd
Previous owner of 240, 280, and 300 Z's
A:
Single outlet of the proper size doesn't give away much if anything. "full duals", particularly on a 90deg crank V8 which really needs to have a crossover anyway, is mostly marketing.
GTO weighs ~3700 lb. Too heavy, for sure, but even the '04 has superior power/weight to the also-somewhat-porky (nearly 3300 lb.!) 350Z.